Devoted (John Shelby)

Part 14

"Finn?" Cynthia called out into the betting den, looking for the young boy. "Are you here?"

"Cynthia, I'm here" Finn called out from inside one of the small offices, Isaiah waiting with him.

"Have you seen John anywhere?" She asked.

"Probably at the yard" he replied, "we meant to be meeting Vicente in a bit, we were just leaving"

"Vicente? As in Vicente Changretta?" Cynthia asked curiously.

"Yeah..."

"Tell John to behave himself and Arthur, too, please" Cynthia asked, knowing how John can be near those sorts of people. "Make sure he doesn't say anything out of line"

"Okay" Finn replied, knowing he wasn't going to tell John that as he'd get told off.

"Thank you" she smiled, believing him. "Who's working here today?" She then asked.

"You? Polly? Some of the other girls?" Isaiah told her, unsure if he was right.

"Okay" Cynthia nodded, "you two better go off now, especially if you're meeting Vicente."

"Alright, see you, Cynthia" Finn was pulled into a hug by Cynthia and she smiled at Isaiah.

The boys then left, leaving the woman by herself, preparing to set up for the day.

Unfortunately for Cynthia, she got called back home since their nanny had got an urgent call from one of her family members and asked if she could take the next few days off, of course Cynthia said "yes".

She got back home within minutes and the children squealed and hugged her. "Hi, sweethearts."

"Can we go to the park?" Jack asked.

"Can we go to the shops?" Helen asked.

"Football?" James suggested.

Cynthia was frozen on the spot as the children kept shouting about where they wanted to go. Cynthia suggested that they stay at home for that day and to convince John to take them somewhere in the next few days.

As Cynthia was nursing Lillian, some time later, reading a book by the unlit fireplace, John walked inside "Cynthia" he smiled, kissed her lips.

Cynthia's smile turned into a frown after spotting blood on his hat and several splatters on his white shirt. "John" she started softly, "what have you done now?"

"Don't sound so disappointed, love, he got what he deserved" John said with finality as he stopped the conversation there and then, going upstairs to change.

Cynthia wanted to know more about what happened with Vicente and why John had blood on him. She placed Lillian in her crib and went into her's and John's room. "John? How did the meeting with Vicente go?"

John snapped around, holding a clean shirt in his hands, "who told you about that?" He asked abruptly.

"I asked Finn and Isaiah where you went and they told me" Cynthia admitted. "How did it go?" She then repeated.

"It went fine" he replied shortly, pulling on the shirt.

"Just fine?" Cynthia pried.

"I may have offended him unintentionally" John told his wife and she shook her head gently.

"You mean intentionally," she corrected,l with a small laugh,"what did you say to him?"

"If his son goes near Lizzie he'll have bullets in both knees" John mumbled.