Lidia was terrified as she walked. She scanned the area for Adam but didn't find him. Alfie said this could happen, why didn't you listen to Adam? You stupid, foolish woman! She berated herself. Things had been so perfect for her and Alfie, she hadn't given thought to her past attack.
"Fucking smile!" the man said in her ear as they drew close to the door.
Lidia gave the shop keeper a shaky smile but begged with her eyes to help.
"Congratulations on your little one!" The shop keeper said in a cheerful tone.
"Thank you." The man said as he proceeded toward the door.
Just before they reached the exit, Adam yelled, "Lidia!" and the man turned, showing his knife.
"Adam! He has a knife!" She said as frightful tears began to fall from her eyes.
Adam's eyes fixated on the knife and Lidia could see him thinking how he would get her away without him using it.
"Me and the lady are leaving." The man said with an evil smile.
"You aren't going anywhere with her." Adam said threateningly before he pointed at the shopkeeper, while still keeping his eyes on the knife. "Call Alfie, now!"
Lidia could feel pressure from the knife and tried to think of a way to stall him until Alfie came.
"Adam! I can't breathe!" She said in a panic as she began to breathe heavy.
The man looked at her as she began to lean back on him, her head wobbling as she started to faint.
"Lidia, look at me!" Adam yelled.
"Mr. Solomons is on his way, sir!" The shop keeper told Adam.
Lidia's body began to go limp against the man, and he removed the knife from her stomach as he attempted to catch and hold her up. Adam saw the knife move and he ran forward.
"Fuck!" The man yelled and he pushed the fainting Lidia toward Adam, who caught her and the two of them fell from the force of the push.
The man ran out of the building and around the corner.
"Lidia?" Adam said as he grabbed her face and turned it toward him.
"Is he gone?" She asked as she opened her eyes and grabbed Adam's arm tightly.
"Yes, he's gone." Adam reassured her and she broke into sobs.
Five minutes later, Alfie and his men burst through the door, guns drawn. He saw Lidia on the floor crying and Adam attempting to comfort her. He ran forward and knelt down.
"Lidia? What happened?" He asked urgently.
"A man with a knife tried to take her." Adam answered.
"Are you hurt?" Alfie asked Lidia who shook her head as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, her frightful sobs continuing.
"H-he said he would c-cut it out of-f m-me." She cried, almost unintelligibly.
Alfie squeezed her tight and clenched his jaw. "How'd he get away?" He asked Adam.
"He pushed her at me to keep me from catching him and he ran. We fell and then she started crying."
"You fell?" Alfie said and Adam nodded. "Lidia, are you alright? Are you sure you aren't hurt?"
Lidia said nothing as the shock of her attack and the danger her and her baby had been in settled over her.
"Lidia, look at me. Do I need to call for a doctor?"
Lidia slowly turned her head to look at him and shook her head. Alfie searched her eyes and could feel her shaking body.
"Give a description of the man to the others and start your search. I'll join you once I get her home with Edna."
Adam nodded before he looked at Lidia. "Sir, she fainted. That's why he pushed her toward me. She said she couldn't breathe, then she fainted. He knew you were coming; he couldn't get away with a fainted pregnant woman."
"Alright. Go." He told Adam as he looked at her.
Without hesitating he put his arms under her and lifted. He carried her outside and to a car.
"Ollie!" He yelled and Ollie came rushing forward, a worried look on his face. "Drive us home."
Alfie helped her up the stairs and when they walked through the door he said, "Edna, call for a doctor. Now."
"No." Lidia said, finally speaking. "I don't need a doctor."
"You fainted and then were thrown to the ground." Alfie disagreed.
"I didn't. I only acted faint. I didn't know what else to do."
"You still were thrown to the ground, Lidia."
"Adam took most of the impact when he caught me. I'm not injured or anything I swear."
"The baby.."
"Is fine, it's moving. Feel." She said as she grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach.
