Tommy rubbed his eyes with his thumbs, holding his head in his hands as he leant over the papers on his desk. A half-smoked cigarette was gripped between his fingers that emitted a long swirling tendril of smoke around him as he sat there. His whiskey glass sat next to him empty, he had just finished yet another shot to try and relieve the stress his work was causing him.
He had spent much of the night like this and had achieved very little in the way of work. He had found his mind clouded by a myriad of thoughts all combating for his attention. For starters business with the Russians and the Odd Fellows was becoming increasingly fragile; Tommy felt like he was walking on a thin sheet of ice at the best of times and was certain that it was only a matter of time before that business would come to a head. The planned expansion and objectives for the company in general were also commanding a lot of his attention, more than it should considering the number of people he employed to complete this work.
Then there was Maddie. She had entered Tommy's mind repetitively and incessantly throughout the night. Just when he began to focus on one of these problems long enough to make some progress, she had sauntered into his mind, bringing him crashing back to square one and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He was glad that she had agreed to their proposal; her input would undoubtedly be beneficial and would help to alleviate some of the company's current dilemmas, but she was proving to be a troublesome distraction.
Tommy's thoughts kept fixating on the interactions he'd had with Maddie throughout the day. In particular, the encounter in the stables. He could remember how soft the skin of her cheek and lips were under his thumb and how his heart had rammed itself against his sternum as he got within a hairs breath of connecting his lips to hers. It had taken all of his willpower to keep his composure when the moment had broken between them. He had immediately wanted to close the gap she had made, to pull her against him firmly and press his lips to hers as he had intended. Instead he had resisted. This had resulted in a dangerous shift in his demeanour leading him to be increasingly tense and easily angered.
He regretted that he hadn't made much effort to hide his change in mood and whenever Maddie entered his mind, he found himself worrying that his displays of annoyance in her presence had caused her to think less of him. However, she hadn't exactly made it easy for him to remain composed. Her choice of attire and brassiness earlier that night was an obvious attempt to push Tommy's buttons and he found that it angered him more than it should have.
Her relentless flirting had succeeded in making him more and more frustrated. Recurrent images of Maddie entered his head relentlessly as he worked and had made his muscles twitch in effort to keep his emotions at bay. He could feel himself getting aroused as he recounted how they flirted with each other subtly but with an undertone of aggressiveness throughout the evening. Tommy eventually admitted to himself that he wanted her; he wanted to feel her body beneath his and he found himself wondering what sounds she would make as he pleasured her.
'Fuck!' Tommy signed to himself as he leant back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. He had resigned that he wouldn't be getting anymore work done that night. It was approaching three in the morning and his mind and body were exhausted with this losing battle of trying to keep focus.
He got up and marched to his decanter yet again, pouring the remaining whiskey into his glass, filling it nearly to the brim. He took a large swig of the fiery liquid as he walked over to the window behind his desk. He pulled the curtains apart slightly so he could look out into the darkness. Tommy watched the mist swirl in calm circles and noticed the icy frost that was forming on the grass, sparkling as the moonlight hit the ground. He stood there for a few minutes as he finished off his drink, hoping it would be enough to knock him to sleep once he made it into bed.
Then Tommy spotted the dark outline of a person walking across the lawn towards the opposite side of the house. He froze in place as he watched the figure for a second before he quickly turned to throw his glass on the desk and draw his pistol from the holster he always wore before marching out of his office into the dark corridor. He walked along the wall of the foyer to the opposite corridor where he peered out the window again and concluded that the figure was heading towards the side door that entered the kitchen. With his gun raised in front of him, Tommy moved into the kitchen and to the side of the window where he waited, muscles tensed in anticipation for this night-time intruder to walk past the window.
When Tommy finally saw who the trespasser was, he realised it was in fact Maddie, who was strolling nonchalantly over the gravel towards the door. She had what looked like a piece of wood in one hand and went to pull a key from her pocket with the other. He sighed and clenched his jaw while the rest of his body relaxed. He put his gun back in its holster as he felt anger begin to replace his relief that an assassin wasn't trying to find their way into his home. What the fuck was she doing out in the dark at this time? More importantly, this meant she had lied to him about going to bed early.
Tommy went and waited like a statue a few feet away from the door as he heard the key being turned in the lock. The door creaked open and Maddie ducked into the kitchen quietly, he realised that she barely made a sound as she stepped on the stone floor of the kitchen. She then silently pushed the door shut again behind her and locked it. He cleared his throat, the sound distinctively loud in the empty silence of the room. Maddie whipped around to face Tommy with the piece of wood, which he now realised was pointed at one end, raised above her head. Her expression was ready for a fight and her other hand was clenched into a fist.
When she realised who it was, Maddie's face relaxed and she dropped her hands. 'Fuck, Tommy you scared the shit out of me!' she whispered angrily as she turned to hang the key on the nail by the door. 'Word of advice, never sneak up on a slayer in the dark if you want to keep your head.'
'Out for a late-night stroll, eh?' Tommy asked, unable to keep the anger from his voice. She was lucky she didn't run into any dangerous characters, he thought. With all the enemies he was making of late, he had no doubt that they were sending regular spies out to watch the house from the borders of the property at night.
Maddie noticed the tone in Tommy's voice and immediately adopted a defensive posture, folding her arms over her chest and locking eyes with him in the darkness. 'You have a problem with that?' she asked bitterly.
Tommy huffed and shook his head, he could feel his temper clawing up to the surface, threatening to blow at any second. He took a deep breath as he turned to switch on the light in the kitchen. Maddie squinted momentarily with the sudden transition to light but proceeded to look at him questioningly for an answer, her brow creased in an angry scowl.
Tommy regarded Maddie in the light, and he noticed that her hair and clothes were caked in dirt and dust. Her hair was still in a plait, but multiple strands had fallen out. Her baby hairs were stuck to her forehead which he also noticed was beaded with sweat. More worryingly, Tommy spotted a sizeable purple bruise blooming on the cheek he had touched earlier that evening.
'What happened?' he questioned with his brow furrowed, ignoring Maddie's question.
'What do you mean?' she replied, looking at him confused.
Tommy stepped forward closer to Maddie and nodded to her. 'Your cheek. Its bruised,' he stated with a cool evenness despite the sensation of his stomach rolling at the thought that she may have had a fight with one of his enemy's spies.
'Oh, it is?' she said. She prodded her cheek with her finger and winced with the pressure. 'Well I suppose she did pack a pretty good wallop.'
'She?'
Maddie huffed impatiently as she looked back up to meet Tommy's gaze again. 'A vampire if you must know. And before you ask, no it wasn't on the grounds. I went to the cemetery in the village to see if there were any about,' she said, raising her eyebrows indignantly like a petulant child.
