SAFETY

Alfie's home was surprisingly warm and very cosy. The decision had been made that Alfie would take Sophie to his home and they would have a doctor visit to check her injuries. Sophie had refused to go to a hospital, terrified that she would be targeted again in such a public and easily accessible building, and Alfie had had to agree with her reasoning in the end. So now she sat quietly in a large round porcelain tub filled with warm water as a nurse delicately cleaned her face, being careful not to pull at her wounds. Now that the copious amounts of blood had been cleaned from her body and her clothes disposed of, the damage she'd sustained was much easier to see. She had a large gash across the top of her hairline, a long clean cut across her right eyebrow which had now started to bruise darkly and her bottom lip had been torn, making it painful to open her mouth too wide. Aside from the large stab wound to her right side, her body was relatively unharmed except a few scratches up and down her thighs and some light bruising across her collarbone from where she'd initially been restrained.

The nurse had been silent, only softly asking her if she was in any pain once or twice, and while Sophie appreciated not having to make small talk, she'd felt on edge ever since Alfie had left the room to give her some privacy. Thankfully the nurse had finished cleaning her up and left her to be on her own for a few minutes, which settled some of her nerves.

She still had yet to contact any of her family, and she was sure they would be freaking out and searching for her but the thought of having to explain what had happened out loud caused the trembling to start back up again. Alfie had taken the revelation of who she was, remarkably well. Since she'd shouted the truth to him in a rush of emotion, he'd not mentioned it once. His demeanour hadn't changed much towards her, still being caring and loving with her like he had been before - if anything he was more affectionate with her since though she expected that to be because of the state she was in.

"Soph? You okay in there, love?" Alfie spoke gently from behind the bathroom door.

"C-c-could you come in?" Sophie whispered just loud enough for him to hear. She sounded so broken and weak and she despised it. This wasn't how a Shelby acted, they were supposed to bounce back from these things as if they'd never happened. Nevertheless here she was, sat with her knees tucked up tightly to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, trying to make herself as small as possible.

Hesitantly, Alfie pushed the door open and slowly walked into the room. The way Sophie sat kept her body mostly concealed but there was no escaping the fact that she was completely naked. In any other situation, seeing Sophie naked in the bath would have Alfie's pants tightening but as he saw her sat there staring up at him like a little lamb who'd been left behind by her flock he felt his heart both swell and break at the same time. She looked so small and helpless he hated to think about what she'd experienced. He'd been working so hard to not let the anger consume him, at least when he was around in her eyeline - trying to keep calm to not scare her further, but it became nearly impossible when he saw the large gashes on her face clearly for the first time. Ollie had called him after they'd disposed of the bodies, one with his throat cut and the other with his head blown to pieces and he'd felt so proud of the fight she'd put up against two men double her size.

Alfie approached the tub and sat down beside it, keeping his eyes on her face drinking in her solemn expression. The doctor had said that Sophie would be fine, she'd need some stitching up after she'd been cleaned up but after he'd stopped the bleeding from her side he had said that they were not too severe. Alfie worried about how she'd mentally rebound from this, despite being a Shelby she didn't seem to be very involved in the business or the trouble associated with her family so she was not numb to these kinds of things. Ever since she'd dissolved into sobs in his office, she'd remained emotionally detached as if she was not really taking in where she was or what was happening around her.

"So you're a fucking Shelby?" Alfie joked quietly, trying to cut through the thick tension in the room. His awkward attempt at humour drew a small exhale from her and a very faint smile as she turned her head and rested it on her knees to look at him. "Not exactly a problem, just not sure why you kept it from me, yeah love?" He questioned, reaching to run his hands through her hair and lightly massage her scalp with his fingers.

"You never asked." Sophie's hoarse voice joked back. She spoke so softly and quietly, if he hadn't been sitting right next to her, he doubts if he would've heard her.

"Well suppose I didn't tell you about me-self, so only fair innit." Alfie huffed. Sophie's eyebrows pulled together slightly as she pondered his words. "I'll be going into business with your brother, no doubt soon. The people that attacked you, that your god forsaken brother riled up are my enemies too."

Sophie's head lifted from her knees, her mouth slightly agape as Alfie lifted the curtain to her on who he really was.

"Who-who was it? The men…" She mumbled quietly.

"They were Italians, love. Fucking Darby Sabini, we've been against them for years. Your fucking brother, yeah? Went and messed up one of his clubs so reckon this'll be Sabini's retaliation." Alfie grunted, shaking his head in anger. "Can't fucking believe he lets you wander around London unprotected after he pulls shit like that."

"I need to call Pol', she'll be worried that I haven't come back." said Sophie, her head dropping. She rested her chin on her knees, gazing sadly into the water. Alfie's heart was aching, a feeling he'd not felt since he'd had to watch his mother grow more and more ill as her disease ate away at her. Leaning forward, he moved his hand that had been threaded through her hair down to cup the back of her head as he tenderly placed a kiss on its crown. He let his lips linger there and inhaled her sweet scent.

