Falling Through Time - Thomas Shelby

Chapter Twenty-Two

Charlie looked up at the golden hued entrance to the Ritz from where she sat in her car and found Tommy waiting, watching her. Her driver opened the door, offering her a hand but she pushed it aside and walked confidently up the stairs, letting Tommy disappear inside first. Charlie had been to the Ritz plenty of times in the 21st century but there was something spectacular about seeing it in its genuine glorious state before remodelling and rejuvenation.

"I fucking hate suits." Vasily complained as he tugged at his collar, running late as usual.

"Nice to see you again." Charlie drawled before turning to the maître d'hôtel who was now free. "Table for two, near the Russians."

"Excuse me, ma'am?" The man asked, confused at the request.

Taking a few notes from her coat pocket, she placed it on top of the bookings chart and smiled. "Near the Russians."

"Certainly."

The man looked around before slipping the money into his pocket and picking up two menus with a nod that said 'follow me'. Charlie couldn't see Tommy but there were private rooms off the main dining area and she assumed he had been taken within one of those. Vasily looked around the room, taking note of the many men that stood out among the diners. He was careful to wear gloves when he was asked to come with Charlie, not wanting his tattoos to alert the Cossacks that he was spying on them.

"Look at this, they call this fucking shit food." A man complained in a dialect of Slavic Charlie didn't understand but Vasily clearly did from the snort he gave. "I wouldn't feed this to the pigs."

"How does Leon get anyone to believe he is broke?" Charlie asked as she followed Vasily's gaze around the room. "His private security must cost a small fortune on its own."

"The English love to think they are better than us foreigners. They will believe anything if it makes them seem even greater in their own mind." Vasily sneered before focusing on the conversation going on beside them.

"The sapphire is going to waste with that fucking Gypsie." One man said to his counterpart.

"We will get it back once he is dead." His comrade replied with a chuckle. "Along with every other jewel he plans to take."

The door to the private room opened and Tommy strolled out to his car and soon the Duke and his entourage left. Only when Charlie was sure there were no stragglers remaining did she and Vasily leave. The ride to Charlie's London residence was filled with tension as she recalled Vasily's word of warning before dropping him at Kings Cross Station.

"They plan to kill him when his task is complete.'"

A knock on the window beside her had her jump in her seat but she relaxed the moment she saw Tommy standing there with a cigarette between his smirking lips. He opened her door for her and she took his gloved hand in hers as she stepped down from the Bentley.

"You shouldn't have come here Tommy." Charlie warned as she quickly unlocked her door and ushered him inside. "What if you were followed?"

"I wasn't followed." Tommy said, rolling his eyes. "And I wasn't going to waste a trip to London without seeing you properly."

"We both know you mean sex." Charlie said, pouring them both a glass of Irish whiskey. "Just tell it like it is, it's all you come here for."

"You think so little of me. I should be offended." Tommy said after taking the drink from her. "I come here for so much more than a fuck, Charlie. I can get that anywhere I please."

Charlie was the one to roll her eyes and shift away from him on her seat. It still hurt to think about how frivolous he was with his cock but she tried to look beyond his words, at what the meaning was behind them.