Tommy let himself relax and found himself give a small smile of relief as he nodded at Maddie. At least his enemies didn't know about her, but he was still annoyed that she had decided to sneak out in the middle of the night behind his back.
'What's so funny?' she asked, also starting to relax and drop her defensive front.
'Nothing.' Tommy recovered, pulling his features back into an icy glare. 'In fact, it's distinctly not funny that you went out by yourself. You have no idea who you could have run into out there!' His voice gradually rose as he said this, pointing out the window to illustrate his statement. His temper had finally snapped and now Maddie was on the receiving end of it. This was the first time he'd raised his voice in front of her, he realised.
Maddie's nostrils flared furiously as her eyes widened slightly in shock in reaction to Tommy's sudden outburst.
'As I've told you before Tommy. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And I don't feel like you get to dictate when I leave this house.'
Tommy clenched his jaw tightly, gritting his teeth in an effort to stay calm, 'Maddie. The enemies I have are dangerous in more ways than just physical. If they found out about you, it could put not just you but my whole family in danger.'
Maddie blinked and shifted sheepishly as she took in this information, suddenly looking guilty. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and sighed.
'I'm sorry Tommy, I didn't realise…' she trailed off awkwardly. Tommy turned away from her and ran his hand through his hair, willing himself to calm down and let it go. But he still wasn't sure why she would go out to fight vampires for no good reason in the middle of the countryside.
'It's alright,' he said turning back to face Maddie. They looked at each other again, meeting each other's gaze unblinkingly, a seemingly common occurrence between the two of them at this point. 'I hope you managed to kill this vampire with your…?' Tommy indicated to the wooden stick still in Maddie's hand, not sure what to call it.
'Stake?' she laughed, evidently glad that he seemed to have calmed down a touch. 'Yeah, she's as good as dust. Nothing beats a trusty stake to take out the vamps.'
'Do you usually look this rough after fighting one vampire?' Tommy inquired. He found it odd that Maddie looked like she had been fighting several foes, not just one. Especially as he knew that she was more than a capable fighter after watching her fight the first time they met.
'No, not usually. I may have drawn out the fight for longer than was strictly necessary. I needed to let out some balled up energy. It's not like I have anywhere to train around here. I was lucky that there was even one vampire all the way out here!' Maddie laughed to herself as she took her coat off and went and sat down at the kitchen table, bending over to unlace her boots. 'I was planning on getting back before anyone knew I was gone. Which I would have done if you hadn't still been awake.'
Tommy gave a nod as he listened and watched her take her feet out of her boots and begin massaging them.
'The bitch managed to get some good hits on me though, and she threw me into a gravestone for good measure. That bruise is going to last a few days.'
Just a few days? Tommy was still discovering how tough and durable being a slayer made someone. By the sounds of this fight, most people would have been hospitalised by now and yet Maddie didn't even seem phased, despite looking slightly dishevelled.
He went and sat down on the chair opposite Maddie and lit up another cigarette from the silver case in his pocket. He felt her glance at him from the other side of the table as they sat in silence for a few minutes, both exhausted from their night's activities. He finished the cigarette quickly and stubbed it out in the ashtray on the table.
Eventually Maddie broke the silence and sighed, 'I'm bloody filthy too. Too bad Frances is asleep, I could do with another bath right now.' She looked over at Tommy with a sly smile and he promptly looked away and breathed in deeply through his nostrils. Was she really flirting with him now?
An image of Maddie sitting naked in the bath flashed through Tommy's mind. Her wet hair and skin glistening in the light of the fireplace. He cleared his throat and shook the image from his mind as he crossed his legs so she wouldn't see the evidence of his provocative imagination.
'I can wake Frances if that's what you want,' Tommy said as evenly as he could, meeting Maddie's eyes again.
She laughed and shook her head, 'I think Frances is really going to have it out for me if I wake her up just for that. I'll just get cleaned up after a few hours' sleep.'
With that Maddie stood up and Tommy followed. He found himself facing her again and she smiled up at him through her dark eyelashes, he found he couldn't stop the corner of his lips turning up to mirror hers.
'I really am sorry for sneaking out. I doubt there will be much point in doing it again though,' she apologised and pouted her lips innocently at him.
Fuck did Tommy want to kiss those lips. He flitted his gaze down to them and couldn't help but stare at them. Maddie must have noticed because he watched as her lips turned up in another smile. He swallowed thickly and shifted his attention to her bruise which was now a darker shade of purple. He lifted his hand to touch the bruise softly with his thumb. Maddie's other cheek blushed noticeably, and she ducked her head down bashfully. Tommy couldn't help but feel smug that he'd managed to make her react this way again with just a small touch. However, she quickly recovered her confidence and looked straight into Tommy's eyes as he began to caress her cheek tenderly. He suddenly felt a new feeling of protectiveness for her. Which was of course ridiculous considering she was a slayer and far more deadly than he was. Nevertheless, he realised he didn't want to see her get hurt, no matter how minor she insisted her injuries were.
Then Maddie stepped forward to close the space between them; just as Tommy had done in the stables. She put her hand over his that was on her cheek as she continued to look up at him. Tommy could feel his breath and Maddie's deepen; their chests brushed as she leaned further forward towards him. He could feel the same force taking hold of them that had entranced them before, but this time there was nothing to interrupt them. He decided then that he wasn't going to let the moment pass as it did last time.
Tommy put his other hand on her other cheek as he admired Maddie's face. Despite the sweat, dirt and tousled hair she still looked beautiful. Her eyes were blue like the summer sky, not like the pale lifeless blue of his own eyes. They looked into each other's eyes for what felt like several minutes until he eventually brought his face to hers. He pressed his lips to Maddie's gently, and he heard her sharp intake of breath. Tommy could feel his heart thudding as if it were trying to break out of his chest; his blood was surging through his veins as he relished the feeling of her soft lips finally against his. He felt her hand on the back of his head, and she began to stroke the shaved hair there with her fingers which sent sparks tingling down the back of his neck.
Gradually Maddie's hand began to pull Tommy's head down further as the kiss became deeper. She also began to move her lips faster and more forcefully against his. He could feel himself becoming hard in his trousers and he responded by moving his hands to the small of her back. He lifted her shirt slightly so he could feel the skin of her lower back. He had done nothing but imagine the feeling of her skin in his hands all night and he was thankful to finally feel it for real.
Maddie let out an almost imperceptible moan as Tommy gripped the flesh of her hips firmly and he smiled victoriously against her lips, glad to have finally gotten his own back for the unexpected kiss at the office. This proved to fuel the two of them on more as he felt her tongue teasingly run along his bottom lip followed by a gentle bite. Tommy couldn't hold in the growl that shuddered in his chest. He wanted to desperately pick Maddie up and slam her against the wall, trapping her there. But he didn't want to risk taking it too far and breaking up the moment too soon.
