Just a short and sweet one.
Once again hoping you are all okay - which I will ask every day/time I update.
Hope you enjoy this chapter xx
Love Comet96 xx
"Why have I got to come with you?" Ada huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance as we made our way down the street towards the bakery.
"I told you, Tommy wants you off the streets." I'd listened to her moaning for the last hour as she followed me around from the cafe to the Garrison, back to the cafe and now to the bakery. "I think he's catching on that you're seeing someone."
"You told him!" I rolled my eyes at her shout causing people to look at us on the street. Thankfully Kyle and Percy were halfway down the street. They were content that Gunner was with me and they didn't need to be right on top of me to keep an eye on things.
"You know I won't tell him. I haven't got a death wish," I grumbled, pushing my way into the bakery, happy to see there was only one customer.
"Did you tell him?" Ada asked, her hand gripping my arm and turning me to face her.
"I didn't tell him, but Tommy's not stupid, Ada. He's a smart man and you're not exactly trying hard to hide things." He wouldn't have asked me to bring her with me if he didn't think she was up to something. "Maybe you should do as he wants and help me for a while."
"But I don't want to," she whined, and for a moment I forget that she was twenty-two and not some ten-year-old.
"Ada, do you want to be killed by your brothers?" I asked because we both knew that all three of them would kill her if they found out she'd been sneaking around. "Look," I whispered to here thankful the lady in front of us had a long order. "It's your birthday next week and I know that Polly has planned a party at the Garrison. If you don't see you-know-who this week I'll distract Tommy on Thursday so you can sneak off and meet up with him."
"Fine." She was reluctant to agree, but if she wanted to see Freddie she'd have to make some sacrifices. "Don't pretend you're gonna distract Tommy for my sake; everyone heard you this morning."
I smacked her on the arm as the lady left and Mary was smiling brightly as we joined her at the counter. She was looking tired and I felt bad for turning up now.
"I've heard some news that involves you and that cafe of Garrison Lane," Mary said, getting straight to the point. She crossed her arms under her chest, not bothered by the flour patches left on her blue dress.
"Well, I bought it." I didn't see any point in hiding it. Everyone would know by the end of the week. I had the decorators in already to freshen up the paint and some cleaners in to sort out the kitchen. "I'm actually hoping you'll be able to help me."
"Go on." It's like she knew what I was here for.
"I don't want to put more work on you, but I thought we could work together. I buy your bread and pies and sell them in the cafe on the menu and I can promote it too," I said, hoping she'd go for it. I really needed her help and everyone loved their bread in Small Heath.
"You'd make a bit on cakes too," Mary added and I could see a glint in her eyes. "Tell you what, my son, Clive, works in the factories but he's a trained cook. You got anyone working in your kitchen yet?"
"Not really got that far," I said crinkling my nose as she pointed out one of my next points of action.
"He's looking for a new job, one that doesn't have him stuck in the factory all day. He don't love it and I swear it'll kill 'im."
"Mary, you don't need to convince me. I think you've actually helped me out. I was going to get Papa to hire someone, but this is better. He's from the area, he'll know what people want." I gave her a small smile. It felt like something heavy had been lifted from my shoulders.
"He's good at cooking, I swear," she said, her eyes flashing to Ada as if the girl was going to pull a gun out on her. I guess Mary was a little scared of the Shelby family, like most people in Small Heath.
"I trust you, Mary. Send him to the betting shop tomorrow and I'll go over things with him," I told her, patting her on the arm and turned to leave.
"That was easy," Ada grumbled, following after me giving Gunner a look as he sat outside waiting. "Your dog looks like he's judging me."
I glanced down at Gunner and smiled when I saw he was giving her the same look he gave me this morning. It's like the dog was Tommy in animal-spirit and had heard us talking about Ada sneaking around with Freddie.
"He gave me the same look this morning," I muttered letting my fingers run over his ears.
"Was this before, during, or after you let Tommy fuck you?" Ada asked, skipping away from me with a laugh as I tried to hit her.
The Garrison was unusually quiet so I knew it had something to do with Tommy. It was five o'clock yet there were only ten people in the pub and two of them were Kyle and Percy. It was so quiet that Harry wanted to send me home but I had a feeling it was going to get rowdy soon.
That's why John found me reading Frankenstein at the bar, sipping on a cup of tea Harry set in front of me. Kyle and Percy were next to me sipping on beer and Gunner was lying at my feet having a nap. In all, the four of us were bored.
"Ellie, you've got an angry bunch of women making there way 'ere," John said, coming to my side his breathing laboured.
