𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙖 • 𝙟𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮 [complete]

••• 24 •••

RETURNING TO Birmingham was bittersweet. While being at home with no Romero or Cruz men there to torment me was a huge relief, it also meant that John and I couldn't be openly together. 

Tommy had called for a family meeting the day after I returned, and it seemed urgent. I stood beside Isaiah against the wall while Tommy, Polly, Ada, Cara and Arthur sat at the table. John and Finn stood on the other side of the room. I glanced around the room before my eyes landed on John, who was already looking at me. He shot me a wink and I quickly looked away before my cheeks betrayed me and began to blush.

"Right, we have some pressing matters to discuss," Tommy announced before taking a puff of his cigarette. He breathed out the smoke before continuing, "The stolen cocaine."

I was surprised to see that Cara was present, seeing as the last time I saw Tommy he was accusing the O'Neales of stealing the coke.

"And do we know who stole it yet?" Arthur asked, his index finger running around the rim of his glass of whiskey. 

"Yes, we do," Tommy said, piquing my interest. "In fact, they contacted me."

Polly's eyes narrowed and she leaned forward. "They contacted you? Well, who the fuck was it?"

Tommy looked down at the table before answering her. "Aidan Doyle." My heart dropped at his words. Now that we knew it wasn't Jared O'Neale that stole the coke, there was no reason for us to fall out with them. And no reason for John and Cara to get a divorce.

Cara's head shot up to him and her eyes widened. "Aidan Doyle? He used to work with my brothers."

"That's right," Tommy said. "He heard about our stock, came to Small Heath, and then broke into our warehouse where the remaining 2 tonnes of Salvatore's cocaine was kept."

"Who the fuck is Aidan Doyle?" Arthur gruffly asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"He's Irish, but he lives in London," Tommy explained. "Aidan moved to London to capitalise on the coke market, and he also runs a successful club there. Jared O'Neale was his top customer until a few years back, when they had a falling out."

"Aidan tried to sleep with me," Cara revealed with a monotonous voice. I looked at John to gauge his reaction but he remained unbothered as Cara continued to speak. "Jared got pissed off and broke the contract."

"So what do we do now?" Ada asked, leaning forward in her chair and resting her arms on the table. "I mean, do we really have the resources for another war? After all the shit we've just gone through?"

"It doesn't have to be a war," Tommy said as he crushed his cigarette onto the marble ashtray. "I just need to have a conversation with Aidan about how he's gonna pay me back."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Cara sat up quickly. "He isn't a trustworthy man; trying to get a single penny out of him is futile."

"I'll be the judge of that, Cara," Tommy said, and she sunk back down in her seat. "He doesn't have a choice but to pay for what he took."

"That's it?" Arthur asked with a scoff. "He stole two fuckin' tonnes of snow, and you're just gonna politely ask him to pay us what he owes?"

Tommy ignored his question and pointed around the room. "Arthur, John, Finn, Isaiah, and Alex- put on your Sunday best, we're going to London." There was a burst of murmuring conversation among the others before he continued, directing his words to Arthur. "And nobody said a fuckin' thing about being polite."

♡

LONG TRAIN journeys were beginning to bore me, so I was incredibly relieved once we finally arrived in London. Tommy rented a car and drove us to one of Aidan Doyle's clubs, which was right in the centre of the bustling city. We got to the entrance and Tommy looked back at us with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Have fun, boys. And Alex."