The Poisoned Rose

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Storming into the room, Rose was met with several shocked faces. "I told her it was too early." Her brother muttered to the men he was with.

"Nonsense." Rose cheerfully told him, "We've got a war to win."

"Rose." 

"Leave her be." Polly told him she sauntered in the room, "She's the best you've got."

Michael stared at the elder woman, "Mother, what are you doing here?"

"Rose asked me to come."

Nodding her head, Rose informed them, "Of course I would, she's experienced and clever, better than any of you."

"Rose!" Her brother went to say something but Alfie cut him off. 

"I thought you would have learned by now that she doesn't listen to anyone, especially not some man who wants to be powerful."

They all stayed silent as they watched Rose walk around the table, "We are going to win. I am going to make sure of it."

"What do we have to do?"

"We have to kill Tommy." Rose spun around so she was staring at him, "Actually, no, you have to kill him. Show off your superiority against him. Prove him wrong."

"What if I don't?"

Rose laughed, "Then you don't deserve to win."

"It's not that simple."

"Everything is that simple." Rose poured herself a drink, "It is only you that will make things complicated."

Michael stared at her as she downed the drink, "Are you okay Rose?"

"I'm brilliant, why wouldn't I be? Everything is fucking great." Before anyone could speak, she continued, "Now, Tommy is weak. John managed to injure him for you."

The Gray leader, shook his head, "Tommy will be okay. As strong as he's ever been."

"No, he's not. He'll be weaker, I promise you that." Rose's hand gripped the glass tighter, "John didn't die for no reason. He died for something."

Rose looked away from the pity glances and informed them what was to be done. 

"I bet it feels like forever since you were last here." Alfie gently told her as they stared at the empty club, "Since you were the mighty Poisoned Rose, sauntering around, killing anyone and everyone. I heard about you and always wanted to meet you. To see if you were exactly like what they had said."

"Was I?"

"You were so much more." The two chinked their glasses before drinking the burning liquid. 

"The men used to look at me as though I was a piece of meat ready to be eaten. I hated it." Rose whispered before laughing bitterly, "Until one day a group of men walked down that staircase." She pointed over to the corner, "They were different, no one was used to men like them. They were exciting."

"What happened that day?"

Rose smiled as she walked forward, "They stopped around here and spoke to a man that always sat here. They spoke for a while, watched me as I did my normal rounds. And then..." She smiled, "I walked over to them, and began to reveal information that I knew about them. You should have seen their faces.

And John. I knew who he was and the crimes he had done and it excited me. He was my age and I could see something different in my eyes. He was the only one who didn't look at me as though I was just a woman. I stole his toothpick and whispered his name." Her eyes glistened as she touched her lips, "I didn't know then how much he would come to mean to me."

"Neither did he." Alfie shouted over to her, "If he had then he would have probably kissed you."

Rose smiled and for a second she could see him in front of her, his lips parted as he stared down at her. Her John, young and eager to fight.

"I should have given everything up for him." Rose shouted, "The Poisoned Rose gone, the power gone. Yet I was stupid. So fucking stupid. I loved him so much Alfie.

"So much.

"And now he's gone."