Chapter thirty-nine: You're the one
"Kick him in the balls, Kate!" Polly shouts as she lunges for his throat. Thomas doesn't even blink.
"Katherine," her father grabbed her elbow and swings her around the room, sending her crashing into her brother. "you're coming with me."
"Wait a minute." Thomas started to approach her, but her father pulled his out gun and aimed it at his head.
"Don't!" Kate screams. "Don't hurt him! Please!"
"Dad," Anton states firmly, "put the gun down."
Her father turned towards him with a glower on his face. "What are you saying Anton?"
"Just wait," Kate stomps back towards Thomas, anger seething out of every pore in her body. " and let them finish this."
"What is this Anton?" her father demands.
"Give Kate a minute. You don't want to be in the way for this."
Thomas heads towards her, not even daunted by her anger. "Calm down!"
"Don't you tell me to calm down, you bastard!" she snaps. "Was this some sort of sick game to you!?"
She swings a punch at him, which he neatly catches in his hand. "Kate, it's not what it seems."
"Not what it seems? You just collected the reward on me!" she punches him in his shoulder, causing him to groan in pain. "Sorry," she said honestly. "didn't mean to hit that shoulder."
"Will you shut up for a minute?" He states as he rubs his shoulder. "Your reward money will be used to buy and furnish our house." She stares at him, her anger slowly dissipating. "He didn't find you Emmett's killer, so, the least he can do is provide you with a comfortable house. Any remaining sum is yours to use as you please."
She exhales deeply as she understands what he's done. "You're a bastard."
"I am, I know it." he dares to smile at her as he leans forward. "I may have collected the reward on you, but I never would have let him take you out of here."
"Oh, so you thought you'd take your cake and eat it?" he leans forward and kisses her deeply. Against her will, Kate allows the kiss with a moan. "Alright, alright, you're forgiven. You're a real bastard for pulling something like that without talking to me about it first!" she grabs a hold of his coat lapel. "If you ever do that again, I swear to God I will punch you in the balls until they explode!"
Thomas laughs lightly. "Understood."
His laugh causes Kate to haul off and slaps him hard. "I'm serious!" he exhales as he rubs his jaw, which is instantly turning red. "And you deserved that!"
Thomas nods. "I'll make it up to you."
"You better!"
He smirks at her. "Boy or girl?"
"Shut up!" She snaps. "I understand, but I am still mad at you!"
"Enough of this!" Her father shouts. "Someone tell me what the hell is going on here?"
"This," Kate shoots Thomas one last look before turning back towards her father. "is the man that I'm engaged to."
Her father's face stiffens before he explodes. "The hell you are!" Her father's yell causes everyone to jump and he storms towards her with fury on his face. "You're going home right now!"
Thomas immediately pulls her beside him and steps towards her father. "Kate's not going anywhere with you." her father reaches past him for her and Thomas shoves her father hard enough to knock him onto his back!
Kate whips her gaze back and forth from Thomas to her father's body. "What are you-
"He's not getting that close to you again."
Kate exhales. "You are a crazy man."
"What the f-
"Enough with the shouting, this is Birmingham, not London. You're on my turf now." Thomas holds her father's gaze as Anton helps him up from the floor. "I going to give you as much respect as you deserve, but as Kate told you," he crosses his arms and stares her father down. "I'm going to marry her."
"No you're not. My daughter, is going to be marrying-
"Me." Thomas's calm voice caused her to smile. "I am not asking your permission, I am informing you that we're getting married, whether you like it or not."
Her father stares at him, temporarily without words before blustering. "That's my daughter."
"Yes, she was," he steps towards her father. "but she's not your little girl anymore."
"That's what you think." Her father snaps. "The marriage hasn't been performed yet and I am taking her home."
"I'm not going anywhere with you." Kate finds her tongue again. "I'm staying here."
"He has no claim on you!"
Polly snorts. "That's what you think!"
"I already gave myself to him." her father and brother's face froze in shock. Her face heated at that admission, but those words had the desired effect on both of them.
"You wouldn't dare!" her father snarled. "You swore to me that you'd go to your marriage bed, a maid!"
"That was with Emmett, not Thomas." Kate looks pointedly at her father as Thomas wraps an arm around her shoulders "Without going into details, I assure you, he knows as a husband should know his wife."
"Geez Katherine," her brother gags in disgust. "God, I need a drink."
"I'll join you." Arthur offers.
Anton nods obligingly at him. "Thank you."
