Anna [J.Shelby]

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

"Tom wants us up at his, he needs to speak to us all" John cleared his throat.

"Today? Couldn't he wait another bloody day?"

"No, er no. Ada said it's important" John cleared his throat.

"Right, well, when Thomas Shelby calls we all fucking follow, right?" Annas voice was thick with sarcasm as she climbed out of bed.

The family gathered in Tommy's office, all pouring in, in silence.

Anna sat in between Linda and Finn, with her newborn bundled in her arms fast asleep and unaware of the tension surrounding him as his mother glared at his uncle.

"Before I begin, I want to let you know I made a mistake. I made a mistake and I want to apologize to all of you." Tommy couldn't raise his head to look his family in the eyes.

"Arthur you warned me against getting involved in Russian business and you were right. I doubted your wife and for that I'm sorry. Linda, I have added £3000 here in the hope that you'll forgive me" A wad of cash was thrown on the table.

"Apology accepted" Linda took the money off the table and sat back down.

"And Anna, I doubted you too." Anna snorted in response.

"Men who fail to recognize they're at fault for their own undoing blame others, their own family. Others now have innocent blood on their hands and that's because of you, nobody else. You."

"Lay off, Anna" John murmered.

"We all know I'm right, you just won't admit it because you're all too loyal to him. The only man I'm loyal to is my husband."

"She's right, John. And you and Arthur will have to share the burden of innocent men. But I hope the house you can buy with this can become a place of contemplation. Perhaps redemption." Another wad was thrown on the table.

"Charlie, for lost tools, dangerous goods and Curly's wise words. Johnny, for board and lodgings. Lizzie," Tommy was throwing money back and forth as if it solved all the problems that had rose, Lizzie was the only one who thrown it back to him, crossing her arms as she turned away.

"Michael, for the killings. £5000 for the cutting and £5000 for the shooting."

"No Tommy" Polly stood up abruptly.

"What!?" Tommy shouted in response.

"Tell me, eh! This is who I am! And this is all I can give you for what you given me. Your hearts and your souls. Yesterday I nearly lost my son. You should fucking understand that. For what, eh? For what? For this? For this?" Tommy chuckled as if he were a mad man, he had turned bitter and closed off.

"And I know you all want me to say that I'll change. That this fucking business will change. But I've learnt something in the last few days. Those bastards, those bastards are worse than us! Politician's, fucking Judges, Lords and Ladies. They are worse than us and they will never admit us to their palaces no matter how legitimate we become. Because of who we are. Because of who we fucking are, because of where we are fucking from." Tommy shouted.

"Isn't that right, Ada? Our Ada knows. She got smart about revolution and she knows you have to get what you want your own way. Lizzie, I want it known that money was for you because some nights it was you who stopped my heart from breaking. No one else." The silence in the room was unbreakable, no one dared speak a word, they just watched as Tommy came undone.

"And the rest of you, you took the King's shilling. You took the Kings fucking shilling. When you take the Kings shilling, the Kings expects you to kill. Right, Arthur? That's how it works, right John?"

Michael stood and took the money off the table.

"That's right, that's right Pol. That's fucking right."

"Tommy, you've had a bad time. We understand. So at an alternative time, when we have all recovered," Polly snatched the money from Michaels hand, "I would like to put before the family an alternative view of the future of the Shelby Company Limited. A more hopeful view"

Anna rocked the baby as he started crying, Anna couldn't help but agree, not that she was planning on letting John be much involved in the company after everything he sacrificed.

"Which I, for one, would quite like to hear" Ada piped up.

"As would I" Anna agreed.

"As would I" Lizzie spoke.

"Come on, Arthur. The train for the dock leaves in an hour. Then we get the boat to New York and it'll all be in the past." All heads turned to Arthur as he stood.

"I'll be off then, Tom. I'll see you eh? I'll see you brother." There was glistening tears forming in Arthurs eyes as he turned to his family, patting backs and giving away hugs.

"We'll see you, Arthur." Anna's words were spoken softly.

"Look after him" Arthur muttered to her.

"You can go but you won't get far Arthur" Tommy spoke up.

"All right, Tom" Arthur shrugged him off.

"I spoke to Moss last night. He told me that the Chief Constable of Birmingham has issued a warrant for your arrest. Murder, sedition, conspiracy to cause explosion. John, they're coming for you as well. Murder, conspiracy to cause explosion. Michael.."

"Is this some sick joke?" Anna's voice was shakey as her heart dropped.

".. for the murder of Hughes. Polly..the murder of Chief Inspector Chester Campbell."

The family began shouting and swearing, but all Anna could hear was her heart beating loudly in her ears.

"John," Anna cried out, grabbing his arms.

She ran her hands over the few tears that had dropped down his cheeks as she cried her own.

"Just.. just look after the kids."

Anna bit her lips as her eyebrows furrowed, a sob escaping her lips.

"You've killed them all! You've fucking killed them all! Your family, Thomas! They're all dead because of you!" Anna screamed, John pulling her away, stopping her from hitting him.

"I love you, alright?" John told her as the coppers stormed through the house, their exchange barely audible through the screams and cries.

Anna held the baby tight to her chest as they took John by the arms, pinning him against the wood and another forcefully pulled Anna away from him.

"No! No.." She yelled, she witnessed her entire family struggling.

"Get the fuck off me" She spat to the copper who threw her a glare.

"Ada!" She cried out as an officer grabbed her and the others by the arms.

Ada looked equally as upset as she watched her family be taken away to their own deaths.

Anna turned her head as she watched John being put forcefully into the back of one of the cars alongside Arthur, Michael and Polly.

They were split into two, the ones being taken to jail, and the others who had fought against the coppers.

The rest had went off before the police came in.

The door was closed on them, and they were plunged into almost darkness, all that could be heard was the engines and crying.

"Fuck you Thomas Shelby" Anna whispered as she held the baby close, a hand fell on her arm, and through the darkness she saw Ada throw her what she wanted to be a comforting look, but Ada was just as shaken and angry.

On the other side of her, Ada grabbed Linda's hand.

"I hope God rains curses down on Thomas Shelby" The words were bitter, but in Anna's eyes, Tommy deserved ever last drop of bitterness the world had left to give him.

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How is season 3 over already?