Rebound // Alfie Solomons

4. Chosen

Tommy and Cora were placed in a room, sat down and the lights blinded them when the bag was pulled from their heads. Cora blinked rapidly her eyes adjusting her brain still spinning, to much to drink. The Shelby's did that to her. Made her crazy. Made her drink past consciousness at times she wasn't ready for a fight, she wanted to drink herself to sleep.

'mr Shelby.' The woman, Irene sat across from them said. 'Mrs. Shelby.'

'MS!' Cora spat. "MS. Cora, to you bitch.' Tommy held back a laugh, cora was loud, she was aggressive and she said what she meant when she was drunk that was amplified.

'you blew up my pub.' Tommy said calmly, he reached over a hand grabbing Cora's knee and it shouldn't have calmed her down but it did and she hated that it did.

'anger defeats fear, good.' Irene said leaning back in her chair.

'you blew up my pub.' Tommy repeated.

'tommy has a reputation to uphold.' Irene told her men. ' a reputation of not being scared of anything. In all the world, violent men are the easiest to deal with.'

'Do I have a reputation too?" Cora pondered, crossed a leg over the other and her arms across her chest. Irene smirked back at her.

'so tell me,' tommy still cool calm and collected as usual 'which brand of rebel are you? Eh? I read somewhere that you paddies started fighting amongst yourselves now. The king offers you a peace treaty and you start a war about it. That's funny don't you think. A war about peace? So are you for the treaty or against the treaty? Forgive me I get confused.'

'I want peace.' Cora shouted. "We want peace more!" she teased and Tommy licked at his lips watching her. 'Lets start a fucking war!' she shouted laughing. 'I'm confused as well, how does that work?'

'You are on decision away from death mr Shelby.' Irene said calmly but her temper was rising.

'Stop fucking smiling!' one of the men yelled, their interrogation tactics were not working on the Shelbys.

'your name is Irene o'Donnell.' Tommy began and Irene's face dropped just slightly as she tried to keep her air of mystery. 'you have a son that goes to cherry wood road school in harborne. And his name is sean, although his full name is sean joseph o'donnell and he has iron for limbs. He comes last in every race. It's a real shame. How far do you think he will run before its too late. Do you get where I'm going with this Irene?' Tommy asked innocently. One of Irene's men pushed his gun to Tommy's head but he didn't flinch away.

'there are other ways of carrying out this mission. Please allow me to put a bullet in these scum tinkers heads.' The man said cocking his gun back, tommy sat calm though.

'You know I always thought that I would be the one to kill Thomas.' Cora remarked. 'Do save me that honor.' Tommy couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

'no, he researches his enemies that's why he's been chosen.' Irene said.

'I am chosen.' Tommy said before looking to irene's men. 'I'm chosen.' With a grin on his face he pulled out his cigarettes.

'Brava!' Cora said sarcastically. 'Can the not chosen one leave?"

'can the chosen one have a smoke?' Tommy countered.

'a vacancy has appeared,' Irene said ignoring tommy as he lit up his cigarette. 'and youre going to fill it.'

'chosen by whom?' tommy asked rather bored of this whole day.

'Give me,' Cora said plucking the cigarette from his lips and bringing it to her own taking a long drag. Tommy watched her lips wrap around the cigarette.

'by an informed consensus.' Irene said annoyed at the shelby in front of her. she needed him but she didn't have to like him.

'I have things to do. So perhaps you could tell the chosen one what hes been chosen for.' Tommy told her bluntly, a hand back on Cora's thigh as she blew smoke across the table at Irene.

'From now on mr shelby you shut your fucking gypsy mouth and listen to your instructions.' Irene said coldly.

'That so?" Tommy questioned.

'What did I just fucking say?' Irene snapped.

'are we done here? I'm done.' Cora said plainly.

'Yes, I'm done as well.' Tommy agreed.

'for now,' Irene said before leaving. Tommy waited for them to clear out before leaving to find his coat and weapons that were removed from his person ever so forcefully earlier. Cora stomped out the cigarette as she followed Tommy out. Tommy started beating the shit out of his jacket and Cora took a step back watching him curiously.

'fuck!' he yelled over and over again.

'Thomas!" Cora yelled trying to get him to calm down. "Tommy, tommy, tommy!' she grabbed his face. "Stop it, you're going to hurt yourself.' Cora told him and he nodded taking a deep breath and draping his coat over her shoulders.

'I will handle what needs handling.' Tom said letting his hands run over her arms, taking in a deep breath. His eyes pleaded with Cora. 'Come back with me,' Tommy begged. "Just while we get this under control.'

'Tommy, I have to go back to London-'

'You had to go back to London earlier, recall?' Tommy mused he kept his hands on her inching her closer.

"Tommy-'

'Cora, just while I figure out what to do with these people, I swear. I just need a bit of time, to make sure you are safe.' Tommy told her.

"I am perfectly fine.' Cora assured.

'They know your face, they will find you and hurt you to hurt me.' Tommy told her and she let out a huff of a breath.

'We talk to your family and then I go.' Cora told him. 'That's as much as I'm putting up with the Shelby men for the rest of the year,' Cora told him.

"Fine,' he agreed, leading her back.