Hearing Tommy's growl in reaction to her teasing, Maddie pressed her body up against his roughly. He automatically moved his hand down and squeezed her ass firmly. He was sure she could feel his now marble hard erection pressing into her abdomen. Indeed, he was right because she started to grind her hips against it eliciting a low moan from his throat. He could feel his control waning, he wasn't sure how long he could last before he would need to start taking her clothes off. He was enjoying how they were fighting for dominance over each other. Riling each other up more with every second that passed.
Tommy finally broke his lips from hers to begin kissing and nipping his way along her jaw and down her neck. He brought one hand up to fist a handful of her hair so he could tilt her head to one side to gain better access.
'Tommy…' Maddie whispered hazily as she gripped the longer hair on his head harder as he continued to kiss her neck. The sound of her breathless voice saying his name was like music to Tommy's ears. It prompted him to run his lips slowly back up and down her neck in an attempt to get her to say his name again.
'Tommy wait…' she said with more volume. Tommy didn't want to let Maddie go, he wanted to feel every inch of her body with his hands and his lips.
'Hmm?' he breathed against her skin as he brought the hand that was still on her waist up to glide under her shirt over the skin of her back.
'We need to stop.'
Maddie's grip was suddenly on Tommy's forearms. She released his arms from around her waist as easily as a child's and pulled back from his lips, creating some space between them. He looked at her with confusion and a little frustration. He was now acutely aware of his cock throbbing desperately in his trousers as he panted, the blood racing around his body creating a buzzing sound in his ears. He was suddenly worried he'd been too forceful and had upset Maddie, but her expression didn't seem to signal that she was unhappy, even though she was noticeably flustered.
'We need to stop before this goes any further,' panted Maddie hastily, seeing Tommy's expression. 'It's not like I don't want to… because I do, but we have only just met, it wouldn't be right.'
They stood there staring at each other as Tommy digested what Maddie said. He could feel the temptation to kiss her again pulling at him and he knew she was battling the same urge as she gave him a conflicted look. Their gazes shifted between looking at the other's eyes to their lips hungrily.
Regaining his composure, Tommy finally cleared his throat and lowered his arms to his sides begrudgingly. Maddie was right, he thought, they were essentially complete strangers. But he admitted internally that he still wanted her desperately. However, he didn't want to push her into anything she wasn't comfortable with. Equally though, he realised then that she would probably find a way back to her time before whatever it was between them could progress. Tommy could feel a sense of panic at the thought of Maddie vanishing from his life as quickly as she had appeared.
'Alright,' nodded Tommy, taking a step back. 'I'm just glad I got you back for that kiss you stole the other day.' He gifted Maddie with one of his rare smiles, even if it was a smug one. She let out a small giggle and a defeated nod.
'Yeah. That definitely beat my kiss by a long way,' she smiled back at him and winked flirtatiously, making his softening erection twitch.
They both agreed to make their way to their rooms before they were tempted to discover where their kiss would have led to. They walked up the stairs together and parted at the top, wishing each other goodnight as they turned hurriedly away from one another. Tommy found he had to resist the temptation to turn around and follow Maddie to her room by marching briskly down the corridor to his own door.
Once in the safety and seclusion of his bedroom, Tommy undressed and collapsed onto the bed, sighing as he closed his eyes. The image of his and Maddie's embrace immediately painted the back of his eyelids. Despite how aroused he had been he remembered that he also felt a rush of affection for her when they kissed. A feeling he recalled only ever having felt for Grace before now. Tommy realised that he was dreading the day that Maddie would find her way back home. He forced the sudden feeling of fear of losing her deep down inside himself as he willed for sleep to take him.
Over the next few days Tommy found himself engulfed in work, spending much of his time at the office. He even slept there a couple of nights when his work ran on into the early hours of the morning as it often did. He obsessed over the plans for the robbery of the military tanks; as well as the plan to double cross the Russians at the same time.
His family also proved to be a perpetual annoyance. John and Arthur constantly interrupted Tommy to clarify particular details of jobs that he had already explained more times than he could recall. This led to him loosing his temper with them more than once. Polly also insisted on giving Tommy regular lectures, questioning his decision making at every turn. One afternoon though, she turned the topic of her ranting to Maddie.
When Tommy had woken up the morning after their kiss, he knew he needed to avoid Maddie over the next few days. He still wanted her desperately, the desire to finish what they had started earlier that morning clawing at him as soon as he had opened his eyes. So, he turned to the only method he knew to keep himself busy; working into the small hours of the morning fuelled only by cigarettes, whiskey and no small amount of cocaine. Keeping himself at the office for as long as possible was also an important factor in avoiding Maddie. He found it easier to concentrate knowing she wasn't in close proximity.
The few evenings Tommy had returned to Arrow House he had only seen and spoken to her a handful of times. During dinner one evening, when all his family had decided to attend, him and Maddie had shared numerous heated gazes across the table at each other which brought all of his desires bubbling to the surface again. Thankfully Maddie didn't seem offended by Tommy's sudden and constant absence from the house. During one of the short conversations they had shared over those few days she had said she was glad he was spending so much time away from the house. Ending their short conversation by giving him a reassuring, if slightly provocative smile.
Tommy had also noticed that his family had been spending more and more time at his house and with Maddie. So much so that she had seemed to have formed a strong bond with them all. He had asked his family to gradually introduce more of the most trusted peaky boys to Maddie over those few days. She would be working with them closely in the coming weeks and he wanted them all to be familiar with her. She proved to be hit with the wider members of the gang, not that it surprised Tommy much. Johnny Dogs was particularly fond of her; John informed him that Johnny had already tried to get Maddie involved in a bare-knuckle boxing match to win some money on bets. But she thankfully had refused. John had also informed Tommy that Isiah had wasted no time in getting her to dance with him the evening they met; information which he tried his best to pretend he hadn't heard.
As instructed, John and Arthur had spent a considerable amount of time with Maddie to iron out the details of exactly what they expected her to do when the time came for her to fulfil her contract. They reported back to him that she was more than prepared for the coming days, news which he was pleased to hear. He picked up how fond his brothers had become of her and noticed how the three of them had begun to behave like siblings. Ada had visited once from London during the week and had set aside time specifically to see Maddie, and Tommy could tell that his sister was exceptionally keen her as well. Even though Tommy was outwardly indifferent to these developments between Maddie and his family, he found he was happy to see she was fitting in well despite being in an unfamiliar place, or more accurately time. Polly had even visited the house and, much to Tommy's horror, had insisted on reading Maddie's palms and tea leaves. Which she now brought up during one of her monologues she insisted on giving to Tommy as he worked.
'I know something has happened between you and Maddie, you know,' Polly said softly as she finished her speech about what she thought about Maddie. A speech which Tommy had been trying his best to ignore up until that point.
