Chapter 16) Early morning regrets
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Tommy hadn't slept, the chemicals in his body didn't allow him a moment of rest. It kept his thoughts loping like a racing horse. He'd spent the remaining of the night inside Precious and Monaghan Boy's box staring at the ceiling. The young horse must have sensed his dread and nuzzled his snout against his check. Precious kept him company for most of the time.
When the sunlight creeped through the cracks of the stable, Tommy decided it was time for some drastic action. He'd been breaking his head on how he was going to deal with Maria. Still indecisive he climbed up the steps.
His heart skipped a beat as his icy blue's stared into a shaking barrel, fuck silently escaped his lips. She found his revolver.
With her legs huddled up against her chest and both hands clutched around the weapon Maria stared intently at him, eyes still as bewildered and alarmed as yesterday. Clearly she hadn't spent her time in the attic sleeping. Slowly her trembling fingers pushed the barrel up, directing at his head.
'Oh fuck,'Tommy thought. Guarded and focusing on her face instead of the trembling barrel he raised his right hand in defence and with his left slowly made little circles on his chest, the sign for sorry. Fingerspelling he continued, f-o-r l-a-s-t n-i-g-h-t.
Her eyes narrowed and with a trembling but very clear voice she whispered, "Don't come any closer. I will shoot you."
That did not sound very promising, but during his life Tommy had been staring into multiple barrels and apparently he was like a cat, he had nine lives. Testing his luck Tommy took a small, gradual step forward.
Her thumb pressed the hammer back. "Don't come any closer, I will shoot," she warned him again.
N-o y-o-u w-o-n-t, he spelled with his left hand, still keeping his right up as a white flag. He really hoped she would not pull the trigger, although he'd given her all reasons too. Right now he didn't have anything to bargain for so he needed to rely on his soldier's instinct and her goodness within her Catholic heart; thou shalt not kill, well he fucking hoped so.
He took another calculated step forward and it struck her nerve. Her hands quivered for a moment but then solemnly took a new aim. She placed the barrel of the gun against her chin and whispered, "father forgive me."
Tommy cried out and lunged forward when he watched her index finger press the trigger. Too late, he was too late!
But instead of a loud bang, blood splashing against the ceiling and her lifeless body dropping back on the bed, there was just a single click.
Utterly relieved he realised she hadn't checked for bullets and all seven were still
safely hidden underneath a loose plank underneath his mattress.
He was just in time to dodge the unloaded weapon as she threw it in his direction and caught her fist when she swung at him. Last night still fresh in his memory he tried to overpower her without causing too much force. She must have sensed his hestitance and used it in her favor, colliding her free fist with his nose. It wasn't a hard punch but given the beating his face received the night before it was enough to make him cry out and winch back. Blood rapidly ran down his nostrils making Maria gasp in shock, she clearly didn't think she would cause so much harm.
Oh Tommy was glad his two brothers weren't there, the sight of him being struck by a harmless lass would be enough to have them rolling over the floor howling with laughter.
With the few seconds he used to keep his blood from gushing down his nose, Maria jumped off the bed and headed towards the ledge.
'Oh no you won't,' Tommy let the blood ran freely and speeded after her. Before she could set her second foot on the ladder he intertwined his fingers around her short hair and brutally pulled her back up, causing her to cry out and lunge back at him.
After a small hustle Tommy decided that maybe this business was 'women business' and could be dealt better by Aunt Poll. Hell, he was probably the worst person to try and fix their current situation. His left arm served as a straightjacket, wrapped firmly around her body and arms to keep her from escaping or hitting him. With his right he pinched the bridge of his nose to lessen the stream of blood.
Clearly today was not his day, nor month, nor year.
"Let me go!" Maria shouted and squirmed to get out of his tight grip. Tommy gave her a hard push back on the mattress and stepped in front of the ledge.
"You can't keep me locked up in here!" Maria spat at him with eyes throwing daggers.
