Aurelia Cruz is a well respected club owner and madame in London, but she has things she holds very sacred and sacred things that hold her.
Thomas Shelby is a Birmingham gangster making his way up in the business world, and is trying to expand busin...
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Aurelia made it home late, no later than normal but still rather late. She saw Elizabeth asleep on her couch and smiled at the young girl. She draped the blanket that was on the back of the couch over the sleeping girl and took off her shoes, even when dead tired Aurelia is motherly. Aurelia walked over to her daughter's room and peaked through the door. The sight of her little light in a deep sleep brought a wide smile to the single mother's face. A little twitch of her fingers and the deep breaths of slumber, no worries in her little head. The sight made every bit of life worth living for Aurelia.
She backed out of her baby's room leaving the door open just a crack and gingerly walked down the hall to her own room. The Latin businesswoman took her heels off with a sigh of relief and peeled her stalking's off her alabaster legs and throwing them on top of her shoes in a careless manner. She started removing her accessories and hair pins as she moved to the bathroom. She placed the jewelry, pins and her headband into a dish with others from similar nights. This night was different though, wasn't it?
For a moment she thought back to Thomas Shelby, his icy eyes trailing her, studying her tonight as she mingled and worked the room. 'He was surely interesting, the mysterious gangster type.' She thought to herself. 'Owning every room he was in and if he didn't already own it, he will eventually.' As Aurelia started drawing a bath for herself, she remembers how he didn't flinch when she stabbed through her former customers hand. He wasn't surprised, or at least didn't show it, he rather looked impressed. Aurelia stopped her thoughts there, not just about the Brummie gangster but about anything in general as she let her pretty dress fall. The light airy sound of the fabric hitting the floor being the only sound in the room.
The light swish of warm water as aurelia steps into the metal tub follows the fall of her dress. She fully laid in the metal tub a small table next to it with soap, a jar, cigarettes, and a box of matches splayed nicely. A small towel hanging over the edge of the tub was now half wet, so Aurelia grabs the bar of soap and rubs it into the semi wet cloth, scrubbing the day and night off her body. Once she's cleaned and rinsed, she sat back and let one hand dry over the edge of the tub before grabbing her cigarettes and matches.
There she sat and smoked, quiet and calm as her mind pushed and pulled thoughts around like a game. And when cautious lazuline eyes made an appearance in her mind she scoffed out a laugh and shook her head like someone told a bad joke. She took a last drag of her cigarette before putting it out on the side of the tub. "Nice try." She spoke to herself getting out of the now cold water and pulling the drain cork. She dried herself off and put on a clean sleep gown, not bothering with the trail of clothes going from her room to her tub as she brushed her teeth and made her way to bed. Exhaustion taking over first then came the merciless nightmares.
She was back in that house, instantly her heart started beating uncontrollably. Aurelia was about to dash for the door when she heard a small "Momma?" She instantly turned and saw her little girl in the hallway. "Marianna? What are you doing here? We need to go, bebe, okay? Come on." She said going to take her daughters hand and run away with her as far as she could get from this house. "You two aren't going anywhere, Aurelia." The voice of the beast made way to her ears through the pounding of her heart. "No. no no no no." Aurelia held her daughters' hand and shut her eyes, starting to will for him to go away.
"Oh yes yes yes, my darlin'." She heard his twistedly amused tone say. His presence closer and she still refused to look at him. "Open your eyes. Look at me, Aurelia." He tried to coax stroking her hair. "Marianna, run." Aurelia said to her daughter letting the little girls hand go. "Run, Marianna!" She yelled at her; eyes still shut. She heard her baby whimper, scared before the fast and small thumping of her feet sounded. "Get back here you brat!" She heard her estranged husband scream and in fear that he will grab at her daughter she opened her eyes and pushed him away from her little girl.
Steven was just as she remembered him, filled with anger and hatred. He grabbed Aurelia by her upper arms and threw her to the floor. She quickly looked to make sure Marianna wasn't around to see what was happening and when she saw no signs of her daughter a sliver of relief wedged its way into her chest. It was quickly taken away when Steven pushed her onto her back and got on top of her. Aurelia put her hands up, to fight him off or to shield from his abuse she didn't know which (perhaps a mixture of both). "You wretched bitch. Did you think I wouldn't find you?! Huh?! That I wouldn't find out about the girl?!" He asked yelling into Aurelia's face, spit escaping through his speech due to his seething anger. When she didn't answer she received a slap. She began to sob through erratic breaths.
"Wake up, Aurelia." She begged herself. "Please, please wake up. This isn't real just wake up." She continued to plea with her mind. The feeling of his hands around her throat started making her thrash. "No, wake up!" She practically screamed at herself. His grip started to tighten and tighten, and she started to scratch at his arms gasping for breath. She dug her nails into his skin, provoking blood from each scratch and puncture wound she created but Steven was determined. "You're .....n-not.....re-......real." She said looking him in the eye, but he just smiled and leaned close to her; his grip keeping air from her lungs. "Then why are you afraid, darlin'?" He asked with a sinister smile before tightening his grip once more on her throat, surely the grip that would kill her.
Aurelia woke up gasping for air and grabbing at the faux hands around her neck. She had always suffered in silence with nightmares. She never stirred much nor made a noise, but her heart pounded, her body would have the thinnest bit of sweat, and her breathing changed. How she woke up would really tell that she had a horrible dream. She looked around and realized she was at home, her real home not that damn house. She sighed in relief and laid back in her bed putting her hands over eyes before trailing them up into her hair. "Fuck off, Steven." She whispered to herself as she attempted to calm her heart and breath. Once she had control of herself again, she fell back asleep, the nightmares decided to have mercy on her and let her sleep peacefully till morning.
