To Monaco & Back - Finn Shelby

14

1927 - The Betting Shop 
Saturday 13th December, 9:32am

It was an early start for a Saturday morning. Despite the shop doing exceedingly well, Tommy insisted that everyone was awake bright and early to organise and take bets before the holidays.

Polly and Isabella arrived together, the rest of the ladies were already sat around the table talking about everything but work. This wasn't unusual of course but once Isabella came in they all went quiet.

"What?" Polly frowned, "Why've you all suddenly gone quiet?"

No one spoke, Esme looked at Isabella and spoke up.

"Finn slept at ours last night, Tommy brought him he wasn't in a good state."

Isabella sighed and sat down opposite Esme and next to Linda, she felt bad for Finn. She knew she shouldn't go mad at him the way she did but when she thinks bad she understands her reaction well.

"That's his own fault, men need to get their head out their backsides." Polly said dismissing the conversation. Isabella didn't want to discuss their argument in front of everyone. She's hardly spoken to Esme about it. 

Soon enough the conversation was completely forgotten and everyone began working.

Around 10:54am, Tommy decided it was the best time to walk in without looking at anyone and heading straight towards his office. No one bothered to talk to him, unless it was about the work. 

Isabella didn't fear Tommy, she was thankful for him and had respect towards him, but something about his presence made her shudder slightly. It was his power. He had the most power anyone could imagine during that time and no one believed it could grow. Being the leader of one of the biggest gangs in Britain wasn't an easy task.

Less than an hour later Finn came in. He looked at Isabella, she felt him staring but decided not to look back and carried on writing down the bets with John had messed up the day before.

"Finn, come here." Tommy shouted from his office. Finn huffed and puffed at this but trudged his way there, shutting the door behind him. "Last night, I had to practically carry you into someone else's house because for the past week you've been sat crying your eyes out in your own." Finn looked down at the floor taking a deep breathe. "Can you explain what actually happened?"

"I don't know." he muttered. Tommy leaned back in his chair, not taking his eyes off Finn. "I found a letter, I read it-"

"You can't read." Tommy interrupted

"I know that. I know" Finn replied, "I know a few words though don't I. Saying stuff about marriage and cute nicknames for Isabella and a load of bollocks."

"Did you speak to her about it?"

"Sort of."

"What did she say?"

"Said it's her friend, that Harold lad from the Circus. Something about him getting married to a lad and wanting her to go to the wedding." Finn replied.

"So why are you crying about that."

"We fell out, argued. Screaming at each other and I said some stuff and I was in the wrong. I don't know how to talk to girls, women, whatever." Finn complained. "She kicked off when I said she was acting like Sergio."

Tommy sighed again and looked at Finn shaking his head.

"Sergio is a horrible man. He never cared for Isabella you know that. She never had a family and now she does, don't fuck it up for her or your self." Tommy told him. "I chose you to marry her, not Michael. I wouldn't choose anyone else because you are a good lad. She needs someone to love her, be there for her and not be pissing about in illegal business 24/7. You need someone to love you, to wind you back from wanting to piss about and care for you. Apologise to her and don't fuck it up, okay?"

Finn nodded.

He stayed in Tommy's office for the rest of the day, helping out with writing bets and noting stuff Tommy says. Tommy liked the thought of having a secretary and decided to use Finn to see how he liked it.

Once it got to 5:30pm, everyone was leaving, earlier in the day Tommy told Isabella to wait to speak to Finn and she did. 

"Come back to ours if you want to but make sure you don't walk on your own. If you have to call Michael, John anyone for a lift. Im not having you walking in this dark, cold weather." Polly told Isabella, "See you soon."

"Bye Polly." Isabella said. She finished packing up the books Esme left out on the table and waited for Finn.

She didn't exactly know what she wanted to say to him. Part of her wanted to scream at him, hit him and kick him, make him regret what he said. She also wanted to tell him everything, what her father was like, what she went through. But she mostly just wanted to hear him say sorry, properly, and forgive him. She just craved for them to be the same again, back to loving each other all the time.

"Bella." Finn stood in the doorway between the shop and the house, Isabella turned and looked at him and he walked towards her slowly. "I'm sorry."

Isabella only looked at him for a second. She could tell by his voice he was truly sorry.

"What for?" she asked.

"For shouting." Finn replied and took a moment to take a deep breathe, "And for accusing you and Harold of getting married. And what I said about your father."

Isabella only hummed at him. Looking at him.

"You should've asked me about the letter, I would've read it to you."

"I know I just felt so angry, I thought you didn't love me and I just kept telling myself lies."

"I missed you Finn." she said. He put her arms around her pulling her close towards him, he held her as tight as he could and hoped he never had to let go. 

Isabella called Polly and told her she would be going home with Finn that night. She was happy to be back where she felt loved. Not that she wasn't loved at Polly's house, but she missed the love Finn had for her.