"You look like an angel, walk like an angel, talk like an angel. But I got wise. You're the devil in disguise." Elvis Presley.

Today had been a particularly exhausting day for Adele. The Shelby family dramas always seemed to consume her energy. So she couldn't be more grateful for the rain suddenly pouring down on Small Heath. It almost gave her another breath of fresh air. As if God himself had decided to give her a moment's respite. The streets were quieter when the sky decided to empty all of its water reserves. Only the sound of ricochets from the drops against the cobblestones and window panes seemed to reach inside the clinic.

She let out a small sigh of contentment as she hugged her waistcoat around her shoulders. She was leaning against the entrance to the clinic with a melancholy look on her thin features.

It was fortunate that Eliot, Nathaniel and Edith had decided to come home before the rain got worse.

Adèle hadn't been so lucky. She had thought that the weather would calm down over time, but she had been wrong. And now she was probably going to have to spend yet another night in the clinic. She wasn't particularly put off by the thought. Quite the contrary. The clinic always seemed more inviting than her own bedroom.

She let out a faint sigh as she watched a few drops spiraling down the window towards the sidewalk before pushing herself off the wall to sit up. She briefly scanned the beds to make sure they had been neatly made before heading back to the window to close the clinic. She doubted she would have many patients with the storm raging outside.

However, she had barely pulled out the key to lock the doors when she saw a dark shape emerging from the shadows of the rain. She instantly frowned as she tried to decipher the identity of the person, a male, before suddenly pulling back in surprise as he made his way abruptly into the clinic.

The bell announcing a new patient rang around them and Adele took a moment to regain her surprise as she realized the visitor's identity. She instantly clenched her jaw as she took in his drenched suit and his damp mass of hair now falling into his disturbing blue eyes. She watched in silence for a moment as he removed his cap, rubbing his eyes, slightly out of breath for some reason before finally breaking the heavy silence."We're closed."

He gave up the idea of drying himself off at the hearing of her voice, apparently startled, and then lifted his head to make eye contact with the obnoxious host of his rain shelter."It's raining hard outside." He says, as if to challenge her to tell him to go back.

"Yeah? So?" She asked, without mercy.

"Trust me, you don't want to be on my bad side tonight."Thomas warns.

"Are you fuckin' serious? You're breaking into my clinic and demanding that I welcome you with open arms while you threaten me?"Adele laughed darkly, indignantly."You're fuckin' delusional."

Tommy really wasn't in the mood. He was already angry enough after he met that fucking copper. He had enough trouble like that not to add the unexplained hatred of this bloody woman. She had a bad temper. And yet, he couldn't help but choose her clinic rather than his home for shelter.

"I'll stay just long enough for the rain to calm down." He decreed, sounding oddly complacent. Applicant same.

Adele found herself frowning as she took more in his sharp features. His high chiseled cheekbones always made her feel like she could cut herself on contact. The bright red blood clasping with the sunspots and the freckles on his skin. However, it was his blood-drawn eyes that captured her full attention. She folded her arms across the chest."Did you smoke?"

"Really?"

"Answer the question."

He blew out a breath, clearly irritated."Bloody hell, no."

"Well, you look like hell."Adele replied, shaking her head before deciding to walk towards the reception desk."Are you still having trouble sleeping?"

"You care now?"

"I am a doctor. Call it professional concern. And since you're not going to be leaving, you might as well put that time to good use."She replied calmly."So… insomnia? Nightmares?"

Thomas watched her in silence for a moment as he watched her walk towards the small reception desk. He just clenched his jaw, his silence enough of a response before stepping into the clinic. He tucked his cap into his suit jacket pocket before scanning the room for other people who were supposed to be in the room. He arched an eyebrow as he focused his attention again on the brunette with her back to him. Dangerous. He doubted she cared. She was probably the only one his power wasn't working on."Where are the other?"

"Back home."

"And you ?"

"Stop asking questions and feel happy that I was still here to keep you from drowning in the pouring rain."Snapped Adele, irritated by his mere presence. She pulled the chair to her side."Now, sit."

Thomas raised his eyebrows at her commanding tone. He was the one who wielded that kind of power. Not the other way around. Still, he decided to give her that semblance of power. Just to humor her a little. He raised his hands in surrender before pulling up the chair, the feet rubbing against the poor quality floor before sitting down. He immediately lifted his head as he leaned casually against the backrest, his blue gaze penetrating analyzing her from head to toe.

No matter how tall she was standing on top of him, he was still the one demanding respect in the room. A fact which greatly annoyed Adele. She immediately shook her head, took a side step to force some distance between them before heading to the medicine rack. She could feel Thomas' intense gaze on her back.

