Elizabeth would have screamed in frustration if she thought that it would help. She walked close to Tommy's side, holding onto his arm as he kept it tightly inside of his, his free hand resting on top of hers. She had been silent and Tommy had been looking down to her continuously, wanting to ask her if she was alright. He said nothing, choosing to stare when he had to. He knew that she was anything but alright. He had promised her a fresh start and so far they were about to be apprehended by London's most notorious Jewish gang leader.
Of course Tommy had heard of him. He had once looked at expanding his business in London, but fate had a different way of playing games. He suspected Liz knew of someone called Alfie Solomons. Her brother had rigged races and Alfie was also in that business. There had been a time when she was to marry Darby Sabini.
"Liz," Tommy finally whispered as they came to wait by the outside of a large wooden door, half of the men who had been escorting them leaving them alone.
Looking up to Tommy, Liz felt herself begin to worry now that they had stopped moving. She suspected that showed by the way she was shaking on Tommy's arm. She merely offered him a thin smile and Tommy knew better than to tell her that things would be fine.
"I've got yer," Tommy promised her and Liz nodded.
"I know who he is," Elizabeth whispered to Tommy and he leaned closer to her, making sure that no one else could hear as he let out a deep breath. "Alfie Solomons…Tommy…he worked with Billy for a while…when I was promised to marry Darby Sabini."
"I don't know what he wants," Tommy promised her, moving to place his finger under her chin and lift her gaze to meet his. "But I'm not interested, Liz. I promise."
"I know," Liz assured him, nodding her head. "We will go in and tell him that…and then we can go."
Tommy agreed with, moving to press her lips against his forehead before a boy walked out to greet them, a towel slung over his shoulder as he looked between Liz and Tommy, trying to weigh them up. They didn't look entirely special. He wondered why his boss wanted anything to do with them.
"You two follow me and keep your hands off everything in the shop, got it?"
Tommy nodded once and took hold of Liz by the hand once more, holding it tightly inside of his own. He could feel his gun sitting inside of his jacket and he took a moment to look at the pocket watch he had. They should have been in a hotel by now. Tommy had imagined it. It would just be the two of them and he would look at the bruises marring her body, kissing each one of them as if it would wipe them from her. She would whither underneath him before he finally spent the rest of the night pressed against her body. That was what he wanted.
And he would still have it. He just had to get away from Alfie Solomons.
"Olly, come on lad, have you not offered our guests a drink? A tea? Look at 'em…been travellin' all the way from Birmingham…they must be parched."
Elizabeth looked to Alfie Solomons and she was shocked at his appearance. She didn't know what she had been suspecting, but the man behind the desk was not it. He was tall and broad, clearly muscular. He had a long beard covering his face, and distinct cheekbones. His nose was slight askew and Liz suspected he had broken it before. His forehead was creased with wrinkles as his eyes glistened with intrigue between the pair of them.
"Sorry, Mr Solomons," the boy named Olly declared.
"As you should be," Alfie mumbled back. "Now, what can he get yer, Mr Shelby?"
"Nothin' thanks," Tommy mumbled, shaking his head before Alfie turned his gaze to Liz.
"And what about yer bird there, eh? Liz, in'it? Yeah…I know you…your brother worked with me for a bit…I thought that you were supposed to be marrying Darby Sabini?" Alfie wondered and Liz shook her head.
She removed her hand from Tommy's and placed her fingers into the lap of skirts before sitting down. Tommy's brow furrowed as he wondered what she was doing before he followed suit and sank down into the chair next to Liz's. He folded one leg over the other and contemplated offering Liz his hand, but he suspected she wouldn't take it.
The look in her eye was full of determination as she continued to stare at Alfie.
"I was supposed to marry Darby Sabini," Elizabeth agreed. "But that did not work out. I ran away from home and from my brother. I returned, but by then it was too late to marry Sabini. He had moved on and I had no purpose."
"And so you decided to marry the new up and coming gangster, eh?"
"Tommy is no gangster," Elizabeth declared and Tommy's eyes widened. He didn't need Liz to stick up for him, but he was not going to tell her that. He quite enjoyed seeing the old Liz. "I met him before the war and we have been engaged ever since. I have only just been able to escape Billy."
