𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

50

Coppers dragged Michael, John and Arthur from their cells. John resisted, putting up a fight.

"I'm John Shelby" he laughed, moving along. Michaels eyes landed on Arthur through the door. "Micheal" He shouted. "Arthur"

"John" Arthur shouted.

Polly was dragged through to the cellar, she stares at the rope, panic filling her.

All three of the boys froze when they saw the ropes in front of them. Micheal struggled to move as they dragged him.

John swallowed hard as they tightened the rope around his neck.

Michaels breath increased.

"In the bleak midwinter" Arthur whispered. The priest whispers prayers. John kept his eyes closed, trying to remain calm.

The man held the lever that would drop the floor beneath them, turning as another man screamed "Wait"

-
24th December 1924

Delilah excitedly waltzed throughout the house, placing presents underneath the tree in the drawing room. "Morning," Tommy said, taken back at her presence.

"Good morning" she said happily.

"You're up early," he acknowledged. "I know," she sighed. "It's Christmas eve, am i not allowed to be excited?" Delilah asked.

He smiled, shaking his head. "You're nineteen,"

"So?"

-

"We thought we lost you to the great white way of Broadway" John said to ada, placing his hat on the table. "No" she sighs. "Well, this beats Watery Lane, John" she glanced around the room.

"Does it?" he asked. "Here take a seat i'll grab the kids"

"No it's alright" she said, "not stopping, just wanted to drop those presents off for tomorrow. I don't want words on Christmas Eve"

"Youse still coming to the party on New year's eve?" he asked.

"Yeah who else is coming" Ada asked. Esme appeared at the door. "Arthur, Linda-"

"Hello Esme" Ada sighed. "Who paid for your car and driver, Ada?" she asked, leaning on the door.

John sighed, sipping his drink.

"Shelby Company Limited"

"Nice car, treats you well, his last little pet " Esme huffed.

"Look this visit is meant for making things all right" Ada looked away. "John had a rope around his neck, he shit himself"

"All right, Esme, that'll do yeah" he stopped her.

"Go on go in the kitchen" John said to Esme. She walked over to Ada. "Take the cars back to the money" she hissed.

Esme walked out.

"Anyway, there's your presents" Ada sighed. "How's Arthur?" Ada asked.

"Uh, for Christmas get him a sewing kit." John sighed. "So he can sew his fucking balls back on"

-

John dug through his post, opening a card. "Merry Christmas, Luca Changretta" it said. It was a black hand.

He picked up the phone.

"Arthur," he said "Have you checked your post?" he asked. "I just got served the black hand" he said. "I just got delivered a black fucking hand to the house, from Luca Changretta"

"Jesus" Arthur whispered. Ada looked from Linda to Arthur. "Wait a minute john, which one's Luca?" he asked.

"The old man's only son. He was gonna get done for killing a bank clerk in a robbery, so his old man sent him back to New York. You know what the black hand means among the wops Arthur"

"Its Mafia shit"

"The Sicilian fucking Mafia. Just check your post Arthur"

"Did you say Mafia?" Esme asked. "Esme, i need to make a call" He told her. "No" she said. "I need to make a fucking call"

She shoved him out the way, grabbing the card of the counter.

"What the fuck is this?"

He chased after her. "Give me it" he shouted. "Not until you tell me what the fuck it is"

"Give me it"

"What is it?" she asked. "It's from Luca Changretta, Arthur killed his dad"

"I remember" she nodded, "it was tommy who killed him"

"It was fuckin..Arthur pulled the trigger" John shouted. "All right, it was mercy but it was Arthur"

"Anyway it makes no fucking difference" he said. "For the Wops it's family. The black hand came here" he told her. "Everybody will have got one"

"They're coming for us all"

-

Delilah searched through the post for anything important. She sorted them into two piles. What she thought was business letters and Christmas Cards. She tilted her head at a certain envelope.

Lilah looked to see if anyone was in the hall and carefully opened it.

"Merry Christmas, Luca Changretta"

Her heart dropped when she looked at the black hand stamp on the right side of the card. She closed it, thinking. The black hand? Kill or be killed.

Lilah bit her lip, unsure of what to do.

She hastily entered the office, standing in front of the desk. "You need to see this," Delilah swallowed, placing it in front of him.

Tommy looks at the card then at Delilah. He raised his eyebrows, picking it up.

"Fuck," he whispered.