The Girl and The Gangster

Summary: After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

Chapter Sixteen

She emerged from the caravan, sceptical of the men around her. It would've been far easier if her mother had of told her who was going to betray her trust than to let her find out the hard way. Her eyes caught Danny's as she took a cigarette from her rusty tin and she faked a smile as he bounded towards her.

"Well, did Agnes come through?"

"She did and now I finally know that she's not angry with me and I can be at peace." Alice wasn't going to give anything away; the nitty gritty details were for her ears only.

"You know you can come up here anytime and speak with her. I may not have liked the ol' bat, but she's still your mother." He gave her a half smile and held a light to her cigarette.

"I appreciate that, I might take you up on that offer. If Johnny had a good time here, then I know he'll be begging to come back."

"My wains play rough; I wouldn't be too shocked if he never wanted to lay eyes on his cousins again."

"You seem like a good father; I don't think they'll be too rough."

"What do you mean by 'seem'?"

Alice rested the butt of her cigarette against her lip and raised a brow at him, watching how his face shifted into annoyance. "Well, whenever I got pregnant with Johnny, you showed no interest in kids. I just assumed that, that mentality would've carried over." When he seemed to stiffen up, she kept on, "I don't want to offend you, Danny but most gypsy men don't bother with their kids too much."

"I'm not most gypsy men, I am our father's son and he definitely showed an interest in us." When Alice went to say something else, Danny held up his hand. "We'll let it go before it turns into an argument. Let's head back to the camp, see if everyone's still breathing."

The siblings could hear their children before they saw them and when they had reached the camp, they saw Michael being chasing by one of Danny's boys while the other kids dispersed in different directions, laughing at and taunting Alice's husband as he was chased. When he was finally caught, all the kids ran away as fast as they could until Michael stopped dead in his tracks after hearing Alice's giggle.

"What on earth is going on here?" she asked as she approached the brood.

"Just a game of tag to pass the time." He placed a quick kiss on her cheek and rested his hands on his hips. "Did you get the answers you were looking for?" when Alice nodded, he glanced in Danny's direction and took in a deep breath. "Thanks for helping her."

"She's my little sister, I wouldn't turn her down in her time of need."

Michael watched Danny from the corner of his eye, he still felt uneasy around him and he still didn't trust the gypsy. His attention was taken off his brother-in-law when Johnny raced over to him, his arms latched onto Michael's legs.

"Come on dad, chase us. You're it!" he exclaimed as he stared up at his father with wildly happy eyes.

"You've had your fun for the day, we've a long drive home." Alice replied before Michael had the chance to give in. "You'll see your cousins again."

"Sooner rather than later." Danny added, his head turning down to his nephew as he made a protesting groan.

"We're having a party at the Garrison to celebrate our good news, why don't you bring your lot down?" Michael figured it was better to keep his enemy close and appease his ego. "It is a celebration after all, and our baby will be your niece of nephew. It's only right."

"Oh, I don't know, I've to head down to the docks and make sure everything's ready for sail." Danny took the cap from his head and scratched at the back of his neck.

"That's what the shipyard men are for." Alice leaned into Michael's side tiredly as she watched her brother contemplate the offer. "I would like to see you there, don't turn me down when we've just got back on the right foot."

"I'll see if I can make it down, but no promises."

"Good enough," Alice picked Johnny up, letting him wrap his arms and legs around her and followed Michael towards the car. "I hope to see you there." She called out, but she didn't get a reply. When she looked over her shoulder, Danny had already walked away.

She waited for her husband, leaning against the doorframe as she watched him kiss their son on the forehead as he tucked him into his bed. Everything about their relationship was perfect for her, he was what she wanted but would he take the chance to betray her if he had the chance? Her mother's words were starting to make her doubt everyone. When he approached the door, she moved out of his way and rested her weight on the bannister in the landing.

"Are you feeling okay?" he placed his hand on the small of her back.

"Just a little nauseous," she turned to him and stared up at his face, "you know, I'm really proud of you."

"Proud of me? Why?"

"Because you invited Danny to our party even though you despise him, with a passion," she laughed a little when he nodded in agreement, "and you didn't have to do that."

"You have a family too and I realised that it would be an injustice to you if your side wasn't represented."

"I don't think it will be, I doubt that Danny will accept the offer."

"Well, that makes me feel a hell of a lot better because I extended the invitation to your sister."

Alice tilted her head and placed her hand on her chin; she didn't know how to feel about that. Was it fair to throw Nora into the deep end when they hadn't had the chance to spend time together, just the two of them? "What did she say?"

