I managed to slip away from the chaos and made my way to the changing room where I knew Bonnie was cleaning up. It wasn't hard to slip by the many Blinders moving around the place and I breathed a sigh of relief when I finally made it to the changing room. Bonnie looked relieved to see me and came rushing over, pulling me into him with a hand on the back of my head and my waist. "Are you alright?" he asked after a few moments, pulling away and looking into my eyes. I nodded, glad that the blood had been cleared up but the blossoming bruises made my heart twist. "Are you?" I asked, bringing my hand up to his cheek. "I'm fine." he told me, resting his forehead on mine. I looked into his eyes for a moment, looking for any sign of deception before pressing my lips to his.
He held my body against his as my hand went to the back of his neck and I deepened the kiss. He pulled away from the kiss first and I looked up at him with heated eyes. "I want you, Bonnie." I whispered, hoping he'd get my meaning. He searched my face for a moment before crashing his lips back to mine. I moaned against his lips as his hand found its way up my dress. My heart hammered as Bonnie massaged me, eliciting moans from me that he captured with his mouth.
My hands knotted in his hair as he brought me closer and closer to the edge, but I couldn't wait any longer and needed him inside me. I pushed him gently backwards until his knees hit the bench and he sat down, his hand and lips going from me as I straddled his lap. I pressed my lips back to his as I reached beneath me, releasing him from the confines of his underwear and stroking him up and down. He groaned, removing his lips from mine and instead pressing them to my neck and collarbones. I lowered myself gently onto him, gasping as he entered me and slowly getting used to the feel of him. He gripped my hips, his hands tightening as I slowly got faster.
He captured my lips back to his, a hand going to my hair as I rocked against him. "Fuck." I moaned into his mouth, feeling the climax building inside me. He took this as further invitation as his hand went back to my hip and he lifted me, walking confidently until my back slammed into the wall and giving him a new angle. He moved his hips against mine, my moans getting louder as I tightened around him. "Fuck fuck fuck." I muttered, burying my head in his neck as I climaxed around him. Bonnie continued to move inside me, drawing out my orgasm as he reached his own. He groaned into my hair, his hands getting tighter on my hips as he fell into the abyss with me.
He held me against him for a few moments, each of us catching our breaths. I pressed a light kiss to his neck and he did the same to my hair before my lips met his. He gently lowered me to the floor before bringing a hand to my face. "We are going to get through this, Evie. Together." he told me, searching my face. I looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding. "Together." I whispered before pressing my lips back to his.
I felt sick standing beside Ada and Karl and watching Arthur's funeral caravan go by. Ada's hands were firmly on Karls shoulders and my arm was linked with hers. I had a fistfull of her coat in my hand and Karls hand tight in my other one. We watched as various people added things to the caravan as it went down the road, the horse led by Uncle Charlie and Curly. The funeral itself was the next day but first Tommy had called a family meeting and Polly, Tommy, Ada and I sat waiting in the kitchen.
I looked up as Michael walked in, newly delivered from the Golds camp. I vaguely wondered if he had heard about me and Bonnie but the thought was pushed from my mind with more important matters and my eyes went back to the table. Polly greeted her son with a hug. "Tommy, I've been trying to think of words…" Michael started as he came to sit at the table but Polly cut him off. "Don't." She warned. "Words don't work." she added, handing him a glass of whiskey. "Michael, we're in a grave situation. Tommy has a plan. Instead of going to Australia, you're going to New York." Polly told him and my eyes flickered up, my eyes briefly meeting Michaels before he looked back at his mother. "Why?" he asked. "Cause the company has business to attend to in America." Ada told him and I realised that I was the only other person in the room that had no idea what was going on. "Will I be coming back?" Michael asked and there was a silence.
"Train leaves in an hour, Michael." Tommy told him, barely turning his head. My mouth opened slightly but I quickly closed it again, licking my lips as my heart hammered. "You made a choice. You knew I was gonna be shot and you chose not to tell me." Tommy added. "I chose my mum." Michael told him, his voice husky. "And he chose me. I was the one to tell him in the first place, Tommy. He wouldn't have known if it wasn't for me." I told the room, bringing my eyes to Tommy who looked at me for a long moment. "I know." he replied, simply and it felt like my stomach was in my mouth. "I know a lot more than you think, Evelyn." he added, pulling out a tin from under the table. I instantly recognised it as the one that was usually under my bed and he emptied the contents onto the table. Blue vials rolled around the table as I blinked back tears. "I know about the snow, and I know about Michael, and I know about Bonnie, and I know about Isaiah." he told me, speaking slowly. I swallowed thickly as I looked at Tommy. "And does everyone in this room know about you?" I asked, making his face twitch slightly.
"When all this business is over, we'll all be free to make our own choices." Polly told us, calmly. "So is that it?" Michael asked. "You get the train to Liverpool, then the SS Monroe. Boat sails tomorrow." Tommy told him, before handing him a ticket. "Now you can go." he added. Michael gave Polly a long look before turning, not even glancing at me before walking away. "And what about me, Tom? What's my punishment going to be?" I asked, my voice emotionless. "We need you for now, then when the business is over you can go live with the Golds or the Lees. Your choice but you're not welcome here." he told me before pushing up from his seat.
