As she sat at his bedside, she looked at his face. He was an old man, his skin was wrinkly and his hair silver. His eyes drawn and greying, she could see the pain he was in. This was the right thing to do. She owed him this much at least. He had lead an interesting life, and she believed him to be a good man, though many others would have disagreed. He had saved her when she was most in need. Now it was time to repay the favour.


"Let me tell you something before you do this" he told her, with each breath the pain was excrutiating.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" he asked her.

"Yes I do sir, You found me under the overpass, I was in a real mess and you saved me" she replied.

"I may have saved you that day, but I need to tell you that" as he gasped in agony, she tried to hush him but he continued "I am sorry for what I have brought you into, You are the best of the best, but this isn't a normal life Maria , this isn't how it should be."

His voice weakened and the pain was getting too much. He pointed to a small wooden box, and as she collected it for him, he passed her the key.

"Open this when it is done. pass what you feel nessasary to the boys and make me proud"

With a tear in her eye, she allowed the man to come into the room, one by one they paid their respects to him and he handed them a note.

"Now it is time Maria, you really are deserving of your family name, I am honored to have met you"

With that said she kissed him on the head, and pulled out her pistol, as tears rolled down her face, she pulled the trigger.



As the hours passed, the room was a hive of activity, people coming in and out, paying their respects, offering their condolences and services.

Later that evening, as she sat in the rocking chair beside his bed, she could see the moon from the window. The heat was unbearable so she opened the window. After all these years she still couldn't get used to the sticky heat in LA.

As she opened the box, there was a letter inside, and three pieces of paper with numbers on them. She set the pieces of paper aside and began to read the letter that read,


Dear Maria,

If you are reading this I have passed on, and I can only hope it was on my own terms. If you have fulfilled my wish then I am eternally grateful and you will be rewarded greatly. I remember when I first met you, you were so frightened, you had been off the boat from Glasgow only a few hours, and already you had killed your father and were hiding out by the underpass. Still to this day you have not discussed why, but I know for you to react like that it must have been deserved.

I remember bringing you home, I could see the fear in your eyes, you thought I was going to harm you. It took weeks for you to realise I meant you no harm and just wanted to help you. I am so glad you trusted me. If I am honest, I am the lucky one, to have been in your presence for so many years. I am the luckiest man on this earth.


The first day I knew I loved you was the day you were in the kitchen, complaining to the cook because she didnt know how to make haggis. You told her you would teach her how to make it. That night I fired the cook, you begged me to reinstate her, saying it wasnt her fault she didnt know, and as you had taught her, she would be able to make it from now on. Your compassion and caring is what got me, and the other boys, through thick and thin. You never questioned me once, (well not infront of the boys anyway) but most of all, you cared. I dont believe it was because you felt indebted to me for cleaning up the mess you had created the night before we met, but in some small way I take comfort from the self belief that you loved me in some small way.


I have kept a diary of the events that have taken place here for the last 20 years. It is in your dressing room, under the hat boxes that you never move, they have been here for years, and I have continued adding them. All I ask of you is you do with them what you will, but please never allow them to be distroyed. Hey Maria, with all that stuff it looks like we lived colourful lives. From the time Don Mark shot himself in the foot by accident because cook called dinner and it shocked him. To the day you became made. I guess what I am trying to say is, you have made me proud. I love you and I know you will go a long way, whatever you decide to do. You will be the best, I saw it in you that first day, and I see it more now. Let's see those fuckers understand that accent.


I have put something in place for you. Distribute it as you see fit. Those papers with the numbers on are account numbers, they are in your name and they contain a considerable amount of money. The more practical items like the guns etc, think about it, where would I put the most valuable key I have? That is where you will find them.


And Maria one more thing before I go, I know you will be the most wonderful mother. I will always be at your side, just look at the stars and you will know I am watching over you. For now my love, this is goodbye and thank you for making me the man I am today.