Alfie felt the child move inside her and he closed his eyes as relief washed over him.
"Alright." Alfie nodded, "What did he look like? Did you recognize him?"
"No. He had light brown hair, it was long, going to his shoulders. Um, brown eyes. Other than that, all I saw was the knife."
Alfie sighed and nodded, turning to Ollie. "Let's go."
"Wait, you're leaving?" Lidia asked, her heart racing. "What if he comes here? For all we know, he knows you are going to look for him. What can Edna and I do about a madman if he decides he wants through that door?"
Alfie thought for a moment and reached under the side table and then to the bedroom before coming back with two guns. He gave one to Edna and one to Lidia.
"If anyone comes to that door, you don't open it. If they manage to get in, you shoot them. I don't care who it is. If it's not me, you shoot them. Got it?"
Edna nodded and Lidia looked at him. "Please don't go."
"I can't just sit here while he is out there. I have to find him."
"It's alright, miss." Edna said coming forward and putting her arm around Lidia's shoulder. "We will be alright." She said before looked at Alfie and nodded.
Alfie left and Edna said, "I'll make some biscuits. Something sweet for that baby, yeah?"
Hours later, Alfie returned. He said nothing as he walked in the door and poured himself a drink. He sat and drank, not looking at Lidia. She readied herself for bed and went to the sitting room.
"Are you coming to bed?" She asked.
Alfie was slouched in the chair, his head resting on his fist as the other hand still held his drink.
"No." He replied with a small shake of his head, still not looking at her.
"Are you cross with me?" She asked.
"What?" He asked, turning his head in her direction.
"Because it's my fault that he got to me…"
Alfie looked at her for the first time since he got home. "What are you talking about?"
"I left. Adam told me to stay by the baby carriages and I didn't listen. I went after this stupid stuffed bear." She said as she bowed her head in shame.
"Lidia, come here."
She walked and stood in front of him. He grabbed her around her middle and sat her on his lap.
"What happened was not your fault. It's mine." He said and she looked at him quickly. "I should have caught him before. I should have fucking caught him today, but I didn't. Again. He fucking…." Alfie rubbed his mouth in frustration. "I don't know where he is going or who he is. Adam says he looks oddly familiar, but he doesn't know where from." Alfie shook his head.
"He's mad, Alfie. That's not your fault."
"I'm supposed to protect you. And I can't even fucking do that."
"You are!" She argued.
"Then why is this man still out there? Why is he not dead and at the bottom of the fucking Thames?"
Lidia didn't know how to answer. She leaned her head on his and wrapped her arms around his neck and they held each other.
"Come to bed please. I just want to lay in your arms."
Alfie drank the rest of his whiskey in one gulp and followed her to bed where he held her while she slept, vowing he would find that mad bastard before his child was born.
The following week Rosalie attempted once more to get to his office and was removed from the entrance. Alfie was near the door when this happened and got a glimpse of her brown eyes.
"Rosalie's brother did a stay up north in prison. Find out what you can about him." He told Adam later that afternoon and Adam nodded.
A week later Adam came into Alfie office. "Victor Hughes." He said as he sat. "Arson, battery, the works. Spent five years. Apparently, he started going mad. Stabbed two other criminals and a copper before he got out."
"Then why did they release him?" Alfie asked, a crease forming between his eyes.
"They didn't die." Adam shrugged. "And the prison was tired of dealing with him. He did his five years and they let him go."
"And a description?"
"Brown hair and brown eyes." Adam said, already having the same assumption.
"Find him." Alfie ordered.
"Problem with that boss. He boarded a ship a month after his release to America. Never came back."
"No. He's back. Rosalie had lunch with him two months ago. Start looking."
"Should we bring in or question Rosalie?" Adam suggested and Alfie thought.
"No. She'll lie." Remembering her lie when they had all been in the pub. "She would never admit it. Not if it was to get with me."
"Do you really think she would have her brother attack Lidia?" Adam asked following Alfie's thoughts.
