𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

60

Delilah ran her hand over the pile of paper in the betting den, writing down numbers. She finished the remains of liquid in her glass, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Pol, i've finished the count," she shouted out as she heard the door close. Delilah frowned when she got no response. "Polly?" she repeated. Her jaw dropped when she saw Arthur stood at the door, leaning against the door frame.

Delilah looked around, confused. "What the fuck.." she whispered.

She couldn't figure out if he was really alive or if he'd came to visit her. "Arthur, your dead.."

"No, Lilah" he laughed, picking the bottle of gin off the table and pouring a glass. "I'm very much alive,"

"How.."

"My death was a set up, to win over the vendetta. Tommy had to make everyone but Polly and Linda believe i was dead for us to win this war." He reached out to grab her shoulder, "im alive"

Delilah let out a soft laugh, practically jumping into his arms.

-

"Delilah," Lizzie began as Delilah walked out of the house on Watery Lane. "Hi, Lizzie" she greeted, hugging her coat to her body. "Can i talk to you?"

She frowned slightly, "yeah..come in"

Delilah back tracked into the house and led her into the kitchen, grabbing a glass. "Do you want a drink?" she asked. Lizzie stood, shaking her head.

"You might want to sit down, Lilah"

Delilah laughed slightly, "god this is serious?" she joked.

"Has your father spoke to you..about anything?"

"No, he hasn't. What's going on?"

"Delilah," Lizzie placed her hand over the younger girls, "I'm with child. And it's his."

Lilah tilted her head back, licking her bottom lip and thinking.
"Congratu-fucking-lations, are you keeping it?"

"I am. I'm having a girl, Delilah"

Her eyes lit up with excitement. "A girl?" she asked. Lizzie nodded. "That's amazing.."

Delilah was..happy..well as happy as she could be considering her father was having a third child with his third woman. She was annoyed that Lizzie told her and not Tommy.

-

Everyone sat in the large room of Tommy's house, drinking whilst music played in the background. Isiah had went to track down Delilah who had disappeared once again.

"Listen up" Tommy got everyone's attention. "Before we go and eat, i'd like to say a few words" he said. "Last time we were all here, it ended badly"

"Yeah" Arthur mumbled. "But now we're in a happier place. That's it, i'd just like to raise a toast" Tommy raised his glass.

"Hold on," Arthur stopped him. "A few words i want to say from the heart" Tommy nodded, allowing him to continue.

"And this time you're gonna let me finish, Tommy" he joked. "Now as you all know, Arthur Shelby is dead. Cause of that, Tommys offered me a way out, a new identity. Start a whole new life for myself and i've thought about it. Made a decision. I ain't fucking going nowhere"

Everyone laughed at his words.

"Our enemies are gone, dead, all of em, for the first time since me, my two kid brothers, Tommy and John. Enlisted in the Warwickshire Yeomanry, we have peace. So, i think i'd like to make a proposal, to all of you, the Shelby Company Limited, insist that Tommy here, takes some time off"

Lizzie looked up at Tommy.

"Time you took a holiday Tom. Put your feet up. Wars over. No one wants to kill us, maybe apart from Delilah, but eh, she's our girl. So, to peace" he raised his glass.

"To peace" they repeated.

"What ye doing out here?" Isiah asked, looking at Delilah who sat in the stables. "Just thinking," she said, stroking the horse. "About?"

"Things"

"Right..." he frowned, placing a hand on the wood. "Lizzies having a baby, a girl. Not sure how to feel."

"Are you not excited?"

"I am, i've always wanted a sister. It's just..it's as if he's forgotten about my mother. As if he's moved on from Grace with the click of a finger. And i know he can't live life being miserable and i don't want to sound selfish, but, he moves on so quick. As if the quicker he moves on, the quicker he'll forget about the past"

Isiah listened closely.

"And i'm sorry to bring it up, Siah, but even though i've moved on from Reggie, i've not forgotten about him."

-

The Shelby's picked up their voting paper, ticking the box that read Thomas Shelby. They all smiled, placing them into the box.

"Ronald Carr, Conservative, 3,412" The man spoke. "Bernard Hall, Liberal, 4,015. Micheal Ross, Communist, 6,406. Thomas Shelby, Labour Party, 47,564"

Cheers erupted from everyone and Delilah jumped up in excitement, throwing herself at her father.

He rubbed her back, putting her down and walked away, all of them following. He looked at Lizzie who stood at the bottom of the stairs, his young daughter, Ruby in her arms.

He smiled at her, picking her up.

Jessie Eden stood at the top of the stairs, mouth open. Lizzie sent a bitter smile at her, linking arms with Delilah as they walked away.

-
1 year later

"Delilah," Tommy called out, he grunted and stood at the bottom of the stairs. She appeared at the top. "What?"

"The car will be here tomorrow at ten, you'll get a boat to America from the Liverpool Docks at 1 in the afternoon"

She hummed and returned back to her room.

Tommy had decided to sent Delilah down to America for a while to make sure everything was going to plan, keep Micheal in line. He also decided to send her over to America in hopes she could carry out her dream of clothes design.

"I'm surprised my dad let you in here" She said to Isiah, folding clothes to place in a suitcase.

Isiah leaned back into the bed, smiling.

"Well, he wouldn't let me come to America with you so..."

"You asked him to come with?" She asked, eyebrows raised. He laughed, "are you mad, course i didn't. He'd kill me."

Delilah placed a hand on the suitcase, shaking her head. "How long will you be there for?" he questioned. Delilah shrugged. "A months, maybe a year?"

"I'm sure if i can convince him, Tommy will let you come over to America for a visit" she grinned, pulling him up by his hands and leaning in to kiss him.

"That's ridiculous" Isiah said, pushing her hair over her shoulder.