𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝟏𝟗

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗

Maeve held onto Ada's hand, watching as she looked at the floor sadly. She soon looked up when Tommy began talking.

"I promised my friend Freddie Thorne, that i'd say a few words over his grave if her were to die before me" he began. "I made this promise, before he became me brother in law" he nodded, "when we were in France, fighting for the king."

"Amen" Arthur said. Maeve shook her head and let out a light breath.

"And in the end, it wasn't war that took Freddie, pestilence took him. But Freddie passed on his soul and his spirit to a new generation," Tommy said, "before he was cruelly taken."

Light chatter began as people placed down flowers, saying their final goodbyes.

"We thought now Freddie's gone, you might come back to Birmingham." he suggested to Ada as they walked away.

"God do you know how funny it is that you've got chauffeurs in uniform." she scoffed.

"Just for the occasion Ada." He looked away. "Do you know how unfair it is that you've got four Bugatti's but half the country are starving?" She retorted.

"So now they've made you ashamed of us?" he questioned, "When i think how i used to be, it makes me embarrassed" she admitted.

"Karl!" Maeve scolded when she saw Karl and one of John's kids taking flowers off another grave. Karl looked up at her with a cheesy grin and offered her the flowers. Maeve lowered her shoulders. "It's hard to be angry at you," she admitted, accepting them and grabbing his hand, dragging him to the grave he'd stolen off.

As she began placing them down, an older man cleared his throat. "I only put them there the other day.." he said angrily.

"Well i'm putting them back, he nicked them. They're all there, perfectly fine." She said bluntly, squeezing Karl's hand to stop herself from swearing at the man.

"Karl's with his cousins," Polly interrupted, joining Ada and Tommy. "Caught them trying to pinch flowers off a grave. Ada," Polly began, "are you coming home."

"I'm going home." Ada said coldly. "It's all right Pol, we make Ada embarrassed." Tommy tormented.

"That's not what i said."

"There's another reason we want you home," he argued, "we're planning on expansion. I'm taking premises in London."

"It's a funeral, business can wait" Polly said. "Polly, if Ada was weeping then i'd stop, but she's not." Tommy argued.
"The expansion means it'll be dangerous for a Shelby in London for a while."

"Yeah" Ada nodded. "Well i'm not a Shelby anymore, and i'm not a Thorne now either" she whispered. "I'm free."

"I've got to get Karl home," she excused herself. Tommy exhaled. "I told you, let me handle it." Polly said. "It's all right, i'll have some men watch her house till the danger passes." They watched as a bike approached.

"Till the danger passes," she repeated. Arthur began walking to them."That'll be the bloody day." she scoffed.

"Dad..dad," Maeve rushed to him, "someone's blew up the Garrison."

-

The Shelby cars drove through Small Heath, toward the Garrison. They all got out, staring at the pub that had been blown up. Their eyes examined the ruins of the pub.

"Who's done this to my pub." Arthur hissed. They all stared at it. Maeve stepped out of the car, staring at the remains of the Garrison.

Polly and Tommy approached the pub. "It happened at exactly 7 am," Moss told them. "Nobody saw anything, our patrols were not in the area, Mr Shelby, do you have any idea who might have done it?"