"I don't know. Jealousy makes people do mad things." He said looking at Adam, referring to their altercation.
Adam nodded his agreeance and left.
That night, Lidia woke Alfie in a panic.
"What?" Alfie growled.
"There's someone at the door." Lidia said and Alfie heard a loud banging from the front door of the house.
"Stay here." He ordered as he reached on his bedside table and grabbed his revolver.
The bangs on the door grew more demanding as Alfie drew closer. Unable to sit in bed, Lidia walked quietly down the hall to peek around the corner.
Alfie looked over his shoulder and saw Lidia watching. He held his finger up to his mouth telling her to be quiet and she nodded that she would obey his order. He grabbed the door handle and opened the door, pulling up his gun.
"Fucking hell." He said as he lowered it. "What the fuck do you want? Go home!"
"Are you going to shoot me, Alfie?" Rosalie asked, attempting to sound seductive.
"Are you drunk?" Alfie asked.
"Yes!" She said as she threw her hands around his neck and placed her lips on his. "Take advantage of me!"
He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from their sloppy, nonconsensual kiss. "Go the fuck home!"
"NO!" Rosalie said as she began to undo her coat. "Why would you want that round, unattractive THING when you can have THIS!" She dropped her coat to reveal a lacy pair of knickers and brassiere, matched with stockings and heels.
"Fucking hell." Alfie said as he shook his head in annoyance. "Put your clothes on and go home."
She flung herself at him again and he could taste the rum on her breath as she grabbed his face once more. Alfie growled and pushed her face back. He stooped and picked up her coat.
"FUCK OFF!" he yelled violently in her face.
"SHE'S PATHETIC! WITH HER FUCKING BOOKS! SHE'S NOTHING BUT A COMMON WHORE!" Rosalie yelled back and Alfie's face grew red with anger. "I can please you more than she could ever dream to! And that… that THING inside her is-"
Alfie had heard enough. He grabbed her head by the hair and pulled her head back.
Rosalie started to laugh, "See? Already you're tempted. You're angry, Alfie." She said as she touched his arm. "I know what you like when you're angry. Does she?"
Alfie walked to the doorway and looked in her eyes before saying in a harsh, cold tone, "You're spent, Rosalie."
Rosalie's face grew angry.
"Now, fuck off. Out of my house, and off my fucking streets. And if I find out you had ANYTHING to do with these attacks on my wife or my unborn child, I will kill you with my own FUCKING hands."
Still holding onto her hair, he threw her out and heard her attempt to catch herself but failing. Rosalie tumbled down the bottom stairs and screamed in anger toward Alfie who had already slammed the door.
Alfie turned to look at Lidia who had tears in her eyes before she turned and walked back to the bedroom. He followed her and found her laying in bed. Assuming she was angry with him for Rosalie's actions he sat on the edge of the bed and looked over his shoulder at her.
"She's fucking mad."
Lidia laid there for a moment before she said, "Did you hear what you said?"
He thought back, thinking he had said something he shouldn't, but couldn't think what. When he didn't respond she said, "You called me your wife."
Realizing that her tears weren't of anger, he removed his trousers and slid closer to her, wrapping his arm around her.
"I did." Alfie said in her ear as he noticed how perfectly their bodies molded to each other. "And I meant it."
Lidia looked behind her and their lips touched.
"Make love to me, Alfie." She whispered and he positioned himself before heeding her command.
He wrapped his arm lovingly around her, holding onto her stomach as he kissed her neck and enjoyed being inside her. They each took their time and when they were on the edge Alfie whispered, "Marry me, Lidia…"
"Yes." She whispered and they found their release together.
Hours later, Lidia awoke and looked around the room. Alfie still held her around the waist, his hand laying gently on her stomach. She turned toward him and he rubbed her abdomen before getting as close as physically possible to her. She smiled, knowing he was unaware of his affection in his sleep. She admired his handsome features for a moment before drifting back to sleep.