"Can I have a drink?" He took his tin of cigarettes from his coat pocket before rubbing the tip against his lower lip.

Adele sighed as she picked up the bottle of drop for the sleep she had acquired during one of her dealings with the London druggist. It was one of her rare acquisitions. He hadn't been particularly quick to deal with a woman. And given her condition, Adele had almost wanted to keep the purchase to herself. Still, he needed it more than she did. It was probably the only act of kindness she could offer him.

She set the bottle on the desk before sitting up with her arms crossed over her chest."Alcohol is not recommended with the drops." She leaned down sharply before snatching the cigarette from his lips."Nor the tobacco."

He rolled his eyes at her act before bending down to pick up the bottle with an arched eyebrow."Are you trying to poison me now?"

"It would take too long." She replied without hesitation before stepping around the desk to sit in the chair across from his.

Thomas raised an eyebrow at her statement, crossed one leg over the other before taking advantage of her distance to pull another cigarette out of his tin.

Adele immediately pinched the bridge of her nose. She let out a long sigh as she looked over his shoulder in the hope that the rain had stopped. Unfortunately the distinct sound of drops hitting the roof was enough of a response for her. She was trapped with him until further notice.

She looked back at him, the hazel clamoring once again with the freezing blue of his clear pools of water.

A heavy silence fell over them.

It was as if Adele could sense time standing still. A duel of looks breaking out between them. She almost felt like she was suddenly becoming aware of the slightest sound, the sudden erratic beating of her heart. And every little crackle along his chiseled face. He was unmistakably handsome. In an almost forbidden sense. Thomas fuckin' Shelby was a danger in so many ways to the female gender. But he was even more of a danger to Adele. In that moment, she realized he could be deadly.

She suddenly lowered her eyes to his full lips at the sight of the smoke slowly slipping through the air. Her brain returned to that afternoon, when she had felt his callused hand against the softness of her. A sudden itch erupted along her limbs in strange desire. Almost as if she wanted to try the whole experience again.

Realizing her shameful train of thought, Adele found herself unable to help but admit defeat. She cleared her throat loudly before looking away, a light blush threatening to cover her cheeks.

He stared at her curiously, and then reached forward to get himself the bottle of scotch forgotten on the table."Why aren't you home?"

"You?" Adele asked in turn, clearly not ready to give in a second time."What are you doing outside in the weather like this?"

Thomas took a large gulp of the tumbler, and cringed to the poor quality."Had some work to do."

"Right! When you don't?"Scoffed Adele as she stood up again. She was unable to stay in one and the same place. Especially when he looked at her like that. His eyes were just way too disturbing for her.

"I've spoken with the chief inspector Campbell." Thomas announced, as Adele tried to keep busy by rearranging the desk again."I understand he took an interest in your business."

"It's only because he thinks he can reach you through me." She snapped, indignant. She shook her head, pulled the bottle away from Thomas before standing in front of him once again."He's even dumber than I thought."

"He's not." Thomas said. "And you should be afraid of him."

Adele swallowed as she returned her grave eyes to the man."Are you?"

Thomas almost cracked a smile at her question before shaking his head as he brought his cigarette to his lips."I'll take care of him. After we expand to take over Kimber's tracks."

"Well, looks like you've got everything planned out already."Adele commented."Good for you."

"I wouldn't let him get near you." He added, suddenly catching her off guard. She paused as she met his intense gaze again, swallowing."He doesn't have to come close to you. You have nothing to do with any of this."

Clearly taken aback by the sudden intensity in his gaze, Adele walked around the desk."What about the men who set up your car? Did you take care of that too?"

He shook his head, dropping the cigarette down the ashtray."I did. Finn?"

"He has seen worse. Sadly." Sighed Adele, shaking her head in desolation.

"He will see worse." Thomas said simply."He's a Shelby."

She immediately gave a sarcastic, cold smile."Right. Like, you Shelbys haven't seen enough."

He smirked, leaning back and letting his eyes roll shut."Careful, Adele. Campbell may be right after all."

"About what?" She returned, leaning back against the desk."Some of us are still human, Thomas. They can't help but care." She hated to admit it but it was the truth. A small part of herself cared even a little bit about the man in front of her.

Thomas opened his eyes, startled."You called me Thomas. Again."

"Well it's your name, isn't it?" Adele asked, her dark gaze focused on him."You said that yourself. I am not part of your world. I don't see the point of being other than formal."

"Pay attention to the way you look at me Adele." Thomas suddenly warns."It's not a good idea to look at Tommy Shelby the wrong way."

