"What do we do now?"

Elizabeth had asked Tommy that question as she sat in the hotel room, pulling at her limp curls and piling them on the top of her head. They had awoken early that morning and spent their morning shopping and buying new clothes to wear. Elizabeth had changed into a deep red dress with sleeves coming down to her elbows. The skirt flowed down to her ankles and there was no design. She preferred to keep things simple so that there was no attraction.

Tommy, on the other hand, wore a new suit. It was a perfect fit and the blue tie on his white shirt hung perfectly. His hair was neatly coiffed and he had shaved the stubble from his chin. The trousers hung just above his ankle and he wore new boots on his feet. He kept his pocket watch and his gun hidden inside his jacket.

"We go and find rooms to rent," Tommy said, straightening out his jacket before he moved to Liz and bent behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder as his arms wrapped around her waist, his fingers splaying on her stomach as she laughed and failed to secure her curls on the top of her head.

"Tommy," she berated him, but he knew she meant nothing by it as her hair moved against his cheek and he pushed it behind her shoulder, kissing her neck softly. "Don't mess around. We need to leave."

"Aye," Tommy agreed with her. "But we need to talk to Alfie Solomons first."

"Tommy," Elizabeth complained, turning her head to look up to him. "I think he understood that you…we…had no interest in what he was offering. Could we make it any clearer if we tried?"

"You could not," Tommy scoffed at her and she looked at him with a narrowed glare. "I need to make sure he gets the message."

"Must we?" Elizabeth wondered.

"No, I must," Tommy contradicted. "I think you said all that you had to say last night. Wait 'ere for me to come back and then we can go and do what we set out to do…find a 'ome and start a new life."

Tommy stood then and Elizabeth watched him in the mirror of the dresser before she stood up, her hands moving to her hips and Tommy knew what she was going to say. She had that determined look in her eye. He hated that look more than he cared to admit, mainly because he knew what it meant. He loved Liz, but she was stubborn.

"Then I am coming with you," Elizabeth declared.

"No," Tommy shook his head. "I'd rather you stay 'ere."

"And I would rather you not go, but I know that you will so this is a compromise," Elizabeth declared, moving to pick up the long blue coat she had just brought, shrugging into it and buttoning up the brass buttons before moving to grab her blue hat to place on her head.

Moving towards the door, she looked to Tommy as she went, her brow arching as he remained impassive. "Are you coming or not?"

"Didn't expect to see you back here so soon," Alfie Solomons had been shocked when the couple had turned up at his factory just after lunch.

They were now seated in his office, both of them quiet and contemplative. He had watched the woman with intrigue, noting how she peeled her hat from her head and delicately dropped it to her lap, her fingers moving back up to comb through her hair. He had even noted the way Tommy's hand had protectively sat on the small of her back until she was seated and even then his hand seemed to move towards her and twitch, almost as though he wanted to keep hold of her.

"Well, I just wanted to repeat what was said yesterday," Tommy spoke in a low voice. "I 'ave no interest in 'elping yer."

"Well you might want to 'elp yerself," Alfie chuckled, removing his glasses from his nose and folding them away into the pocket of his white dress shirt. "Yer see, we 'ad an issue last night, well, Sabini did because of yer brother. Pair of 'em…well…they went to his club and smashed the place up."

Tommy almost frowned at hearing that, but he kept his face impassive. Elizabeth was the one to let her eyes widen and her hand move over her mouth slightly at the thought.

"I'm tellin' yer, mate, they made a right mess…and Sabini is after yer now." Alfie concluded, leaning back in his chair and shrugging his shoulders.

"Tommy did not know," Elizabeth defended her fiancé and Tommy nodded his head, leaning forwards and clasping his hands together as he bowed his head and looked to the ground. "Can you not tell him that? Can you not inform him-"

"-I'm not yer messenger boy, sweetheart," Alfie waved a hand in Elizabeth's direction and she glowered at being addressed in such a manner before she looked to Tommy. "And Sabini is already pissed off with the gypsy because he took 'is club and he found out that he 'as 'is bird he was supposed to marry."

"That was years ago," Tommy was the one to speak then, looking between Liz and Alfie.

"He knows," Alfie promised. "And he don't want 'er now she's been tainted by some…well…someone like you."

Waving a hand at Tommy, Liz dropped her chin to her hand, her elbow resting on the arm of the chair. When did all of this end? She thought that it had ended last night, but she was wrong. It was still continuing. There were still people who wanted to see them suffer. Had they not suffered enough? They were walking away.

"Then why is 'e bothered?" Tommy demanded.

"Because you pissed 'im off, mate," Alfie shrugged. "Well, not you, but yer family. He wants yer to suffer for what they 'ave done. Asked me for 'elp last night…I was almost tempted, but I thought about it."