Tommy lifted his gaze from the papers on his desk to meet Polly's eyes. She was looking at him knowingly as she puffed on her cigarette, her lips pursed smugly. Nothing much escaped Polly's notice and it never failed to piss Tommy off when it was something that concerned him.
'I don't know what you're talking about Pol,' said Tommy, clearing his throat, giving her a mildly perplexed look in the hope it would deter her. Predictably it didn't, and she simply shook her head slowly in response.
'The energy around the two of you has changed.'
Tommy stared back at his aunt, not allowing his face to reveal anything that would confirm Polly's suspicions. However, he realised that he needn't have bothered when Polly finally broke the silence.
'Her leaves told me all I needed to know. That and she told me exactly what happened after she'd had a couple of drinks last night.' Polly looked positively victorious as she revealed her gossip and Tommy swallowed thickly as they continued to stare each other down.
Great, all he needed was his entire family knowing about him and Maddie. And he was sure Pol would have told all the women by now, meaning the information would make its way around everyone else by the end of the day.
As if reading Tommy's thoughts Polly let out a chuckle, 'Don't worry yourself Thomas, only myself and Ada know. And we aren't planning on spreading it around, that poor girl has enough to deal with.'
Tommy nodded, somewhat relieved. The last thing he wanted was for Maddie to be treated differently by his family and make her feel uncomfortable.
'Good.' he finally said. He turned back to his work not wanting to say anymore on the subject, but Polly evidently had more to say.
'But I'm sure even a child could tell there's something going on. All they need to do is be in the same room as the two of you for more than five minutes.'
Tommy resented Polly for her regular insistence on concerning herself with his personal life, but he concluded that she was almost certainly right. He himself had noticed his family watching him and Maddie on the few occasions they had been within a few meters of each other. They had noticed Tommy and Maddie's lustful gazes, some of them had exchanged smirks and giggles to each other when they did. He sighed in frustration, rubbing his eyes. He could feel the toll of his long working hours beginning to catch up with him and Polly's presence was giving him a headache.
'Are you trying to make a point here Pol?' said Tommy, turning his hands upwards briefly in an exasperated gesture to signal his growing impatience.
'I was getting there, Thomas,' said Polly, quirking up one of her eyebrows. She leaned forward to put out her cigarette in the ashtray before continuing. 'You know that you shouldn't be pursuing her. As much as we all like her, she doesn't belong here. For both your sakes, don't get too close Thomas.' She sighed and gave Tommy a disdainful look as he could feel the muscles in his jaw twitching. 'She'll be gone before long Tommy. We all remember how you were after Grace died, and none of us want to see that again.'
Tommy could feel the back of his eyes burning as they did when a deeper part of him wanted to cry. But after many years of practice he had perfected the ability to repress the tears in front of his family. He kept his face emotionless as he looked away from his aunt to find his cigarette case in his pocket.
'Thank you for your advice Pol,' Tommy huffed, lighting up a much-needed cigarette. 'Now if you'd be so kind as to give this to Lizzie on your way out.' He held up a file to Polly as he looked back down to the other pieces of paper on his desk, declaring that the discussion was over.
He heard Polly sigh, no doubt casting him a pained and exasperated look. She took the file from his hand and he heard her walk across his office and out the door. As soon as the door had shut behind her, Tommy leaned himself back in his chair and breathed deeply.
He knew Polly was talking sense, and yet he wanted to believe she was wrong. Part of Tommy was hoping that Maddie would choose to stay here. A darker side of him wanted, when the time came, for there to be no way for Maddie to return to her time so she would be stuck here either way. He also battled with the new emotion of guilt. Guilt for betraying Grace by developing feelings for Maddie. Polly's reminder of the grief he experienced when she had died brought all the traumatic memories flooding back. He rubbed his eyes as he desperately puffed on his cigarette to calm himself. Pull yourself together, Tom.
He quickly returned to his work with determination, he planned to return home that afternoon to prepare Maddie for her first job the next day. Despite Polly's warning, he still wanted to get back and see her face again. The more stubborn side of him wanted to continue pursuing her, regardless of the fact that she would return home when the time came. He was a man who was used to getting what he wanted, and he certainly wanted Maddie.
As Tommy pulled up the driveway to Arrow House, he spotted Maddie walking across the gravel from the direction of the stables. She had also spotted Tommy and smiled widely, giving him a cheery wave. She was wearing a long thick skirt, the hem of which was caked in mud up to her knees. Tommy concluded that being covered in mud was going to be a recurring theme for her.
'I think this the first time I've seen you in the daylight since the day I got here!' called Maddie as Tommy stepped out of the car. He walked across the gravel to her with his hands in his pockets.
'Well we've got a lot we need to cover before dinner,' he grunted as they walked towards the front door together.
Tommy caught Maddie rolling her eyes in response to his humourless answer. 'Honestly Tommy! You're supposed to be like 'Ha ha, yes Maddie you're right. I may as well be a vampire with how much I love the night!'' chuckled Maddie, giving her best imitation of Tommy's low grumbly voice. 'If you're not careful people are going to think you have no sense of humour.'
Tommy blew air out of his nostrils in an attempt at a laugh. He may have been out of the office, but he still had work at the forefront of his mind. As amusing a she was, when he was in this kind of mood it was rare to get a smile out of him.
Once they were inside, Tommy instructed Maddie to follow him to the office where Arthur, John and Finn were already waiting for them.
'Fucking hell Mads!' exclaimed John as they entered the room. 'Have you been walking through a swamp or what?' He laughed as he stared at Maddie's soaking, muddy skirt.
As if only just realising she was filthy, Maddie looked down at her skirt in shock, 'Maybe a walk down by the river wasn't such a good idea in this skirt.' Her cheeks blushed a rosy shade of red as Tommy's brothers cackled at the sight of her ruined clothes.
Tommy had been surprised to see that Maddie's bruise from the other night had long since healed; the evening following her fight in fact it had already turned yellow. He had pondered what sort of injuries she could survive that the average person couldn't, although he hoped he wouldn't have to find that out first-hand.
'Maybe I should go and change before I ruin the furniture,' she said, turning back towards the door.
'Don't take too long,' said Tommy as he took of his suit jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. He threw Maddie a stern look as she stopped in the doorway when he spoke.
'Alright grumpy guts,' she said, smirking as she walked out the door, her heeled boots tapping loudly down the corridor as the door pulled shut. She really did come out with the strangest phrases; Tommy would never admit though that he found them endearing.
Tommy tried his best to ignore the immature sniggering of his brothers as he sat behind his desk and lit a cigarette, hoping to sit in silence whilst they waited for Maddie to return. But as usual his brothers proved that they didn't share his ability for being able to sit in comfortable silence.
'Good old Tom. Pulling out his winning charm to win over our Mads,' said Arthur sarcastically, sending John and Finn into a fit of giggles which they attempted to supress poorly.
