WHEN JOHN AND ARTHUR, had arrived, thunder began to cackle outside the betting shop. Beth's mood having worsened immensely at the thoughts of Charles being hurt or left in the thunder. Beth sighed in relief once John had came into her line of vision and stood up quickly, his arms pulling her against his chest as she cried. He ran his hands through Beth's blonde hair, frowning as he felt her body shake. Arthur let out a huff watching as John attempted to console Beth.
Reaching his hand over, Arthur tapped John's shoulder, in result John letting go of Beth. Beth turned to Arthur who forced a small grin, his arm wrapping around her shoulders as he let her toward alcohol. "Stop that crying, it ain't gonna help and you bloody know that, eh dollface?" Untangling his arm from her body he cracked open a bottle of whiskey, pouring a large glass and handing it into Beth's hands as she sniffled. "Tommy'll be back soon with a plan." Arthur declared, glancing cautiously down at Beth.
Arthur set about pouring everyone at the table a glass of whiskey when the door swung open and Tommy returned. Making his way toward Beth, silently he wrapped his arms around her pulling her against him as he placed a long kiss to her cheek. "They've got him." Tommy declared to the room, closing his eyes as he felt Beth's shaking intensify. "I'm going to get him back. I'm going to get him back and we're going to be a family again." Tommy murmured. Beth nodding as she only squeezed him tighter.
Pulling away, Tommy let out a huff, scanning Beth's face before turning to Arthur. "Where's Linda?" Tommy asked. "With Esme." Arthur replied, sipping on his whiskey. "Esme's water broke. I was just with her. Running around fucking broke her waters." John grumbled. Beth couldn't help but frown. She had considered Esme to be her bestfriend and to not be there for her, make Beth's insides fill up with guilt. Tommy noticed the distressed look on Beth's face and lightly grasped her waist as he scanned the room.
"Where's Finn?" Tommy asked. "Out with his friends. We couldn't reach him." Pol spoke, the tension thickening in the room. "I need to know who spoke. Our enemies know everything. Everything. I need to know who spoke about business outside of the family. I need to know who spoke, and who they spoke to. Now." Tommy demanded, getting to the point. "Tommy!" Arthur began only to get cut off again.
"Your wife, Arthur?" Tommy inquired. "I'm going to tell myself that you're not thinking straight. Your minds not clear." Arthur hissed. "Or Esme. Getting cash for cocaine, eh John?" Tommy accused. "Fuck you! Did you ever think your Beth?" John spat defensively. "Use your brain for once, you fucking muppet! Why the fuck would I do that to my son!" Beth growled, stepping forward defensively not noticing her mistake.
"Because he's not yours Bethany! Because he's Grace and Tommy's child and god knows you wanted Grace gone long enough, I would be surprised with you if you tried to ship her child off now that she's gone." John bellowed, his voice overpowering the thunder outside. Beth's last straw snapped and without second thought, she lunged straight for John, Arthur and Tommy pulling her back mid air. "Cop on John!" Aunt Pol hissed, hitting him hard onto the back of the head.
Beth let out a growl as Tommy pulled her around to face him. His hands cupping her cheeks. "Oi! Bethany. Look at me." He grumbled, watching her eyes look up into his- the tears ready to spill from her big brown eyes that watched him. "I didn't Tommy. I wouldn't- I love him." Beth murmured, the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "I know love, I know. Don't fucking mind John. It's you and me. You and me Beth. Don't bloody mind him."
Tommy's eyes cast up, his eyes catching to John who noticed his words had an affect- his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "Sorry Beth." John spoke. Beth only nodded, resting her head into Tommy's shoulder, his arm wrapped around her waist. "All of a sudden, back in the family. Ada, eh? That's a surprise. Out of the blue. On whose orders?" Tommy continued. "Tommy this isn't helping find him." Polly intervened, clearly unhappy with Tommy's accusations of his family.
