Tommy had been gone until the early hours of the morning, slipping back into the house while Elizabeth slept. She had felt him crawl under the covers and take hold of her waist, his chest flush with her back. She had stirred slightly as she felt him kiss the side of her neck and urge her to go back to sleep.
It was in the morning as she lay in bed when she saw him sat on the edge of the bed, already dressed in his suit. She had moved slowly, pushing herself to sit up as she yawned, her hair a mess around her head. Tommy head leaned forwards to kiss her, the motion lingering and slow, his lips soft and plump as Elizabeth moaned slightly, tugging on the lapels of his jacket.
"Come back to bed," she whispered to him and Tommy chuckled at hearing her.
"Yer know I'd love to, but I 'ave work to do."
"And what were you doing last night?" she wondered from him. "Was that not work?"
"It was," Tommy nodded. "I needed to find out who 'ad left the factory back door unlocked. I thought it might 'ave been Niall, but he told me there were two Italian workers who had joined during the strikes. Went to talk to Jessie Eden to see if her knew 'em."
"And?"
"She didn't know," Tommy said to her with a shake of his head. "But it wasn't Niall who did it."
"I never thought it would be," Elizabeth said with a shake of her head.
"Well, I know that I should trust yer, don't I?" Tommy whispered to her. "Anyway, I've got to go, Liz. I've got to talk with Polly to see how her meetin' with Luca went and I need to see a woman who…well…Arthur killed her son years ago."
"Arthur killed her son?" Elizabeth asked, wondering if she was still asleep. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands as Tommy nodded, moving to his feet and taking hold of his gun, pocketing it in the holster. "When did this happen?"
"When I was too preoccupied with getting back at Kimber," Tommy said. "We've been payin' the woman since. Arthur felt guilty and he wanted to make sure she was provided for. He was sufferin' when we came back from the war. Yer know how it is, Liz. Men didn't come back the same. All of us didn't come back the same."
"I know," Elizabeth whispered. "But you came back and that was the most important thing to me."
"Same," Tommy said in a small voice. "I've got to go, Liz. The meetin' is this mornin'. I'm takin' Finn with me too."
"Do not corrupt him."
Tommy chuckled. "Like I corrupted you."
Elizabeth smirked and laid back down in the bed, a hand on her forehead as she dramatically spoke and Tommy raised his lips in entertainment. "Well, I suppose I am too far gone now. The wife of the most powerful man in Birmingham…mother to his two children…and all because he keeps telling me he loves me."
Tommy chuckled. "I do love you."
"Then come back to bed for ten minutes," she said, propping herself onto her elbows as she looked to him and he shook his head, moving back to sit on the edge of the bed. He grabbed hold of her wrists before her hands could wrap around him to pull him down. He bent down, holding her hands in mid-air as he kissed her slowly again.
"When did yer become so insatiable, eh?" he wondered from her and she laughed softly, shaking her head back and forth.
"I think it must be pregnancy," she said to him.
"Then I'm glad," Tommy said and kissed her slowly once more, "but yer goin' to 'ave to wait for tonight."
Elizabeth groaned as he stood up and wandered towards the door. She flopped back onto the bed as Tommy turned to shoot a smirk in her direction, knowing full well that he had to do everything in his power to keep her safe. He loved her too much for anything to happen to her.
…
Tommy was no fool. Mrs Ross was working with Changretta and Tommy knew it. She had come into his office and asked if Arthur would come to dinner to commemorate her son's birthday. Tommy had watched her intently, seeing right through her. She couldn't stand Arthur, not that Tommy could blame her. His brother had killed her son and Tommy knew that had hurt her. It would hurt him if anything happened to Charlotte. But Tommy was going to protect his brother at all costs. He knew that his wife would not approve of his plan, but he had no other option.
Tommy had the plan all under control. He would make sure his men were ready to ambush Luca as soon as possible. Arthur had gone to the birthday lunch and Tommy found himself loitering on a staircase, his hand holding tightly onto his gun as the thought of what they were about to do crossed his mind. He had to get through this. He had to survive. He had Elizabeth, Charlotte and their unborn child to think about. He gulped loudly as he looked down, waiting with patience for Changretta to make his move.
…
Elizabeth took hold of her husband as soon as he returned home. He pulled his cap from his head and was shocked to find Elizabeth waiting for him. Her arms flung around his neck and held tightly onto him. She buried her face against his neck as Tommy's arms took hold of her waist.
"What is it?" Tommy wondered from her.
"I heard what happened," Elizabeth said and pulled back, her hands moving to his cheeks, holding onto them softly. "I heard how they had gone for Michael instead of Arthur. That woman…she wanted to kill Arthur."
"I know," Tommy said. "But how do you know?"
"Your men outside like to gossip," Elizabeth said to him. "What happened to Michael?"
"Nothin'," Tommy said with a shake of his head. "He was fine. Changretta didn't do anythin' to 'im. It went how I thought it would go."
"Thank God," Elizabeth sighed as Tommy's hands roamed her waist slowly.
"Yer know how I 'ad Pol meet with 'im and offer to give me up?" Tommy said.
"I do," she said with a nod of her head.
"Well, Changretta went to Michael to honour that agreement, but he lied to me. He told me how the gun had misfired and they had ran as soon as they 'eard us approaching. He knows what his mother 'as done, but he thinks that she 'as betrayed me."
"And he didn't tell you any of this?"
"Not a word," Tommy said.
"He must be protecting, Pol," Elizabeth said. "He must think that you don't know what she has done, despite the fact the pair of you orchestrated this entire plan. He spared Michael because of you two."
"But yer know what that means, Liz."
