Devoted (John Shelby)

Part 15

Cynthia spent the whole of the charity dinner talking with Ada and talking to other people invited to the dinner. She cowered away once somebody shot a gun. She looked up and saw Thomas fall with Grace in his arms, Grace's beautiful dress slowly turning scarlet with blood. Grace was dead.

She looked towards John and Arthur beating the shit out of the person who shot Grace. She whimpered softly, she thought she'd get used to the violence but when it happens she hated it. She felt like she was weak and vulnerable so if she was caught up in the middle of it, she'd be dead. That's why it scared her. It didn't help that her husband basically killed or blind people for a living, she tried her best to look past it and not be scared. She loved her husband, but not when he's mad with anger.

She was pulled out of the room by Ada and got led to her car. Ada helped her in and got in too. They drove home in silence. Ada sending worried looks towards the woman. "Cynthia, are you alright?"Ada finally questioned.

Cynthia snapped out of her mindless stare and looked at her sister-in-law, "I'm fine" she dismissed, looking out of the window.

"Cynthia, you're not okay, are you?" She prodded.

"I uh... No... I can't say" she shook her head.

"Cynthia," Ada said.

"I don't like what John does" Cynthia finally admitted.

"What does he do to you?" Ada asked fearfully.

"Oh, no! No! He doesn't hurt me" Cynthia quickly corrected, eyes wide.

"You mean the business then?" Ada asked and Cynthia nodded her head gently. "I don't think there's much you can do about that, Cynthia, I'm afraid"

"I know," she said softly, "but he gets so angry, it...it scares me"

"Don't be, he'll never hurt you, he loves you" Ada reassured her.

"I know" she repeated, "I know he won't"

~:~:~:~:~

After Grace's death, the whole of the Shelby family had been in disarray. Tommy was a recluse in his home, John and Arthur had constantly been working in place of Tommy, sorting out "messes" as John would call them but Cynthia knew it meant he was killing someone.

John came home after spending the night at Tommy's house, as there was a family meeting there the previous day. "Cynthia? Are you awake?" John asked coming into their bedroom.

"John" her voice groggy as she pried her eyes open to look at her husband. "Morning darling, how was the meeting?"

John's face hardened, "please don't talk about the meeting," he told her firmly but not in a nasty way.

"Okay," she sat up, the sheets falling off her body, her silk nightgown on show. "Will you be home today?"

"Only for thirty minutes" he replied. He already started to take off his clothes.

"Seriously?" She questioned, holding his hands in her own.

"Yeah, sorry, Thia. Tom's given Arthur and I a list of things to do" John explained.

Cynthia pouted, "are you sure you can't stay for a bit longer than half an hour?"

"I'm sure, darling" John kissed her pouting lips, "it's plenty of time to have a bit of fun." He winked playfully.

"I swear you only want me for one thing" She chuckled, helping him undo his buttons on his shirt.

"That's not true," he told her softly, "I want you for you, your love, your body..." He was broken off by Cynthia pulling him down on top of her on the bed, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, never breaking the kiss she placed on his lips.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Cynthia got annoyed at both John and Tommy the next day, apparently, Tommy wanted John to go to Liverpool, so that's where he went and he didn't come home until late that evening... Covered in blood.

"One day I hope you don't come home covered in blood," Cynthia told him, taking his jacket.

"Sorry, love," he said, kissing her cheek.

"It's so fucking hard to get out of your clothes" she added, John stopped and looked at her.

"Thia, are you okay? You sound upset" John said.

"I don't want you killing anymore, John." She said gently.

"I didn't, not today," John told her truthfully.

She looked at him disbelievingly, "your clothes, John" she held up the bloody jacket.

"Arthur killed him, I just had to dispose of the body" John admitted.

Cynthia signed lightly, "do you think you'll stop this, John? To stay at home with me, the kids?"

"Cynthia, you know I can't get out of this, especially not now. I'll try to come home more often but I can't promise you anything"

Cynthia started tearing up and she furiously wiped them away. She went to speak to John but her voice choked up. Instead, she ran away up the stairs and into their bedroom and locked the door. "Cynthia! Don't cry, stop crying, darling"

"I... I don't know why I'm crying" she replied with a snap, "I'm just frustrated"

"Then open the door and let me in," John said softly.

Cynthia debated in her head whether or not she should listen to her husband but she did, opening the door, shyly, as if she was about to be scolded.

John put his arms around her and she immediately melted in his arms, allowing him to hold her tightly, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. "I love you, John," she said between her cries.

"I love you, Cynthia." He returned.

"You're going to stay here tonight?"

"Yeah, I am." He told her, pulling her over to their bed and holding her close to his body, cuddled up underneath the blankets, until one of the children came into the room crying, saying something about having a nightmare. John told Cynthia to stay where she was and that he'll sort out the child.

A/N I procrastinated doing work so here's a chapter! I'm not back to updating regularly as I've still got one exam and one lot of coursework to finish but after the 10th I should be back properly 💕