"Nora said she'd be there, I even offered to let her stay here for the weekend in our guest room."

There was no way he could betray her, Michael was so thoughtful and considerate when it came to Alice and as she gazed into his eyes, she could see the love he had for her. She threw her arms around him, her head buried into his chest and held him close to her. "I love you." She mumbled into his shirt.

He chuckled quietly and ran his fingers through her hair as she tilted her head up towards him. "Where did that come from?"

"No one's ever looked out for me and my best interests the way you do." She held onto his bracers, pulling at the elastic. "You've no idea how much I appreciate it."

"You are my wife; I'll always look out for you."

"I've been thinking for a while, well since the night that Tommy tried to marry me off, once this deal with the Polish is done, we should move away from Birmingham and away from all of this nasty business." She let go of his bracers and moved her hands up his chest. "Let's go to America and make something of ourselves the legit way."

"The work I do here is legit."

"I know but Tommy will always have his grip on you. Do you really want Johnny," she moved one hand to her growing belly and pursed her lips, "or our baby getting mixed up in the family business?"

He let out a sigh, he knew that Alice was right, but it was hard for him to walk away from his cousin. Especially with the history that they shared. Michael was a father now; his kids were going to have to come first. "I'll think about it, Alice. But I'm not going to promise you anything yet."

"Just think about it. I'm not expecting an answer tonight." She placed a longing kiss on his lips, hoping that it would sway him a little, but he remained silent when she pulled away. "I'm going to get ready for bed, are you joining me?"

"I'll be there in a little bit. I've got some paperwork that needs finished by morning."

Don't stay up too late." She warned with a smile.

He watched her slink down the hallway, his hands slipping into his pockets. "Alice," she stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at him, "I love you too."

"I know you do."

Tommy awaited the arrival of his cousin and Alice with a drink in his hand and Polly chittering away in his ear. The closer it got to January, the more she worried that Danny would mess things up for the family. As much as she loved Alice, she didn't trust her judgement.

"Is anybody watching him, Tommy? I like Alice too, far more that you do but are you going to take her word for it? What if she's wrong?"

"Pol, you need to relax." He took a long swig from his drink and placed the empty glass on the bar. "There is a time and place to discuss business and this isn't the place right now." He turned his head when the doors swung open and smacked off the wall. It was Danny and he was already full. Tommy rolled his eyes away from him and raised a brow at his aunt. "Do you really think he's a mastermind? He played his hand at the very beginning."

"Oi, Tommy!" Danny called out as he stumbled through the Shelby family, almost knocking Finn over and steadying himself on Arthur's shoulder. "I thought this was going to be a party?"

"It is, but we tend to wait for the guests of honour before we get obliterated." Pol remarked under her breath, a smart smirk twitching across her lips.

"The fuck did you just say to me?" Danny swivelled swiftly towards the woman, thinking that his stature would scare her, but she didn't even blink. "Gypsy royalty? That makes me laugh." He spat on the floor and turned his attention towards Tommy. "And you? Mister high and mighty. You can't touch me now, can you? Even when this shipment sets sail, we'll still be bound by blood."

"Alright, alright. Take a seat and wait for Alice to arrive." Arthur pulled him away from Pol while Tommy just stared through him. He would let Alice deal with her kin when she arrived; he was growing tired of keeping everyone in line.

When Alice and Michael stepped into the Garrison with Johnny in the middle of them, the atmosphere seemed to be a little tense. Alice's eyes found Danny straight away and when she realised that he was here alone, she had a fair idea of the state he was in.

"Go play with the other kids on the street, Johnny." She said as she crouched down to his level, tucking his dark hair behind his ear. "Just don't go any further than the end of the road."

"What's going on?" Michael asked Finn, gripping him by the arm as he tried to leave the pub.

"That gypsy fella is a mad bastard. He came in here and tried to have a go at Pol."

Michael's face became twisted with anger, his eyes darting between Alice, his mother and then Tommy. "What'd he say?" he asked his cousin as he approached the couple, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

"You need to have a word with him." Tommy said quietly to Alice. She wouldn't take her eyes off Danny as he moved to the corner of the room; slumping himself in the corner with a pint of something strong.

"What did he say to my mum, Tom?" Michael asked again, shaking his head when Tommy still wouldn't look at him.

"We don't want any fights breaking out, not when it's supposed to be a happy time in your lives," he finally brought his eyes towards Michael and raised a brow, "isn't that right? We want Alice to be as stress free as possible?"

