Brendan and Julia

Brendan and Julia sit together on the couch of Julia's new apartment, cuddling together while watching a late night talk show. It has been five years since Brendan had the pleasure in the company of a woman. The nights of nightmares, and the days of hate would seem to be forgotten in the moments he holds on to her, knowing the safest place in the world was in her arms. This young man gave up his past life for Julia. The sins he has committed use to haunt him at every waking moment, but the soft touch of his love gave him reason to seek redemption. He can forget his war against society.

Brendan was a common hood in his early teens. He robbed , beat, and vandalized his way into the local street gangs until one day he would become the city's most wanted. When he matured into adulthood, his abilities in aggression won him a ticket into the New York gang life as an enforcer in one of the more violent and notorious street gangs. The gangs he represented were many steps below the life of a legendary New York "fuh-get-abuddid" mobster, but it did not stop him from collaborating with big time "made men." After several run ins with rival families for the men he supported, he quickly made a name for himself as "the Gentleman" for his excessive violence when performing a duty.

The Irony.

It was when he met Julia at a restaurant during a getaway after a job that changed his life. He ran into a designated restaurant, based at an apartment building, where his companions agreed to rendezvous, but fate chose him to be the sole survivor of a botched robbery. He sought for an open table to sit at, but every one was occupied and the restaurant unusually busy. There was one seat open and he immediately sat down. He was panting with extreme amounts of nervousness beating his chest, but when he took his first look at Julia, he died. Fate decided to sit him across a beautiful light skinned girl; a girl with luscious lips, exotic brown eyes, and a figure so beautiful that he could not think of a machismo remark out of honor. His life, the way of crime, perished in that moment.

Brendan confessed to Julia he was a fugitive, and would probably die that same day should he be found. Julia felt pity for him and gave him a hideout upstairs where she lived. After entering the apartment, she gave him a cigarette to calm his jitters. He confessed the robbery that was failed and many others before. Brendan expected a typical girl to call the police, but Julia made no notion she was going to. Something about him struck her and she could not part ways in such a manner. After a few days of hiding out in her apartment, she cared for him in a way he never thought to exist. He knew in that first week he loved Julia, and after nights spent in her company, he knew she loved him back.

They always talked about their upbringing. She was from a typical rough "fairy tale" household of abusive family members and the motto of hate. When Julia became an adult, she worked for her uncle in the family business for the rest of her current life. And as Brendan sought to know his love, Julia was as curious in his childhood. So he told her of his criminal lifestyle during his teens. He began to tell her of the first time he robbed an armor truck for a friend involved with the mafia. The confessions he made to her did not force Julia to look at him at another angle, but she felt trusted he would make such declaration of guilt. Julia wanted to know more, but Brendan pained to discuss his, now, past. Of course she did not press the matter and accepted him the way he is now.

For the longest time, he would be with her and never left her side. Brendan wanted to ensure her he is hers and would never betray their love. He once envied the scenes in movies where the hero meets his girl and they kiss to a soft melody by an orchestra. Sadly, the music wasn't there, but the moment was like what he had imagined. They held hands, each other's waist, they whispered to each other to keep their love a secret even when they are alone. Love was his Achilles heel and Brendan was thankful his bane would be Julia. Often in nights after they carefully go out and return home safe, they held onto each other and spent the night in one another's arms.

Even when Julia found a new apartment, Brendan came with her and they settled into a new life. Two months later, it would be nights like these Brendan wanted to keep for the rest of his life.

The talk show is nearing the end, and Julia begins to prod Brendan's former life.

"Would you say your life was like what you see in the movies?" she asked in her soft, sweet voice.

"Never. The horror of the reality is far greater than what you see on T.V."

"Nothing was like the movies, then?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know…the undercover cop storyline, or the betrayal scheme?"

"Ha, now that you mentioned it…my friend was an undercover cop in the biggest family in New York. And even while I did my part in the underworld, I would sell out my connections in the family for a hefty price."

Julia smiled, Brendan's favorite quality of her.

"So…you tattled on your friends?"

"They weren't really my friends to begin with, more like business partners."

"And your police friend, he got out like you did, since you are now here with the love of you life, and away from them?"

She held him tighter.

"Nah, good old Johnny Italia is still there. I mean listen to the name Johnny Italia. I would've smelt him as a rat a mile away."

"Italia?"

"Yeah, do you believe that?"

She raised her eyebrows as if to say "go figure."

"But I'm over them. And you know what, babe? I did this for you. I wanted to change my life for you. You're the first person to ever care and you gave me reason to live."

He leaned over to her and kissed her. A sudden reminder of something shook Julia and she let go of Brendan and ran into the bedroom. He laughed at her awkwardness. The young man could not express in his thoughts how much he loved her and how his life was redeemed from the crime, the pain, the murder, and his hate.

Julia came back with a pillow and a blanket and sat back down beside him. She snuggled into his arms, resting her head onto his shoulders with the pillow at her waste. Brendan smiled and placed his head upon hers. Happy with how life turned out, he gave a long content sigh. Just when he exhaled, feathers of the pillow burst from sudden holes. There were two soft sounds preceding the little eruption which resembled sharp clicking. Brendan jolted backwards and slowly slid in the couch, and his sigh of content became a sigh of death. He made an effort and glanced down at his bloody shirt and the two newly made holes in his chest. But his last sight broke his heart and he lets go of his desperate grasp over life and surrenders to the blackness.

Julia pulled the silencer from the pillow and removed his arm from around her. She did not cry, nor did she feel sorry. Her job was to find an undercover cop in the family ran by her uncle, and was to use a common thug to point the cop out. Julia new her late boyfriend needed redemption, but he should've sought it somewhere else. She loved him, but she loved them all.
Julia moved away from the body and sat across from in on the table

"Brendan, you loved me as an escape from what you did. But you were their pawn, Brendan. You're a follower and dishonorable. You stole, you killed, you lied. You did a lifetime of terrible things and you can't repent for them. You bleed on my couch because of who you are. You spoke of your actions as if they were deeds, like you should be glorified of what you did, even if you left that life for love. Love is too great of a thing for you to place your sins upon. I don't regret letting you fall for me."
The woman sighed and set the blanket on the body and made for the door.

"Your sins killed you. Reap the glory now."