Chapter 6
"How did it go?" Rosies asks as Tommy walks into the house, shrugging his coat off and throwing it on to the back of a chair. She had barely had time to try and talk to Tommy in the past week, him being busy with the business, her snowed under between helping Arthur with the company money and John, looking after his children with their nanny off ill.
"Fine." He grunts, pouring himself a glass of whiskey and lighting a cigarette
"Fine?" She repeats, eyeing him from her position leaning against the counter. "Just fine?"
"Yep."
"Jesus Christ." Rosie mutters under her breath, running a hand over her face, starting to lose patience with the man. "It's like pulling teeth talking to you recently Tom. Fucking painful."
"It was a race Rosie. We went in, did what we needed to, got out." He replies
"And Kimber?"
"You don't need to worry about Kimber." Rosie bites out a chuckle, grabbing the bottle of whisky from the table and pouring herself a glass.
"And the pretty barmaid from the Garrison?" She questions, moving back to lean against the counter again.
"She has a name Rose."
"Right. Sorry." She replies with a roll of her eyes. "Grace. How is Grace? Did she enjoy herself?"
"Don't be spiteful."
"That wasn't spiteful! Why would I be spiteful? It was a genuine question."
"Right."
"So? Did she have a good time?"
"She had a fine time Rosie, ok? Enough."
"Jesus I was only asking. Won't fucking bother next time."
"Are you really at each other's throats again already? We've barely been home an hour. Cool it down eh?" Arthur shouts from the betting den where he had entered with John and Scudboat.
"Lovers tiff." John whispers to Scudboat with a wink, just loud enough for Tommy and Rose to hear.
"Shut up John." Tommy shouts at the same time Rose calls for him to 'piss off'. John laughs, throwing his hands up and turning his head away to hide his smirk.
"We're heading to the Garrison, you coming Rosie?" Arthur asks, slinging an arm around her shoulders. She glances sideways at Tommy who quirks his eyebrows at her; sighing again she shakes her head.
"Nah. Not today. Got things to do."
"At this time of night?" John questions as he shuts up the betting shop doors, locking them behind him and covering them with the curtains.
"Yeah." She replies, moving away from Arthur with a small smile. "Have fun."
————————
"How the bloody hell did you find me?" Ada exclaims as Freddie leads Rosie into the basement room.
"I have my sources." Rosie teases, repeating Ada's own words back to her.
"For fuck sake Rosie, you really are stupid sometimes!" Ada throws at her friend who lets out a shocked laugh in disbelief.
"Oi! What the fuck Ada?" She shouts back.
"Anyone could have followed you! They're after Freddie for Christ sake!"
"I wasn't followed! I'm not a bloody idiot!"
"You know what?" Freddie says, getting in between the two women. "I'm gonna leave you to it, I'll be back later Ada."
"And where the fuck do you think you're going?" Ada shouts, pushing her finger into his chest
"Out Ada! I'm not dealing with two screaming women. Fucking hell." He replies, turning and leaving the room.
"Now look what you've done!"
"Oh Ada calm the fuck down. Just sit down will you?" Rosie sighs, pulling off her coat and laying it on the end of the bed. "I wasn't followed. I was careful. I came here to make sure you're ok. Haven't heard from you in a while. I worry about you down here ya know. That bastard brother of yours was stupid to let you live like this."
"Sorry. I'm sorry." Ada breathes out, resting her head in her hands, elbows on her knees. "Jesus. I just..."
"It's fine. Ok? Relax." Rosie replies, guiding Ada to rest back against the headboard, shuffling up beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You ok now? Calmed down?" She teases, receiving a groan from Ada.
"I'm sorry Ro, really. I am."
"Yeah, I know. We saw Martha through enough pregnancies to know what the hormones do to ya, huh? You're fine." She nods, bringing a hand to rest on Ada's stomach. "How's baby doing?"
"Good." She responds, resting her hand alongside Rosie's. "How's my brother?"
"Tommy?"
"Yes Tommy." Ada huffs.
"He's fine."
"And..."
"And he's being stubborn and still ignoring me. We talked the other night, and I tried again just now when he got back from the races but all I got was snappy replies." Rosie says
"He'll come around." Ada assures her. "He loves you too Rosie. Don't look at me like that! He does."
"Why are you sticking up for him? He's the reason you're down here in this basement room - love what you've done with the place by the way." She teases, subtly trying to change the subject.
