𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

18

The Shelby cars drove through Small Heath, toward the Garrison. They all got out, staring at the pub that had been blown up.

"Who's done this to our pub" Lottie hissed. They all stared at it.

Polly and Tommy approached it. "It happened at exactly 7 am" Moss told them. "Nobody saw anything, our patrols were not in the area"

"Mr Shelby, do you have any idea who might have done it"

"I'd say it was something to do with the gas" Tommy shrugged. "It's just been fitted" he said, handing Moss money.

"Madam the structures not yet declared safe" He warned Polly as she walked to the front of the pub, kneeling down. She picked up something, looking at it.

"This is all over the place" she stated, holding green confetti. "You can go" Tommy nodded at Moss. "Who?" Polly asked. "Who did this to us"

-

"Finn" she whispered to the fourteen year old boy as he walked across the hall. "What?" he asked. "I'm sneaking out, cover for me?" she asked, squinting.

He groaned. "Fine, what's in it for me"

"I'll get you some sherbet lemons" she grinned, referring to their favourite sweets. "Deal" he nodded, closing her door over.

Lottie leaned on to the wall, sliding the window open then dropping her boots to the floor. It had been raining, the floor was wet, everything was wet. As she stepped onto the wall, the stones dug into her feet. "Shit" she whispered, holding onto the pipe.

As she went to step on to the floor, her foot slipped, sending her tumbling down.

Lottie winced, looking at her grazed hands. Shaking her head, she pulled her boots onto her feet and began running.

Lottie loved sneaking out, she love the adrenaline that would rush through her.

She didn't necessarily have a specific reason to be out at this time. Apart from the fact she needed to clear her head. Recently she was becoming overwhelmed and the thing that helped would walks by the cut at night. Sounds dangerous, it is dangerous.

Her eyes glistened as she looked down at the water. Ada hadn't been home for weeks, the funeral was the first time she'd seen her for a while.

Thomas was planning on expansion which increased the risk of danger for the whole family, especially Ada. Isaiah had been away with Reggie for a bit, left a couple days after her birthday.

The whole group hadn't seen Danny in a while, it was almost like he was gone.

And that's why Lottie had planned to go knock on his house on her way back home to see if he was okay.

She sat with her feet dangling over the water, almost touching it. It was silent, the only sound was the slight ripple of the water as the wind pushed it along.

Sometimes she preferred being alone, away from the Shelby name.

Alongside the fact she had recently turned 17, Thomas had given her a cap with a blade sat in between the seems, protection he said. She wore the hat everywhere.

Her head shot round when she heard something move. "Hello?" she asked, standing up. Nothing. She walked toward the alleyway that separated the cut from the lane. Lottie cautiously took her hat off, holding it tightly.