Madame Angel ~ A Thomas Shelby Story

Chapter Eighteen

This felt right to the two, the company of the other. Thomas wants to trust her; he really does so he caves a little to his desires. "I have a question." He begins. "My aunt Pol, she uh has her birthday in a few days. See she raised us as her own since we were little, and I think she deserves something big, so I got her a nice house with a pretty garden and lots of rooms." He started and Aurelias heart warmed at this side of him. "That sounds amazing, Thomas." She said genuinely. "But there's something else. Years ago, her daughter and son were taken from her, I'm thinking of finding them and bringing them home." He said and watched as Aurelia put her hand to her heart in shock and sympathy. "Oh, Thomas, I think she'll adore that." She spoke. "She will but her son Michael will still be a minor and more than likely his foster parents won't want him having anything to do with us so I'm asking you. What do I do?" He asks and Aurelia is surprised at his vulnerability and feels its only right to be just as vulnerable. "Well, if I was in her place, I would do anything including murder to get my child back and I'd have no remorse, either. Do with that what you will." It was dark but wholeheartedly the truth. Aurelia would ruthlessly kill anyone even the king myself to keep her daughter safe and with her.

Thomas could see that it was the truth, and it in fact did help him decide how to approach the situation with his aunt. "Well thank you for your honesty." Thomas says throwing a small wad of cash on the table. "C'mon Angel of London you need to get back to work." Thomas said getting up and walking over to her side of the table to help her up. He pulled out her chair and offered his hand to her which she gladly took and began walking with him to the door. "Oh, Miss Angel don't think I forgot these for you!" Mr. Abrams rushed to the cozy pair with a big pastry box tied by a thin string to keep it closed. "Oh! Mr. Abrams you're spoiling me and my girls." She teases in a faux warning. "Nonsense me dear! Now you two have a lovely day and do come back whenever you please." The old man said placing the box in her hands with a smile, Aurelia gives him a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much." She says and Thomas thanks the man for the good food as well before they head out. Thomas' hand on her lower back.

The girls were watching the two like hawks when they got back to the club, the men were doing their job but would nudge one of the girls here and there silently asking for gossip on their bosses. They had been at the bar, Aurelia having paperwork in front of her and Thomas on the phone. The band had just come in for rehearsal and Ricardo had his eye on the two. The way Thomas would periodically gaze at Aurelia while on the phone or when they would smile at each other; the way Thomas' brows would pull together when Aurelia started messaging her head from its aching. The room would even swoon when they lit each other's cigarettes, but Ricardo knew Aurelia, he didn't know Thomas. As far as Ricardo knew, Thomas could be trying to use Aurelia and he couldn't let that happen to his friend.

"Mi angelita (my little angel), how have you been doing today?" He goes up to Aurelia giving her a kiss on the cheek as they normally did. "Ricardo, I've been good." She sees him eye Thomas and the Brummie man returns the favor. "Ricardo this is Thomas Shelby, Thomas this is Ricardo Mantilla. Ricardo and his bad play for the club, Thomas is a business partner and friend of mine." Aurelia introduces the two, watching as they exchange a handshake still assessing one another. "Ricardo why don't you and the band play more of those new songs we didn't get to finish?" Ricardo sends a smile to Aurelia's suggestion before going with the band. "He's jealous." Thomas notes to her making her scoff. "He's married." She retorts. "Doesn't mean he's blind. You're beautiful and successful, he sees you every day. Suddenly, some new fucker walks through the front door, steals all your attention." Thomas says getting closer to her with every word. He reaches up and takes the pin out of her hair letting it all drape down her back in luscious curls. "He's jealous." Thomas says finitely, his eyes and hers keeping a tension they can feel in their chests squeezing down on their hearts in a delicious form of torture.

Aurelia takes a deep breath before breaking the gaze, her heart thumping ferociously. "He's just making sure you're not using me. I know when Ricardo is jealous, that wasn't it. And you don't steal all my attention." She said taking a drag of her cigarette. "Mm." Thomas hums taking her in, using all his strength to keep from running his hand through her long mess of dark curls he freed. "Thank you for the compliment though. You're not too bad to look at yourself, even with a bloody eye and a banged-up face." She grins as Thomas rolls his eyes a slight blush taking his cheeks. "Is my eye that bad?" He asks making light of the conversation. "It is." She laughs. "Damn, they were my best feature." He tsks making her laugh again which triggered his smile. "I don't know I think your smile is rather nice. But don't worry your eye will heal up in a few days." She admits the music in the background from the band was fast paced and matched the pace of their hearts until Thomas remembered that he had a home to get to and business to deal with.

He checked his pocket watch and saw that he should get going soon. "Going?" She asked keeping the bit of sadness locked away from her tone. "Seems so. We're having a grand opening of Arthurs pub in a little over a week. You should come." He says hoping she'd say yes. "In Birmingham?" She asked caught off guard slightly. "Yep. The Garrison. You could meet the last of us Shelby's, Ada will be there." He says trying to persuade her. "I'll think about it." She says even though she knows she can't. "I'll have a car come get you here and bring you back." He said as he stubbed out is cigarette. "I didn't say yes." She noted to him. "You didn't say no either." He notes back before going upstairs to get his things including the herb paste Aurelia made for him.

As soon as Thomas left out the front door of The Haven, Aurelia was swarmed by not just the girls but even the men from the band and security. "Well?!" Wendy asks on the edge of her seat. "What?" Aurelia asked. "How did the date with Mr. Shelby go, Miss?" Joseph, a blinder, asked. "It was not a date it was a 'thank you for patching me up' meal and that's all." She said stacking her paperwork that she finished. "But you like him, and he likes you!" Lilian said and the others agreed with her. "Oh, come off it! And go get ready for tonight, Dougie you're in charge again." She said walking to her office to file her work. "Miss this could be good for you! I mean we've never seen you be romantic with anyone, and we want you to be loved and happy!" Aurelia sighed and looked at her work family trying to contain a smile. Ricardo was listening from the stage as best he could and silently prayed God would protect Aurelia and her heart.

"I appreciate you all wanting me to be happy but even if Thomas and I did have feelings for each other, which we don't, it would be far more complicated than you think. Just please understand that I am happy as I am." She said, nearly begged, to her staff. "But you deserve to be loved, Aurelia. Someone to hold you at night and who will kill and be killed for you. Someone to grow old with and have children with." One of her girls, Janine, said. "And you all think that Thomas Shelby is that someone?" Aurelia crossed her arms and raised her brows while asking. "He could be. Even the most dangerous of men can love, Angel." Dougie said and Aurelia was surprised he agreed with them. "Back to work I'll see you all tomorrow." She said softly putting her coat on. They all sighed in defeat, but Aurelias head ran wild with their opinion and her own thoughts as she walked out the door.