"And you and your painter." Tommy rounded to his aunt. "You said he knows you, things developed. You talked. If anyone has talked about the tunnel to anyone else, I need to know and I need to know this second." Tommy demanded. "What about your clay kickers?" Arthur spat. "Drunk in a pub? They're not the only one that drinks but I'd never, ever, betray you." Arthur continued. "I trust those men with my life!" Tommy argued. "More than you trust us?" Arthur pressed. "Yeah." Tommy replied without missing a beat. "As of an hour ago, yes."
"Where's Micheal in this fucking line up anyways?" John asked. "You leave Michael out of this." Polly snapped. "Oh, yeah?" John pressed. "No he should be here." Arthur declared. "I don't even fucking know him. How long have you know him? Three fucking years." John spat. "No, he's not going to be your whip boy." Pol demanded. "I don't even fucking know the boy." John mused. "I never told Michael about the Lilies of the Valley. The only people I told about the Fabergé eggs are in this room. Well, expect Beth."
"Oh for fucks sake!" Beth spat, wiping her eyes and stepping away from Tommy. "While we're all stood here pointing fingers about who told who, there is a fucking child in the hands of a priest who is doing god knows what to Charles! He will be dead soon if we don't fucking act. Get fucking over yourselves! And for fuck sake Tommy stop blaming everyone fucking else. We will find out who talked later but blaming your family isn't doing anything but creating more problems. They're on your side Tom, they're trying to bloody help!"
The room fell into a silence, Tommy glancing down at Beth who rubbed the bridge of her nose in anger as she glared back at him. "Tommy I want you to know that I came here for love, and for common sense." Ada spoke, before leaving out the door. "I'm sorry Beth. And Tommy, Esme's got no need for extra cash." John spoke, nodding at Beth who nodded back before leaving. "You bring my wife into this. Means we speak when business is done." Arthur said.
"John, Arthur." Tommy called. "I need fifth sticks of BSA dynamite. Three hundred yards of cable and six detonators by midday tomorrow. This is encoded. I need you to scatter it. We're blowing up a train, and people are going to die." Tommy demanded, handing them a file. "Thomas Michael Shelby, what in gods name are you fucking planning?" Beth hissed. Turning to Beth, Tommy shrugged his coat off his shoulders and hugged it around her. "Can you wait outside for a moment love?"
Sighing, Beth nodded, pulling the jacket closer to her and stepping out. Standing under the small shelter of three door frame, Beth watched as the rain pelted heavily off the cobblestone ground of Watery lane. Reaching her hand into the pocket of Tommy's pocket, Beth hummed slightly finding a pack of cigarettes and a lighter- immediately taking them out. Placing the cigarette between her lips , she covered it with her hands as she lit it before placing the box and lighter into Tommy's jacket pocket.
Inhaling the smoke, Beth's mind drifted away at the sounds of the rain pelting against the driveway. Her mind struggled to take her to another place with the acknowledgement of everything going on. The door creaked slightly and Beth didn't have to peak over her shoulder to realise it was Tommy who stood in the doorway. "I don't like when you smoke." He spoke, breaking the silence. "I don't like when you kill people." Beth retorted, closing her eyes as a drift of tiredness overcame her body.
Taking her hand, Tommy led Beth to his car, opening the passengers side and waiting for her to climb in. Beth watched as he, himself climbed into the drivers seat and glanced over at her. "Go asleep Beth, it's going to be a drive and I don't want you home- i know you too well, god knows you'd kill someone." Grinning slightly, Beth leaned against Tommy's shoulder, her eyes fluttering closed as she felt his arm wrap around her.
"Where are we going Tom?" Beth mumbled. "To see the man who wants my fucking everything. Alfie Solomons."
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LONELY| Thomas Shelby
Fanfiction"when they're good they're really good, when they're bad they will burn the town to the ground." in which beth returns to the gangster life that she once lived, where everything is the same yet everything has changed. BOOK TWO OF VULNERABLE SERIES S...