"Get back here!" her father orders Anton. "We're bringing your sister back home, today!"
"Clearly, we're not." Anton states. "You're going to have to settle this, but I already know how it's going to end." He smiles at her. "Kate's gonna marry him, whether you like it or not!"
"Thank you Anton!" she calls as he heads out of the room to the kitchen in search of a bottle.
"Yeah, yeah." He mumbles as Arthur follows behind him. "Finding out that my little sister became a woman is not what I had in mind for this morning."
"Ha," Arthur slapped him on the shoulder. "at least you didn't have to hear them this morning!"
Kate flushes red in embarrassment. "Oh, God. I am so sorry."
Polly smirks. "It's part of life. Nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm disappointed in you Kate." Her father stated firmly with a shake of his head. "I thought I'd raised you well to be a God fearing woman."
She shrugs. "I don't care what you think."
"You're actually going to marry a man who turned you in to me for 25,000 pounds? You can't trust him!"
"While I'm still somewhat livid about that," she shoots him a glower. "I do love him. And he's going to make me very happy."
"That's not love. The man turned you into his whore."
"You can't go talking about Kate like that." Thomas states firmly. "We've done nothing wrong. Her virtue belonged to her, who she chooses to give it to be her decision."
"You," her father turns his venomous look to him. "she was nothing like this until she met you! You corrupted her!"
"Kate knows her own mind and I've respected whatever boundaries she put on our relationship." Thomas stated firmly, not shrinking under her father's fury.
"You showed no respect for her!" her father bellowed.
"I'm going to be her husband, I'd have gotten it anyway."
Those words only serve to infuriate her father further. "Tell me. What's going to stop me from putting a bullet in your head now and taking her home with me?"
Those words cause every Shelby family member to straighten up. Kate already has an answer for him. "The baby." She can feel everyone react, well, everyone except for Thomas, for he knows it's a bluff. The blood drains out of her father's face and she can hear Anton choking on whatever drink . "Yes, I'm expecting his child. Like it or not, we've already established a bond between us and you're going to have to allow this marriage."
"You always pick the most inappropriate men!" her father snaps. "First a German and now, a gypsy."
"Inappropriate? Yes." She smiles fondly up at him. "But this is the man I love and want to be with. He saved my life in France and I love him with every fiber of my being." She slaps his arm. "Even when he does the most insane things! I never loved anyone as I love him. I belong down here with him. Protest all you want, but, our marriage will happen."
"Fine! You're a stupid, foolish girl who wants to married to someone who will make your life a misery. I promised your mother you'd marry well, but I can clearly see that this is what you want. Go ahead and throw your life away on someone like him. You'll regret this as long as you live!"
"No, she won't." Thomas states firmly. "I have a great pride in having earned the love of this woman. I will take care of her, she'll want for nothing. She'll be happy and safe with me. No one, including you, is going to threaten her and the life we'll have here."
Her father dismisses him and turns towards her. "I look forward to receiving the wedding invitation within the week." He turns and bellows. "Anton, we're leaving!"
"I brought my own car!" He states as he takes another drink of whiskey. "I'll leave later!"
"In the car, now!"
"I'm discussing a business venture! It'll take a while!"
Her father storms out of the house, swearing violently. She rolls her eyes as he slams the door. "I told you, my father wasn't one to talk about."
"Hey, after this, he won't be around here to bother you."
Kate sighs. "He brings out the worst in me."
"After this," Thomas promises. "he won't be allowed back in for anything, unless you want him. I give you my word."
Kate exhales and holds onto him tightly. "Thank you.'
He presses a kiss to her forehead. "Anything for you."
"So," Anton walks into the room with a glass of whiskey. "someone should crack open a bottle of champagne!"
"What for?" She asks innocently.
"You're pregnant."
"I'm not." Kate giggles. 'That was a bluff."
Everyone groans in disappointment, except for Anton who sighs in relief. "Thank God. I knew you wouldn't compromise yourself."
"Nope, I compromised her properly." Thomas states, causing everyone to laugh at her brother's expression.
She blushes and buries her face in his chest. "God, your unrestrained tongue is the worst."
"Not what you were saying last night." Kate smacks his uninjured shoulder, causing him to chuckle before stating. "Kate and I will be married this Sunday."
She blinks and looks up at him. "What?"
Polly shakes her head. "No, I've never gotten to plan a wedding before!"
