The Shelby Princess

26

"Ello Charlie" Alfie addressed, tommy evidently struggling to hide his disapproval. "hello alf" she smiled, releasing herself from tommy before platonically kissing his cheek.
"So this is the man 'imself" Alfie gestured towards Tommy, referencing to when Charlotte had briefly mentioned the "man that broke her heart". "Alfie" Tommy spoke through the nod of his head.
"you wanna take a look at my bakery?"he rhetorically questioned,walking ahead. "we bake the brown breads, the white breads, yeah we make all sorts."
he continued on.
"you wanna try some?" glancing to charlotte who sent him a knowing look.
"try the brown" tommy nodded, watching as Alfie turnt his attention towards Charlotte. "you'll be after the white won't ya sweetheart?" alfie spoke, subtly frowning due to the fact this was probably the first time he'd seen her actually quiet. "go on then alf"
"yeah yeah, a girl after me own heart" he said, watching as the pair took a sip.
"so what'd ya think?" "not bad"
"not bad?" alfie repeated, earning an eye roll from Charlotte.
"the stuffs fucking vile mate, made for the workers" he added.
"yeah alright alf" charlotte nodded,  attempting to deter him away from his his pathetic behaviour.
"right ollie you look after my Charlie" alfie nodded once more.
Charlotte immediately noticed the subtle clench of Tommy's jaw at the possessive pronoun. She also was aware he weren't happy about leaving her with Ollie, of course she knew him but that didn't suffice his worries. Nodding towards him with a smile of reassurance, she watched them disappear into Alfie's office, an uneasy feeling settling within her.
Gnawing at her bottom lip, she turned her attention towards ollie as he spoke.
"The man that owns Charlotte Windsors heart,never thought i'd see the day" ollie chuckled, watching as she let a playful smile cover her face.
"yeah well that days occurred ever since i was fifteen oll" she chuckled once more, anxiously biting her nail as she glanced over to the door the pair sat behind.
"you've been with him since you were fifteen?" the boy questioned, which she only hummed in reply to.
"you really love him dont you?" he furthered questioned, watching her eyebrows furrow.
"what makes you say that?" she perplexed. 
"you haven't took your eyes off that door since he got in there,nor 'ave you stopped looking ridiculously stressed" he chuckled, watching as she now consciously removed her eyeline from the door.
"shut up ollie, i don't trust em together" she sighed, now subconsciously returning her gaze back.
Before the conversation could continue, the pair, and much to Charlotte's relief, walked out.
"you gonna come to me club soon Charlie?" Alfie questioned, as tommy scanned her over subconsciously.
"i'll return to work in a few weeks, so yes" she smiled, swatting his hand away as he rustled her hair.
"Now that." Alfie said, pointing towards her black eye.
"See i don't like that, and if see another black eye on that pretty face of yours, i'll make the somme look like a fucking tea party" he deadpanned.
"M'fine Alf" she smiled,appreciatively.
Although she knew Alfie had good intentions, she could see in her peripheral vision that Tommy's jaw was clenched,and his frustration was threatening to show.
"Alright, cheerio" alfie nonchalantly spoke, winking at charlotte as they exited his bakery.

"He wants to fuck you." Tommy abruptly spoke, catching charlotte off guard as she almost choked on thin air.
"excuse me?" she perplexed, a hint of amusement in her tone.
"i see what you don't, he isn't just your mate lottie" he reiterated,watching as she smirked slightly.
"is someone jealous?" she teased.
"M'not jealous, but if i see one man look at you as if i'm not stood right here, i'll do something the fucking devil would shy away from." he spat, his frustration evident.
"Tommy, I'm yours." she chuckled, linking her arm in his and playfully kissing his cheek.
"yes you are, and i'm a selfish man, i don't like to share."

                                   -

"Pol can you pass the phone over to lottie please." Ada spoke through the phone from her London home.
"Lotts" polly said, gesturing her head towards the telephone.
"Hello ade" charlotte smiled, holding the telephone between her ear and shoulder as she fixed a pin in her hair.
"Charlotte, don't freak out" Ada deadpanned, instantly enlightening fear within the girl.
"What?" she spoke through furrowed eyebrows.
"Stanley was here this morning, he asked for you" Ada sighed, the poor girl's face instantly losing it's colour.
"What did you say?" she rushed, growing more stressed by the minute.
"I told him not to come back and to leave us but more importantly you alone." she confidently spoke, easing Charlotte slightly.
"I told him not to go anywhere near your house again" she sighed.
Stanley had made an appearance at Ada's before, It was his only point of contact to reach Charlotte because he had visited the Shelby girls home a few times before,whilst the pair were in a relationship.  After the first time Charlotte had a word, and naively assumed the visit's would stop.
"He left something for you though Char, it's a piece of paper with a meeting place and time on it" Ada perplexed,flipping over the piece of paper to view the back.
"What?" Charlotte scoffed. "Why would he do that?"
"He mentioned something about closure, maybe it would be a good idea to have that final conversation?" Ada prospered.
"Do you think?" Charlotte said, biting her nails in stress.
"well you never really had that conversation did you, you just never saw him again" Ada shrugged, attempting to ease the girl's stress.
"Look you can stay at mine, i'll make sure i know where you are, it's up to you?" She added.
"Okay yes, maybe you're right."

