Nothing Left To Break

9

ALFIE WAS QUIET. TOO QUIET.

A trait that only a few of the Solomon siblings had picked up. Being quiet when they were angry. Ani, Alfie and Alex all went quiet, leaving the room stewing and wondering what was wrong. That was what Alfie was doing now.

He let his other siblings speak. Catching up from their week and discussing their upcoming social events. Ani was quiet at this point, knowing that all of her upcoming social events included a certain Shelby brother who Alfie would definitely not approve of.

When Ani's siblings discussed this she quietly made her way across the room to Alfie's office. He had left an hour or so ago to do some work. Well, that's what he'd said he'd done. Ani knew him better to know that he was worried about something. Therefore she left Dot, Vin and Alex in the private room.

Knock, Knock

"Yeah" a short and stern answer from her eldest brother arose Ani's nerves about her upcoming conversation with Alfie.

Nevertheless, she creeped into the room, trying to keep her tall posture and composed attitude, regaining her mask.

"What's wrong?" Ani asks, avoiding her brothers eyes burning into her. Instead, she walks to the drinks caddy and pours some rum. The good rum, not the kind which she had previously chided for being distasteful. She pours two glasses, one for herself and one for her brother.

He watches her every move.

Once she sits on the creaky wooden chair, he leans forward on his elbows. Ani smiled slightly. She knew that the chair she was sitting on was made to make people (specifically business partners) feel inferior to her brother, inferior and uncomfortable, in contrast to Alfie's rather lavish red chair. Well, lavish compared to the seat which was currently sending pins down Ani's back.

"You wouldn't lie to me would you?" Alfie asks.

The room turns cold. Ani didn't know it could turn colder. She felt chills go up her spine (other than the ones which were already there because of the chair). No, these ones cut her. Alfie's voice cut through the room.
At that moment she was reduced to nothing. He was trying to take down her walls. To make her weak.

Ani fought every thought, telling her to get out. She was strong. This was her brother, he wouldn't hurt her.
Well, he probably wouldn't kill her.

"No" Ani finally musters out. Sitting up in her own seat and taking a small sip of her rum, which did taste much better than the other.

"You are going to answer me honestly and quickly, no nonsene , do you understand?" Alfie asks, emotionless.

Yes, she understood. She understood that whatever she said during this conversation would be documented in his head for eternity after. She has to tell the truth or else she would get caught up in a lie and end up in an argument with her brother, which was never pretty.

As much as Ani seemed to scare Alfie. It was very much a mutual thing.

Ani nods. Saving her words.

"Who is Isaac Henderson?" He asks coldly, taking his own sip of his drink, not breaking eye contact with his sister.

That was a trick question. Alfie already knew everything about him, down to his great-grandmother's maiden name.

"My previous boyfriend" Ani answers straight away. There was no turning back.

"Why previous?" Alfie asks, playing with his glass in his hand.

"I ended our relationship" Ani states.
Well, technically, Thomas Shelby ended the relationship between Ani and Isaac. But he wouldn't and couldn't know that.

"Why" he does not ask this but instead he demands.

Leaving Ani no choice.
She had to tell him.
And once she did, she knew that Isaac would never see the light of day again.
By telling her brother the truth, she was killing someone.

"He hurt me" Ani says ominously. Obviously not giving Alfie the answer he wanted. He spoke more firmly now.

"How did he hurt you, Leilani"

"He hit, punched, kicked, chocked, anything you can think of, he did to me" Ani says. No hesitation. Only the truth. No tears were on her cheeks. Just powdered makeup. No pout on her lip. Just red lip gloss.

Alfie had a look on his face which Ani hadn't seen before.
"я исправлю это" (I will fix this)
He states in Russian. A language which he only usually reserved for family matters.

The language of their mother was dear to Alfie. So dear that he rarely spoke it. The memory of her death being too sour in his head.

Ani knew that there was nothing she could do now. She let Alfie leave the room without saying anything else.

Instead of going back to her siblings, she finished her drink and reached over to finish Alfie's.

-------------

2 hours later Ani and her siblings were leaving the warehouse and going their separate ways.
She watched as Vin gave Dot a hug, a warm smile coming to his lips. She hadn't seen him smile in a while.
Vin then turned to Ani and sighed.
"What are we gonna do with you, eh?" He asks, mostly to himself as he pulls his youngest sister in for a hug.

"Pam ti mor hapus?" (Why are you so happy?) Ani asks, into her brothers chest seeing as he doesn't seem to be letting go of her any time soon.
This just arrises a laugh from her brother.
Its fair to say that Ani, was too stuned to speak.

He still hadn't let go of Ani, she was starting to feel claustrophobic and trapped. She thought of her past and the close quartered events that happened. She reminded herself where she was.
She was safe in her brother's arms. She was safe in London. She was safe. Safe.

She quickly wriggled out of Vin's grip. His face fell when she did this. He looked more confused than hurt. He placed his hands on his hips and gave Ani a hard stare. As if to scold her, like a father would to his daughter.

"Fuck you then" he mumbles, before turning around and walking away.

How did she mess that up?