Stolen Heart [Tommy Shelby x OC]

Chapter 9

The wheels of Lily's brain churned at astonishing speed. With Edward gone, she was alone now. In a foreign city. In the midst of people who stitched razor blades in their caps. Whose leader had almost killed her and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. And she had to steal from his aunt, the only person he trusted in the entire world.

But then she thought about the major cut and the blood rush of theft. Pushing away the wayward curls, she revved up her car. She was all for a deadly challenge.

When she reached her lodgings, she walked straight to the kitchen and opened the bottle of whiskey. Filling the glass half with the brown liquid, she carried it to her room and settled on the bed.

Tomorrow would be the first day of her job and she needed to formulate a plan as soon as possible. Taking a swig of the burning whiskey, she made a list of possible strategies.

With Edward gone, the Shelbys would keep an eye on her. She needed to convince them that she was not here to steal.

Then she needed to get close to Polly Gray's figurine. The woman would soon be moving into a new place, she would need a maid there.

Could she become a maid? And wouldn't Tommy Shelby hire the staff?

Her mind kept churning foolish ideas about getting in Tommy Shelby's good books and she brushed them away.

Charm him. Bloody Gerard. Asking her to step into the lion's den, she thought as she took another swig of the whiskey.

It was all too much to think now. She had more than two weeks, she'd come up with something tomorrow. And went to sleep in her rhinestone ladled dress, the whisky still in the glass.

The next morning, Lily Peyton parked herself near the small river of Small Heath. Tired to her bones, she hadn't been able to come up with any plan that would bring her closer to the figurine. This was the first job she was doing in full disclosure. People had seen her and there was no way she could steal and not be the prime suspect. A restless sleep later, she was up at an ungodly hour and suffocating in the small house. Back in London, she would drive to the Thames and let the peace of the river calm her bones. At present, the only place close to the river was the Canal.

Dressed in her yellow midi skirt and white cotton blouse, she had shrugged on a dark blue cardigan to fight the morning chill. She jumped out of the car as neatly as her skirt would allow and locked the car. Looking at the canal, she raised her hands to stretch the kinks in her body, her heels almost sliding off her feet as she stood on tiptoes.

'Good morning, Lily.' The sudden deep voice knocked her off-balance, and she would've been all right if she wasn't in the intricate position. Her heels trembled, sending her crashing down on her left arm on the muddy ground.

Getting up from the awkward position so she was sitting on the ground, she made a disgusted face as she saw the dirt on her hands and clothes.

'Do you need a hand?' Thomas Shelby stood before her in a dark blue three piece suit, his cap hiding half of his face and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Getting up with the grace of an ungainly hound, she said, venom coursing through her veins and words, 'No, I don't need a hand, Mr. Shelby. All I need is for you to stay away from me.'

'Perhaps you have forgotten the circumstances leading to our acquaintance,' was his smooth reply.

She ignored his gibe and continued, 'Whenever you are near me, you try to kill me. I hope you now understand what I meant, Mr. Shelby.'

'I thought we were past these formalities, Lily.' He walked closer, so the distance between was less than what propriety insisted upon.

'I don't think so.' She sneered, trying to keep from inhaling the woodsy scent wafting from him.

Taking hold of her arms by his hands, he dropped his voice, 'Tell me the truth and I'll let you go.'

'The answer hasn't changed. I am here to lay low.' She said coolly.

'Why did your partner leave then, eh?' At her silence, he continued, 'He was scared, wasn't he? Because he knew more about the Peaky Blinders than you do.'

'I don't know what you are talking about.'

He reached down and said in his emotionless voice, sending a chill down her back, 'I would've killed you for lying way back if I didn't need you.'

'Let go off me.' She squirmed under his hold.

He pulled her closer to him, their chests touching, her soft arms supple in his hands, their lips almost touching.

'What do you want, Lily? Money? Medals for catching the Peaky Blinders? Or are you just a fucking high-class whore?'

She moved back so she could look straight in his eyes, she said in a harsh whisper, 'Yes, I was going to steal from your sister's place. And I am here to pay for that. But never call me a whore again, Thomas.'

Pushing at him one last time, she turned and made her way towards her car, only to have a pair of strong arms pull her by her waist.

'You think you can threaten me in my territory and get away with it?' His breath was ragged and warm in her ear.

'Let me go.' She gritted her teeth as she tried to loosen his hold.

'Not unless you promise to leave Birmingham today.'

'Where will I go? I have nothing.'

Chuckling darkly, he murmured, 'I'll give you the money and never call you a whore.'

'You sick bastard. I don't want your rotten money.'

'Then what do you want? This?' He asked as his hand inched closer to the bodice of her shirt, cupping her breasts.

All of a sudden, she saw red. And no amount of self-control would quell it. Letting out a shrill scream she began to thrash about but his grip didn't loosen. The dock might as well be abandoned, with no sign of life in her sight.

No, she couldn't let it happen. Not again.

'Please let me go, Thomas.' A near sob broke out of her.

He abruptly let go her, so abruptly that she almost fell on the ground, but he held her wrist and let go of it as soon as she regained balance.

Lily gripped the cardigan around herself, as if she were naked underneath, mechanically walking to her car. Her back was turned towards him, hiding the plethora of emotions running across her face.

'I apologise for my misdemeanor.'

She paused at his words, nodded woodenly and continued to walk towards the car.