I frowned at him as I let my book fall onto the bar. I hadn't done anything to any women recently so I didn't know why they were coming here. Shaking my head and ignoring John, I picked up my book and carried on reading. It was getting to my favourite part where the monster came to life.
True as John's words were, the door to the pub slammed open and I saw from the corner of my eye a group of women coming into the pub. It was surprising to see how many women there were. It's not like it wasn't allowed, but if there wasn't a specific reason for there to be women in the Garrison then it was generally just the men that frequented the pub.
"You little whore!" I recognised that voice.
Looking up from my book I saw Mrs Miller storming her way over, a murderous look on her face. John twitched next to me and I settled a hand on his shoulder to stop him from doing something stupid.
"Mrs Miller, a pleasure as always," I said, setting my book on the bar and turned in my seat to face her. I noticed Helen with her and wondered if this had anything to do with yesterday.
"Where's my son?" Now that was a question. Surprisingly I hadn't seen Robbie since he threatened me during my engagement party. I hadn't even bothered asking Tommy what they had done to him because I didn't care.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mrs Miller." Why did she think I knew where her son was. John tensed next to me at the lady's words and I wanted to smack him around the head. Had Tommy done something to him? Is that where they'd been today?
"You can't help yourself, can you? First, you insult sweet Helen and then you hold a gun to that lovely Mr Graves and now you're hiding my son from me." I had no idea how she knew about the Graves incident but I wouldn't put it passed her having spies. She was literally like a female version of Tommy just less violent.
"Look, Mrs Miller, the last time I saw your son was during my engagement party. If you're concerned about his whereabouts then you should go to the police," I said, turning away from her and picking up my book.
"You're just like your mother, once a whore, always a whore!" She snapped, grabbing hold of my elbow and pulling me from my seat. I stumbled into John, giving him a warning look as he went to go after her. "You should have died that night with them."
I felt the breath leave me as she mentioned the night my parents died. I had been four when they were murdered and luckily I could hardly remember seeing it happen.
We had been in Pa's wagon on the way to the estate to see Papa. I didn't know why we were going so late, but all I could remember was looking up at the moon as I lay in my mother's arms. The wagon came to a stop as a loud bang rang through the woods towards the state and it was followed by another bang. Both my parents had been shot in the head and I was covered in their blood. I wasn't found until the morning when one of Papa's men was out checking the grounds.
I hadn't understood why I wasn't killed alongside them and I knew it bothered Papa too.
"Don't mention my parents," I whispered bringing myself back to the room as I felt all the eyes on me.
"You think you have all the power. You're rich and you hold that over us and then you go and marry yourself to a man that wants power. Do you think you're better than everyone else, huh? We work hard for the things in life and you get it handed to you!" she spat and I could see the group of women nodding in agreement.
I went to argue but stopped as I saw a smirk on her face. Shew as doing this on purpose. She was trying to get me to argue with her so I'd look bad. She wanted these women to see she was right.
"I'm sorry you think that way, Mrs Miller," I said softly, noting the way she frowned at my words. This wasn't what she wanted. "I understand that everyone is struggling after the war and I know it's hard for work and money for some families. I'm under the belief that you think I live in a perfect world full of money and everything I can have, but don't you think I'd trade all that if I could have my parents back? I lost them when I was four, I've grown up an orphan never really having the love a child should have. We've all had tough lives, Mrs Miller, but I don't compare my life to yours."
"You're just a bitch," she hissed, swinging her arm forward and slapping me across the face. I should have been expecting it, but I stumbled into John as I lost my balance. "You have no idea how we suffer!"
"My cousin's wife was killed three months after giving birth to her son. He has to live never knowing his mother. That's the little boy you called a bastard. Your son stabbed his father and almost killed him because I refused to go out with him. At my refusal, he tried to rape me and when I thought against him he hit me and tried to rape me anyway. And you think I haven't suffered?" I could see that some of the women she'd brought with her were looking at her in shock. I bet she didn't tell them about that when she dragged them all here. "I don't know everyone's pain but I do know what it feels like to suffer."
She took a step towards me and this time I didn't stop John as he took a defensive stance in front of me. Gunner made his presence known as he growled at her, slipping between John's legs as he moved towards the ladies. I was sure he was going to bite her if Tommy's voice didn't startle everyone.
"Clear out, all of you," he ordered, moving to my side as the women shared a look and left the pub. Helen dragged Mrs Miller out shooting me a funny look as she left. The pub was silent for three seconds before the doors opened and some of Tommy's men came in followed by the regulars as their shifts ended.
"I warned 'er, Tommy," John said, resting his hand on my shoulder before stepping up to the bar.