Michael looked at his wife's face before letting out a sigh. "I'll go get us some drinks, Alice."

She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes still stuck on Danny. "How drunk is he?"

"Well, he's rowdy enough."

"Did he try to start a fight?"

"He said a few things that didn't really make sense," Tommy shrugged his shoulders and bit down on his bottom lip, "but he's your brother and I thought that you should calm him down before I boot him out onto the street."

"Thanks Tommy, I'll see what's going on in that mind of his."

She took her glass of stout from Michael's hands as she strolled towards her brother's booth. She sat in front of him and took a small sip before looking him over. "You know I'm surprised that you're here. I didn't think you'd show up." His eyes flickered towards her, but he remained silent. Alice was going to have to try harder to get words out of him. "I thought you would've brought Theresa and the kids like we had discussed. I want Johnny to know my side of the family too."

He let out a sneer and turned his head to the window. "Do you think I'd bring them down here to this traitorous den?"

"What are you talking about? It's a party, Danny."

"You know, you say we're family and that you want us to be siblings again, but you come down and distract me while your mother-in-law and Tommy have a secret meeting with the Polish."

Alice furrowed her brow and leaned in towards her brother. "What are you talking about?"

"They were at my shipyard last week while I was entertaining your requests to contact Agnes. A few of my men spotted them as they were checking over the cargo." He looked towards her once more but this time he seemed to be more sombre. "They're planning to put a bullet in me once that ship sails out of Ayr, aren't they?"

Alice shook her head, her hands rested flat on the table. "I don't know, I didn't know about this meeting."

"Of course, you did you're his secretary. You set everything up, just like you set me up."

"I promise you now, I had no idea." She reached across at grabbed at his hand, but he kept pulling it away from her. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"You pulled a gun on me before."

"Before I actually got to spend some time with you, before I got to know you." She glanced over her shoulder and watched her husband speak to Tommy and it seemed like their conversation was hushed. "I'm going to put a stop to whatever they have planned, if they even have anything planned." She got out of her seat and finished her drink before she held her hand out towards her brother.

"What are you doing?"

"Well this is a party and there's a gramophone beside the bar, let's show them how we Finlays party."

Once the music started playing, all interest was drawn to Alice and her brother as they danced in the middle of the room. He spun her around under his arm, her laughter contagious to him. Her heels stomped against the wooden floor and the clapping of his hands boomed over the music. When Alice noticed Michael and Tommy's stares, she decided that she was going to get the tension out of the room by getting as many of the Shelbys onto the floor as possible. They were all connected through marriage and it was time to act like one big family instead of two separate gangs. Pol was a little hard to crack, she didn't want to be anywhere near Danny but once Ada joined Alice, there was no real reason for her to say no. Arthur wasn't hard to persuade; he had almost as much drink in him as Danny and was ready to get the party started. The last person she was going to try, and sway was her husband. As she approached him, he held his hands up against his chest and shook his head.

"I'm not dancing, Alice. I'm nowhere near drunk enough to make a fool out of myself."

"Oh, come on, I'm not drunk and I'm dancing." She tilted her head and waggled her fingers at him. "Don't turn me down, Michael."

He set his drink down on a nearby table and took his wife's hand, letting her pull him into the middle. He wrapped his arms around her and danced to the beat of the music, letting her lead the way. When she set her head on his chest, he rested his head on hers.

"Did you know about the meeting at Ayr docks?" she asked quietly, knowing that he'd be able to hear.

"What meeting?"

"Between Tommy and the Polish."

"I had no clue."

Alice looked up at him, her glare burning into his. "I can always tell when you're lying to me."

"I only found out about it."

"What was said? What is Tommy planning?"

"We didn't get that far, you pulled me away." He smiled slightly at her. "How did you know about the meeting?" he glanced over the top of her head and caught Danny staring at him. "He knew, didn't he?"

"Coming in here completely out of his mind drunk is understandable behaviour. If he's going to have secret meetings, tell Tommy to be more discreet." She placed her hand on Michael's chest and pushed him away from her with a devilish smile. "I'd like another drink." She stepped away from him and joined up with Danny once more; she wanted him to feel comfortable and being near her was the only way to achieve that.

A:N Thank you for reading this chapter, next one the party continues and things will get dramatic. Thanks for all the support this story has had and I hope you're still enjoying it as we come towards the end of the deal with the Polish, but there will be plenty more after that.