"You always say that," Johnnie pointed out, pulling his eyes from her and back on the road.
"And I'm always right," she pointed out. "Will you just promise to be extra careful once we get to this place? No stroking your ego, no stories, nothing bold and competitive. Please? For me?"
Johnnie smiled at her concern and nodded. "Of course, doll," he told her, quickly placing a kiss on her cheek before focusing his attention forward. "I'd do anything for you."
It was around five thirty at night when Johnnie, Zelda, and Homer finally arrived at the inn located deep in the woods known as Little Bohemia. When Zelda stepped out of the car, her eyes took in the sight. The family who ran the place must have lived on the property, and piercing barks told her that they owned a couple of dogs. The lodge was made of wood and there seemed to be two stories. Apparently, there was a bar, a big dining room, a place to play cards, and private rooms upstairs. However, they would be sharing a couple of bathrooms since the rooms didn't have a private one.
The sinking feeling in Zelda's stomach only deepened, though she would never admit it.
Johnnie quickly grabbed their luggage, and led the two up on the porch and through the lodge's entrance. Zelda, once she was in the bar, was surprised at how many acquaintances were there. It was almost like some sort of gangster reunion which meant it was all the more dangerous if someone recognized them. Mary Comforti, Pat Cherrington, Pat Reilly, John Hamilton, Tommy Carroll, Jean Delaney, Helen Gillis and her husband, Baby Face were all there, drinking, playing cards, and socializing.
When they saw Johnnie, Zelda, and Homer, they all cheered, and Baby Face actually handed Johnnie the keys to his own room, which was located upstairs.
"I'm going to go up," Zelda said once Lester had left. She took the key from Johnnie's hand and before he could stop her, grabbed the majority of the luggage. "I'll see you later, okay?" Before waiting for a response, she disappeared up the stairs, leaving Johnnie alone to think.
It wasn't long before Johnnie decided to head upstairs to join Zelda. The two hadn't really connected in the last few days. Attention went to his family, and now, because they had reunited with Baby Face and the gang, there was that to worry about. Plus, no matter where they were and where they went, they would always be hunted. Zelda was starting to get noticed by the press due to her continued presence by Johnnie's side, so it was starting to get more and more dangerous for her as well. She couldn't just slink off like she had been doing after being arrested. Her face was probably the most recognizable of the gangster molls.
He needed to connect with her.
His footsteps were soft so when he approached, Zelda wasn't aware that he was coming. In fact, Zelda was already half asleep by the time Johnnie walked in the room, but Johnnie needed to hold her, to see her eyes looking back at him with that sweetness he had fallen in love with. He kicked off his shoes and took off his belt before ridding himself of his shirt. It was only then that Johnnie slid into bed next Zelda, immediately wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest. He inhaled sharply, reveling in her scent, in the fact that he would smell it for the rest of his life, however short it might be. He wanted her for the rest of his life, but really, that wasn't new.
"You're here," Zelda murmured sleepily after turning around in his arms so she could face him. She smiled. "I thought you were going to reacquaint yourself with your friends."
"The only person I want to reacquaint myself, darling," he told her, his captivating smoky grey eyes holding onto hers so easily, "is you. I know we haven't had much time together, so I wanted to grab some with you when I could." The left corner of his lips lifted up for a moment, his eyes sparkling with a secret. "I love you more than life itself."
"And I love you just a little more," Zelda said with a small smile on her face, but her eyes revealed just how much his words still charmed her, still meant everything to her.
Johnnie chuckled but shook his head. "Impossible," he told her, and though her voice was soft, it was also serious. "It is a scientific fact that a man loves his woman more than she loves him."
Zelda's smile only deepened. "Really?" she asked him, her voice feigning some skepticism. "Well then, who am I to argue with science?"
Johnnie grinned and bent down to capture her lips. At first, the kiss was soft, tender, a reflection of the tenderness the two had for each other but Johnnie soon needed to taste her, and Zelda was never one to refuse such a thing, so the kiss soon turned passionate.
