An insight into what Mariana Cortéz and Thomas Shelby were like before the violence and murder
And how they became so numb to the world around them.
How they came together and fell apart before the war.
And how the Shelby's became the notorious, ru...
"I know. I just..." "I know" I said "Would it be worth asking if you're okay?" She asked "I wouldn't say so, no" I said I wasn't okay. I was tired. Tired of everything
And now I was dumped back into a life without my brother, without my mother. To raise a child and rebuild a life we all abandoned "What about you?" I asked "Nothing compared to any of you" she said
"Heartache is heartache Pol, whether you're here or on the battle field" I said "You lost David. No pain compares when my boys are coming home" she muttered, taking a sip of her tea as Nala came trudging down the stairs, looking at me hesitantly.
She looked so... old Like a stranger So did Finn Two children I wouldn't have recognised if I passed them in the street.
The little girl who was all the family I had left.
•
Clara was still living with her parents, heartbroken at the loss of her fiancé. And reluctant to keep my mother's ring even though I insisted, she eventually backed down, and thanked me for being so understanding of her feelings.
I told her the truth, which was that my brother loved her He wanted a life with her, and so she was as good as family to me She was robbed of him too, and robbed of a goodbye.
No funeral left us all... empty
I had spent one night in the house. One sleepless night pacing around the living room before I came to the conclusion that I couldn't do it That I couldn't stay here after everything That every nightmare only taunted me and screamed at me to run away from my problems
Running away seemed like a terrible answer But it was the only one I had in my mind And so the next day, I had packed up everything, absolutely everything It was all reminders of the past Of Mum and David Of our lives before the war.
I took Nala, and I caught a train to London I barrelled into Dorothy's door after 4 years and set up a life in London A life away from all the trauma, the grief and the reminders A life away from who I used to be.
I relaunched my bar, purchased docks, bought more bars, started businesses and made a name for myself It wasn't always a good name but I wanted to be someone Someone successful, someone who would have made mum and David proud, someone who could provide for Nala.
As for the Shelby boys... I heard this and that from John. He seemed to be the only one that was slightly survivable Which was surprising after he found out about David
Arthur was struggling with his mental state after it all. He was a complete wreck and he'd fell back into the bad old days of drinking and fighting And Tommy... Tommy had apparently completely shut down
No calls. No letters, no reach out And I was too much of a coward to do so myself either
I knew how he felt. More often than not, a numbness took over me, that shut down all emotion and drove me on nothing but rationalisation.
One that made me who I was today.
Tommy's POV
Coming back, to nothing. It was a strange feeling Everyone was celebrating our victory Celebrating life and happy we were still here But Mariana... she ran away She didn't wait for us, she didn't try to contact us
She left. Moved without a word to anyone Except Pol And eventually John And we were all left With nothing No David No Mariana Nothing but a betting shop
So I made it my responsibility to make us more To build us up into something we could be proud of Something we could rely on. Something that was ours
Unknown POV
"What is it?" He asked roughly, not in the mood for his assistant's abundance of questions "Sabini has been moved" he said "Moved?" The man behind the desk asked "Yeah, pushed out of the entire northern ports. The clubs, the bars" he informed his boss
"By who?" He asked, then taking the folder his assistant handed him with his ringed fingers, glasses moving up to his eyes as he read through "Mariana Cortéz?" He mumbled intrigued, looking over her official photo from government documents, and the little they had on record of her
Blonde Sad looking National intelligence
"Send her a message" he said "What type of message Alfie?" Ollie asked "Just send a telegram... say hello" he said smugly, leaning back in his chair.
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I worked immensely hard on this prequel and I would love to know what you guys thought of it! I'm going to release another chapter with the letter that Mariana wrote to Tommy if anyone is interested in reading that.