Tommy sighed angrily, casting Arthur a silent warning with his icy stare. The three of them immediately ceased their snickering and looked down into their laps awkwardly. The immaturity of his siblings never failed to irritate him. The fact that they had evidently picked up on the chemistry between him and Maddie made their childishness piss him off even further. Mercifully, Maddie returned before too long, now clean, dry and seemingly keen to begin their meeting.
'So, what's so important that I needed to be in such a rush to get back down here then? I thought we already knew what the plan was?' began Maddie, looking inquisitively around the room.
Indeed, Tommy and his family had already gone through the various plans to bring several pubs in Birmingham under control of the Peaky Blinders with Maddie's help. The first of which will be carried out in a few days and Tommy was confident that she was more than prepared. This particular meeting was to brief her on her first combat instruction she would be giving the next day, something that they hadn't covered in much detail up until that point. Maddie didn't even know that they had scheduled it for the next day.
'We are planning on starting your combat lessons tomorrow morning. Twenty men who are in desperate need of instruction are going to be in attendance,' said Tommy, finally revealing the topic of the meeting to her.
Maddie looked suddenly nervous, shifting her weight on her seat and glancing around at everyone anxiously.
'Really?' she squeaked. Tommy was taken aback by her sudden display of anxiousness, even though he didn't let it show on his face. She was usually so confident and yet the thought of teaching some simple fighting skills seemed to have shook her.
'I thought that would be easy for you?' said John, noticing HER concerned expression, poking her playfully in the ribs. Maddie laughed nervously and nodded.
'I know but… well to be honest, I'm usually the one being taught this stuff with my training back home. I've never actually taught anything before. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to show them.'
'Well that's what we're here to discuss,' said Tommy as he locked eyes with her. 'But there's something else that's bothering you.'
Tommy sensed that there was more to Maddie's lack of confidence and he wanted to ensure that these training sessions went as smoothly as possible. She sighed again as she held eye contact with him. He gave her a small nod of encouragement as his brothers looked on slightly perplexed, obviously not having picked up on what he had detected in Maddie's voice.
'Well, correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I'm aware, isn't it usually frowned upon for a woman to fight and do violent stuff? Let alone be accepted as a teacher in that regard.' She cast a sceptical look around the room, inviting a response from them.
Tommy admitted that this issue had already occurred to him but had concluded that under the command of the Peaky Blinders, the men would obey any instruction they had been given for fear of being cut. Even if that meant taking orders from a woman. Also, he was certain they would soon learn to fear Maddie once she showed them what she could do.
'Yes, that is usually the case. But our enterprise is a progressive one and we'll make sure that your instruction is respected,' responded Tommy evenly. Maddie scoffed loudly; her sceptical look remaining. She obviously wasn't convinced.
'Don't worry Mads, we'll be there to make sure they stay in line,' winked Arthur in reassurance.
'Yeah, and knowing you, you'll have them cowering in fear in no time anyway,' laughed John, giving Maddie a brotherly hug. She laughed more confidently, seemingly more comfortable with the idea. On occasions like this, Tommy resented his cool and stern personality and wished he shared his brothers' knack for putting Maddie at ease.
Tommy immediately launched into the topic of what he wanted Maddie to cover during her lessons. The men they had recruited were young; too young to have fought in the war and therefore were in dire need of some experience. He made it clear that he wanted these men to able to handle themselves in a brawl and defend themselves well enough so they wouldn't be killed in droves. As long as these conditions were met, Tommy wasn't bothered how Maddie went about it.
'I suppose that should be simple enough,' conceded Maddie after listening to Tommy's list of expectations.
'Good,' he replied. He stood to signal the meeting was over, everyone else following his lead.
'Oh, and Finn,' called Tommy, looking over to his baby brother who looked back at him inquisitively. 'I want you and Isiah to attend tomorrow as well. You could do with the extra instruction.'
Finn flushed bright red as John and Arthur pounced on him and began teasing him relentlessly as he struggled to fight them off.
'What the fuck, Tom? I don't need any lessons!' Finn protested angrily.
'Shut up Finn. You'll go to Maddie's class and do as your told,' taunted John, slapping the back of Finn's head harshly.
'Fuck off, John,' mumbled Finn.
Maddie giggled as John and Arthur continued to bully Finn as brothers did, Tommy watched her face light up watching them and he finally smiled for the first time that day. She brought out a side of him that was rarely seen and he found that he was enjoying how she had an effortless ability to put him in a good mood. Even if he didn't look like he was on the outside.
The rest of the Shelby family joined them for dinner that evening which led to another evening of camaraderie much like the first night Maddie spent at Arrow House. Maddie though had obviously learnt her lesson from the first night and was considerably more sensible with her alcohol. Tommy found himself watching her for most of the night as he usually did; closely enough that he found himself counting her drinks again. Thankfully she had only had three glasses of beer and had turned down a fourth offered to her by Michael. Tommy also didn't fail to notice Polly and Ada trying their best to get him to take notice of their warning glances, but he pointedly ignored them.
As he sat and watched Maddie over the course of the night, he found that he'd made his mind up. He wanted her. The knowledge that her time there was going to be limited, made him more determined to spend as much time with her as he could before that day came. Of course, this also depended on Maddie herself. She had already made it clear to Tommy that she was interested in him, but at the same time believed that giving in to her desires wasn't the best course of action. Despite his own desires, Tommy wasn't the kind of man to disrespect the choices of a woman he respected. This internal conflict ticked over in his mind for much of the evening as he sat watching in silence at the edge of group. His gaze was perpetually drawn to he as she enjoyed everyone else's company. Maddie often looked back and held eye contact with him for several seconds before turning away again. Her unflinching confidence in meeting his eyes made the hairs on Tommy's arms stand up on end and his breathing deepen with each glance. He felt certain that another encounter like the one they had a few evenings ago would happen again before too long, and he felt that he was eager for it.
The evening came to a close after a couple of hours, various guests bidding their goodbyes and retiring to bed or to their drive home. Tommy approached Maddie as she was seeing Polly off at the front door.
'Maddie,' he called to her from behind. She turned to look at him momentarily before turning back to Polly. His aunt looked to him then to Maddie slowly in turn before saying goodnight to her and stepping out the door.
Maddie turned back to face him as she shut the door, 'Yes, Tommy?'
'I need you ready for seven tomorrow.'
Maddie slowly quirked one eyebrow at him and nodded her head once, 'Okay.'
They stood in silence alone in the entranceway, holding eye contact. Tommy decided this was the opportune moment he had been waiting for. He stepped closer to Maddie, as close as they had been a few days before, with only an inch between them. She didn't take a step back and he took this as a sign that she wanted the same thing that he did.
