Anna [J.Shelby]

CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE

It felt like deja-vu when they were told Arthur was dead, another taken so cruelly and violently.

The gun shots brought back painful memories as Anna shook in her place, the women comforting Linda to the best of their ability in all of their states of distress.

"He can't be, how, why?" Linda muttered, Polly's eyes watering.

"Come on, Tommy's got some men around the back, we can leave" Lizzie informed them before the women were led out of the building and into cars, Ada, Anna and Lizzie in one with Polly and Linda in another.

Anna held onto Ada's hand tightly, "those fuckin' men, tearing my brothers from their wives and kids. First John, now Arthur, will they hunt a kid too? Will Finn be next? Will I be next?"

"Ada, I'm so sorry" Anna told her with tears of her own.

"Did you see Tommy's face? He looked heartbroken" Lizzie sighed.
***

Arthur Shelby's funeral was not something Anna Shelby was planning on attending, she'd had too much heartache and suffering, and she wouldn't subject herself in watching a man who was like her brother, burn inside a carriage, like she did with her husband.

The procession along Watery Lane, however, was something she did watch but with a held breath and an aching heart as she fiddled with johns ring around her neck, her father besides her.

"I want you to come to Wombourne, before I lose you and the kids to this stupid vendetta" Martin told her.

"After this is over with, we'll move into the house. It's currently too dangerous to be a Shelby outside of Small Heath, Dad"

"But you aren't a Shelby anymore Anna, John's gone, surely they wont come after you"

"Dad, this is the Mafia, I had a black hand delivered to my door, my husband killed, my life and my kids lives threatened by one man, they will harm every man, woman and child with the name or have had the name Shelby."

"You're in that deep?" Martin questioned.

"I was in deep since the day John Shelby tumbled into the Garrison at an ungodly time" Anna snorted.

"Anna, I just wanted you to know, that I've been ill recently, same symptoms repeatatively, and the doctor says its my heart, they don't know what, but eventually it'll get worse"

"So you're sick?" Anna swallowed.

"Not yet, not completely" The response prompted Anna to fling her arms round her father, telling him she loved him.

When the carriage passed Anna amd her father by, she placed flowers into it, Anna swallowing the bottled emotion as she looked across the street where Linda and the baby stood solemn, and Ada and Karl much the same.
***

Days after Arthurs death, Anna was informed of a plan, one she refused to miss out on. It was her husband who was brutally shot dead, after all. Anna refused to miss the fall of Luca Changretta, and it was time to call in the favour Mark owed her, one he was not happy with at all.

"No, Anna! I'm not doing that" Mark insisted.

Anna sat in front of him with a look like thunder on her face.

"You don't have a choice in this, Mark" Anna bit out.

"Everybody has a choice, in everything they do"

"Oh so you still had a choice when you spied on me, gave my location up? If you believe in choice, why didn't you say no? Why didn't you walk away, refuse?" Anna's voice raised.

"Because I'm a coward, alright, I'm a fucking coward and I didn't want to die or my children to get harmed at the hands of the merciless Luca Changretta!"

"So you followed his orders like some lap dog instead, you followed me, became my so-called friend then continued to follow me. My husband is dead! We have 7 children, 3 young children, one being a baby. They will never remember their Dad because of you, because you inforned him of our new home. You owe me this, Mark, and after this you and I can pretend we never crossed paths because I wish we fucking hadn't." Anna shouted.

"Anna, this is the mafia we are talking about, the fucking mafia, and the Changrettas, my family were friends of the Changrettas for generations," Mark pleaded, "Anna, I have children"

Anna clenched her jaw as she stood and looked down at him with eyes that could kill.

"John had children, 6 children and one baby, and you led them to our fucking house regardless. I have no mercy for men who endanger families and children and take fathers away from them." Anna bit out as she stoodup and shrugged her coat and hat on.

"You will carry out my plan, you will pay your debt to me and my children, otherwise I won't let Arthur unleash his wrath on you, I'll fucking kill you myself"