Adele instantly rolled her eyes as she pushed herself off the desk."Oh God! He's talking about himself in the third person now."

However, she didn't have time to get very far as she suddenly felt a hand on her wrist, holding her in place. She whirled around on her heels, alert. Her body felt warm and tight, her hand was suddenly burnt under his touch."You died once. And you lost too. Just like me. But you're different. You're still so pure."

Adele's heart started kicking in her chest, her pulse chasing itself around her veins. She let a shaky breath pass her lips, the intensity of his gaze playing tricks on her mind."I'm not."

"You're not?" He asked.

Adele suddenly found herself staring at Thomas Shelby. She really looked at him for the first time. And the intensity in his eyes wasn't so annoying, disturbing anymore. It was almost spellbinding, warm and welcoming.

She raised her hand in hesitation, a new instinct of worry traveling through her veins at the sight of the bags under his eyes, it probably mirrored hers. He let her trace the lines of his dark circles, his eyes closing under her touch, almost as if he wanted her to touch him.

It was unlikely.

Two enemies approaching dangerously close to a forbidden line.

However, Adele's refractory conscience soon resurfaced. She let her hand fall to her side. As if the last few seconds had never happened.

Thomas opened his eyes again, noticing the change in her once vulnerable, open face. She cleared her throat as she looked over to the window."The rain has stopped."

"It does now?" He rasped, making no move to leave.

Adele sat back down in her chair. Her thoughts spinning once again in a cacophony of disoriented ideas inside her head. She was still trying to put words to what just happened."Aren't you going to go?"

"I'm in no rush." He shrugged, returning to his usual arrogance. "Looks like you could use the company."

"You're an ass." Huffed Adele."And a fuckin' liar."

"Am I?"

"Don't take me for a fool. I'm probably the only one who knows what you're really going through at night." She snapped. "You just want to avoid going back to sleep."

He gritted his teeth. "Looks like you know your subject."

"I never claimed that I didn't know what you were going through." Adele admitted. "I just chose not to care."

"You're cold." He said, a hollow smile gracing his lips.

"So are you." Adele replied, the same smile on her lips before adding."Well, we are now. There was a time when we weren't like that."

Thomas nodded, pretending to agree."It used to be easier. Even though you were already cold to me."

"It was easy to hate you."

"And now ?" Thomas asked. His voice suddenly hoarse and apprehensive of her response as she raised her hazel eyes on him.

"It's even easier." She lied between her teeth. She crossed her arms over her chest before watching him take another cigarette. She watched him in silence as he lit it before bringing it to his lips. The gesture almost bewitching in spite of herself."At this rate, your enemies will have nothing to do. Alcohol and cigarettes will eventually get your skin."

Thomas wedged the white stick between his fingers before releasing the smoke from his lungs with a breath."In that case, you won't have to get your hands dirty."

"I already have blood on my hands." Adele coldly admitted, leaving Thomas to pause to gauge the truth of her words.

He turned his head with a small smile curving his lips, a faint laugh leaving his chest."Of course, you do. Who did you kill?"

"Sergeant Edward McCullen." Adele answered without hesitation. Thomas turned to her with an eyebrow arched at the coldness of her tone."He was the last man to make me dance. Three weeks later he was asking me to put him to rest. There was nothing more we could do. So I did it." Adele swallowed, her breath shaking as she tried to control her tremors under Thomas' unruffled gaze."I picked up a pillow and held it to his face until he stopped struggling."

Thomas was silent for a moment, smoke slowly slipping from his lips."So you did that out of pity."

"I've always killed a good man."She retorted, disgusted with herself.

"Sometimes death is a kindness." He said.

Adele snorted."Of course you'd like to say something like that."

"That is the real truth."

"If you say so." Adele retorted."More insensitive, you die. No wonder John wanted a little support."

"What do you think of his request?" He asked.

Adele paused with her eyebrows arched."As if you were interested in my opinion."

Sitting back in his chair, he rolled the cigarette back and forth between his index finger and his thumb before pointing at her."I'm asking you for a reason, no?"

Adele pursed her lips in suspicion. She thought about it for a moment, hesitating to give him an answer before finally letting a sigh pass her lips."I don't know Lizzie Stark personally."

"Fortunately." He rolled his eyes.

Adele gave him a sharp look."But I believe in a second chance. And John deserves to get help with his kids. They will end up ransacking the city at this rate. Or worse. I hope you are aware that they have already been seen more than ten times in the clinic since it opened?"

"Why are you complaining?" He replied. "I believe John pays you worthy every time."

"Not the point." She said between clenched teeth."He's right on one point. They need a mother."

