𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃, ⁱˢⁱᵃʰ ʲᵉˢᵘˢ

29

Micheal stood hesitantly at the phone in the hall of Ada's house before picking it up, breathing heavily. "My name is Smith," he lied as the person on the other end picked up. "My girlfriend is pregnant, and uh, we'd like you to help us." he said. "We need to fix a date"

Ada sat, signing a piece of paper beside Polly. "Welcome to Shelby Company Limited" Polly smiled. "Shelby Company Limited" Ada repeated. "Limited and unarmed"

The door opened, Micheal returning to them.

"Micheal would you like to welcome Ada, our new Head of Property and Acquisitions." Polly looked up at her son.

"Congratulations" he sighed. "Where do i sign?"

Polly handed the paper over and he cleared his throat. "Ada, have you got, um, whiskey?" he asked. "Yeah, Tommy" she mocked.

He stood straight.

"I've already told him, becoming too like his cousin" Polly whispered. "I thought that was the idea" he chimed in.

"Yeah, Tommy but with a bit more fucking charm and class"

He sipped the whiskey. "Hm, that'll help" Ada said sarcastically. "Yep, where am i sleeping, Ada?"

"Micheal" Polly started.

"The room next to Karl's" Ada sighed. "Micheal" Polly repeated. "Good night" he said, closing the door behind him and ignoring Polly.

"Heartbroken, poor love" Ada said.
Ada sighed, biting her lip. She let a few moments pass by before speaking once more.

"So, how should we celebrate"

"Well with Micheal in bed i thought i might go for a little drive" Pol told her niece. "A drive? Where are you gonna drive..Polly?"

"Things have begun to develop with the man who is painting my portrait" she admitted. "Polly" Ada leaned forward. "It's when you stand there in the dress, Ada, you just find yourself talking about every little thing"

"And have you.."

"No" Polly shook her head, Ada hummed. "Not yet"

"But he called me two nights ago to say that the portrait was finished. I said that i'd go there in the morning. But he said no, he wanted me there tonight"

She pulled her coat over her shoulders. "Ada you don't breath a fucking word of this to the boys"

"Okay, but is he nice to you?" she laughed. "No, no i mean it Ada. Keep quiet"

"Is he rich?"

"His friends wrote the papers, Ada, Tommy would try and close him down"

"So go"

"He's like a tiny bird pecking at you, and i think he's given up on me." Polly said. Ada sighed, "So bloody go"

Polly nodded and grabbed her bag.

"Why should the boys have all the fun?" She winked, causing Ada to chuckle.

-

Florence walked from the Garrison, hugging her clothes to her body as the cold air burnt her skin. She looked up at the dark sky, sighing. Florence walked on the darker side of the path? watching her steps.

"Oi," someone shouted. She turned hesitantly, looking at a boy who stood on the wall. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Was about to ask you the same thing" he said, throwing his cigarette on the floor and standing on it. "What's it to you" she frowned. "Well i think your gorgeous"

"I'm flattered" she said sarcastically, going to turn away but stopping when he grabbed her wrist. She looked up, trying to take a deep breath. "Let go" she looked at him.

"I only want to talk"

"Yeah, well, i don't want to talk to you" Florence squinted. He laughed at her, pushing her up against the wall. "I'm giving you five seconds to let go of me" She warned. "Or what, eh?" he asked. "Or i'll hand Thomas Shelby a bullet with your name engraved on it" she whispered.

"Tommy Shelby doesn't scare me," he mocked.

Florence nodded slowly, reaching carefully for the knife she had tucked in her waist band. His hand grabbed it first, placing it on her face. "No," he laughed. "Don't" he hissed.

"See, you Shelby's think you run the city" he began. "We do" she said cockily. "And i'm not a Shelby, i'm a Gray" she corrected.

"Polly's daughter" he nodded. "Well, one day you are all going to burn to the ground, with this hell of a city"

"I'm certain we will" She agreed. "Now are you going to use that knife or?"

The boy slowly pointed it toward her stomach, pressing lightly. "Go on, do it, don't be a coward" she taunted. In reality, she didn't care if the boy did stab her, she wanted to see him do it. Florence wasn't scared.

"You can't do it, can you?" she asked. "I can" he stuttered.

"Go on" she teased. "Fucking do it"

The boy cringed as he pressed harder, slowly piercing her skin. She gasped, looking up. He pushed it further, his eyes wide when blood began pouring.

"Well done, Joseph" she whispered. "How do you know my name" he asked, stepping back.

"Does that really matter? You've just stabbed me, you won't live till Friday"

The boy scurried off and she gasped again, placing her hand around the skin and walking as quick as she could to the den, picking up the phone.

She dialled Tommys number.

"Hello?" he asked. "Tom, i've ran into some trouble" she winced as the sat on the chair. "I need your help, i'm in the betting den"

"What's happened?"

"Tommy don't ask questions just come help me"

"I'm with Isiah, we'll be there" he said before the line went dead.

She grabbed a bottle of booze that sat on the table, chugging it. Tommy and Isiah soon burst through the door.

"What the fuck happened to you" Isiah asked, looking at her clothes which were slowly becoming blood soaked.

She scoffed. "I don't like stupid questions"

Tommy kneeled down. "Who?" he asked. "Joseph Roberts, lives on Garrison lane" she said, wincing as he pulled her shirt up slightly.

He quickly grabbed a cloth from the kitchen, taking the booze and soaking it. "Right, this is going to hurt, Isiah, hold her down" he looked at the boy. Isiah stood behind the chair, wrapping his arms around the front of her shoulders.

Tommy carefully pulled the small knife from her stomach and she screamed in pain, grabbing Isiah's arms. The boy cringed, closing his eyes.

Tommy then held the cloth over the wound and she hissed, covering her mouth. "Mum and Micheal can not know about this" she told the two. "And i mean it, they can not know."