A Family bond

past faces

it wasnt raining in the gloomy streets of Birmingham as it usually was when thea walked down them. she was headed to the garrison after waking up to an empty house, knowing fine well that was the only other place they'd be. when thea pushed open the doors of the garrison her eyes imeditly fell on to grace, who had her ear pressed firmly up against the wall on the snug. thea didn't say a word but she also didn't take her eyes off the Irish women as she made her way to the opposite end of the bar and sat down. after a good few minutes the door opened and grace moved away pretending to busy herself as Thomas and two Irish men came out, as she lifted her eyes to glance around the room she locked eyes with thea who was sat with a stoic face just staring straight back at the women. grace was panicked, how much had she seen? should she confront her? threaten her? grace marched her way over to the young girl and just as she got there so did Tommy. "grace..two whiskeys ey" he said barely sparing her a glance. grace stuttered as her eyes flicked between the father and daughter and though Tommy had hardly so much as looked as her thea was yet to stop staring at her eyes. she was onto something and and she had been since she first played eyes upon supposed 'barmaid' from Ireland. not being able to hold the young Shelby's icy stare for any longer she scurried off to get the drinks. "whats all that about ey?" Tommy questioned her unable to not notice her harsh stare down with the older blond. "what do you know about her?" she asked still watcher grace as she worked, "would you stop staring at her ay" but she didn't stop "that's enough thea" he said with more authority, though it went over the girls head she still kept her sight locked on the women as she came back with the drinks putting them down without a word. "what do you know?" she asked again finally turning to face him as she took a sip. Tommy was stood with his back against the bar but he was looking at her watching how she questioned him. he watched her micro expressions, Tommy prided himself on reading others expressions but with thea it was harder, everything she did was much different and smaller that others, but Tommy had started to notice the small twitch of her eyebrow or quiver of her lip, they all meant things, he wasnt sure what yet with all of them but he knew they did have Meaning, she didn't do anything without a meaning. and so when Tommy watched her as he answered that he "only knew what she had told him" but that "theres nothing to worry about, she's just a barmaid" he noticed the way her nose scrunched a little, and how she blinked a few extra times. and he had no choice but to watched again as she put her now empty glass down, got up and walked straight out the door without another word. Tommy sighed running his hand down his face finally having a moment of quiet before a voice started behind him "would you like another Tommy?" her smooth voice asked him, he turned already shanking his head and as he locked eyes he couldn't help but want to question her. he had no suspicions himself but if thea did then he thought that maybe he should. after he hadn't spoke for a moment grace felt her stomach drop, fearing thea had worked it out and told him everything she stumbled a step back, and then before she could blink, he was out the door and headed to his next business meeting.

the self proclaimed 'king' walked his way into the Shelby betting shop smugly thinking he held all the power and for some in the room he did. as Tommy stood in his office doorway waiting for Kimber to join him others were scattered around the room. Aaron was over with Arthur and scud boat, polly sat at her desk, a few other workers doing various jobs, and John was with thea at the chalkboard running numbers. and he prowled through the room he looked around, he looked at the people and at what they were doing and he looked right at her. he stared straight into thea's eyes and he didn't flinch, he didn't give anything away, but she did. how could he just look at her, he didn't say anything or do a double take, he didn't even hold eye contact for particularly long. maybe he just didn't want anyone in the room to know or many be he didn't recognise her. maybe he just didn't care. but thea did. she cared. and her whole body froze, her breath got stuck in the back of her throat and her ears started ringing. he'd turned away by now but she couldn't take her eyes off him, she felt sweaty and her hands were shaking so badly she dropped the chalk she was holding making a select fews eyes snap over to where she stood paralyzed. Tommy and polly were both staring at her buy neither said anything, just watched with furrowed brows. John bent down to pick up the chalk she dropped and as he came back up lowly asked her "you alright? look like you've seen a ghost" with a slight chuckle turning back to the board. "I wish" she quietly muttered before near enough sprinting out the house into the streets. Tommys door was already closed by now but everyone else watched John turn to the rooms and shrug before polly turned her eyes to Aaron "go after her" and he did. Aaron ran into the street but she was nowhere to be seen, ran down watery lane but with no sight of her he went back to the house. he walked through the doors and everyones eyes were on him but he just looked at polly, heaving breaths unable to get words out he just shook his head. "aw fuck!" Arthur proclaimed before ordering "right get everyone, no one stops looking till she's found" and with that they all walked straight back out the door in search for the girl but Aaron paused at the thresh hold when polly asked him "what the fuck was that about?" Aaron barely looked over his shoulder "I don't know aunt pol" and with a sigh he too was out the door.

when Tommys meeting was done he showed Kimber and his men to the door, he noticed the lack of people in the betting shop and was angry about the lack of work being accomplished especially with the license he had just grovveled from Kimber but when polly called him into the kitchen that anger was quick to dissipate. "Thomas..in here now" he lent in the arch way of the kitchen as he lit his cigarette watching polly prepare her pot of tea. "where is everyone?" he used his hand to gesture around himself quirking a brow "call solomans, in London" polly said as she poured tea into her cup. "right" there was a pregnant pause as Tommy took a drag "why?" he moved to take a seat opposite his aunt ashing the white stick. "because one look at the King Billy Kimber and your daughter turned white as sheet before running off". Tommy imedietly dropped the remainder of his cigarette into the ashtray before lunging for the phone, his hands shook as he dialled the 'bakery' number. "solomans bakery" Alfie answered his usual impassive tone "Alfie" Tommy breathed out "ahh my favourite dirty Brummie" Alfie smirked through the phone "no time for chat Alfie, thea's run off, if she shows up in London let me know" and with that he hung up. picking the tobacco stick back up taking in a deep breath he looked down to his aunt "what the fuck happened?"

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im sorry y'all, I dint realise anyone would want more chapters but ill try keep them coming, sorry this ones so short aswell but I haven't written for a while, let me know where you want this story to go cause I'm really stuck ngl 🫠