Tommy rolled his eyes, her statement was very arguable. He, in fact, could keep her locked up in here, against her will and nobody would try to stop him. Hell, no-one besides Arthur and himself knew she was here. But since he wanted to mellow down their deteriorating relationship he kept that knowledge to himself.
Do you want to get fucked on a dirty mattress, in a dirty room by a dirty git for the rest of your life? He signed stoic at her and continued when she closed her mouth and bit her lip, because with that pretty face of yours and no safetynet, that's exactly what your life will be. A quick fuck for a penny. You think I was rough on you last night, hell that was nothing, not even the tip of the fucking iceberg.
Maria crossed her arms tightly against her chest, probably reliving the moments of hope changing into fear and despair. Of being forced down, stripped from all rights and privileges and being used as nothing more than a thing, a tool for sick fucks to get off on.
What would your mum think? This struck a nerve and quickly she threw her face down. Tommy took the moment of her absent eyes to observe her; she was an absolute mess. Hair all knotted and filthy, her dress scattered around her body, torn and wrinkled. Her bra kept showing and she still missed one shoe. He sighed and dug into the trunk in the far corner. He had a few spare shirts laying around somewhere and probably a pair of socks.
You're not going to be someone's whore, he ordered her and threw a shirt at her. She caught it stiffly and pulled it over her head to cover her low cleavage. When offered, she pulled a pair of socks on her freezing feet.
You're coming with me and I swear to God if you try to escape I will fucking break your legs, Tommy informed her coldy.
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It must have been a bizarre sight for the residence of Small Heath; The Tommy Shelby, heading through the streets at the break of dawn. Accompanied by a red-headed lass on a horse wearing Tommy's long overcoat and socks. One looked more beat up then the other. Tommy's shirt was splattered with blood stains and every now and then whipped over his upper lip to ridden himself from the drips of blood coming from his nose.
The lass solemnly refused to look anywhere but her clenched fist wrapped around the horse's manes and shivered from cold.
Tommy was glad when he ended the walk of shame and tied the horse at a lamppost near his home in Watery Lane. Gesturing for the lass to dismount Rockefeller, Tommy quietly turned the keys and opened the door.
Of course, his kin had planned a fucking family meeting at six in the morning…
The faces of Aunt Poll, Finn, and Ada where priceless. His sister literally stopped taking a bite of her toast in mid air.
Arthur must have informed his younger brother, John, about last nights whereabouts because John didn't seem very shocked, delighted would be a better word to pick. Tommy received a small nod from John who appeared very proud that he'd joined Arthur in a bar fight. Just like back in the good old days.
Silence still kept the small family gathering in its grip. It was Ada who cut through the painful silence as Tommy and Arthur examined the other's facial cuts and bruises.
"Well look what the cat dragged in…" his sister muttered sarcastically and lowering her toast to watch the two early guests.
For moments like these Tommy would love to sow his sister's lips together, but right now Ada's rattling mouth could be of good use.
"Oh God, Thomas, what happened to your face?" Aunt poll exclaimed.
Confessing to his entire family that the lass had beat him a bloody nose less than half an hour ago wasn't on Tommy's to do list. Ignoring his aunt's question he directed himself to Ada and wrote a short note, Calm her down, lock her in my bedroom. His sister read the note, exchanged gazes and knew better then to ask questions.
"Follow me please." Ada tended towards the strange younger girl and both headed up the stairs.
"For fucks sake, Tom!" Polly shouted and slammed her hand on the table. "What on earth were you thinking?! Did you really abduct her from Russo?!"
Well, technically I stole her back, he wrote down and watched how his aunt ripped the note and threw it at his face after she was done reading.
"Idiots!" Polly hissed through gritted teeth and accusingly pointed at Tommy and Arthur, "You go out one night together. One damn night!"
It was frightening how Polly's eyes could make a grown men fill up with guilt. As a lectured child Arthur stared at the tips of his boots and Tommy kept himself firmly occupied with a search for his cigarettes.
"So what's the master play now boys?" Polly snarled, "you got your voice back, God knows what you've done to her, not to mention you two practically wrecked the Shepherd. But you've got her back, bravo Thomas!" She spat and gave a cold round of applause.
