Everyone was quiet as they watched Bonnie send his opponent straight to the canvas.
Florence was holding onto Charlie tightly in order to refrain from tying up her own gloves and swinging at her father's head. Everything she had said was virtually true, but she had momentarily forgotten who she was speaking to. It didn't matter if she was 13 or 30, her father could always find ways to keep her grasped tightly in his right hand.
She had just mouthed off to the wrong person.
They all looked at Bonnie as he stepped around his opponents body, leaning against the ropes as he shucked his gloves. He sent Florence a wink, which was returned with a small, tense smile.
"Next."
"You're not at the fucking fairground now, son," Mr. Maine retorted sarcastically, making Aberama snicker. "Get down here and skip me 200, for taking the piss out of a fine fighter."
Florence bit her lip to hide a giggle as Bonnie climbed out of the ring, snatching a jumprope and starting to jump. Tommy gave her a look that screamed irritation.
Mr. Maine was shaking his head as he watched Bonnie skip. "He's got a head on him, that boy."
"And a fist." Aberama's gold tooth glimmered as he grinned. "So what do you say, Mr. Maine?"
Florence's hands smoothed over Charlie's shoulders, holding him against her as they both watched Bonnie skip, his eyes shut as his lips mouthed the climbing numbers of his skips. She was briefly aware of Mr. Maine's words.
"He works hard, his game," the boxing coach complimented. Florence continued to watch Bonnie, unaware of her father's eyes on her, watching her just as closely as she was watching Bonnie. "Right now his left hand is just good for wanking."
Tommy's eyes broke from his kids to look over at Maine. "You don't have to earn your money, we're paying you anyways," he said, eyes narrowed. "Is he ready?"
"Is he even registered?"
Florence looked back at her father as he produced a folded piece of parchment, handing it off to Mr. Maine. He quickly met her eyes before looking back at Maine, making Florence's blood boil.
"I've put him down as a welterweight," Tommy sighed, tucking his hands back in his pockets, vividly aware of his daughter's stare. "Midlands division, amateur turning pro. Just need your counter signature."
Aberama held up a pen. Florence and Charlie turned their attention to Mr. Maine as well, who scoffed.
"Like I'm going to say no to you folks," Maine said, snatching the pen from Aberama's hand, signing off on Bonnie's registration sheet. Florence felt a fond sort of excitement build up in her chest. She was excited for him; that was new.
"Just tell us," Tommy said as Maine handed back the form. "Is he ready?"
Again, everyone's eyes turned to Bonnie, who was still skipping. Mr. Maine shook his head in awe before returning the pen to Aberama's hand, the registration form back to Tommy.
"In thirty years, I've never seen a war boy so ready."
There was a heavy gust of breath and the sound of plastic hitting the ground as Bonnie walked over, automatically sticking close to Florence, his hand resting on the small of her back. His free hand tousled Charlie's hair, the little boy beaming up at him.
"And that's 200, Mr. Maine," Bonnie said with a little huff. "So, who am I fighting first, Mr. Shelby?"
Bonnie's eager tone brought a small smile to Florence's face, her body unconsciously leaning into his touch. The comfort she felt around his was like no other, the safety settling like sleep in her bones.
"When you step into the ring, Bonnie, who do you see standing across the canvas?" Tommy asked, staring deep into Bonnie's eyes. Both remained unflinching.
"Well, I see myself," Bonnie explained carefully, not backing down from Tommy's stare. "Forty years old, having done fuck-all except tramping the lanes. See my life wasted. I won't let it happen. Me, I'm going to be a champion."
Tommy's stare didn't diminish. Instead, it shifted towards his daughter. He held up the registration form.
"This here is the key to being a champion, Bonnie," Tommy explained, him and Florence having a stare-down. "If you continue seeing my daughter, I will shred it to fucking pieces."
Everybody was shocked quiet. Florence couldn't even gasp; Bonnie's eyes widened, hand going slack on her back.
"What?" Bonnie asked, disbelief colouring his tone the same shade it coloured Florence's face. "What d'you mean?"
"Yeah," Florence said through gritted teeth. She was sure that there was steam coming out of her ears. "What do you fucking mean, dad?"
Tommy waved the registration form, brows lifted in an expression that was so taunting, it was surprising how Florence held herself back from knocking him in the face. "What were you saying before, angel? Something about you stepping out with whoever you please? Something about how I can't do anything about it?"
Florence was speechless as she stared at her father. Bonnie's eyes were glued to the registration form that Tommy held between his fingers, so fragile-looking and sacred. In his hand, Tommy Shelby held the key to Bonnie's entire future, to a successful career as a boxer. And then there was Florence.
"You fucking prick." Charlie gasped at his sister's language. Tommy's jaw clenched, his angry eyes staring into matching ones that were even angrier. Florence was shorter than everyone present except for Charlie, but she also carried ten times more fury and confidence than all of them combined. The anger in her eyes was enough to make her appear two feet taller. "You're seriously going to do this?"
"Yeah," Tommy said simply. "I am."
With her jaw clenched tight, Florence grabbed Charlie's hand and turned her back, tortured eyes softening as they met Bonnie's. An unimaginable pain struck her in the very core of her heart, biting her lip as her chin wobbled, tears filling her eyes. Without another word, Florence promptly left the gym, Charlie in tow.
Her father had presented Bonnie with a ridiculous choice. Florence knew that there was only one choice he could make.