"I'm hardly sticking up for him." Ada defends herself, reaching over Rosie to pick a cigarette up off the side. "I'm sticking up for your love life. You're both too damn stubborn. Clearly you both need a little push. Looks like I'll have to get involved..." Ada sighs dramatically making Rosie laugh and roll her eyes
"Please don't Ada." She pleads. "Just let us figure this out by ourselves."
"If you say so!" Ada sings, resting her head on the headboard behind them, internally thinking of the ways she could get the two of them together.
———————
"Oh god." Rosie mutters, the glancing around the betting shop, hurrying over to Scudboat, seeing the blood covering his hands. She had heard what had happened on the way back from the market, making it to Watery Lane at the same time as Polly and the boys.
"Jesus Christ!" John breathes out, taking in the mess of the shop.
"What the bloody hell happened here?" Arthur asks, turning to Scudboat.
"The Lees. All of them." Scudboat bites out, wincing as Rosie gently pulls his hand away from his head to assess the damage. "Cousins, nephews, even their bastards..."
"They've taken anything they can lay their hands on." Polly says, entering the main room. "Four cash boxes."
"They left these." Tommy says, slowly walking into the centre of the room with a pair of wire cutters in his hand
"Wire cutters. Why would they leave wire cutters?" Polly asks, Rosie glancing around at the boys in confusion.
"Nobody move." Arthur commands
"Arthur." Rosies anxiously calls, hoping for an explanation from the oldest brother.
"I think our friends are playing the game." Tommy says, watching as his brothers begin to scan the room.
"What game?" Polly asks, frustration evident in her voice as she locks eyes with Rosie, who shakes her head, equally as confused as the older women.
"Aunt Pol don't." John cuts in as Polly goes to move into the side room. "Don't touch anything." John points at Rosie who holds up her hands, eyeing the three brothers.
"What the fuck is going on?" She whispers, looking to Tommy. "Tom?"
"Erasmus Lee was in France." He replies, Rosie rolling her eyes at Polly at the vague response.
"Shit..." Scudboat says, rising from his chair, catching on to what Tommy was saying.
"Whenever we gave up ground to the Germans, we'd leave behind booby traps, set up with wires. We'd leave wire cutters, as part of the joke." Tommy continues
"Somewhere in here, there's a hand grenade." John finishes where tommy left off.
"Holy Jesus." Polly sighs
"Attached to a wire. A don't move any chairs, or open any doors. Go easy John boy. Go easy." Arthur commands, both him and John slowly making their way around the room.
"Tom..." Rosie says softly, fear lacing her voice.
"Shh Rosie." Tommy gently replies, laying a hand on her arm. "No. Boys no. It's not in here. If it was in here it would have blown by now. It was my name on that bullet Erasmus sent. He's set up a trap alright. But he's set it up just for me." Tommy heads out the door, making his way around to where his car was parked, Rosie hot on his heels.
"Oh shit, Tommy. Finn!" Rosie shouts, rushing towards the car.
"Rosie, no!" Tommy shouts, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back into his chest. "Finn? Finn. Stay exactly where you are." Tommy gently pushes Rosie behind him, inching towards the car.
"Tommy. Get him out. Get him out of there!" Rosie whispers frantically, trying to keep her voice quiet so that only Tommy could hear her panic.
"I was pretending I was you!" Finn calls, hands on the steering wheel.
"Oh for fuck's sake Tommy." Rosie groans, running her hands through her hair, unable to take her eyes off the little boy in the car.
"Which door did you open to come in Finn?" Tommy asks, ignoring Rosie and slowly walking towards the car.
"I didn't. I climbed in." Finn replies, Rosie shuts her eyes, tilting her head up to the sky muttering curses under her breath, fiddling with the necklace around her neck.
"I want you to climb out, exactly the same way you climbed in, ok?" Tommy calls, both adults descending into panic as Finn laughs, thinking they were playing a game, reaching for the door handle. "No! No, Finn!"
"Finn!" Rosie screams, rushing forward once more, Tommy not stopping her this time. She throws her arms around Finn as Tommy throws the grenade away from the car, grabbing them both and ducking behind the car with them, clutching them both to his chest.
"That's why, you should never pretend to be me. Ok?" Tommy pants, Rosie still running her hands over Finn, checking for hidden injuries. Finn nods, clinging to Tommy, clutching Rosie's hand in his. Tommy sighs, pressing a kiss to Finn's forehead before moving to stand, pulling Finn into his side as he reaches out his free hand, guiding Rosie, who was shaking, into his arms. "I've got you." He whispers softly, running a hand through her hair as she clings to him this time, letting out shuddering breathes into his chest.
————————
AN: Hope you guys have enjoyed...I think you'll like the next chapter! :)