"Yeah, alright, need to get you out the bath and then stitched up and you can give her a ring, alright?" Alfie said as he pulled back slightly, to get a better look at her face.

"Can I call her first?" She spoke quietly. "Please?" She flicked her eyes up to his, melting his resolve.

"Okay, yeah." He paused. "C'mon then, you can wear one of my shirts for now yeah? I'll get the nurse for you." Alfie moved to start getting up but was stopped when Sophie's hand shot out to stop him.

"No please, don't leave me with her. She makes me nervous." She said, panic in her voice. The thought of Alfie not being near her when she felt so weak and vulnerable set her teeth on edge, leaving no room for her to feel embarrassed at the thought of Alfie seeing her naked.

Without saying another word, Alfie stood up and picked up the soft off-white towel from the chair beside the bathtub. Throwing the towel over his shoulder, he held his hands out for her.

Biting her lip nervously, flinching at the pain it created, she hesitantly reached up to take his hands. He moved his hands along her arms, gripping under her upper arms to help pull her to her feet so she didn't have to strain or worsen her injury to her torso. As he did so he caught a glimpse of her body and his breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful. Her breasts were perfectly full, even if they were on the smaller side - they fit her body perfectly. Water droplets ran down her tiny waist and over her alluring hips. Now he could see the damage to her side, Alfie could make out the clear width of a small blade. It was a relatively clean cut, not splintering out further than where the blade had actually punctured. Keeping hold of one arm, Alfie pulled the towel off his shoulder and wrapped it around Sophie's shoulders, letting it cover her body. Sophie carefully stepped out of the bath as Alfie's hands hovered over her, ready to catch her in case she slipped.

Pulling the towel tightly around her body to conceal herself and keep her warm, Sophie tilted her head upwards to look at Alfie. His grey eyes were filled with emotion, looking down at her adoringly. She leaned up onto the tip of her toes and connected their lips. Automatically, Alfie's hands gently held her face, being careful to avoid her injuries. It was only a chaste kiss, she couldn't do much more than that with the open cut on her lip but it was filled with so many emotions that they couldn't seem to put into words. She pulled back slightly, keeping their faces close.

"I love you, Soph." Alfie whispered, his voice vulnerable. If it were anyone else, Alfie would've hated being so weak but he felt no shame when he opened his soul to Sophie.

At his words, Sophie's lips parted in shock - she was definitely not expecting that. She'd never been in love before, and she wondered if Alfie had. He was much older than her; perhaps he'd been this close with a woman before and that thought left something unpleasant bubbling in her stomach. She didn't know what it was she felt towards Alfie. When she was around him he brought a sense of safety and comfort not dissimilar to the feeling she got around her family, a feeling of being at home. Before when she had been left with the nurse, all she had wanted was Alfie. She felt uncomfortable without him there in the room. The more she thought about it, when she was home in Birmingham she'd felt a longing to be beside him again. Ignoring the pain, a huge toothy grin spread across her face.

"I love you too, Alfie." She beamed. Somehow with those three words, Alfie had completely taken her mind off the events that had transpired that evening. A small smile pulled at his lips as he closed his eyes to savour this moment with this beautiful woman, his beautiful woman. She was his, and no one would ever take her from him. This warm feeling that engulfed him was something he never wanted to let go of. Bending down, he quickly put his arms behind her back and the back of her legs, picking her up and cradling to his chest, causing her to let out a squeal as she clung to the towel wrapped around her. A real giggle left her lips, a sound that Alfie had sorely missed the past few hours.

"C'mon, my love. Lets go call your aunt, yeah?" Alfie spoke, walking into the bedroom connected to the bathroom they were in.

About a half an hour later, Sophie had mostly dried off and changed into one of Alfies large white linen shirts that reached her knees and a pair of his boxer shorts for lack of any underwear. The shorts were too big for her and kept falling down so she had found an elastic band to tie them at the back to keep them tight on her hips. Her hair was still damp, but the natural volume and large curls cascaded down her back resembling a lion's mane. Alfie couldn't keep his hands out of her hair, he loved the feeling of running his hands through the curls. He felt lucky to be able to see them in their natural state, having only seen them twisted up on top of her head. Even now, as she stood with the telephone in her hands, nervously worrying her lips, Alfie was standing right next to her with his hand deep in her curls and massaging her scalp.

Taking a deep breath, Sophie picked up the phone and held up the ear piece.

"Small Heath 772" Sophie said into the mouthpiece, waiting for it to connect. Her eyes briefly flicked up to Alfie's, communicating that she'd like a little bit of space. He caught on immediately, stepping away and sitting on the plush red couch opposite the crackling fireplace. His back was to her now, but she knew he was listening intently.

