Rebound // Alfie Solomons

5. Go Raise your Chickens

'Arthur,' Finn called but Arthur was in the zone jumping rope, spinning away his troubles and boy did he have a lot of troubles in this moment. 'Arthur!' Finn called again. 'Tommy called a family meeting!'

'He's just beat the shit out of an apprentice had to take half the kid away in buckets,' the boxing gym owner said noticing Finn was a Shelby.

'for fucks sake Arthur, move your ass.' Finn shouted.

'2000' Arthur said finally putting the rope down, 'lets get this over with.' Arthur declared following Finn home.

Once gathered around the shelbys waited for tommy to tell them what the fuck they were doing with the London business and the Garrision exploding.

'sit down finn!' Arthur snapped finn had been pacing back and forth, the boy couldn't stand this life yet, the wars and games and lies of it all. At 13 he wasn't a man he was still a boy yet he was forced into this life, he didn't have the stomach for it yet.

'where the bloody hell is tommy?' john said impatiently.

'he is on his way,' pol informed them.

'alright then while were waiting patiently,' Arthur began. 'whiskey left over from the explosion its still good stuff.'

'right before tommy gets were I think there's a few things we need to get straight between the rest of us.' John began as Arthur poured himself some whiskey.

'you think?' pol questioned watching the duo. 'I think we should wait,' Polly began but john didn't listen.

'yeah, yeah I do, I think we should talk.' John told them. 'I want to know when did we all take a vote on this expansion south?' john went on.

'if you have anything to say you wait for thomas!' Polly said pouring herself a drink.

'Polly is right john,' Arthur said.

'I see all the books,' john went on, 'legal and off track sort of stuff you lot don't see. And in the past year the Shelby company limited has been making 150 pounds a day so what I wanna know is why are we changing things up?'

'john,' Polly warned.

'we haven't even stepped foot in London and they've already blown up our fucking pub!' john spat.

'who said anything about cockneys?' Arthur questioned.

'who else?' Esme, johns wife questioned, Polly turned around she hadn't realized the bitch was here.

'do you know who did it, do you?' pol asked.

'no she doesn't know anything.' John said defending his wife.

'oh give it a rest john.' Arthur said

'oh right, so enlighten me. why are we moving south?' john questioned him.

'bloody hell if I know! ' Arthur told them.

'just wait for tommy okay?' Polly pleaded with them. But john shook his head not being patient any longer, John was not a patient man and didn't like being kept in the dark. From his arranged marriage which he didn't find out about until the morning of his wedding moments before being forced down the aisle. To this London business, since Cora left, she was the organized one she took care of the books but that had fallen on John once her and Tommy spilt and at first John didn't understand how Cora did it, how she made it look so easy. He also didn't understand how Tommy was stupid enough to let a woman like Cora go. But that was another discussion entirely.

'Tommy, about damn time... Cora.' Arthur said happily but she sat down grabbing his drink. 'What are you doing here love?'

"I'm not here, ignore me.' She said sweetly. 'Hi Finny.' Cora said as he came up to her she held him to her, kissing his cheek.

'I'm told only family are allowed to speak ' esme said obviously speaking her mind whether the shelbys said yes or not.

'everyone is allowed to speak esme. On your feet. ' tommy said he looked down at Cora whispering in Finn's ear, he hadn't seen his brother smile like that since Cora left. Their mother had died when Finn was just a baby and once Cora and Tommy got together Cora took up the role as mother easily she said she always wanted to be a mom and that made everyone love her all the more. Polly didn't have to worry about Finn and the boys could focus on other things and not have to tend to their baby brother. Looking at her now, with his family she still fit in perfectly, he had fucked everything up.

When Cora wanted a divorce Tommy didn't think about how intertwined Cora had been in not only his life but the entire Shelby family and the business, she wanted out of everything, she didn't like leaving Finn that was the only thing she hated about leaving but she wouldn't put up with Tommy any more. He had to pull his attention away from Cora and her sweet smile to Finn he looked to Esma.

'lets hear what you have to say.'

'I speak for my household' john reminded them.

'john this company is a modern enterprise and believes in equal rights for woman. On your feet esme.' Tommy repeated and john sank back slightly.

'Equal rights.' Cora sniggered looking to Polly and she chuckled in agreement.

'I am not a blood member of this family but perhaps indeed because I'm not a member I can see things in a different light.' Esme began and Arthur refilled her drink. 'so I will get to the point.'

'please do.' Cora said as sweet as venom.

'as my husband said the Shelby company limited is now a very successful but London I have kin in the shepherds bush and Portobello, its more like wars between armies down there and coppers fight side by side with them. And there are foreigners of every description and the use of bombs is the least of it. I have a child blessed with the Shelby family good looks I want john to see him grow up I want us to someday live somewhere with fresh air and fresh trees and keep chickens or something.' Chickens. This is to the point Tommy thought but esme kept going. 'but london is just smoke and trouble Thomas.'

'I live in London and I have to say I don't like your tone.' Cora told her, she tapped her glass on the table and Arthur filled it up for her she smiled appreciatively to him.

'thomas?' pol questioned'

'that was some speech you made esme.' Cora went on. 'You might wanna have a drink to wash it down Thomas,' Cora said taking another sip before handing over her glass to Tommy behind her.

'thank you love,' tom downed the glass, Cora rolled her eyes as he said it. Love. She wanted to slap him punch him and kiss him all at the same time. Her mind although sometimes alcohol made her forget she loved him other times, like when he was standing next to her talking to her, calling her love the alcohol made her want him. Fuck alcohol, Cora thought clenching her jaw.

'Esme... firstly the bang with the pub had nothing to do with london. Understood? And the bang is something I'm dealing with on my own.' Tom informed them coming up to the table, Cora scoffed.

'Alone.' She repeated and Tommy kneaded his hands into her shoulders, again she wanted to hate it, but she didn't.

'Secondly, we've nothing to fear from the proposed expansion as long as we stick together.' Tommy went on 'after the first few weeks nine tenth of what we do in London will be legal. The other tenth is in good hands. isn't that right Arthur?' tommy said

'that's right,' Arthur agreed. Again Cora chuckled looking to Polly, she quirked a brow in agreement with Cora. Was Arthur's hands the safest? No. Never.

'now some of you in this room have expressed their reservations. Fair enough.' Tommy looked at esme and john. 'any of you who want no part in the future of this company walk out the door... right now.' Tommy said calmly as he waited for his siblings to make a move, Cora tried to get up but he kept his hands planted firmly on her shoulder.

"I want to go, I want no part in this.' Cora told him sweetly but he didn't let her go she relaxed back into the chair.

'Go raise your chickens.' Tommy mocked. 'for those of you with ambition,' he told them. 'the expansion process begins tomorrow.'