Devil's Backbone (A Peaky Blinders Fanfiction)

Chapter 33

"You said she'd talk to me" Rose spat furiously at the man as he paced his office.

"I can't control what she is going to do" The man replied "Give her time"

"You were suppose to take care of her after I'd gone, you promised she would be looked after" Rose continued to rant at the man "But she wasn't was she, she has ended up with those people"

"Rose I said I would do my best for her and I did" the man sat behind his desk and lifted a file off the tray "As I promised Charles is dead..."

"Not by your hand though, by his" Rose frowned "The man you said was dangerous, it doesn't look like Anastasia is in any danger from him"

"Oh she is, your daughter is in great danger while she is with those people" The man handed the file to Rose "These are the enemies of those people"

Rose turned each age and studied the men in the pictures "All of these men?"

"Every single one" The man spoke calmly "They all want her dead and do you want to know why? Because she is married to that scoundrel of a man...because she is the wife of Thomas Shelby"

"But he loves her" Rose replied gently as Tommy's face was the last face in the file.

"Their relationship is wrong, wrong on so many levels. They were raised as siblings, yet the Shelby's allowed a relationship to develop between them. A dark twisted..." The man spoke bitterly.

"But they are not siblings" Rose looked angry "There is nothing incestuous about their relationship so don't you dare judge it as a sin. They found eachother"

"So you don't want my help?" The man yelled and Rose cowered a little.

"Of course" Rose nodded "I'm sorry I just don't see why you..."

"She came in here and held a gun to my head because he told her to" The man revealed.

"A gun?" Rose was shocked "Why, why would she do this?"

"Because he has her" the man snarled "he has her so far in his grip she is willing to do anything he wishes"

"What do we do?"

"We release her from his grip, take her away from this place" the man replied and Rose just stared.

Before she can reply there is a knock on the door "Major Campbell there is a telephone call for you, it's from London" Major Campbell nods and picks up the telephone...

×××××××××

"Has he slept?" Polly asked as she returned home from Shelby Ltd with some money.

"Not for 3 days, he hasn't eaten either" Ada replied as she wrapped William in a blanket and put him into his pram "He just sits there, not a word"

"You take William for a walk, it's nice in the sun" Polly touched Ada's arm "A baby shouldn't be trapped in a house full of negative engery"

Ada nods and pushes Williams pram towards the door. Polly waits for a few moments then removes her outdoor clothes and head towards Tommy and Ana's bedroom, she taps her knuckles gently on the door and waits for a reply.

"Tommy" she says gently before opening the door, she realises Tommy wasn't going to answer. The room is dark apart from a little light shining in from the curtain where Tommy is sat "Thomas"

"Where's she taking him?" Tommy said without even turning his head away from the window.

"For a walk in the sun, maybe you should..." Polly tried but was stopped mid sentence.

"I can't leave her" Tommy's tone was harsh and full of pain.

"Tommy you need to sleep" Polly moved across the room.

"I don't need sleep Polly, I need her" Tommy argued and Polly looked over at the bed "I need to be here when she wakes up"

"And what if she doesn't" Polly asked the question everyone else was avoiding "What if she never wakes up Tommy?"

"Don't" Tommy frowned, he didn't want to shout in front of Ana.

"Tommy you need to face the fact she might never wake up, then what? What about your son Tommy?" Polly pushed.

"William has enough people fussing around him, he doesn't need me" Tommy snapped as he turned to face Polly. His eyes were dark and tired and he looked almost as grey as Ana.

"Tommy she needs to be in hospital" Polly spoke firmly "They can take care of her there, she'll be more comfortable"

"She'll be a fucking target, I won't be able to protect in there like I can in here" Tommy snapped back.

"You can be with her in hospital Tommy" Polly suggested and Tommy looked at the floor

"I can't Polly, she can't go...they took Mum into hospital with pneumonia and she never came home"

Polly's eyes widened, how could she have forgotten something so trivial "Oh Thomas" she sighed and put her hand on his arm "Your mother had more than pneumonia, Ana has a chance Tommy but only if you let them take her...please think about William"

"Alright fine, but I'm not leaving her side" Tommy stood firm and Polly nodded.

"No one is asking you to" she kissed his cheek and walked towards the bedroom door "I'll call Doctor Riley" she added.

×××××××××××××

Ada's pace quickened as she returned home from her walk, to an ambulance parking on the driveway "POLLY, TOMMY" Ada left William in his pram at the bottom of the steps and rushed inside looking for either Polly or Tommy. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she had a pain in her throat as she fought her tears.

"ADA" Polly called out as Ada rushed into the bedroom and found Ana's bed empty

"OH GOD NO" Ada cried and Polly came behind her "Please no" she almost collapsed.

"The ambulance came to take her to the hospital but..." Polly didn't have chance to finish as Ada began weeping.

"No" she sobbed.

"It's alright Ada, she's alright" Polly took Ada by the hand and led her towards the guest bedroom where Ana was sitting up in bed. She looked dreadful, but was alert all the same. Tommy was perched on her bed holding her hand tightly and staring into her eyes "Nelly and Lizzy are going to change the sheets on Ana and Tommy's bed and burn them...rid us of the germs"

Ada just watched as a frail Ana drifted in and out of sleep.