"Shelby Company Limited." She heard Finn's voice say.

"Finny? Is Pol' there?" Sophie breathed, her eyes fluttering closed as she wished she was home.

"Sophie? Are you okay? Where are you?" Finn exclaimed. His voice was filled with concern at his disappearance. A loud rustling noise could be heard on the other end of the line, before Polly's curt voice filled her ears.

"Sophie Elizabeth Shelby, where the fuck are you? Of all the times to go waltzing off in London with your mystery man- can't take my eyes off you for a fucking second, Jesus Christ. What were you thinking? Tommy and Ada have been attacked and you're nowhere to be found. Fucking selfish-"

"Pol'." Sophie whispered, her voice cracking as tears began to fill her eyes. A short silence filled the line, Polly's anger dissolving at the pain she could hear in her nieces voice.

"Sophie, what's happened?" Polly asked, her tone serious and sympathetic.

Gulping, Sophie found her voice; "It was two Italians, they- they um…" She took a deep breath, focusing on the back of Alfie's head to keep her grounded before she continued. "They cornered me in London, tried to… tried…" She took another deep breath as she felt her chest rising and falling rapidly at the memory of the man's hands clawing at her upper thighs.

"Oh, Soph'..." Polly cried softly.

"I killed them, Polly. They're…dead." Sophie croaked, a sob breaking through her words. She cursed herself for getting so fucking emotional again.

"Where are you now, Sophie? I'll come get you." Polly said, sobering up wanting nothing more than to scoop up the young girl and bring her home. Anxiety shot through her body, now was the time to come clean she supposed.

"I'm with Alfie Solomons." She said quickly, praying uselessly that Pol' wouldn't react.

"You're what?" She spoke incredulously, not believing the words that had just left Sophie's mouth.

"The man… that I've been seeing. It's him." Sophie sounded out slowly. Her nose scrunched as she cringed at the way it sounded as she said it.

There was a long pause while Polly digested the information. Sophie held her breath as she waited for her to say something.

"Well I'll be damned." She chuckled lowly. "Our little wildflower with the Mad Baker, eh? Your brothers are going to love this." Polly teased. Rolling her eyes, Sophie let out the breath she'd been holding as a smile tugged at her lips.

"I need to get stitched up by the doctor, so I'll-"

"Stitched up? Exactly what the fuck happened Sophie? How bad did they get you?" Polly's voice turned serious again. Sophie could almost see the stern, concerned look on her face.

"It's not so bad, I took a few good hits to the face and they caught me with a knife but the doctor said I'd heal quickly. But um… Could you… could you pick me up in the morning? And bring me some clothes…please? Mine are all torn up and soaked in blood." Sophie stuttered out.

"Okay… yes, I'll see you in the morning… as long as you're alright?" Polly questioned.

Sophie stalled at this, was she alright? Her brain was in tatters, memories of the attack and the way the men's hands on her body felt. They'd looked at her like a piece of meat, nothing more than an object for their enjoyment. The fear of death, the feeling of no escape and seeing no way out haunted her and echoed around the walls of her mind. Violent images of slashed throats and exploding skulls flashed across her brain, constricting her throat. Then suddenly, a warm wave of light flooded her senses, clearing away the memories and the hold they had on her. A soft hand had encased her shaky ones, and the other was placed tenderly on her lower back. She was transported to a large grand wedding hall, happy strums of a guitar and soft strokes of a piano rung in her ears. She was laughing, head thrown back in bliss. Alfie was holding her close to him as he smiled, quiet chuckles escaping from between his teeth as he pulled her in close nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck.

The image changed slightly, the hall being a smaller but equally as grand hall with glittering fabrics draped across the ceiling and a hazy warm buzz filling the room. Instead of the plain blouse and purple skirt she'd worn that day, she wore a silk pale sage green gown this fell down to her ankles, gliding beautifully around her legs as they moved seamlessly. Intricate stitching of silvery grey leaves climbed the sides and grew thicker around her chest, forming delicate sleeves that blended up from where the green finished in a sweetheart neckline and changed into a see-through mesh showcasing her defined collarbones. The leaves turned to long twisting vines that travelled down her arms and branched at her fingertips, the embroidered mesh finishing at the very ends of her fingertips. Sections of her hair had been pulled up and braided and tied around her head, meeting at the back and turning into one long braid sitting on top of the rest of her hair that had been left free, hanging down her back. Alfie was dressed smartly, he adorned a flattering black suit and tie, a white scarf placed around his shoulder lay down either side of his jacket.

Similar to the first time they'd danced together, they laughed gleefully, smiling brightly at one another as they enjoyed each other's company.

"I love you, Mrs Solomons." Alfie whispered into her ear as he swayed to the beautiful music that was playing across the hall.

"Sophie? You are okay,aren't you?" Polly's worried voice came through the phone, breaking the girl from the happy vision she'd been swimming in.

"I will be."