Michael was waiting for me when I got home. I hadn't seen him since our argument and I didn't know what to say to him. "How are you?" he asked, standing as I walked into the kitchen. "Fine." I told him, putting my coat on the back of a chair and sitting. "I heard Changretta came to see you." he said, searching my face as he sat again. I nodded, "Yeah, that was fun." I replied, deadpan. "But you're alright? He didn't hurt you?" he asked, his eyes intent on mine. "Have you spoken to your mum?" I asked, searching his face. He shook his head, confused. "No, why?" he asked. I watched him for a moment, trying to think what to tell him. "She's made a deal with Luca Changretta." I told him, waiting for his reaction.
His brow furrowed as his face changed. "What?" he asked, his voice low. "She's made a deal with Luca Changretta that in exchange for her giving him Tommy, he'll leave me and you alive." I told him, searching for any inclination that he knew. "She knows about me and you." I added, watching his reaction. "You told her?" he asked, confused, and I scoffed. "Of course I bloody didn't. She knew, Michael. She knew about me and you and she knew about the baby." I explained. "She said that she's known the whole time." I added. "Fuck." he muttered, putting his head in his hands. "Did she say when she was going to betray Tommy?" he asked and I shook my head. He watched me for a moment before standing, heading towards the door.
"You've made your decision then?" I asked, looking up at him. He paused, turning back to me. There was a silence for a moment. "I love you, Eves. Have for years and that's all I can say right now. We don't even know who is going to survive the bloody week and I can't have Tommy or Polly thinking I'm distracted because of you." he told me and I could see the emotion in his eyes. "Are you distracted because of me?" I asked, looking up at him. "All the damn time." he replied without hesitation. He watched me for another brief moment before leaving. I sighed deeply as I heard the front door open and close. I closed my eyes for a second, taking out a vial from my pocket and inhaling the contents. I was going to get myself into deep shit with these men but the cocaine quickly carried those thoughts away.
The next morning, Tommy had already warned me of the visitor that we were expecting and I opened the front door, leaning against the door frame as a familiar face got out of the car in front of me. Alfie Solomons made eye contact with me and was silent for a brief moment. "Fucking hell, it smells of pig round here, don't it?" he said, turning his nose up. "Welcome to Birmingham, Alfie." I responded, gesturing for him to come inside. "Come to Small Heath and you will go to hell for fucking breathing." he muttered walking up to the doorstep, he removed his hat and looked at me. "I am truly sorry for your loss, Evelyn. Such a sad turn of events for such a beautiful woman." he told me, acting sincere but I could see the gleam in his eye. "Stretch your legs, treacle." Alfie called behind him and I watched as a giant of a man unfolded himself from the car.
"Fuck me, it looks like he's grown since we've left London. He's like a mushroom, ain't he? He grows in the dark." Alfie commented, putting his hat back on his head. I looked up at the man. I knew some tall men in my life. John was known to be incredibly tall at well over six foot but this man was something else. Even Alfie didn't even come up to his shoulder. Something in my stomach feared for Bonnie. "Need a piss." the man told Alfie, looking sheepish. "Do you? Yeah, well, this place is a shithole, yeah. So, why don't you just knock yourself out?" Alfie replied, gesturing up and down the road.
"Where is everyone?" Alfie asked, turning to me once more. "Tommy will be along shortly." I told him as the door to Tommy's house opposite, opened to reveal the man in question. "Morning, Alfie." Tommy greeted as he stopped in front of him. "Yeah, it is. It is. How come everybody is in fucking bed?" Alfie asked and Tommy ignored him, turning to the mountain of a man beside him. "So this must be Goliath?" he stated, looking him up and down. "Right, let me introduce you to David. This way, boys." Tommy told them and walked down the street. "I assume David's out of bed." Alfie commented as Tommy looked at me, an eyebrow raised. "David's out of bed." I confirmed before turning, getting my coat and following the men down the road.
