"Why do we even bother to say that anymore? I mean, look at us- surrounded by a graveyard of broken promises."
Esther Solomons- the woman that had held Thomas Shelby's heart from the time they were mere children. The woman he had loved. The woman he...
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*~*~*~*
Tommy didn't bother knocking when he reached John's house. Letting himself in before letting the door slam shut behind him, no doubt alerting his brother to his arrival-- wherever he was about in the three-bedroom house. All he did was stand there in the foyer, waiting. Though he didn't have to wait for long before his younger brother appeared at the top of the steps, gun aimed below.
"Tommy, what the fuck?" John swore, lowering his gun when he saw it was just his brother. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk," Tommy said before making his way towards the kitchen. He could hear John descending the stairs, having already poured himself a glass of whiskey before the younger Shelby brother could reach the kitchen himself.
"And what do we have to talk about that can't wait till the morning? Case you've forgotten, I've got kids sleeping here," John reminded his older brother.
"Right," Tommy swirled the amber liquid around in his glass for a moment. Thinking over what exactly he wanted to say to his brother, still feeling some remnants of the shock Danny's words had sent into him. "Your new sitter put them to bed? What was her name? Rose Eisen?"
"No, she was busy today," John's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of 'Rose'.
"Busy," Tommy mulled over the word. "I'd imagine she was left quite stunned after the little show she witnessed yesterday. Never easy for women, seeing a man killed right in front of them."
"What are you fucking talking about?" Confusion filled John's eyes this time. All the sign Tommy needed to know that his little brother wasn't aware of everything, not even when it came to this woman.
"I told you and Arthur about Danny. How he killed an Italian man yesterday," Tommy reminded him. "Well, while I was taking care of Danny he mentioned that I woman was there when it all happened. Said she tried getting through to him before it turned violent, talked to him. Then even helped get him off back home afterwards."
"And he said it was Rose?" John raised a challenging brow as he watched his brother pull out a fresh cigarette and light it.
"No," Tommy shook his head, cigarette dangling between his lips. "He said it was Esther."
Silence fell over the room at Tommy's words. The elder Shelby could see the color leave his brother's face at the mention of Esther's name. Realizing that he was caught, there was no avoiding the matter or talking his way out of it any longer.
"How long?" Tommy questioned.
"Tommy," John started to shake his head.
"How long!" Tommy shouted, his usually icy eyes blazing with anger now. Not caring in the slightest if he woke his nieces or nephews. He wanted answers and he wasn't leaving without them. "How fucking long have you known?"