When they broke apart to catch their breath, Johnnie leaned forward and whispered, "Marry me." It wasn't the most traditional way to propose, but it felt right at that moment, and Johnnie had always been instinctual rather than logical. Right now, everything in Johnnie told him to ask her.
Zelda was fully awake by now, and she looked at Johnnie with wide eyes. She nodded her head, tears springing into her eyes. "Yes," she said, throwing her arms around Johnnie. "A million times yes!"
Johnnie didn't think there could ever be a day that would match that one. Except maybe his actual wedding day. And to show her, he used the rest of the time he had with his new fiancée just how much he loved her.
Chapter 27
It would be no surprise, then, that with the recent engagement, a party was held in the couple's honor the next evening. It was only natural for there to be music playing; such events needed music to represent the feeling drifting through the air, and both Johnnie and Zelda wanted to remember this night like no other. People were drinking in their honor, congratulating the happy couple, speaking to the couple. Surprisingly enough, even Lester and his cold wife Helen seemed happy for the couple. In fact, Baby Face even asked Zelda for a dance, which, after an unspoken look passed between her and Johnnie, she agreed to.
Zelda didn't even mind the fact that she was with a man she didn't particularly care for. Her happiness was excessive that nothing could bring her down, and, as Johnnie watched her with his sparkling smoky grey eyes, he seemed to agree. She was only one in the room who could capture his attention, the only person he was looking at. In essence, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
Her smile lit up the entire bar, and she was, by far, the most beautiful woman in the world, let alone the room. Then again, Johnnie was biased. He didn't care. Despite the fact that he had escaped from two jails, had left bank robberies unscathed or somewhat injured (though not fatally) with bags and bags of money, it was truly this night that he felt like the luckiest man in the world.
Zelda had said yes. She would be his wife.
Of course, there was the issue of actually getting her divorced from her first husband, and maybe he had already started the proceedings if he knew Zelda was with Johnnie, if he knew she was a criminal now that she was with him. Or maybe he was stubborn. It didn't matter. Johnnie would do whatever it was that was needed in order to make it legal and official.
As of right now, all he wanted was to dance with his fiancée.
The song on the radio changed to a slower tune, a familiar one to the couple, and though there wasn't a word spoken between them, they both gravitated to each other. Almost naturally, Johnnie's hand found Zelda's waist, hers found his shoulder, and their fingers intertwined with each other. Their bodies were pressing together as Johnnie led her around the small room, completely unaware and unbothered by the stares, by the other people in general. All Johnnie cared about was the woman in his arms.
"Do you remember the first time we met?" Johnnie asked her in a low murmur so that only she could hear.
Zelda smiled in a nostalgic way. "How could I forget?" she asked him in the same tone. "You came over to me and used that line. Oh... what did you say? 'Where have you been my entire life?'"
"And you told me you were waiting," Johnnie said with a similar smile. "I must confess: I saw you the moment I walked into that nightclub. You were something I had never seen before, beautiful, graceful, and there was something about you that I couldn't quite put my finger on. You weren't like any
of the other dancers there. I had to have a dance with you. I had to feel you in my arms, and since then, I've never wanted to let you go."
"I was so happy when you asked me to dance," Zelda admitted, a slight blush touching her cheeks. "I thought you were the most beautiful thing I had seen in my entire life. And to have your attention... to know that you wanted to dance with me..."
Johnnie smiled, reveling in the meaning of her words, but said nothing more on the subject. He was already being more romantic than necessary, and he didn't want to get any cornier. "If I could go back," he said after another moment, "I would change everything. I would be with you rather than Mary or Dolores or anybody. I would be with you and just you."
Zelda's response, however, surprised him. "I wouldn't change a thing," she told him honestly, lifting her eyes to lock with his. His look expressed his confusion, causing Zelda to smile at the fact that she had puzzled him. "If it weren't for both of those relationships, who knows what would have happened between us? God's timing is always perfect, I find, and we will work out in exactly the way we're supposed to. At least for me, I find that I appreciate you much more knowing I had to wait for you. But I also find that you were worth it, and still are."