"When I said sort her out, I didn't mean in the middle of the pub," Tommy muttered, shifting so he was standing in front of me.
"You know, I think this was a good thing," I told him thinking about the way the women had looked at Mrs Miller as I revealed what her son had done.
I'd taken over Tommy's office and it was official.
He'd been out since this morning with Arthur. The two of them had been down at the docks sorting through some new shipments and have left John with the lads to sort out the bets for the weekend.
After speaking to Mary yesterday I'd been trying to go over a menu that would be suitable for the people of Small Heath. I was thinking hearty meals, like pie and mash, stew and soups.
After the drama with Mrs Miller in the pub, I had tried to remember if I could name any of the women that were with her. I knew Helen and that young girl that was with her was there too. I'd sent Percy down to the dress shop to order a dress as a cover to find out more about her.
According to Percy, her name was Violet Parker and she was seventeen and had been working at the dress shop for four months. She didn't want to be working in the dress shop but it was the only job she could find that helped pay the bills. Her parents had died before the war and it was just her and her two older brothers. Steven, the eldest, had been killed during the war and that left her with her twenty-five-year-old brother, James, who wasn't dealing well since returning from France.
Percy told me that James worked in the factory but was close to losing his job for his violent behaviour. He had flashbacks and forgot where he was and was almost too dangerous to keep on. He reminded me of Daniel Owen who often had flashbacks of the war and was nearly unstoppable.
James sounded like the sort of man that needed the Peaky Blinders. I could mention it to Tommy and see if he could help him out. He said he needed to find some new men to watch the cafe.
"What are you doing?"
"Jesus!" I jumped at the voice, spilling hot tea down my dress. I pushed away from the desk, grabbing my dress and wincing in pain as my thighs stung. I glanced at Tommy as he came into his office, closing the door behind him. "Are you smiling?" I hissed at him, dropping down int he chair and pulling my dress up so I could look at my burnt legs.
"Course not," he said and I could even hear the smile in his voice.
"You're a git," I mumbled, running my fingers over my red thighs. They'd be fine later on but they were sensitive now and I was feeling uncomfortable as my dress scratched over the raw skin. Tommy's hands rested over mine as he sunk to his knees and pushed me back in his chair. "What are you doing?" I asked, my breath hitching as he bent forward and pressed a soft kiss on my sensitive skin.
"Taking care of you," He grumbled, his fingers slipping my knickers to the side and pressing his lips against my folds. My eyes fluttered closed as my hand ran over his head and knocked off his cap. His tongue swept into me and I let out a sigh.
"Mrs Shelby." The voice and knock at the door had me jumping up and kneeing Tommy in the mouth.
"Oh my God," I laughed, cupping my hand over my face as my husband glared up at me. The door knocked again and I glanced up to see a young man standing, his back to us as he spoke to Polly. "Just a minute." I glanced down at Tommy and smiled as he rose, wiping his chin and mouth. I pushed him away from me and went to turn back to the door when Gunner caught my eye.
The dog was looking at me again, the same way he'd been looking at me yesterday morning. It was pure judgement. It was as if the dog was against all and any intimacy I shared with my husband. I was going to have to tell Tommy he'd have to leave the door out of the bedroom if this continued. Tommy pulled my gaze away from Gunner and pressed a kiss to my lips, letting me taste myself on his tongue.
"I'll get you back later," he said, a hint of warning in his voice. It wasn't a warning, it was a promise. "Come in."
The door opened and the young man came in, shuffling his feet as he looked between us awkwardly. I hope he hadn't seen what was about to happen.
"Mrs Shleby, my mah sent me over, said you were looking for a cook for the cafe?" he sounded nervous but if he was as good as Mary said, then he'd be leaving here with a job.
"Clive, I've been waiting for you. Just give me a moment," I said, leaning over and writing James Parker on a slip of paper. I handed the paper to Tommy and smiled as he frowned at it. "You said you were looking for someone for the cafe, try him."
He gave a nod and slipped the paper into his pocket before leaning down and pressing a kiss to my cheek.
"I'll see you later, Mrs Shelby," he said, smirking as he left the room. I followed him with my eyes and watched as he said something to Ada. The brunette nodded and came towards the office, grabbing a tea tray before coming in.
"Tommy said we've got a meeting with our cook," she said, setting the tray on the desk and waved Clive into a chair.
I couldn't actually believe that Tommy sent Ada in here. Did he really believe I needed her help? Or was it because he was jealous? Of what I had no idea, but I sometimes found it best not to question my husband.
Thank you for reading xx
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