Nora spent the next few days recruiting women with Anna. Once they had gathered ten women, she instructed Ishmael to make sure they could shoot and shoot well. She sent a note with Nancy asking Tommy for some guns, complete with payment. The women practiced for five hours a day for five days until Ishmael let Nora know they were ready.

"They shoot better than most of the men, and they were in the war." He said with a laugh.

"Good. Send them to me, I will give them their guns and holsters. Then I want them on perimeter duty."

Ishmael nodded before he hesitated.

"What?" She asked.

"All you have done since you got here is work. It might not hurt to take a break… get some rest?... enjoy yourself?"

"I didn't come back to enjoy myself." She said as she put her bottle of whiskey on her desk.

He hesitated again, "I'm only saying.. it's not good to be overworked. And if…. you ever feel that you need a release-"

He stopped as Nora swung her head up to look at him, her eyebrows showing shock and annoyance.

"Release?" She asked as she licked, then pursed her lips.

"Um, I didn't mean- What I meant was-" He stammered.

She blinked at him repeatedly as her brother did when he was getting angry, as if daring him to continue.

"I should go get the women." He said changing the subject, gathering his composure.

"That's a good idea. You do that." Nora said as she scowled at him again before looking back at her desk.

An hour later the women had their guns and their holsters and were given shifts on the perimeter, except for Anna. Anna was working in the rum house to be close if Nora needed her.

Three days before the rally, Nora travelled back to Birmingham.

"I'll have men and women scattered throughout the crowd. They'll start the upset." Nora said as she stood facing Tommy's desk, evaluating the building's plans.

"They can take this exit." Tommy said pointing to a door on the map. "That will take them to the alley in case McCavern tries to catch any of them to shut them up.

"And I can use this door, to sneak up here and watch." Nora said.

Tommy looked at her and raised an eyebrow before saying, "No."

"No?" Nora repeated, taken aback.

"No. It's too risky. Last time I had a man up at the top, he got shot. Point blank, in the head. The answer is no."

"Well then. It's good I'm not asking, isn't it?" She said with attitude.

"It will do no good for your people if you end up dead just so you can be spectator at an event you know will already be dangerous." Tommy pointed out and Nora turned back to the map.

"Fine." She conceded with a huff.

They continued discussing their plan, Nora deciding she would have no more than ten men and women in the crowd.

"Be prepared. If this goes the way we want it to, you will need to be ready to speak." Nora instructed. "Where will your men be?"

Tommy walked behind her and looked at the map. "Here." He said quietly as he pointed to the map, his face close to her ear.

Nora suppressed a smirk.

"And here." He continued, his chest on her back and his arms brushed her sides as he pointed to the map.

"Tommy?" She said in a sing-song voice.

"hm?" He grunted as his nose brushed her ear.

"What are you doing?" She asked, in an exasperated tone.

He kissed her neck and she felt her skirt move as he put his hand on the outside of her thigh.

"I'm here to do business. Remember?" She said attempting to draw his attention back to their plans.

He moved his hand up her hip then down into her knickers. "What if I want to make this-" He said and she gasped when his hand reached its destination. "my business?"

She tilted her head back onto his shoulder as he began to rub circles on her clitoris. She could feel his erection on her back, and she moaned as she felt the pleasure of his hand between her legs.

"Wait.." She breathed as he began to rub her slit with his finger, feeling her wetness. "We.. need to… focus… on…"

"Nora…" He breathed in her ear as he slid his finger in her and her willpower to resist drained from her body.

He began to pull her skirt up over her bum and push her knickers down. When they fell to the floor, he undid the button of his trousers as he continued to please her with his hand. He removed his hand when he was freed and grabbed her hips to bend her a little, giving him better access.

As he did, her eyes flew open and she turned. "What are you playing at?" she asked angrily, and Tommy looked at her in shocked.

"I'm not the type of woman you bend over a desk." She said with authority and she grabbed the back of his head and pulled it aggressively toward her; planting their lips on each other.

They kissed passionately, Tommy reaching behind her to push things off his desk. He grabbed her thighs and lifted her, setting her on the desk as he entered her. He pounded into her as she moaned loudly, already worked up from the pleasure of his hand. She leaned back and let her head hang over the desk.

Nora leaned up and kissed him, then he wrapped his arms around her waist and turned her around. He pinned her against the window and continued to push into her as she moaned in his ear.

"Talk to me, Tommy." She whined as he turned and walked to the chaise lounge against the wall.

"Fuck. You feel good." He said in her ear and she gave a small whine as a crease formed between her eyes.

"So wet. So ready." He continued seductively as he kissed below her ear.

"Tommy, I-" She said as she drew closer, stopping her words as she fought her climax.

"Mm. …Nora…." He moaned in her ear.

Her legs tensed and her toes curled as she attempted to resist letting go but hearing him say her name was too much, and her orgasm took over. She convulsed around him, crying out his name as her nails dug into his shoulders. Tommy clenched his jaw as she tightened around him until he released inside her.

They laid there, sweaty and breathing heavy. Tommy removed himself and buttoned his trousers.

Nora looked at him and stood, smoothing her skirt. She walked to the front of his desk and sighed as she knelt to pick up the map.

"Nora?" Tommy said, but she didn't respond. "Nora."

"What, Tommy? What?" She blurted back. "Fuck. This wasn't supposed to happen again."

"It's just sex, Nora."

"No! It's a distraction. I can't afford to be distracted! This. Right here." She pointed to the map. "This is why I'm here; this is why I came back to London. People are depending on me, Tommy!"

"I know, bu-"

"No! you don't! because it's not your people. But it will be. You know that don't you? It doesn't stop with the Jews. Once he gets what he wants, your people will be next. Don't you get it? Everyone who doesn't meet Mosely's twisted expectations is depending on me!"

He could see the emotion in her eyes and his chest constricted as he saw a vulnerability from her he hadn't seen before.

"Hey." He said as he walked to her and cupped her face in his hands. "I know. But we will save them all. We will end this. Sex… it doesn't change that. it's not a distraction. It's just and benefit of us working together."

"A benefit?" She said as she shook her head. "You're married, a politician, and a gentile. But this is a benefit?"

"Why not? We both enjoy it.." He said as he released her face and shrugged.

"Do we?" She said in a cheeky tone and he smiled.

"Yes." He said as he lowered his face to hers again.

"No more. We have to work."

"We did work." He said as he kissed her.

"But there's only three days and-" she started but he shook his head at her as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"You're overthinking it." He whispered.

"I just want to win." She whispered back with a sigh as their noses touched and they teasingly let their lips get closer. "I want to end him."

"You will." He said and he kissed her, then she gave in to her temptation once more.