Tommy felt his blood seem to chill as he heard that and he almost prepared to jump up and run away. He knew what this could mean. If Alfie took sides with Sabini then London was not safe. Was it truly safe now? Would a life abroad not be better for them? Tommy did not know, but he was sensing that they could be heading that. Way.

"And why did you change your mind?" Elizabeth wondered and Alfie eyed her with intrigue.

"You," Alfie said simply. "I didn't know whether to think yer a fool or a very brave woman for speakin' to me like you did…but I thought and it was funny…I find you entertaining…brave and stupid at the same time, but entertaining. I'd usually never 'ave anyone speak to me like you did, woman or not."

Elizabeth shifted in her seat as Tommy watched her play with her engagement ring on her finger. She really was something else. She had managed to charm, or insult, her way into Alfie Solomon's good books. Tommy suspected he should be grateful for that.

"I am glad I impressed," Elizabeth said, still playing with the ring as Tommy stood up, preparing to leave, tugging at the lapels of his coat to straighten it out on his body.

"Aye, yer should be," Alfie said. "Or I could be sittin' 'ere and settin' yer up for Sabini."

"But you are not," Elizabeth spoke.

"But I want a favour," Alfie quickly contradicted and Tommy sighed, holding his hand out for Liz to take hold of.

Delicately, she placed her fingers in Tommy's palm and allowed him to help her up, keeping hold of his fingers as he looked to Alfie and waited for him to state what he wanted.

"What?" Tommy wondered.

"I want yer cooperation at Epsom," Alfie said. "And before you tell me yer not in the business, I don't give a shit, mate. I want yer in that business and I want my bookies to have a patch. I don't trust yer brother. He's like a mad dog."

Tommy could only tilt his head, stopping himself from nodding in agreement with that assessment. Arthur definitely was an acquired taste with too much on his mind sometimes. Tommy knew that he would never be the brains behind the Blinders, but he had hoped John would rise up in his absence.

"Honestly?" Elizabeth was the one to wonder.

Tommy shook his head as he noted the exasperation on her features. He moved his arm around her waist, his hand patting against her hip as she gazed to him and he continued to watch Alfie.

"And if I say no?"

"Then I send Sabini yer way and he is madder than that brother of yours," Alfie pointed out. "Look, it ain't a threat, it's just another way to persuade yer."

"It sounds like a threat," Tommy contradicted.

"Tell yer what," Alfie said, clapping his hands together and sitting up straight in his chair. "I'll give yer another day…'ave my men look out at yer 'otel and then you can give me yer answer."

"I suspect I don't 'ave much choice," Tommy grumbled and Alfie chuckled, shrugging again and looking between the couple in front of him. "I'll be back tomorrow, Mr Solomons."

"Look forward to it," Alfie agreed.

"This is preposterous!" Elizabeth snapped as soon as her and Tommy were back in the hotel room.

Her coat and hat were laid on the red chaise longue in the corner as Tommy stood by the window, his hands in his pockets as he looked onto the street beneath him, noting Solomons men straight away as he arched a brow and Liz continued to pace in the hotel room.

"He is blackmailing us," Elizabeth declared. "How can Sabini be angry when you have done nothing wrong? You did not destroy his club, nor did you steal me from him. I was never his. I never met him. There was only talk of us being married. I never wanted to marry him."

"He sees you as something that should 'ave belonged to 'im," Tommy said, still staring out the window.

"I am not a possession, Tommy," Elizabeth hissed and gained his full attention as he closed the curtain and she stood with her hands folded over her chest.

He moved towards her with his hands outstretched before he wrapped his hands around her hips, looking slightly down to her as she looked at him with that challenging gaze he had grown to know.

"I am aware that you are no possession," Tommy promised her. "After seeing yer handle yerself I have learned that, Liz."

Sighing, Elizabeth felt herself relax slightly before she moved closer to Tommy, finally allowing him to wrap his arms around her waist before she dropped her head to his shoulder. Running his hand along her back, Tommy moved his chin to rest on the top of her head.

"You've changed me, Liz," Tommy admitted. "Before you…nothin' mattered but the business…and now…I 'ave an open ticket back into the business I loved and I want nothin' to do with it. Sabini…Solomons…I don't want a part in their games…"

"Nor do I," Elizabeth promised him. "I heard tales of Sabini, Tommy. He is even more unstable than Solomons."

Tommy chuckled at that. "I struggle to believe that," he admitted. "I don't want to believe it…especially because you were supposed to marry 'im."

Shuddering at the thought, Elizabeth pulled Tommy closer to her, her own arms around his back as Tommy shook his head. He knew what he had to do. He had to protect Elizabeth from Sabini. He may not claim to want her back, but there was only one way Tommy could be sure that he didn't get her back. There was only one thing which he could do.

Pulling back, he moved his hand to Liz's chin and drew her gaze to his.

"Let's get married today."

A/N: We're getting into some more action now, anyway, thanks for letting me know what you all think! I love reading your reviews. Hopefully there will be another update soon!