Then, catching him off-guard yet again, Maddie put her hands softly on his chest and lifted herself on tiptoe to beat Tommy to the kiss. She pressed her lips firmly to his but not as forcefully as their previous kiss. He heard himself let out a short gasp and cursed himself for letting her get the better of him again. Tommy did not expect this assertive and confident gesture, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy it. He lifted his hand to cup Maddie's face and let a few strands of her hair wrap around his fingers. They stayed in this position, moving their lips together softly for a few seconds before she pulled back, creating only an inch of space between their faces and looked him straight in the eye.
'Two-one to me,' she whispered, pulling her lips in to a small smirk.
After the stress of an exhausting week of business and maintaining his unwavering stoicism, Tommy finally cracked and let out a low, honest to god chuckle. Maddie joined in his laughter as she took a full step back from him and turned her body to walk away toward the stairs.
'Goodnight, Tommy.'
Tommy stood in the foyer as he waited for Maddie to emerge. He checked his expensive pocket watch; thirteen minutes past seven. He exhaled a slow breath through his nose impatiently. Tardiness was one of his biggest bug bears, and today of all days was the worst time to be late. He was nervous about how the day was going to go, how well Maddie's first day on the job would go and it took a lot of effort for him not to fidget whilst he waited.
The sound of brisk footsteps pricked Tommy's ears. He turned to look up the stairs to see Maddie scurrying down the steps towards him, an apologetic expression on her face.
'Sorry I'm late!' she said as she made it to the bottom of the stairs. 'I'm still not used to how much longer it takes for me to get ready in a morning without a shower.'
Tommy hadn't put much thought into this difference between his and Maddie's time. He was tempted to tell her that his own personal bathroom had a shower, and that she was more than welcome to use it. But he decided that would trigger a bout of flirtatious gazing and quips that they couldn't afford to waste time on. Instead, ignoring her apology, he turned quickly on his heel and marched toward the door without saying a word.
'O-kay, I guess it's straight to work then,' muttered Maddie as she followed him automatically.
Tommy wasted no time in speeding down the driveway and onto the road as soon as they had shut the car doors. They sat in silence for a good while whilst he concentrated on the road. All the possible reasons as to how today could go wrong were playing on his mind as he simultaneously thought of the methods he would use to rectify these problems if they were to occur. Entranced on the road before him, he could feel that he was gripping the steering wheel tighter than was necessary. He spotted his knuckles turning white and quickly slacked his grip slightly and took a deep breath. This didn't go unnoticed by Maddie, and Tommy could feel her questioning gaze on him.
'I didn't expect you to be so nervous about today,' she said quietly.
'I'm not,' he replied a little too quickly, cursing himself for loosing composure. Maddie chuckled in a way that let him know she had picked up on it.
The reason for Tommy's agitation was his concern for Maddie, he realised. Not that he doubted her abilities, but his life and his business had a tendency to get people hurt, even killed. That thought was making him sick to his stomach and part of him wished he had taken her to London the day she arrived and spared her from his dangerous and violent life. But that wasn't in Tommy's nature, he didn't even think it was possible for him to do anything that didn't benefit him or the company in some form. He knew that was his greatest flaw that he would take with him to the grave.
'Where are we going anyway? I'd imagine its somewhere discreet?' asked Maddie, graciously ignoring Tommy's lapse in control.
'Discreet but adequate,' he replied. 'But we have another stop to make first.'
'Oh?'
Tommy had neglected telling Maddie this part of the plan, he had wanted to surprise her but also not give her anymore unnecessary reasons to be anxious about the day.
'You'll see,' he said suggestively, enjoying the anticipated look that she gave him in response.
After another thirty minutes of driving that was spent in silence, they eventually reached their destination. Tommy pulled up outside the shop and turned to see Maddie look up to read the sign,Gentleman's Tailor.
'You need me to pick you out a new suit or something?' she asked, evidently confused.
'No.'
Maddie blinked, her brow furrowing, 'Huh?' was all she managed to say.
Tommy smirked, amused at how dumbfounded she was. He went to get out of the car, nodding for her to follow him. As they entered the tailor, the owner of the tailors was stood behind the counter writing on a piece of paper and he looked up to see who had entered.
'Good morning, sir. What can I do-,' the tailor cut off mid-sentence as Tommy and Maddie stepped further forward into the light of the shop floor. The man's face dropped, and his skin turned drip white as he recognised who had just walked into his shop.
'Mr Shelby. Wh-what an unexpected visit! What is it I can do for you?' the tailor babbled quickly, avoiding Tommy's gaze as most men did.
'We're here to finish the alterations on the suit that was requested under my name. My secretary sent you the measurements on Monday.'
As if only just noticing Maddie stood next to him the tailor bristled at the sight of her and turned back to him looking disgruntled.
'This is a gentleman's establishment Mr Shelby. I must insist that your lady friend leave immediately,' he said, attempting to sound more confident but his voice wavered with every word.
Tommy could sense Maddie stiffen beside him; he heard her knuckles crack as she balled her hands into fists. She also took a deep breath as if she was about to say something but must have thought better of it as she let out the breath shakily in an attempt to remain silent.
'Is the suit ready as per the specifications?' Tommy asked the tailor, ignoring his request. He wanted to move along before Maddie decided to launch herself at him.
The man blinked, flitting his gaze back and forth between them before finally answering, 'Yes Mr Shelby. Although I admit I am slightly confused. The measurements do not match the previous ones we have on record for you.'
'The suit isn't for me, it's for her,' he said coolly, tilting his head slightly in the direction of Maddie.
The tailor looked like he was about to collapse in shock, stuttering stupidly as he attempted to regain his composure under Tommy's icy glare. Tommy saw Maddie turn quickly to look up at him out of the corner of his eye, also with a look of shock.
'For me?' she asked in a hushed whisper. He ignored her and continued to stare down the tailor until the man finally plucked up the courage to speak.
'This is quite inappropriate Mr Shelby! We do not cater for -.'
Tommy cleared his throat loudly to interrupt as he took his cigarette case out of his pocket, not breaking eye contact with the man.
'Is there a problem?' he asked in a dangerously low tone before lighting his cigarette and taking the first drag.
The tailor faltered again, a visible sheen of sweat developing on his forehead. Men like this always disgusted Tommy and he wondered how half of them had even survived the war. He waited for the tailor to reply, not moving a muscle. Maddie however was shifting uncomfortably next to him, looking back and forward between the two men as they stared. After several seconds of silence the shopkeeper finally broke, looking down before shaking his head in defeat.
'No Mr Shelby. My apologies,' he stuttered, turning to Maddie. 'If you could follow me this way.' The tailor turned to walk towards a door labelled fitting room. Anger ignited within Tommy from the man's neglect of manners towards her, making his nostrils flare now that the man wasn't facing him.
Maddie turned to look at Tommy, an unsure expression painted her features. He gave her a nod and small smile of reassurance before addressing the tailor again.
