Candy [THOMAS SHELBY]

Chapter Twenty

Josephine was sat on the edge Alfie's desk as Black Country and Peaky men walked into Alfie's office to get registered. Ollie was chucking them aprons, Alfie was ticking names off and Josephine was handing out forms for them to fill out.

"Next lad! Name?" Alfie shouted and the next man came in like clockwork.

" Abbey Heath."

"~ Abbey Heath. Profession?" Alfie wasn't even looking at the man, his eyes never leaving the sheets of paper that rested on his desk.

"Baker."

"Good lad, take the paper from the lovely lady and fill it out and fuck off." Josephine felt her lips twitch at the compliment before she handed the piece of paper to the man with a small smile.

"You're being quite the charmer today Alfie, what's the occasion?" Josephine asked as reached over him to pick up the next form.

"I'm always this charming luv, ask anyone. Aren't I Ollie?" The Jewish man threw Josephine a wink. Ollie dutifully nodded making Josephine laugh.

"You can say no Ollie, Alfie likes you too much to punish you."

"Oi! Don't be giving him any ideas aye" Alfie grumbled and Josephine caught a hint of a smile on Ollie's face causing her to smile. She had no doubt that Alfie and Ollie were actually quite close, their relationship reminded her of the brotherly one the older Shelby brothers shared.

"Next lad! Name?" Alfie shouted for the next man to come in, effectively ending the short conversation.

"Buddy Halls."

"~Buddy Halls. Right, profession?"

"Baker."

"Good lad, take the paper from the lovely lady and fill it out and fuck off." Again, Josephine's lips twitched.

"Next lad! Name?" Josephine recognised the next man who walked in, recognised from the many times him, Tommy and their respective gangs fought. While Tommy tried his hardest to keep her away from all of it, the Black Country men did come into Birmingham and Small Heath a few times.

"Billy Kitchen."

"~Billy Kitchen. Occupation?"

"Head baker."

Alfie paused then, his head lifting to get a proper look at the man who stood in front of him, "Fill it out."

Billy Kitchen nodded at Josephine before he left, something that surprised her as she didn't think he knew who she was but she nodded back nonetheless.

"You know each other then?" Alfie asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"You and the uh, head baker of there." Alfie nodded his head in the direction that Billy left in.

"Oh, the Italians aren't the first of Tommy's enemy's that I've interacted with. Tommy and Billy kitchen go way back."

Alfie nodded at her answer before shouting for the next man to come in. They got through a couple more men before Alfie spoke up again,

"This 'as been on my mind yea but I thought tha' you didn't work for Tommy"

"Well I didn't before but after that whole thing with the Italians we figured it was safer for me." Josephine explained to him.

"You think you'll be safer close to Tommy Shelby then uh away from him?" Alfie was in disbelief.

"Yes Alfie" Josephine snorted, "They already know I'm connected to him somehow so at least I'm under protection when I'm working for him."