Johnnie let her words sink in. He had never thought about it quite like that, and as a result, couldn't help but agree. "I feel the same," he told her. "I also feel lucky that you still wanted me, that you waited for me no matter how foolish I was."
Zelda's smile deepened, but she remained silent, and they both remained silent until the very end of their song. People started to clap when they finished, but the whole world had been long drowned out.
Johnnie leaned forward so his lips nearly caressed her ear. "Wanna go upstairs and be alone for a while?" he whispered, causing her skin to break out in goosebumps, as only Johnnie could do.
Zelda nodded, her voice too raspy to make any sense as of yet. Johnnie grinned and grabbed her hand. They didn't tell the party where they were going, but they really didn't need to. Catcalls, whoops, and whistles followed them, but the couple didn't care. They were too blissfully happy to feel ashamed or embarrassed.
They slipped into the bed they shared, but instead of proceeding with the act of making love, Johnnie just held her, murmuring things to her about how many children he wanted once they decided to settle down, once this whole bank robbing lifestyle came to a close. Because, sooner or later, it would, and they both knew it. How that would happen was left up in the air; Johnnie could get arrested, Johnnie could get away with everything, or, worst of all, Johnnie could die. But Zelda refused to think about that.
It was hard to plan for anything while they were living in the moment, lucky to get through one more night together and unharmed. So while Johnnie spoke, Zelda listened, but always with a grain of salt. How she wanted to have Johnnie's children! But until they were free from this persecution – one hundred percent safe – then she would consider it. Zelda refused to start a family while she was on the run with Johnnie. She didn't want to be Helen Gillis, Baby Face's wife. She didn't want to have to choose between Johnnie and her children. And she didn't have to at the moment; she was only responsible for herself and for Johnnie.
But oh, how she wanted to believe that they would one day get married and have a family together.
Just then, gun shots erupted from the front of the inn, causing Johnnie and Zelda to bolt upwards. At that moment, John Hamilton burst through the door, his eyes worried as he regarded the two. "G-men!" he exclaimed, breathless. "We gotta leave now, Johnnie. Some o' the guys are gonna return fire."
"No time!" Johnnie said, and threw his eyes around the room, looking for some kind of escape. "Have they got the inn surrounded?"
"So they say," John replied, running shaking fingers through his hair.
"Red," Zelda said, looking at his side. "You're hurt." There was blood coming out slowly from a wound, staining one of John's favorite shirts.
"No time to worry about that," John said, trying to offer her a reassuring smile.
"The window," Johnnie said, walking over to it and throwing it open. "We have to take a chance here. G-men may be armed, but they only have half a brain, especially if Hoover is givin' orders. Zelda –" He threw his smoky grey eyes on her; it was one of the few times he called her by her given name indicating how serious it was. "- you first. Come on!"
The gunshots could still be heard, but the three seemed to have gotten used to the sound and had no trouble blocking it out. Zelda climbed out of the window, followed by Red, and then Johnnie, who had a few weapons just in case. With relative ease, the three slid off the roof and down a drain pipe before landing in the soft terrain. As of that moment, it appeared that they were in the clear.
"We gotta find a car," Johnnie said, knowing that John needed medical treatment whether he wanted to admit it or not.
"Through the forest," Red said, pointing at something a good fifty yards off. "I don't think they realize there's a trail here – probably thought it was all lake."
"You think you can make it?" Johnnie asked, seeing the empty car as well.
"'Course I can," John said with a firm nod though pain started to taint his features.
"Then let's go," Johnnie said, and the three began making their way towards the car.
Chapter 28
John Hamilton was slowly dying, but Johnnie refused to acknowledge such a fact. Instead, he told Zelda to get in the driver's seat of the car while Johnnie escorted Red into the back. The gangster had planned to try and stop the bleeding as Zelda slowly but surely got them out of this place. Sure, it looked as though Red wasn't going to make it as of now, but if they remained in this G-man-infested place, they were all dead in one way or the other.