"She's a whore." He deadpanned.

"As if you haven't used these kinds of services before." Snorted Adèle before taking a sudden break, speechless in the realization."Wait! Have you ever been a client of Lizzie Stark? "Thomas just raised his eyebrows in silence. Adele sighed as she slumped back against her seat with a grimace."Oh, dear God!"

Suddenly it was becoming far too real for Adele. She couldn't believe she had let this go on. As she let her eyes watch the desk, she wondered how she could get him to leave. And then her mind found itself questioning the mere fact of her real desire to cut this conversation short. Even though she was orienting herself in territory she never thought she would explore with Thomas Shelby. She looked up and found him watching her.

"Did you love him?" He asked, narrowing his eyes and speaking with a kind of delicacy that was unlike him."Sergeant Edward McCullen?"

How they had come to talk about it, she would never know. Nonetheless, she tried to answer. He had been relatively respectable tonight. Aside from the usual quirks of his horrible character."Considering I ended up killing him… what do you think?"

Thomas nodded."So you liked the idea of falling in love with him."

"What do you know about love?" She scoffed.

"I love once." Thomas retorted."Don't forget it."

"How can I ?" She said, acerbic.

She watched as he leaned over the table again to retrieve the bottle she had removed from his reach earlier. She let him have it this time. The mere mention of Gretta seemed to weigh on them both.

He poured a good splash of alcohol into the glass before setting the bottle down. Adele watched as he brought the glass to his full lips before quickly looking away at the thought crossing her mind. He was handsome but he was still an enemy.

He put the glass back on the table and replaced his cigarette between his lips."A girl like you should fall in love. Have a good quiet life."

"A girl like me, eh?" Adele repeated sarcastically."What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged."You deserve a good life. That's all. You are a lady after all."

"My mother was also a Lady." Adele reminded."And she married a good man. Until he let himself be consumed by the hectic life of the gypsies. So he became a bastard."

"I remember him." Thomas nodded before pointing at her with his index and middle finger holding his cigarette."And I remember you. Lady's daughter who loved to play gypsy."

"This girl is in the past." Adele replied. "And the past is not my concern."

"So now you want to be a Lady." Thomas concluded, letting irritation creep into his voice."That's why you let this posh charm you. He's a good man, I bet."

She narrowed her eyes at the little motherfucker."He's always better than you."

"But you don't love him." Surmised Thomas as he blew out a cloud of smoke.

She shrugged."It's been hard to love lately. Especially in a city like Small Heath."

"Do you want to love again?" He asked.

"Don't know." She sighed. "You?"

"Love is wrong with business." He mused. "It's best if everyone stays away from me."

Adele watched as he crushed the rest of his burnt cigarette before picking up his tin again to take out a new one. She imperceptibly shook her head.

She felt stupid. Stupid because part of her understood where he came from. It was always easier to be alone. Especially when your name was Thomas Shelby. His sudden thirst for power was likely to put many people in danger. People Adele had come to care about. It was all the more reason to hate him. But at this point, did she really hate him?

"I hear you talking and yet ..." She paused, let out a sigh."Your eyes say otherwise."

Thomas immediately raised his pensive eyes to Adele, meeting her gaze with his clenched jaw. He swallowed, strangely annoyed by the intensity contained in her hazel eyes. As if she could suddenly read between the lines. Maybe she could up to a certain extent. She seemed to understand him better than anyone at times. It was terrific.

"Don't try to understand me, Adele." Thomas warned as he leaned down to crush his cigarette before getting up, the feel of his still wet suit sticking to his body.

"I wasn't planning on it." Adele replied as she lifted her eyes to make eye contact again.

Thomas nodded as he clenched his jaw, the bone jumping under the pressure of his teeth. He bent down to take the medicine bottle."You should be sleeping, Adele. A lady cannot have dark circles now."

She just let a huff as she watched him head for the exit. His back, freely offered to her as an easy target. Was it a challenge? An act of trust?

Adele wasn't sure but found herself further disturbed that she wanted this to be the second option.

However, he paused with his hand on the doorknob, his icy blue gaze falling on her once again."Oh and Adele? This little lady who thought she was a gypsy ... she was not made for a good man. She was far too free and wild for a good man."

Hello guys,

It's a bit shorter chapter but full of twists in my humble opinion. We come to a critical moment in the relationship between Thomas and Adèle. A little tenderness in this rough world.

I'm still not sure where that will lead between them but I hope you will still be there.

Here! I don't have much to say this time around. I just hope you still like this story. Don't forget to comment and let me know what you think of this story.

Xxo, Imagine-write-and-love