"Because he put a bullet between his eyes," Alfie spoke.
"And he deserved it," Elizabeth declared. "Billy was nothing but a bully who enjoyed making my life a living hell. You respect women, do you not, Mr Solomons?"
"Of course I do," Alfie almost sounded annoyed at hearing that.
"Then I doubt you would agree with him beating me," Elizabeth said and Alfie leaned forwards, the glasses on his eyes slipping slightly down his nose as he watched the girl with intrigue. "Whatever you want us for, I can assure you we have no interest. We are in London to move away from everything that has happened in Birmingham. So, please, if that is all then can we please leave?"
It took a moment before Alfie laughed. It wasn't a patronising laugh, but a loud heart-warming sound as he nodded at Liz, pointing a finger between her and Tommy as he pulled a bottle of whisky from his drawer and grabbed three glasses from the shelf behind him.
"She has more balls than you, Shelby," Alfie declared.
"She is quite something," Tommy agreed.
He looked to his fiancée and she looked back to him, wondering if she had annoyed him by being the one to talk. However she saw nothing but some form of adoration in his gaze. It was almost as though he was proud of her.
"Here yer go," Alfie said, still chuckling as he poured the drink into glasses, sliding them on the desk towards the guests he entertained. "Anyway, I 'eard you were comin' to London and I couldn't resist. A Peaky Blinder in London. I thought that we could do a business deal…I 'ave an issue…fixing races isn't goin' my way…wondered if you'd be interested in 'elping."
Tommy picked the alcohol up as Liz held the glass and swirled the liquid in her hands. She was no drinker, yet she looked to the side as Tommy downed his alcohol with no second thoughts. Placing the glass back on the desk, he shook his head and moved to stand up.
"I'm not in that business," he said honestly. "Ask my brother, he's in charge now."
"But he's not the brains, is he?" Alfie declared. "I need 'elp workin' against Sabini…up at Epsom. I thought you were looking to take Epsom?"
"I was," Tommy agreed, "but things have changed. The police are after me…as I said…go to my brother."
"Yer a 'ard man to persuade, Mr Shelby," Alfie said. "But I don't really like persuading. Yer see, people tend to do as I ask 'em without thought."
"I'm not like other people," Tommy said and Liz felt herself grow with frustration.
"I can see," Alfie said. "Look, I'll make yer a deal, right? 'Ave tonight to think about it…stay in a fancy 'otel…treat yer bird."
Liz almost scoffed but said nothing, placing the glass full of alcohol back on the desk in front of her as her cheeks tinged red.
"And come back to me tomorrow when yer 'ave changed yer mind." Alfie concluded. "I don't mess around, mate."
"Nor do I," Tommy promised him. "But I ain't fixin' races."
"Nah, a man like you can't stay away for long," Alfie said and Tommy almost gulped at hearing him.
It was almost as if he knew. Tommy had thought about what to do next and nothing seemed right. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. He had built everything and he had given it up for Liz. He didn't regret it or resent her. He loved Liz and he would give it up for her, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't miss it.
"The police would find me," Tommy said after a moment.
"I can get rid of 'em," Alfie promised him. "I'm not beggin' yer, Shelby. I'm making yer an offer."
"And I can see that," Tommy said. "But…I'm not the man you should be speakin' to about this."
"As I said-"
"-Take the night to think about it," Elizabeth finished off Alfie's sentence and she stood up, pushing the chair behind her as she laced her fingers together and rested them on her stomach. "You seem like a pleasant man, Mr Solomons. From what I have seen you are a man of principle and understanding, but it is too dangerous for us to be involved in anything you are doing…not to mention it is illegal. It has been a pleasure, it truly has, but we really should go in case someone notices us."
Elizabeth looked to Alfie as he remained sat there with his mouth wide open and Tommy almost felt like copying him. Elizabeth finished her goodbyes with Solomons before turning on her heel, walking towards the door and nodding her head to Tommy, indicating that he should follow her.
She continued to walk out and Tommy shrugged to Alfie before following her. She walked a few paces ahead of Tommy as the men in the factory stopped to stare at her with interest. It was only when they were outside did Tommy corner her, dragging her around the corner and Liz suspected she had angered him.