Miraculously, not all roads were blocked. This amused Johnnie as much as it could, given the current situation they were in, only because he knew what it meant. If there weren't road blocks up everywhere, it meant the local police and the G-men weren't getting along as well as Hoover portrayed to the media. Which meant that Johnnie could use that sometime in the future. However, all Johnnie could do at this point was focus on Red, and after searching the back of the car, couldn't come up with anything that would help deter the bleeding.
Without thinking twice, Johnnie slid off his shirt so only his undershirt remained, and placed it over Red's wound, applying as much pressure on it as he could.
"Where do you want me to go, Johnnie?" Zelda asked in a low voice before pressing her lips together. She knew that no matter what, Johnnie would seek some kind of medical attention for his friend without worrying about the risk that it would bring on himself. And she knew Johnnie wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. That, or Red died before they could find anyone willing to help.
"Dr. Holt," Johnnie said, his entire focus on the bleeding man. "Let's try him."
Zelda ended up driving to four doctors in total, all who were known to have aided gangsters in one way or the other and would be reliable when it came to keeping their mouths shut. They all refused to see John Hamilton for the same reason: the feds were putting lots of pressure on them, and some medical help that had been previously associated with Dillinger had been caught, tried, and sent to jail for a ridiculously long time. John Dillinger wasn't just another wanted criminal anymore; he was one of the most infamous faces in the country regarding crime, and no one wanted to take the chance on him only to be arrested later on.
Johnnie tried to plead with them, to offer them ridiculous sums of money, to offer them protection, to promise never to utter a word about their interaction to anyone, but still, they refused. Then Johnnie tried a different tactic. He used the oath they took as medical men against them, claiming Hamilton was dying and it was their duty to at least give him the help he needed. But still, they refused.
Now, Johnnie had no idea who to go to.
John Hamilton was dying. And it didn't look like he was going to make it. He had already lost lots of blood, and his breathing was becoming heavier a
nd heavier, almost painful, as though he struggled with each gasp. Johnnie, of course, refused to give up, but Zelda knew.
Zelda knew.
It was after Johnnie had returned from the fourth doctor they had visited when Johnnie finally realized what was going to happen.
"It's gonna be okay, Johnnie," Red told him, though it was harder and harder with every word. "You're gonna be fine."
Zelda pressed her lips together, refusing to watch as Red died right in front of her. She had never seen a man die in front of her before, and it wasn't a happy sight. Not when Red had been like an older brother she never had. Not when she knew that that could very well be Johnnie next.
And then what would happen?
It didn't take very long for Red to die. By this time, they were in this out of the way town in Oswego, Illinois, some distance from both Chicago and St. Paul. In a throaty grunt, Johnnie told Zelda to pull over. There was nothing for miles, really, save for farms and dirt.
Zelda did as Johnnie asked her to, and once the car was stopped, he hopped up and went to the trunk of the car where acid was stored. It had been given to Johnnie by one of the doctor's they had visited, and though Zelda had no idea what it meant, Johnnie did. It was crucial, especially if they were going to bury Red here.
"Darling," Johnnie said, getting her attention. "Would you help...?" He let his voice trail off, not exactly wanting to go into detail about what it was he needed from her, but luckily for him, Zelda seemed to know.
She got out of the car and grabbed one of the offered shovels, and for the next few hours, the couple began to dig a nice, sizeable in the soft dirt. It had been a cool April thus far, but it was beginning to warm up. The sun was beginning to rise, and both Johnnie and Zelda were exhausted, but they continued to work until Johnnie was satisfied with the size. Neither of them spoke, but words weren't necessary and weren't desired. In fact, Johnnie was grateful that Zelda knew him well enough not to say anything. He just needed to be alone with his thoughts.
Come Away with Me Page 13