John tried to back his brother's up and muttered, "They didn't wreck the place, I've seen it. It was just a bar fight Pol, no need to worry so."
Polly seemed ready to make her nephew choke on his toothpick and fired at him, "No need to worry?! Those two fools single handedly ruined whatever truce we had with the Italians! Do tell me John, what would you do if those gangster came in our Garrison and caused mayhem?"
"Shoot them through the bloody kneecap," John answered honest and sighed aware of the upcoming trouble.
"Exactly!" Polly shot back, "so what will it be boys? Will we be sitting ducks?" She directed herself back at Tommy. "Please allow me to marvel at your masterplan, Thomas, because it must be a fucking good one!"
Tommy's jaw clenched, so he made one mistake and got out of line? He fucked up, she made her point clear. Very clear.
Ada retreated back into the kitchen and said with a chin-up attitude, "I've locked your little damsel in distress in your bedroom. Poor thing needs a bath, you probably need to change your sheets." Frisky she sat down at their kitchen table and continued, "I gave her some of Arthur's special coughing medicine, that'll knock her out for a few hours."
Tommy gave her a quick nod of the head, pleased with his sister's street-smart management.
"So what did I miss?" Ada asked eagerly and looked across the room at the heated faces of her kin.
Pol venomously informed her niece about the idiocy of her brother's and started to drill up all previous accusations.
Tommy growled and pushed his chair back, he wasn't going to listen to another round of Polly's bickering. He made a massive mistake, he got that, no need to keep rubbing it in.
There was a soft knock on the door as he headed into the hallway, cautious he opened their front door, his revolver already pulled from the back of his trousers.
A young boy with olive coloured skin and silky black curled hair stood on their doorstep.
"Mr Russo and Mr Changretta will meet you at the Garrison at four," the boy informed him politely and tottered off.
FUCK, Tommy slammed the door shut. Fuck...they had the Italian mob on their ass. Silvester was a distant cousin of the Changretta's and teamed up. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
Tommy banged his fists into the wall and bit through the throbbing pain as he resolutely spun on his heels to meet with Arthur.
His brother became white as a ghost when Tommy wrote down the message from the boy.
We need a plan, Tommy continued on paper, fast!
Both men stood across each other facing facts, their ridiculously stupid escapades from last night might get them -and their family- killed.
Polly snatched the note from Arthur and gasped horrified.
"What's wrong?" Ada asked still unaware of the upcoming danger, "you never tell me anything!"
John was the next in line to read Tommy's message and gulped when he lowered the paper: "Ada, Finn, go upstairs and stay here. Do not leave the house at any circumstance!"
"Why?" Ada snapped back, "at least tell me why I can't go out! I was planning to see a movie today and-"
"-Ada, Finn, out!" Arthur threw at her with so much fury their sister closed her snappy mouth quietly and retreated upstairs with Finn.
We need guns and men, Tommy wrote down, mind racing. Fuck, they should have never gone to The Shepherd, they shouldn't have done so much cocaine. Fuck, they definitely shouldn't have trashed the place up with Russo in eyesight.
Get Johnny Dog's and his men, station them inside the Garrison incognito, but arm them to the teeth, Tommy wrote down. If the Italians wanted them dead they wouldn't do it in the open. No, that wasn't their style, Tommy hated to admit it, but the gangsters had class. They wanted to do their talking and then mold them to bits with a machine gun.
Get men on the roof, get Harry to take the afternoon off and replace him with Scudboat, he ordered Arthur, hurry! He underlined when his brother did not jump into immediate action.
Fuck….Tommy rubbed through his face as Arthur left in a hurry. Fuck, fuck fuck!
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Wow, so how many holes as Tommy dug for himself in the last few chapters? A lot, hopefully enough deep enough for a funeral. Nah, just kidding...or am I? Oh I'm so thrilled writing this story!
A penny for your thoughts,
Xoxox Nukyster