Anton frowns. "But you told my father it would be-
"I lied. Don't want him there and he doesn't control us." Kate can only stare at him in shock. "I trust you'll be here this Sunday to walk your sister down the aisle?"
Her brother nods. "I'd be happy to but, where's the wedding being held?"
"I know just the place." Thomas states. "I'll let everyone know the day of."
"Hold on a minute Thomas," Polly shakes her head. "Kate will want this lovely wedding. She'll want to pick things out like flowers, invitations and there's got to be some people she'll want here."
"No, there isn't." She reaches for his hand and holds onto him. "I don't want anything fancy. I'd like it quiet and private, just about us." At Polly's disappointed look, she adds. "Why don't you and I go get into the car and do some shopping? I need to pick out a wedding dress for this Sunday!"
Polly's eyes widen. "God, we'll need a cake! I can't get one on such short notice!" she glowers at Thomas. "Why do you have to make things so complicated?!"
"Christopher and Abigail have that covered." Thomas states. "He's already has a few idea for you to look at this afternoon."
"I swear, Thomas Shelby," Kate declares. "your brain is leaps ahead of everyone!"
"Have to be in this business, can't have any surprises."
"I can still surprise you." he nods, to humor her she suspects. She turns to Polly. "Shall we go dress shopping?"
Polly nods. "Oh, yes. I didn't get to go shopping with Ada. Let me just grab my hat."
"And let me grab my bags." Kate turns to Arthur and Anton. "Can you two give me a hand with my bags?"
Thomas, now looks concerned. "Bags?"
She nods. "Yes." She beckons for Anton and Arthur to approach her. They follow her up the stairs. "I didn't unpack, so, all my stuff is still bagged up."
"We just carted these up yesterday!" Arthur reminds her. "Are we hauling them back downstairs?"
"Yes, I'm sorry about this." Thomas immediately starts protesting, causing her to smile. "Let me grab a fresh set of clothes and then can you return them to the restaurant please?"
"Kate?" Thomas's strict voice causes her to grin. "What's going on in your mind now?"
"Well, Mr. Shelby, I'm moving back home." She says cheerfully as she opens her suitcase and quickly pulls out a dress. She goes to the other one and pulls out some fresh undergarments. She hugs the items to her chest. Arthur and Anton grab her suitcases as Thomas glowers at her from the doorway. "I said I forgive you, but that doesn't mean I can't make you suffer for five days!"
"Is that so?" he questions as Arthur and Anton pass by him.
"Yes!" she states as she shakes out her dress.
"There is no way you can torment me, Katherine Kovach."
"Is that so?" she mocks sweetly before stating. "We're not having sex," Arthur and Anton howl with laughter. "until that ring's on my finger and my last name's been changed to Shelby!"
"You're already wearing one." Thomas points out as he heads towards her. "I can do whatever I want to you."
"Oh, for God's sake." Kate drops her clothes as she turns behind her to grab the water basin. Kate throws the water in his face, causing him to stop in his tracks. Polly steps into the room, hat on her head and an approving smile on her face. Kate stares at him as he wipes his face and shoves his hair back. "Damn." The word slips right out of her mouth before she can bite her tongue. He looks up at her, his blue eyes smoldering, causing her heart to catch in her chest. "I always thought you looked irresistibly handsome, soaking wet, Thomas Shelby."
Thomas exhales and stomps towards her. "Swear to God Kate, I'm gonna-
"No, you don't!" Polly catches him by the collar and guides him out of the room. "Kate's right, you can suffer for five whole days!" Kate giggles as Polly slams the door to Thomas's room. "Besides, after what you did to her with the reward and her father, you should be glad she's still agreed to marry you!"
"Poll-
"Kate," Polly says through the closed door. "to ensure my nephew behaves himself, I'll be moving in with you as well!"
"Thank you!" Kate says merrily as she scrambles into the pale, yellow day dress.
Thomas and Polly erupt in a yelling match in Romani, which ends with Polly giving Thomas a hard smack."Now, move along! I want things to be perfect and make sure you don't muck it up! You screw up the wedding and this marriage is over!"
Thomas continues to grumble in Romani as he heads back down the stairs. Oh, he was going to suffer, but Kate knew that these five days would be torture for her as well. Thomas Shelby had gotten under her skin and into her blood, she would never be free from him, nor did she want to be!
MeriemDjez: She didn't but, she can still make him suffer.
Idcam: He certainly wasn't thinking when he opened his mouth. Kate let him off slightly easy, but now he's got to wait until the wedding!
Angel029: He certainly did!
