𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘 ➵ M. Gray

Chapter Nineteen.

Liz slams her pen down on the table from frustration. She had been over these figures multiple times and no matter what she changed they weren't adding up correctly.

"Fuck sake" she mutters, running her hand through her hair. Today was her first day back to work as joint accountant at the Shelby company ltd. She could not stand sitting around the house much longer, either waiting for Tommy to come back or just drowning in her own thoughts. Staring down at the paper, she finally notices a mistake, picks up her pen and corrects it, before gleefully moving the page out of her sight.

The chatter in the office dies down, no one making a sound except for footsteps making their way across the floorboards. Liz gets up from her chair and opens her door, only just catching the tail end of Tommy's coat as he walks through to his office, keeping the door open behind him. Polly glances her way, raising an eyebrow, before continuing to talk to whoever she was on the phone too. Liz walks back into her own office, picking up some paper work and then struts out into Tommy's office, Polly not far behind. They both stand either side of him, placing the work down infront of him.

"Nice trip?" Liz asks, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"Aye" he nods, not letting on anymore. Polly looks at her and shakes her head, not to push anymore. Liz gets up to leave the room but Tommy calls her back.

"Arthur and John have got Changretta. I'll be paying him a visit later. Doing it myself. I want you to be there" his eyes swiftly look up to the girls face, a look of fear and uncertainty clearly showing.

"Tommy I-I don't know" she stutters. Did she want to be in Vicente Changretta's presence again? He was the man behind the reason she was shot, even though it was not intended for her.

"Meet me outside the office this evening" he shoo's her away, not giving her a choice in the matter. Liz felt like she as something lodged in her throat as she made her way back to her own office, along with a sunken feeling in her stomach.  She finally sits back down, staring down at the desk.

"Everything alright?" Polly asks, walking in and taking a seat opposite.

"Tommy wants me to go with him when he see's Changretta. John and Arthur got him" Liz gulps, picking up a glass and filling it up with some water from the jug beside her, then downing it.

"Shit. When?" Polly sits forward in her seat.

"Tonight. Polly, promise me one thing though?" Polly nods, accepting being sworn to keep a promise.

"Don't tell Michael"

***

Liz stuck close behind Tommy as they walked down dark hallways, only the lantern that he was carrying lighting the way. She didn't have a clue where they were, but she knew with each step moving forward they were getting closer to where Changretta was being kept. Tommy's face showed no emotion, not even anger. His jaw was clenched but this was just the usual. His coat  flapped behind him as he continued to walk ahead of Liz, occasionally it would hit Liz's leg, but she was too scared to move back in case she couldn't see much.

Soon enough they came to an opening, windows were up high so no one would ideally be looking in. Pillars were everywhere within the structure, reminding Liz a little bit like a factory. An empty one at that. Her eyes looks around the room until she saw him, there in the middle, tied to a chair. John and Arthur stood either side of him.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" Arthur grunts, nodding towards Liz.

"Because I said so" Tommy snaps back, putting him in his place. The cigarette in Arthur's mouth was burning to a nub,  causing him to take it out and throw it to the floor, then light another. Tommy placed the lantern and a briefcase he had with him on the chair next to Changretta, then started to take his coat off. He pulled up a different chair in-front of the old man and sat down. Vicente was speaking in a different language, almost like he was praying. Liz wasn't sure what to do with herself as she stood a short distance away. Her body felt numb as she looked at the man that was behind the order of someone to shoot the gun at the foundation ball. Her jaw tightened as she bit her tongue, not wanting to say anything that she would regret, although that wouldn't matter seeing as the guy would be dead soon.

"Do you know what time it is.. old man? Eh?" Tommy leans forward, but Vicente keeps murmuring in a different language.  "I'll tell you"

Getting out his pocket watch he glances down to reads it "it's just past 7:00 in the evening. And I'm going to keep you alive until it gets light" Tommy points in the mans face. "I'll not deliver the final cut, until we can both hear the blackbirds singing outside" He grabs the back of Changrettas head and pulls it forward "it's a beautiful sound...which my wife will never hear again" he stands up, holding out his hand. Liz watches as the scene unfolds, John walking forward, picking up the briefcase and opening it in-front of Tommy, who takes out a sharp object. The sound of metal scraping against metal can be heard as he opens it up.

"Now... I'm going to have to choose carefully, which part of you I cut away first. Open your eyes" Changrettas words start to get louder each time Tommy speaks. "Open your eyes, or I will CUT AWAY YOUR FUCKING EYELIDS" Tommy yells, causing Liz to jump.  John glances over, his eyebrows furrowed as he watches the girl.

"Eh Tommy... let her go" John nods in Liz's direction. He looks up, and can see how uncomfortable she looks, not even being able to keep her eyes open much herself.

"No... I know.. Liz, come here" Tommy orders, and too scared not to do as she's told she hurries towards him.

"You see this girl here?!" He screams in changrettas face, pulling his head back so he can see the girl, making sure his eyes were open. "This is the other girl injured. She's like a sister. So not only did you KILL MY FUCKING WIFE MY SHOT MY LITLE SISTER TOO" Tommy shouts again. He drops the sharp object and pulls a gun out of his pocket, walking behind Liz. He forces the gun into her hand and holds it up, aiming for Changretta.

"Tommy I- "liz feels sick to her stomach, wanting the gun out of her grip.

"Shoot him. Shoot him in the arm" Tommy whispers in her ear.

"No i-I don't want too" she stutters, her hand shaking.

"Shoot him in the fucking arm!"  He shouts, only this time, he has his hand gripped tightly around her other wrist. "Shoot him or you're not longer welcome to my house, Polly's house or the Shelby Company" he lowers his voice to a whisper again so the others can't hear. Tears start to fall down Liz's face, her whole body felt like it was shaking as she holds the gun up to Changretta, Tommy moving his hand away.

"FUCKING SHOOT HIM" Tommy screams, making her jump. She fires the gun, not even looking where she was aiming. As soon as she opens her eyes, she drops the gun, looking at it on the floor in disgust. Changretta calls out in pain, blood pouring from his shoulder where the bullet had hit him. Liz looks at Tommy with hatred.

"That's your revenge. But it's also a lesson. You DARE ever let anyone walk over you, ever let anyone get too close to you, this could happen to you again. You ALWAYS get revenge Liz. Watch your back" he nods.

"Fuck you Thomas Shelby" Liz cries, turning in her heel and running away, back down the empty hallways.