'I expect any adjustments for the suit to be finished whilst we are here. You will also address my friend as Miss Chapman if you don't want you or your family to be cut.' Tommy made a point of saying this last sentence as nonchalantly as possible. The tailor now betrayed a true look of fear as he looked back at him. Maddie let out a quiet laugh next to him, seemingly impressed with his skills at intimidation.
'Yes o-o-of course,' squeaked the tailor turning back to Maddie again. 'Please Miss Chapman, if you could put this on in the dressing room here.' He took a hanger with a grey suit and white shirt hanging on it and hung it on a peg inside the dressing room. Maddie, finally feeling more comfortable, strode confidently over to the dressing room. She cast the man a venomous glare before disappearing inside. After a couple of minutes, the tailor knocked nervously on the door to the dressing room, asking if she was ready. Tommy heard her call her permission for him to enter. The tailor went inside the dressing room and after another five minutes he opened the door again.
Maddie was now dressed in the full three-piece grey suit. She stepped out of the doorway, rolling her shoulders back and bending her arms in and out as she looked down at herself. Tommy was impressed with how well it suited her. Lizzie's measurements had been accurate, and she had given specifications that meant the trousers fitted more closely to Maddie's legs than they would have on a man. The suit jacket and vest also cut in at the waist as women's garments did. This meant that Maddie didn't look as though she was wearing something that had been designed for a man, despite that fact that it was a man's style suit. The tailor had placed a hand full of pins at certain places where he needed to make adjustments, and Tommy was pleased to know they wouldn't have to wait long for the suit to be finished.
'What do you think?' asked Maddie, rotating around once for Tommy to see every angle, her cheeks blushing a light pink.
'Good,' he nodded his approval. He wanted to give her a more flattering compliment but decided not to with the tailor watching them, probably beginning to wonder who this woman was that Tommy Shelby had requested a suit for.
After Maddie changed back into her own clothes the tailor excused himself to the back room to finish the suit whilst her and Tommy waited in the store front.
'Of all the things I'd imagine I'd do in the 1920's; getting fitted for suit wasn't one of them,' she chuckled.
'You're a Peaky Blinder now. You need to look the part.' Tommy watched for Maddie's reaction to this statement. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly in astonishment before she settled into a rueful smile.
'Yeah I guess I am... The slayer... a member of the Peaky Blinders…' She looked up to meet Tommy's eyes. 'This will be a first for the slayer history books that's for sure.'
Tommy hummed in amused assent as he went back to looking out of the window. He knew Maddie's moral compass must be suffering with every passing day she spent with him and his family. By all accounts a slayer's duty was to protect against evil, to save lives, and Tommy's life mostly involved the opposite. He felt the feeling of guilt, an emotion he rarely allowed to cross his mind, stir inside him again. It wasn't fair to be dragging her too far into his world, he knew. But as always, the logical, business led aspect of his mind won against the merciful, considerate one.
'Your ability to make men cower with your presence is legendary back home. That really was something watching you make that guy sweat first-hand,' Maddie spoke up, breaking the silence. Tommy was somewhat shocked to hear this but also glad to hear that his imposing image would be something that will be remembered and talked about in a hundred years.
'The war changed me. Although I don't always think it was for the better.' Tommy didn't intend for these words to escape his lips, but he had found that he had grown to trust Maddie over the past few days and sharing this information felt natural. This was something that he wouldn't even share with his family, he knew they wouldn't understand, but he was certain she did.
'I get that,' she said, supporting his thoughts. 'I don't even remember who I was before I was a slayer.'
Their eyes met again, and Tommy noticed a sadness in Maddie's eyes. He felt compelled to pull her into his arms in that moment, to indulge in a moment of comfort in recognition of their shared experience. He had started to reach his arms out to embrace her when the tailor reappeared from the back room. The two of them looked over with irritation to the man as he emerged, carrying the now finished suit encased in a leather cover.
'It's finished Mr Shelby. With our compliments.' The tailor bowed his head as he handed over the suit to Tommy who took it and hung it over his arm.
'I expect another three suits in different fabrics to be ready for collection by Wednesday next week,' he ordered. The tailor looked as though he was about to protest but stopped himself as Tommy glared at him. Without another word he turned to exit the shop, Maddie following his lead behind him. They got back in the car, Tommy handing the suit to Maddie who laid it on her lap.
'Four suits?' she questioned now they were in the privacy of the car.
'You can't work for me and be seen in the same suit for one day to the next.'
Tommy wasted no time in driving them to Small Heath and to one of the factories the Shelby Company owned. Maddie looked surprised by the chosen location and Tommy informed her it would provide ample privacy with the noise from the factory machines. He led her down into the basement and to the office where his brothers and Isiah were already waiting. They enthusiastically welcomed her as they walked in and immediately pestered her to go put the suit on so they could see.
'So, you all knew about this?' Maddie laughed as she pointed to the suit in her hands.
'Yes, and it was bloody hard keeping it a secret!' laughed Finn.
John directed Maddie to the restroom, and she left to go change as the men started to fidget impatiently as they waited. Tommy lit up a cigarette and leant back against the wall.
'Is everything ready Arthur?' he asked expectantly, looking over to his older brother.
'Yeah. All the men are waiting down the hall.'
Tommy nodded and turned to Finn and Isiah, 'I'm expecting you two to set an example.'
The two teenagers shared a look before begrudgingly nodding. They waited in silence for a few minutes before they heard Maddie's heels clopping up the corridor towards them. Tommy remained still as everyone else in the room stood up straight, excited to see her new look. She emerged in the doorway in her new suit and smiled bashfully as they all cheered and wolf whistled.
'Very nice!' shouted John, clapping the loudest out of everyone.
'Thanks,' smiled Maddie looking down at herself. Luckily her heeled boots matched the suit and the whole look proved to be an impressive statement. Which was exactly what Tommy was aiming for. She however started fidgeting with the vest, lifting the front to tuck her shirt in more.
'I've never actually worn a suit before,' she admitted self-consciously. 'Are you sure it looks alright?'
The group nodded enthusiastically in response.
'You look like one of us now Mads,' said Arthur, giving her a cheeky wink, Maddie beaming widely.
'Almost,' said Tommy stepping forward. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the cap he had been keeping in there all morning. He handed Maddie the matching grey cap and she regarded it with raised eyebrows. She ran her finger along the rim of the cap, discovering the hidden razor blades.
'Complete with razors and everything!' she said enthusiastically and a little sarcastically as she turned the cap over in her hands.
'Well put it on then!' teased John.
Laughing defeatedly, Maddie pulled the cap onto her head. She really did look like part of the gang and in that moment, Tommy knew she was going to make a statement out in the field and in the training room. The room was speechless for a minute and she shuffled nervously, looking unsure as to whether they approved of the outfit with the cap included. Looking around the room, a mischievous look came across her face. She glanced briefly at Tommy before adopting a wide masculine stance, putting her hands in her pockets and puffed out her chest, widening her shoulders. Everyone looked at her bewildered until she cleared her throat gruffly and Tommy realised what she was doing.