"So, that's it, is it?" I asked, my voice incredulous. "Yeah, that's it." Tommy echoed. "Why don't you actually fucking tell me what this is about, Tommy?" I spat. "You're seriously exiling me from the family because of a bit of snow and fucking some lads?" I asked and Tommy looked at me. "Or is it because I hurt your feelings?" I added, tilting my head and looking up at him with fierce eyes. "This conversation is over, Eves. Deal with it." he told me before leaving. I looked to Ada and Polly in disbelief but both women avoided my gaze. "Fuck this family." I told them, standing up and leaving.
I stood away from the family as they surrounded Arthur's funeral caravan and after speaking to Johnny Dogs, I had three of my Lee cousins standing around me. I hadn't told them the ins and outs of the situation, just that the Shelbys had turned on me and I needed the support of the family. Tommy, Ada, Polly and Finn had barely looked at me and I put on a brave face, wanting to say goodbye to my brother. We all looked across the field as we saw a woman walking towards us. "Tommy!" one of the outer men shouted. "It's all right, let her come." Tommy replied and I felt my cousins tense around me. Tommy walked towards the older woman who brandished a white flag and I quickly recognised her to be Mrs Changretta. I don't know what was said but Tommy joined the group again moments later and the woman watched as the funeral pyre was lit. I said a prayer under my breath as I watched the flames take away my brother.
I was stood by Finn in the living room, further indication that I had fallen from the family's graces to everyone in the room apart from the woman sat opposite us. Mrs Changretta had been my teacher when I was younger and I remembered her classes fondly. However the woman sitting before us was nothing like the kind school teacher I had once known. "Your note talked about making terms for peace. But my son says there are no terms. You took my husband and my son. We took two of your brothers." Mrs Changretta began.
"The vendetta is done." Tommy murmured, looking at the woman. "We say the vendetta is won. We will take everything you have. All your businesses, signed over to us." Mrs Changretta told him before her eyes drifted to me. "And the Gypsy girl, my son sees something in her that could be useful to us. You agree to this or my son will kill you all, one by one." she added. A week ago, I would've laughed in her face at the suggestion but with Tommys current attitude towards me, I wouldn't put it past him to agree to hand me over to the Changretta family with a smile on his face.
"The vendetta is won. That's it. No more killing." Tommy conceded and my heart skipped a beat. "Who do you think you were, Mr Shelby?" Mrs Changretta asked, disgust in her voice. "We need Evelyn for a week or so, we need her to sign the papers then we will hand everything over." Tommy told her, standing. "You have a week." Mrs Changretta confirmed, also standing. She looked at each of us for a brief moment before letting herself out. "If you'll excuse me." I muttered, making my way across the room and out the front door.
I didn't even think about the cold as I made my way through the streets of Small Heath without a coat. I knew I was being followed but I didn't care as I made my way to Charlies Yard. I found Johnny Dogs, Bonnie and Aberama all there with Blinders and Gypsies milling about. "Johnny! I need to speak to you." I called as I crossed the yard. "Evelyn! Where's your coat, girl? You'll catch your death." he told me, wrapping his own jacket around my shoulders. "I need you to get word to Aunt Z, Johnny. Tell her he's planning to give me to the Italians." I told him, searching his face as he opened and closed his mouth. "What?" he asked, confusion in his voice and I sighed as Bonnie and Aberama made their way over. "Tell Aunt Z that they are going to give me to the Italians. It's going down this week." I told him, taking his face in my hands and hoping the message got through.
"What's going on?" Bonnie asked, concern in his face. "Tommys pissed and he made a deal with Mrs Changretta to give me to the Italians in exchange for peace." I told them. "He's going to give you to the fucking wops?" Bonnie asked, raising his eyebrow and I nodded, pulling Johnny's jacket around me. "When was this deal made?" Aberama asked me and I could see his mind whirring. "About fifteen minutes ago, I don't think he wants you to know but I need somebody on my side here." I told the men, looking around them. "We are on your side, Evie. We won't let them hand you over." Bonnie told me, resting a hand on my arm. I gave him a small smile as Aberama walked off. Bonnie pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my head. "I'll, uh, get word to your aunt." Johnny said before also leaving.
"He knows about you as well, Bonnie. You need to be careful." I told him, looking up at the man. "He won't hurt me. Don't worry." Bonnie promised, kissing my head. "Your dad knows as well now." I added, feeling Aberamas eyes on us. "I think he guessed when you kissed me at the match." Bonnie chuckled and I laughed with him. "That was Ada's encouragement." I laughed. "He's happy, I think. He likes you." he told me, pressing a kiss to my head. "Well, at least we'll unite the Lees and Golds." he added. "Oh, really?" I laughed, raising my eyebrow at him. "Hmm.. we'll give it a go." he smiled, pressing his lips to mine as I giggled.