NEW CHAPTERS COMING SOON.
Small Heath, Birmingham, was an unsafe place to be. Men stumbling drunk out of pubs, whores there waiting for them on the side of the street, with gang fights happening around the corner. Unsafe for young girls... but not i...
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• • •
"Maybe tomorrow,
the good Lord will take you away."
• • •
Thomas stormed into the family room, as Harry sat opposite John, as she stared down at her hands resting on her lap. Their aunt Polly sat in the far corner, dangerously quiet, as she mulled over what bitter words she would say to her nephew.
"John?" He questioned, not even bothering to sit. The high-stress level of the room was enough to make Harry nauseous. Arthur and Michael had been arrested as the deal with Jews had been undercut by Sabini.
"The coppers have lifted ten of our men from Camden Town; the rest of them are on the run," John replied, his voice deep as he attempted to hide his diminishing faith in Thomas.
"Tom, they've taken Michael." Finn interrupted. Harry closed her eyes for a split second, hearing her aunt bolt out of her chair, preparing to fight Thomas.
"Business first."
"They took Michael last night." Polly interrupted, defying her nephew.
"I said business first." Thomas retorted, trying to halt the emotional Polly.
"They picked him up..." The woman continued.
"Polly! Business first!" Thomas suddenly shouted, silencing Polly's emotional outburst. John looked down at his young sister in sympathy as she tried to hide how the raised voices had affected her, her whole body tensing up.
But Harry wasn't scared of the loud noise, as John had first thought; she feared the time wasting that would come from an argument. After all, fighting amongst themselves was precisely what Sabini would have wanted.
Harry had been through a lot in the past month; her impenetrable walls had crumbed. She had always been seen as a mature child, but slowly her wounds began to yield fruit. She was slowly evolving into a strong young woman.
"John?" Thomas returned his full attention to the business, knowing time was of the essence if they wanted the Shelby company to remain intact by teatime.
"They've impounded all our vans and put their own locks on our warehouses. The Eden club and all our pubs have been raided by the coppers and handed back to Sabini."
"I don't give a fuck about whisky. I don't give a fuck about Billy Kitchen. I want my son out of prison. Now." Polly ranted as she stepped forward, slamming her hand down on the table in front of Harry.
"There won't be anything left for Michael if the business isn't taken care of first," Harry replied bleakly. It was the cold hard truth. The coppers and Sabini were picking them off one by one, destroying the Shelby family. Polly spared her a quick glare but was too emotional to comprehend the truth behind Harry's words.
"Thomas, I've spoken to Johnny Doggs," Esme announced
"This meeting should just be family." Polly harshly interrupted.
"I can help."
"It's family only!"
"Let her speak." Thomas declared.
"Have you forgotten?"
"ENOUGH!" He shouted, finally silencing Polly.
"The Lees can give us men."
"We don't need more fucking men! It's men that's got us in this mess!" Polly ranted, waving her hands in frustration.
"Esme, I'll take them up on their offer. We need men."
"If Michael ever gets out of prison. I am taking away from this family. This life is bad. This life is all bad!" Polly cried as she grabbed ahold of Finn, dragging him with her.
She moved to take hold of Harry as she passed her, but before she could even lay a hand on the girl, Harr uttered in a deep voice:
"Don't touch me. I ain't going anywhere." Polly sighed as she turned, pulling Finn out of the room.
"Pol, where are we going?" Finn tried.
"Shut up and keep walking," Polly replied before slamming the door shut as they exited the household.
After a few seconds, Harry finally broke the deafening silence:
"Tom, we need to fix this deal with the Jews, then finish Sabini."
"How," John replied with a defeated chuckle.
"Make a deal with Campbell or the devil; I don't know. But this needs to end."
"Have you gone mad, Harry? Campbell?!" John shot back, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"No. Harry's right." Thomas muttered from his position, still standing, looking down at his siblings. The gears started turning in his mind as he pondered their options.
"She's right. John, Esme - talk to the Lees. Get us, men. Harry, you're coming with me to the yard..." Thomas ordered as the two younger siblings simply nodded in along.
"I've got a plan." Thomas declared as a slight grin found its way onto Harry's face.