"No?" Elizabeth said, sounding confused as Tommy looked to her.
"I can't trust Michael," Tommy said with a shrug. "He kept it quiet and he protected Pol instead of tellin' me."
"Oh, this is ridiculous," Elizabeth said with a shake of her head. "He thinks that he is protecting his mother. Tommy, I would do anything to protect you. You know that. You would do anything for me. Michael is just trying to protect her. Perhaps if you told people about this plan then they would be more inclined to trust you."
"No one can know," Tommy said firmly. "I mean it, Liz. Only you, me and Pol can know the truth."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at hearing him. "You are insufferable."
"Yer, but yer love me," Tommy said and moved to kiss her.
He let go of her waist and went to pick his cap back up, placing it on his head as his wife folded her arms over her chest. "Where are you going now?"
"Aberama Gold killed some of Changretta's men. I need to meet 'im down at the dock's stables and pay 'im."
"Then I will come with you," Elizabeth said, reaching for her coat on the rack.
"I don't think so."
"Tommy, please," Elizabeth said. "I am bored of sitting in this kitchen all day waiting for you. Charlotte is upstairs with Finn and the house is heavily guarded. Besides, Changretta doesn't want me or Charlotte dead, does he? So I'm fine. It's you who should be worried."
"Yer don't need to sound so upbeat about it," Tommy mumbled and her lips quirked as she pulled her coat around her body.
"I'm not," she promised him, "but it does mean that I should be the one going to pay him and you staying at home, but we both know that isn't going to happen so I am coming with you."
Rolling his eyes, Tommy had no say as his wife left the house in front of him after telling Finn to take care of Charlotte for a while.
…
Tommy kept hold of his wife's hand inside of his as they entered the stables. He saw Gold sat down at a table, a drink in his hand as his son sat at the other side of him. Elizabeth let her eyes rake over Aberama Gold, her brow arching at the sight of him. He had, what appeared to be, light hair sat underneath a hat. His suit was smart and he wore a long overcoat. His eyes seemed too beady to Elizabeth. He looked as though he had a face that couldn't be trusted.
"I take it this is your wife, Mr Shelby?"
"Mr Gold, my wife, Elizabeth Shelby. Liz, this is Aberama Gold."
Elizabeth held her gloved hand out and Aberama picked it up. She half expected him to shake it, but he bent his head down and kissed the back of it, not moving from his seat as he offered her a small smirk and she felt the urge to roll her eyes at seeing him.
"How do you do?" Elizabeth asked politely.
"A pleasure," he said as Tommy pulled out the notes of money from his suit jacket pocket. He tossed it down onto the table before Gold spoke, releasing Elizabeth's hand.
"We killed two," Gold informed Tommy.
Sighing, Tommy nodded his head. "You also shot a copper."
"On purpose," Gold said. "We shot him in the arm and he saw the Italians. He saw them and he thinks it was them who did that to him. They will be forced to go into hiding. I think that we did a good day's work."
Tommy said nothing further and pulled out more money, placing it down on the table.
"And we did kill people on our end," Gold said. "I heard you didn't kill anyone. Maybe you have been paying people too long to do your own dirty work."
Elizabeth took hold of Tommy's arm, folding her hand around it as she felt her husband flex his muscles slightly out of frustration. She gave his arm a squeeze, keeping her mouth shut as she let Tommy deal with the situation he was involved in.
"Luca Changretta got away," Tommy declared. "But when our paths cross, I won't be as careless."
"And when will they cross?" Gold dared to ask from her husband and Elizabeth bit down on her lip.
Tommy said nothing further. Instead he simply took hold of his wife's hand and turned to walk away. She followed him, not once looking back at Gold as they exited the stable and wandered down and along the canal. Elizabeth looked up to Tommy as the moonlight shone down over them, the only thing illuminating the scenery.
"I take it you don't like Gold?" Elizabeth said and Tommy's lips quirked.
"What gave it away?"
"Oh, just the tense conversation," Elizabeth jested with him and Tommy smirked again. "He came across cocky and annoying. I will grant you that."
"He's just a hit-man with a son he wants to big up. That's all it is," Tommy said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Anyway, I'm not thinkin' about that right now, am I?"
"Then what are you thinking about?" Elizabeth wondered as Tommy stood still and turned to look to her as she glanced up to him. Moving the back of his hand, Tommy let his hand move out, the back of it skimming her cheek as he bent down to kiss her slowly.
"This is where we 'ad our first kiss," Tommy whispered to her. "Do yer remember? Yer went off to London and I couldn't let yer go without tellin' yer how I felt."
"Well, if we are going to be picky you actually kissed me on the boat," Elizabeth said and Tommy chuckled before nodding his head. "But I am impressed you remembered."
"Don't forget things like that, do I?" Tommy whispered to her.
"And people say you are never romantic," Elizabeth whispered to him.
"Only for you," Tommy said in a whisper.
Elizabeth leant forwards, kissing him hastily as Tommy's hands cupped her waist. He moved quickly, turning her around until he had her back pressed against a wall. She let out a soft laugh as their lips parted and she shook her head.
"We can't do this here," she said to him. "We aren't a couple of teenagers, Tommy. Besides, I don't want anybody interrupting us."
Nodding, Tommy kissed her again. "Then I'd best get yer 'ome, hadn't I?"
Tommy wrapped his arm around his wife, hauling her close to him as the two of them walked side by side back home. For once in a long time, as Tommy shared his wife's bed, he forgot entirely about the danger he was involved in. All he could think of was being with his wife for that night and how blissful it felt.
…
A/N: Do let me know what you think!