'You all have work to be doing. I'm the big scary boss around here and everyone should do as I say!' Maddie grumbled, deepening her voice as low at it would go, exaggerating her Birmingham accent. She took one of her hands out of her pocket and pointed her finger around the room in an exaggerated and aggressive gesture. It was a surprisingly good impression of Tommy and the room erupted into laughter. Tommy tried his best to look indifferent but couldn't hold in his chuckle as he watched her.
'She really has captured you Tom!' shouted John as Maddie joined in the laughter.
Tommy gave Maddie a few claps before moving the topic on quickly. As much fun as they were having, there was business to be getting on with.
'Alright. Fun's over.'
He looked over to the men, indicating for them to go on ahead before turning to Maddie.
'You ready?' he asked. She looked back at him confidently and nodded.
'As I'll ever be,' she whispered, exhaling a breath and puffing her cheeks.
Tommy noticed that she hadn't done up the top button of her shirt and brought his hands up to do fasten it. He looked into her eyes and gave her a small encouraging smile.
'Come on.' He placed a hand on the small of her back and led her out of the room and down the hall to where Maddie's students were waiting.
As they entered the large room, they were met by the faces of twenty men in their twenties, some of whom looked down nervously as Tommy entered. An occurrence that he was used to. He went and stood in front of the men with Maddie by his side and glared around the room at them. Finn and Isiah were stood at the front of the group with their heads high, setting a good example as he expected. He regarded the rest of the group with a critical eye, sizing them all up individually.
The longer they stood there, Tommy noticed the men one by one spot Maddie and glace around questioningly. One man looked down his nose at her disapprovingly and Tommy focussed mainly on him as he began to address his audience.
'You are all here because, even though you are all working now for us, you all need some instruction.' He paused momentarily to assess any reactions from the room. The man he noticed before was still staring at Maddie venomously. Tommy continued. 'You are all to follow the guidance that your instructor gives you; the direction of the woman stood next to me.'
The reaction was immediate. The men began murmuring amongst themselves, most of them angry or laughing dismissively. Maddie impressed Tommy yet again, from the corner of his eye he saw her remain still, not displaying any signs of intimidation or fear. Tommy's eyes were locked on the man who had been glaring at her from the start. His face curled up into a scowl and he folded his arms over his chest.
'You've got to be fucking joking,' the man leered loudly, eliciting hushed chuckles from a number of the other men around the room. Maddie turned her attention to him as he spoke, lifting her head up to look at him. 'What does a little girl have to teach us about fighting?'
Tommy sighed, he had predicted that this would happen and had already thought about how to beat any cocky recruits into order. However, it turned out that he didn't need to worry about supporting Maddie in this regard. As Tommy inhaled in preparation to confront the troublemaker, Maddie stepped forward to stand in front of the man. He was at least a good foot taller than her, so she had to crane her head back to look him in the eye. The man looked over both his shoulders to the men behind him, smirking arrogantly to them as she came to a stop a foot in front of him.
'Hit me,' ordered Maddie, a hint of a smile in her voice. The man scoffed and looked around him again smirking as the rest of the room laughed. All except Tommy, his brothers and Isiah; who he knew were all trying their best not to smile knowingly, already guessing as to what was about to happen. Tommy noticed a flicker of doubt flit across the man's eyes as he stared her down.
'I said hit me!' Maddie commanded louder when it was clear the man wasn't going to move or reply. The man lifted his palms up in a 'well, if she insists' gesture. Then he quickly drew his shoulder up and his fist back before throwing a heavy punch at her head. If Tommy had blinked then, he would have missed what happened next.
Maddie stepped to the left, dodging the fist easily. Simultaneously she grasped the man's forearm with her left hand and placed her right hand on the back of his head. She bent his right arm behind his back and upwards whilst pushing his head downwards, and in one smooth motion flipped the man over in a forward somersault. He hit the ground on his back with a loud thud and a pained grunt. Tommy could have sworn her heard a bone crack as he impacted the concrete floor. All the men, excluding Finn and Isiah who sniggered loudly, recoiled a step whilst their jaws dropped open stupidly. Maddie smiled as the man groaned in agony on the floor. Tommy turned and nodded to John who marched over to the floored man and lifted him by his collar to his feet before punching him sharply in the gut once making him double over. John straightened the man up again and slapped him twice on the face; the man quickly looked down at his feet as John returned to his position next to Arthur.
Maddie tuned back to the group before asking, 'Anybody else have any issues they want to share before we start?'
The men shook their heads hastily, avoiding the gazes of both Maddie and Tommy.
'In that case I'll be leaving you all in Maddie's capable hands,' Tommy said, emphasising the word capable. 'And if reports of any more insubordination reach my ears there will be severe consequences.'
Tommy locked eyes with Maddie before he turned to leave, giving her a message of encouragement in his gaze. As he turned she started addressing her class with confidence, explaining what she was going to teach them over the next few days. Tommy stopped next to John and Arthur on his way past them.
'Make sure they stay in line. Have Finn and Isiah drive Maddie home and the two of you report back to me.' They nodded and Tommy left the room as he heard Maddie bring Finn forward as a volunteer for her first demonstration.
Tommy went to the office on Watery Lane to address the hundred other items of business and meetings he had scheduled for the day. All the while he wondered how Maddie was getting on and hoped the new recruits weren't giving her too much grief. But he reassured himself that she was more than alright after her display of dominance from the offset. He smiled to himself has he bent over a mountain of paperwork as he recalled the humiliated expression on the arrogant man's face. Tommy had realised as he got in his car that he had been clenching his fists behind his back as the man had been insulting her, making them stiff and achy.
Later that afternoon, John and Arthur waltzed into Tommy's office laughing together and looking encouragingly pleased with how the morning went.
'Well?' Tommy inquired, leaning back in his chair as his brothers poured themselves a drink.
'She was amazing Tom,' said Arthur, taking a swig of his whiskey. 'Mads was in her element, I swear.'
'You should have seen their faces Tommy. The more moves she showed them, the wider their mouths got!' laughed John as they flopped into the chairs opposite Tommy's desk.
'Hmm. Anyone else start any trouble?' Tommy replied.
'Nah. They were all shitting themselves too much,' smirked John.
Tommy was more than happy with this news. Maddie had finally had a chance to prove herself and had exceeded all of their expectations tenfold. New ideas were beginning to form in his mind of how he could involve her in the business further. If only she was planning on staying here with them permanently. Not only that, but every time he thought about her now it made the feeling of joy blossom in his chest and make his heart beat a little faster. Tommy wanted to make Maddie a part of his life, and in more ways than just business, he realised.