She thought contrary to that when he pressed her roughly against a wall and his mouth moved to rest over hers, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip as his hands ran up and down her sides, crumpling the dress she wore as he did so. Elizabeth inhaled for breath once Tommy pulled back from her, his hands moving to cup the small of her back as he pressed her tightly to him and she ran her hands over his shoulders.
"Elizabeth Kimber that was the stupidest thing you 'ave done…'angering a man like Alfie Solomons…" Tommy declared. "A woman…standin' up for me…I should be embarrassed…"
"But you are not?" Elizabeth wondered and Tommy pressed his forehead against hers.
"Probably," Tommy mumbled, "but all I can think about is gettin' to a 'otel and gettin' you out of that dress."
"Oh," Elizabeth's mouth fell open and Tommy took advantage of that, kissing her once again.
She hadn't thought she would have that effect on him. Apparently she did as Tommy dragged her to the nearest hotel to spend the evening with her.
…
Panting for breath, Elizabeth rested on her stomach as her hands held her chin. Tommy rested on his back, not as out of breath as Liz as he looked down to her. He moved his head slowly, picking her lips up in his as she smiled against his kiss, only breaking off of him to move and rest her head on his chest. Her fingertips ran over the tattoo beside her as Tommy's hand found her back.
"When did you get that tattoo?" Liz wondered, recalling how she had never seen Tommy in such a state of undress.
Then again, they had never lain together like they just had done. Liz had thought about it, but she had always told herself to wait until marriage. That was just another thing she had failed to do.
"After France," Tommy whispered, his hand curling into her hair and his fingers resting there. "I was shot and it seemed appropriate."
"You never talk about France," Liz mumbled and Tommy shook his head.
"I don't like thinkin' about it," he told her. "It was hell…the diggin'…the screaming…I saw men die, Liz. I saw good and honest men die and I killed men. I killed them and watched them die and I could do nothin'. I felt useless and scared…every day I didn't know if I would come 'ome…and every day I felt my 'ope vanish when I never got a letter from you."
Elizabeth tried not to let her eyes water at hearing that, but it was difficult. She shook her head as her hand continued to circle his bare chest, her ear resting near his heart as she listened to his heartbeat.
"I am sorry," Elizabeth promised Tommy.
"It wasn't yer fault, Liz," Tommy promised her. "If I knew that he 'ad yer then…I think I would have gone madder than I already did…not bein' able to come back and take yer from 'im. France…it is like your livin' with Billy. We both don't talk about it or want to talk about it…but we know it 'appened. We both 'ave pasts, Liz."
Elizabeth nodded her agreement and Tommy cupped the back of her head tenderly as he watched her pull back slightly to stare him in the eye. She watched him with intrigue as he stared back to her.
"I woke up some nights," she confessed to him. "I woke up and I thought that you were still with me. I would get and take the ring out of my drawer and pretend…just pretend that you were with me. I always hoped that you would come back…and you did…but then I saw you with Lizzie Starke and I thought you didn't want me."
"I know," Tommy said. "I would never 'ave touched Lizzie Starke if I knew. It was never the same, Liz. I…when I was with Lizzie Starke I would never touch her…or hold her. I didn't 'ave it in me. I 'ad to keep my clothes on when I fucked 'er."
"Tommy," Liz shrieked, her hand moving to hit his chest as he chuckled. "Don't be so crude."
Tommy caught her wrist and flipped her over, making sure that he was careful with her as she rested on her back and Tommy leant over her, watching her as she laughed and her hair fell past her shoulders as she kept the sheet firmly tucked under her arms.
"And I'd never let Lizzie Starke tell me what to do," Tommy said.
Elizabeth smiled to him, her hands moving to his upper arms and curling around them, holding them tightly as she laughed and searched his stare.
"But you do not love Lizzie Starke," Elizabeth commented and Tommy shook his head, the back of his hand running down her cheek slowly.
"No," he agreed with her. "I love Elizabeth Kimber…my fiancée."
Elizabeth kissed him again and Tommy smiled against her lips. For now he was happy in their own hotel room and away from the outside world. If only he knew that their own world would be disrupted by one Darby Sabini.
….
A/N: I am so happy you are all enjoying the story so far! Plenty more drama to come so do let me know what you think!
