The Queen Of Small Heath

Meeting In The Woods.

Auroras POV

A week later.

"I'll race you." John challenges me as we ride round the edge of the field we've just been hunting. "Where to?" I question, mapping out the field. "Back to the woods." John says. "You're on." I smirk. "3...2...1. Go!" John says taking on but I'm quick on his heel. The thing about John is he isn't the most experienced rider, nor did he plan his course, meaning instead of going diagonally round a bush, he went up to it then had to go up the length to get around.

I laugh, jumping the bush, and riding off, all the way to the outline of the woods, beating John by a good sixty meters. "You cheated." He states. "It's not my fault you don't know how to jump. Nor did you think of going diagonally." I retort. "Only you and Tom can do that, see." John points, noticing Tommy jump over the bush while the rest of the group go around.

"Who do you think taught him?" I ask wiggling my eyebrows making John chuckle. "John boy, why would even think that was a good idea?" Tommy questions coming to a stop next to us. "I don't do things because they're good ideas, I do things because they're fun." John replies. "Even if it means getting your arse handed to you by your bestie." I smirk as we trot on. "Oh, shut up." John retorts. "She's not wrong." Tommy tells him.

******

Tommys POV

"Oi! Arthur, John, baby, Finn. Over here." I call. "Alright, what is it?" Arthur asks as we sit down by the fire and Aurora sits next to me, wrapping her arms around one of mine to warm herself up. "This letter, says that dad is dead." I tell them before passing the paper to Arthur. "He was in Boston, a club called the Mickey Free. Two men waiting in an alley. He was shot twice." I inform them as Arthur hands the letter to John.

"Who's Rosie Rice?" John questions. "Probably some fucking whore." Arthur grumbles. "She is a woman who took the trouble to write to us." Tommy says as Aurora takes the paper from John, not bothering to look at it as she holds it out to Finn. Finn shakes his head so she throws it into the fire.

"She wanted us to know that during the night, while he was dying, he asked for our forgiveness. Including you, Ror." I tell them and she scoffs. "The only thing he ever taught us was how to kill and cut a stag. Finn, John, probably won't remember." I say. "I remember. Cannock Chase, parked up at a pub called the Griffin. He got drunk and sang 'Silver Dagger' about a hundred times." John says.

"Yeah, one weekend. One weekend he was like that." Arthur grunts. "The stag is to remember him. We eat and then we forget him. No need to forgive him, agreed?" I ask and they all nod. "John, I have to say this, you can name the new baby after him if you'd like-" I start. "No." John shuts me down instantly. "Arthur, I won't even ask. So his name dies, it's been in the family a long time, now it's gone." I say.

"Alright, that's done. Fuck him." Aurora says, raising a bottle of whiskey to her lips. "I can drink to that." Arthur chuckles, taking the bottle. "Before we cook and eat, there's some business." I tell them. "Boys!" Aurora waves the rest of the group over. "I wanted to say this out here 'cause I don't trust the maids in the house. There's gonna be a robbery." I tell them all.

"It's two hours work. A bit of grease in your cuffs, that's it." I say standing over a map of the Lancashire factory. "Tommy, should I really be here for this?" Michael questions. "Aurora cleared it with Polly Michael, there's no way around it, we need you to know." I reply.

"Who the fuck wants to buy twenty-seven stole armoured cars?" Charlie asks. "A foolish man." I answer. "And how much is this foolish man paying?" Michael asks. "175,000. Cash, diamonds and sapphires. So that's twenty for you, Charlie." I tell him.