𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝟑𝟓

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟓

"What do you mean?" Maeve hissed in a panic, pacing the office that John sat in.  "I mean that what you've done probably isn't going to go down well with Tommy or Aunt Pol. I'm just saying," he said, looking down at a newspaper.

She held the bridge of her nose and sighed. "It's not my fault, alright?"

"I'm not saying it is your fault- incoming." He warned, nodding toward Polly who was heading for the office. Maeve leaned against the wall behind John's chair.

He put his feet on the table. "Did we run Kempton yesterday or not?" He asked, trying to avoid the topic of what Maeve had done. "Danny Lee got drunk," Polly glared at Maeve, "injected the horses with cocaine and then decided to share it with his cousins."

"Jesus Christ." John whispered.

"It's your brother in law. Tell Esme to speak to him about it." She paused, "look, before I start- I don't want either of you to do anything about this."

"About what?" John asked.

Polly looked at him. "You can get out. This is about Maeve an i'm not having you try and justify her actions."

"John stays." Maeve said quickly, afraid to be alone with her Aunt. John shrugged, "she's saying that i stay, what Maeve wants, i'll do. That's how it's always been."

Polly raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? Okay you're being serious. Vincent Changretta's son. The one Lizzie was stepping out with."

John blew smoke from his cigar, "what, Angel?"

"John i'm talking to Maeve." Polly reminded him. He shrugged, "and i'm talking to you?" He said, waiting for her to continue. "He's no bigger than two pence worth of change," Maeve said to them both.

"We'll he heard you threatened him directly to shoot him in the knees and now he's going round Nechells telling everybody he's gonna kill ya." Polly stated, "this is Lizzie's fault to start with. Tommys for leaving it up to you lot."

"What're you talking about? We run London, alright we run the North and the whole fucking country. What do we care about some Nechells Green eye-ties?" John questioned.

"We don't need to be getting involved in all these little piss pots."

"What does dad say?" Maeve finally spoke, crossing her arms. Polly looked at her, "that's why i'm here and not him. If he said it, there'd be a fight. He says, apologise."

John stopped writing and stared at the desk in confusion. Maeve pushed herself off the wall. "He fucking said what?"

"We own the city but we don't need to rub everybody's noses in it. If the old man decides to make a stand he might get Sabini feeling sentimental."

"Sabini is done." Maeve said, "they're all done. They all pay up. But we don't want rebellions." Polly leaned forward.

John let out a breath. "Right..what does Tommy say?"

"Tommys busy, he left me in charge." Polly said. Maeve grew frustrated, "and what did you say?" She asked. Polly leaned back, "compromise." Her words caused both of them to snigger.