We walked in silence to the distillery, Alfie glancing at me every so often. "Oh, now, the problem, right, between rum and gin is that gin, it leads to the melancholy. Whereas rum incites violence and also allows you to be liberated from your self-doubt. Now I hear you're probably more in need of the old rum at the moment rather than gin, mate." Alfie said as we entered the distillery. I rolled my eyes, walking past the two men and into the room where Bonnie and Aberama were waiting. "Solomons is here, Tommy's talking to him at the moment and he'll give us a shout when they're ready." I told them both. "I feel like I should warn you about Solomons, he likes to stir things up." I added, looking at the pair cautiously. "I have dealt with the man for numerous years and you've just got to let what he says go over your head. He likes a reaction." I continued. Aberama gave me a look that I couldn't decipher as Finn came in. "They're ready." he told us and I nodded at him before gesturing for Aberama and Bonnie to go. Aberama and Finn went first and Bonnie captured my hand in his as he passed, pressing his lips to the back of it before releasing it and following his father.
"Mr Shelby, I've come to talk purse for the fight." Aberama announced, walking into the room. "Your kestrel, huh?" Arthur asked, turning to Tommy as I leant against one of the pillars. Bonnie stood slightly in front of me, hands in his pockets. He turned to Aberama once more. "Tommy, when a pikey walks in with hair like that, you've got to ask yourself, 'Have I made a mistake?'" Alfie said, holding his cane up at Aberama. "Who the fuck are you?" Aberama asked, looking at Alfie. "Who the fuck am I?" Alfie asked. "Who the fuck is this?" Aberama asked Tommy. I pushed off the pillar and went to stand between the two men. "Alright, gentlemen. No need for theatrics." I told them, giving warning looks to both men.
"I, my friend, I am the uncle, the protector and the promoter of that fucking thing right there, in whose shadow nothing good nor godly will ever fucking grow." Alfie said, ignoring me as he took a few steps forward, his body almost touching mine as he glared over my head at Aberama. "That there, right, is the Southern Counties Welterweight Champion. He is of mixed religion therefore he is godless. He was adopted by Satan himself before he was returned out of fear of his awkwardness. But he's impossible to marry off due to his lethal dimensions." he continued before looking down at me. "Perhaps, our dear Evie, would like a crack as I hear she has a reputation for seducing and taming wild men." he suggested and I heard Bonnie move behind me to which I put up a hand in warning. "Point proven." Alfie spat before looking up at Aberama once more.
"His mother, terrified, just fucking abandoned him. And there he is, stood before you, like the first of some brand new fucking species. Any man that you put before him, right, would be like entering a fucking threshing machine, mate. Now, will you offer your son?" he concluded and there was a brief pause. "Name the day, Mr. Shelby." Bonnie said from behind me and I couldn't fight the smile that crept onto my lips.
It didn't take long for the men to figure out a time and place and I was soon showing Alfie the way out and back to his car. "You look tired, Evie." Alfie commented as we walked out of the distillery. "Exhausted, Alfie." I replied, looking up at the man. He watched me for a moment. "How are ya? Really." he asked, concern in his voice. "Surviving." I replied, honestly. "It's weird being in Birmingham without him. I see him everywhere." I admitted, looking ahead. "And the, er, Gypsy boy?" he asked and I thought about that for a moment. "A happy distraction." I told him, speaking honestly. "And Thomas, eh?" he inquired and I chuckled dryly. "A distraction." I answered.
"Alfie, can you do me a favour?" I asked, looking at the man again and he looked at me questioningly. "I'm not going to survive this time, I can feel it and I want somewhere for the kids to go. Will you purchase a house for me by the beach? With land so my family can camp and a house big enough for the children to get lost in. Just tell me the cost and I'll get the money to you." I told him, stopping by his car and searching his face. He looked at me for a long moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll do it." he told me. "But you're going to get through this, Evie. You're a strong one. Maybe cut down on the powder, yeah." he told me, putting his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him. I had been around my family for weeks and he was the first to notice that I was using something to get through the day. I nodded, both of us knowing it wasn't going to happen. We stood like this for a moment before he turned and got into his car.