𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

34

Tommy hesitantly looked at the ringing phone before picking it up, staying silent. "Tommy?" a female voice asked. "It's me"

Grace.

"Tommy can you hear me?" she asked, "Yes, Grace" he whispered, "I think you called Tommy, i haven't slept"

"Grace, this is not a good time"

"I can call you back" she offered, "No, it's fine. It's all right"

"Can we meet?" she asked. "Yes, we'll meet" he nodded along. "When?" she asked. "Grace there are some things i have to do first" he informed her.

-

"John" Tom asked, walking through the house. "The coppers have lifted ten of our men in Camden Town, the rest are on the run" he said.

"They've taken Micheal" Finn interrupted. "And Isaiah" Lottie appeared, coming from upstairs.

She looked a mess, she hadn't slept.

"Business first" Tommy said. "They took Micheal-" Pol walked in, looking at him, "I said business first" Tom shouted, causing both Finn and Lottie to jump.

"John?"

"They took all our whiskey, so they'll be sipping that for Christmas, they've impounded all our vans, put their own locks on the warehouse." John listed. "The eden club and all our pubs have been raided by the coppers, and handed back to Sabini and Solomons"

Lottie picked at her nails anxiously.

"The Black Country boys think it was Arthur that killed Billy. So no more free passes for our whiskey boats"

"Fuck the whiskey boats" Lottie spoke up, "Can we not focus on getting Arthur, Micheal and Siah out?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"Yeah i don't give a fuck about whiskey, i don't care about Billy Kitchen, i want my son out of prison, now" Polly said.

"I spoke to Johnny Doggs" Esme said. "This meeting should just be family" Pol stopped her.

"Christ sake Polly she is family" Lottie shouted. "Let her talk for fucks sake"

"I can help" Esme nodded.

"She's not blood Tommy"

"Let her speak" Tommy agreed. Polly continued shouting and Tommy raised his hand. "Enough"

"Enough, Polly. Esme?"

"I spoke to Johnny, the lees are kin" she said. "The bloody Lees!" Polly shouted. Lottie held her head, plugging her ears.

"They can give us men" Esme argued. "We don't need more fucking men!"

"It's men that have don't the damage, it is men fighting like cockerels that have put us her in the first place"

"Esme, we'll take up their offer. We need men"

Everyone stayed quiet as Polly stepped closer to Tommy. "If Micheal ever gets out of prison, i am taking his away from this family. For good"

"Polly, it was Micheal who chose to stay. He knew what he was getting into the second he decided to work for Tom" Lottie shook her head.

"This life, is bad." she grabbed Finns arm. "This life is all bad" Polly left, taking Finn with her.

"What is she achieving by taking Finn" Lottie laughed loudly at her Aunts actions, "does she think she's done something by doing that?"

"Thomas" Esme asked as Tommy sat down. "Should i go speak to Queen Mary Lee at the black patch?"

Esme looked between John and Tommy.

"Yes."

"She can give us soldiers for a few nights"

"Good" Tommy hummed. "John" Esme looked down at her husband, "go bring up the car"

John sniffed, grabbing his cap and leaving.

"Imagine riding away Thomas" she leaned forward, "living the real life, you know? Your Gypsy half is the stronger. You just want to ride away"

"France is a new place for us they say" she nodded, "Lottie, you can go, raise the baby in France"

Lottie swallowed hard.

"Lot of metal lying around still" she told them, "guns and trucks and spent shells and things"

"Then you go south, Saintes-Maries. Where the Black Madonna is"

Tommy stared at Esme, taking in her words. "My brothers go sometimes for the fair Thomas, it's like a home for us"

"They still let you get lost there."

Lottie stared at Esme, hiding her grin. She was going mad, she was sure of it. All of the Shelby boys, minus Finn, had already been to France, spent five years there.

"I've been to France, Esme, so had John. Now get your coat and go with your husband"

He grabbed her chin making Lottie watch more carefully.

"If you ever talk about getting lost again, i'll cut you from this family" he threatened. Lottie stayed out of it. She looked around.

"What family?"

Lottie stood, pushing her chair away. "Come on Esme, out" she huffed, crossing her arms. Esme gave her a look.

Lottie was not going to let someone like Esme say something like that to her brother.

"You need to go rest, Lott" He looked at her. She shook her head. "Isaiah," was all she said.

"I'll deal with it Lottie" was what he said.

Thomas Shelby's famous words. I'll deal with it. But how long would it take for him to deal with it.

-

Lottie walked through the small hallway of the prison, passing a distraught Polly on her way out. "Lottie where are you going" she asked. "I need to talk to someone"

"Lottie, no, stay away from Inspector Campbell" she warned.

Lottie rolled her eyes, walking away and out of Polly's sight. And there he was, beside a copper talking.

"You bastard" she hissed. He turned to her. "Lottie Shelby, what do i owe the-"

Her hand collided with his face. The copper placed a hand in front of her, pushing her back. "Get off me i'm fucking pregnant" she hissed and he reluctantly took his hand away from her.

"Isaiah did nothing," she inched closer to Inspector Campbell. "Your trying to take him away from me and his child." she added. "I am not having my baby grow up without a father." She shouted.

"If anything, and i mean anything happens to Isaiah, i will cut you up until there is nothing left to cut" she threatened. "And that's not a threat, Campbell, it's a promise"

She turned away, walking back the way she came, her heels tapping along the floor.