"Stanley, i'm not here to make amends, i just want you to leave us alone." she sighed, growing agitated already.
"Oh i'm not here to make amends, i just want to make sure you know what you want darlin" he confidently spoke.
"I'm crystal clear, is that all?" she scoffed. Instantly regretting her decision she rose from her seat, attempting to grab her bag as his hand slammed on top of hers, gesturing for her to sit down.
Due to the pair both being recognisable, she took to her seat not keen on creating a scene.
"don't fucking touch me." she spat, pulling her hand away.
"i'm worried about you, can i not worry about the woman i love?" he rhetorically questioned, earning a grimace from her.
"You don't have to worry about me, I'm happy." she frowned.
"Well what happens when big bad Tommy Shelby loses his temper, eh?" he tormented.
"He would never lay a hand on me, i wish i could say the same for you." she scoffed, her eyebrows sitting furrowed.
Frustratingly, she picked up her drink taking a very well needed sip.
"Does he know how i've touched you?" he began. "How you shudder under my touch?" he spoke through the tilt of his head, dragging his knuckle up her bare arm. "Shut up" she spat vulnerably, harshly pulling her arm away.
She didn't know what it was, but when it came to Stanley he always had a way at making her feel so weak and vulnerable. He made her feel small, like she didn't have control over her own body and emotions. It was a certain feeling that she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. Undeniably,
She was afraid.
And she just knew, that if Tommy was here to see how another man was making her feel afraid, undoubtedly they'd be one less man walking the earth.
Right then and there in that moment, she would of done anything to see his piercing blue eyes scanning the room for hers.
Jumping out of her skin at the click of his fingers, pulling her from her daze
She let her eyes roam the bar once more, her attention returning to him as he spoke. "He's not here to save you sweetheart" he chuckled. "You know i thought you were a wise woman" he taunted, watching the colour drain from her face.
"What have you done stanley?" she panicked, all of a sudden feeling a rush of fatigue.

"Where's your sister?" Tommy questioned Jordan, who had been visiting for the weekend.
"said she was going to see Ada for the night, why?" Jordan frowned, noticing Tommy's concern.
"What's the matter brother?" John questioned, also catching onto his concerned aura.
Sighing heavily, Tommy made his way to the home's Telephone.
"Hello" Ada's voice spoke through the phone. "Where is she?" Tommy abruptly questioned, listening to his sister heavily sigh.
"She's fine Thomas" she spoke, emphasising each and every word.
"you haven't offered for me to speak to her." Tommy started. "What?"
"Because she's not there." he nodded, his frustration exceeding.
"so i'm going to ask you again, where is Charlotte, Ada?" he clenched his jaw, desperate to keep his composure.
"Fine" she spat. "She went to see stanley but-." she started.
"She what?" he interrupted, his frustration painstakingly evident.
"Tommy she's fine, let me explain" she attempted once more.
"for fucks sake ada, i need to know if she's done that" he scolded, his anger near unbearable.

Undeniably, Tommy's done a lot of terrible things, and he's felt anger that's consuming. However in this current moment, his brother's sat quiet looking back at an unrecognisable expression on his face.
It was pure anger, and a sense of lack of control.
He couldn't understand why no one would tell him that was going on, if his Charlotte was meeting a man like that, he's ought to know. Look at what happened because he didn't .
He was also consumed with concern because he had no idea where he might of taken her and what he's planning on doing with her, he had no control of the situation, and honestly it was stressing him the fuck out.
However most importantly, he was fuming she was even in his company.
It was a different scenario then if she was just in the presence of another man, Tommy's done his research and is well aware of what Stanley's capable of.
Also, she's loved this one, he has the power to make her feel vulnerable, to take advantage of her.
Even the thought made his blood boil beneath his skin.

His anger wasn't from a place of jealousy, it was from a place of concern. And undeniably, that's a whole different Tommy Shelby.

"Where you going Tom?" Arthur warily questioned.
"To make sure there's one less man on this fucking planet."

                                   -

hey pretty people🫶
i'm so sorry for the slow updates
my work keeps changing my shifts and i'm currently working all the timeeee
i'm gonna try and keep them as regular as possible.
sorry love u😫