The Gypsy Beauty

Separate Meetings.

"I'm the old days, Finn." Arthur says. "Family meetings used to be all of us together." He continues, pouring himself a drink. "Arthur, shut up." Polly tells him. "Now me, and John, we're just fucking bin men who's duty it is to obey. Hmm? And god knows what Tommy's doing with Letty. Making her obey too." Arthur continues, glancing at me.

Polly walks towards him. "Arthur, shut up. Finn, go and get us cigars." She demands. "So what are we going to do all night, eh? Climb fucking trees?" John asks. "John, stop swearing in front of the kids." Polly scolds, once again. "Yeah and who said you're staying the night?" Ada asks. "I know what we can do! We get the guns out, John. We go outside and shoot some fucking pheasants. That's what the bosses do, innit?" Arthur suggests.

I shake my head tiredly, standing up and downing a gulp of whiskey. "Fuck off, Arthur." Michael spat as my eyes widen in amusement. "The fuck did you just say to me?" Arthur questions as Michael puts his cup down and Arthur quickly stands up with anger written on his face. "No, no, what the fuck did you just say? Cause I didn't fucking hear you!" He spat, getting into Michaels face. Johns moves quickly as do I, as we both push Michael and Arthur away from each other.

"I didn't ask for separate meetings today, alright?" Michael says and I open my mouth to say something but Karl beats me to it as he stands at the table, a toy car in his hand. "Fucking pheasant!" He says making Ada's face pale, her eyes wide and she instantly grabs him in her arms. Me and John nearly topple over in laughter as I hold my stomach. "Karl, you can't say things like that!" Ada says, trying to hold in her laughter. "Now look what you've done." Polly spat. I try to stay serious for a moment but I snort, laughing again.

Arthur chuckles and grabs Michael and John by their shoulders. "Alright brothers. It's just the fucking whiskey talking." He grins. "I don't ask to be protected, alright?" Michael grumbles. "Right shut up. The pair of you. Sit down." Polly demands before she turns to me and John. "Sit!" She demands and I scoff, sliding into a chair. "She's getting mean in her old age." I grumble to John who sniggers.

"Look around you. Look at this house. Look how far we've come. I think it's about time we all started acting in a way more appropriate to our station. We're none of his bin men anymore, Arthur. Tommy needs us all together. I'd like to propose a toast." Polly begins, as I pick up my glass, the rest of the table following even Karl who picks up a mug. "It's a family united that shall never be defeated." She says as Finn comes running in.

"Tommy's gone! Swear to god, he's in a wagon with Johnny dogs!" He exclaims. I shoot up, ignoring my pain as I run to the front door and look out. I see Tommy holding Charlie and he nods to me as I nod back, happy he took my advice...for once.

******

"Alright,  now cock it with your thumb." I instruct. It's dark out and Polly and Ada are sat inside with the children. I stand against John, a smoke between my lips as I stare out into the field. Michael chuckles and raises the gun, doing as I instructed and cocks it with his thumb. "There you go. Now she's been cocked. She's alive in your hand." Arthur grins. John let's out a loud rooster sound pulling my closer to him making me laugh and I take the glass of whiskey in his hand.

"It's like waking up a girl when you cock the trigger. She rolls over all sleepy eyes and she goes, 'Michael, Michael'." Arthur chuckles leaning over. "What are you gonna make me do Michael?" John slurs attempting to sound like a girl. "What are you gonna do to me, Michael?" I grin, winking as he looks at me. "You boys are crazy men. Fucking crazy men." Michael yells.

"Yeah but you fell through right?" Arthur asks. "Yeah. Yeah, you can feel it. You can feel the power. Now, squeeze it." He says as a shot goes out. "Powerful." Michael repeats, his eyes glistening under the moonlight. "Fucking useless!" John slurs. "Piss off, John." Michael hisses. I grin as John opens another bottle of whiskey. "Michael, why does a pen pusher who sits in his ass all day wanna fire a gun?"

"Cock it again. Once more." Arthur instructs. "Round two!" John yells, kissing my neck after. Michael raises the gun, cocking it. "Look at the fucking face, John boy. Look at that face." Arthur points. I grin as I lean close to Michaels ear. "Pull the trigger." I whisper. "Now he feels it. But you won't feel nothing until you point that thing at a man." Arthur grumbles and Michael turns and points the gun at John.

"There you go, young boss. There you go, now you feel it. Now you feel what we feel. Even what Letty feels. This is what it's like." Arthur tells him as Michael never drops the gun, his finger edging closer to the trigger. "Michael, don't you dare. You don't want to do it. You won't like how it feels, how the blood on your hand feels. It doesn't stop at one, it always two or three, maybe more. You have the opportunity to not fuck up your life like we did. You see how fucked up Tommy is." I tell him.

"Better than having a pen in your hand, eh? More like having a cock in your hand." Arthur exclaims, still toying with Michael who quickly turns and points the gun up into Arthur's neck. "One squeeze. I'm gone. I'm fucking gone, mate." Arthur tells him as I share a look with John who seems to have sobered up. "Michael, you fucking watch that Wembley don't jump. You know that?" He threatens, his voice slightly shaken.

"When you pull that fucking trigger, and the body of the man you shot wraps itself around you ankles, they pile up. Just like Letty said." Michael begins to breath heavily as he moves the gun up to Arthur's face, a look of madness. "It gets to the point where you can't walk in a room. Without bringing a load of 'em with you." Arthur keeps a straight face, a slight glare in his eye as he anticipates Michaels next move. "What's going on?" I hear Polly exclaim from behind me and I turn to see her running towards us.

"The bloody hell are you boys playing at?" Polly spat before she walks towards Arthur, raising her eyebrow. "What's going on?" She asks as Arthur swallows thickly, looking down at her. "Polly, we're just educating the boss here. On our side of the business." Arthur tells her as Polly glares up at him, her eyes never leaving his as she speaks again. "Michael, get in the house." A silence falls and I watch as Michael walks towards me but stopped and walks back over to Polly.

"I'm not a fucking kid anymore." He spat before turning and walking towards the house, past me as I fight my grin. Polly watches as Arthur walks around her and pulls out his gun, shutting the bottles we set up as targets. Pulling out his gun, John follows his lead and shot most of the remaining bottles before they both turn to me. Polly shakes her head as I pull out my gun and shoot the last few bottles, aiming for the middle.