𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

59

Lizzie and Linda walked up to where Johns body lay, placing roses beside it. "We're like sitting ducks here if the wops come" Finn told Charlie.

Lottie stared out at the field, her breath hitching.

"Yeah well Tommy said we should do it out in the open."

Lottie wiped underneath her eyes, placing a rose down. "Till we meet again, brother" she whispered, stepping away, keeping her distance from Tommy.

"This is how John wanted to go. On the smoke, and the truth is, we died together once before. Arthur, me, Danny Whiz-Bang, Freddie Thorne, Jeremiah. And John" he spoke.

Lottie kept her hand on Isaiah's arm, holding him.

"We were cut off from the retreat, no billets left, waiting for the Prussian cavalry to come finish us off. And while we waited, Jeremiah said we should sing in the bleak midwinter" he nodded. "But we were spared, the enemy never came. And we all agreed, that everything after that was extra. And when our time came we would all remember"

"You'd remember that God spared you" Polly's lip trembled. "But what did you do with that extra time that he gave you, eh, Thomas?"

He ignored her and helped Arthur light the wood on fire. Lottie held back a sob, watching as it went up in flames.

Isaiah rubbed her back.

Through the smoke, she saw a man in the trees, staring at them. She squinted, trying to see if she recognised him.

Suddenly a shot fired, everyone dropped to the floor.

"At ease, at ease" Tommy shouted. "Do not return fire" he said. "I repeat, do not return fire. Stand down"

Polly looked around.

"The men doing the firing, are on our side. I took the trouble of getting an invitation to Aberama Gold"

"Ah fuck, now it's begun" Johnny whispered.

"You put us out in the open on purpose" Polly said. "You bastard, you used Johns funeral as a fucking beacon" Lottie raised her voice.

"We were never in any danger, Lott" Arthur said. "You set a trap" Polly shouted.

"Finn. Go to the yard and light the fires" Tommy said.

"You set a trap with us as fucking bait" Polly shouted. "Who is dead?" she asked. "Our enemies, Pol"

"Who's dead?" she asked again. "You wanna know Pol? Two fucking Italians who heard about the vendetta, trying to make a fucking name for themselves, that's who"

"We got word to them, about the funeral" Arthur nodded. "the where, the when..told em where to stand for the best shot"

"And Aberama Gold will do the rest" Tommy nodded toward the two people on horses, approaching. "That's the language of Vendetta"

"They take one of ours, we take two of theirs"

"You used your own brothers funeral" she spat. "When did we vote on this, Tommy?" she asked.

"Curly get the boat ready to take the bodies to the city. And another for anyone who wants no more part of this" he shouted. "Cause this is how it's gonna be"

Lottie stepped forward, standing an inch from his face. "Go to fucking hell, Tommy" she hissed.

"We're already there, Lottie" he stepped closer to her. "Already fucking there" he shouted. Isaiah pushed his shoulder back. "You get away from me" Lottie said. "Now" she said.

-

Lottie sat, a glass of red wine beside her, a pistol in her left hand. She checked the bullets in it and sighed.

"The fuck are you doing with that?" Isaiah asked, walking through the dining room. "Might as well shoot myself before Luca Changretta can do it" She said, half joking. "Your drunk" he pointed.

"I'm also a brother down, Siah" she nodded, "lost me fucking brother"

"Dunno what to do with myself" she whispered. "Fucking give me that" he huffed, snatching it from her hand. "The last thing i want is your brains being scattered all over the walls" he said.

He grabbed her face. "Get up"

She did an looked into his eyes. "Get it together, Lottie. I understand it's hard at the moment. But think about the baby, think about Rory, yeah?" he held her face.

"I need you to be okay, we need you to be okay" he shook her slightly. "But that can't happen if you go fucking your self up"

"There's only a few weeks left, then we will have a baby boy, Lott" he whispered. "Do it for John,"