Blackened Heart- Tommy Shelby

Darkened Door

Slipping into her house she began to kick off her heels and pulled her coat off. Pulling out her hair she ruffled it with her fingers, instantly feeling relief across her scalp. Today had been long and tense, every moment thinking that Victor would enter the hospital and wreak havoc on her life some more.

Walking up the stairs she decided that she would soak in the bath, next to the fire. After recent events she needed some time to just sit and think. As she opened up the door to her bedroom she froze when she saw a coat lay across the bottom of her bed.

Frozen, she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest and her palms begin to tingle. Someone was in her house and she was certain they were aware of her.

Looking at the coat she saw that there was blood along the collar and down the front. It was Tommy's coat, she was certain of it she thought as she peered down at the soft material.

"Olivia?"

"Shit!" She screamed as she turned around to find her intruder looking at her from the doorway, wiping his wet hands on a towel. "Tommy! I didn't know you were here"

Tommy nodded before walking deeper into the room, his serious eyes on Olivia's face "I needed to clean up" he told her gently, the words begrudgingly passing his lips.

"Why? Wait, whose is the blood on your coat?" She asked as she pointed to the offending material.

Tommy took a deep breath and wished desperately he had a cigarette in his mouth. After sitting in the car on the way over he realised he would have to tell her the truth about what he did, he would need her to see what type of person he was.

"It's Victors"

Olivia stumbled back with her hand against her chest "What did you do?" She whispered "Please tell me you didn't"

Tommy rushed to her and placed his hands on the side of her face, his thumb stroking down her cheek that was still pink from the cold outside. Even with fear in her eyes he couldn't bring himself to stop thinking about kissing her.

"I did" he told her and began to pull her as she tried to tug away "I had too Olivia. Just listen okay? He wasn't going to stop until he forced you to be with him. Do you understand? If I didn't do what I did you wouldn't have your freedom"

"Tommy" she cried as she tried to pull away "Let me go"

"I made a choice Olivia. I don't regret it so please don't punish me for it"

Yanking her hands from his grip she bent over, placing a hand on the dressing table as she gulped in large breaths. A rush of guilt rolled over her, a man had died because of her, another man.

"I'm going to be sick" she cried to herself as she took a seat, closing her eyes "Don't be sick, don't be sick" she mumbled to herself over and over again.

"I had to" he told her as he leaned behind her, his hands rubbing circles across her back "I won't let anyone hurt you Olivia, that includes me" he growled.

"Oh god" she whispered

"Olivia" he turned her to face him "Arthur had heard that Victor was going to have two men take you tonight, from here" he paused to make sure she was taking it all in "They were going to put you on a ship to America where we couldn't get to you"

"Why?" She whispered, her eyes scanning his face "Why would he do that?"

Tommy touched her cheek gently "He wanted you at any cost"

Lunging forward Olivia wrapped her arms around a Tommy, almost knocking him backwards as she buried her head into his neck. The smell of her hair and the softness of her skin in his arms soothed his worries, she wasn't scared of him, she wasn't going to punish him for what he had to do.

Tommy pulled her as close as he could, his hands stroking the bottom off her back as he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled against his chest.

"It's on me not you"

Pulling away from him Olivia looked up at him, fear in her eyes but this time it was for him "What will happen now?"

Tommy placed a kiss on the side of her mouth "Nothing. It's all taken care of"

"But wont his men retaliate? does this mean someone will try to shoot you again?"

Tommy picked her up and moved to a chair where he sat her back down on his lip, placing his arm around the bottom of her bag so she could lean back into his chest "No not this time. They were more than happy to make the switch to work under Alfie. Victor didn't have many loyal men left"

Sweeping her hair away and down her back he placed a soft kiss on her neck, grateful that she wasn't repulsed by him but also that she was simply allowing him to touch her. Usually so guarded he had always been careful with her.

"Does this mean I don't have to have the body guards following me everywhere? she asked as she pulled away "Ron is great and everything but the man is highly strung"

Tommy smirked at her, enjoying the thought of Olivia batting off Rons over the top methods of protection "I'll tell them to scale back"

"But I don't need them so-"

"Olivia don't argue with me" he warned her "It's just a precaution for now"

Olivia stood up, glaring down at him as she crossed her arms over her chest "You said no one can get to me Tommy so why do I need Ron?"

Tommy sighed as he rubbed his eyes knowing where this was going "Just let me do this okay?"

"No" she snapped "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"There's a certain consequence of being at my side Olivia and because of this I need to know that you're protected from it"

Olivia balked at the information, her life suddenly changing as she realised that being with Tommy would always come with risks. There had been a risk with Victor but deep down she knew that he would fix it, do his best to rid her of him but now she was facing the realization that she may face future problems.

"But for now there is no one I should be worried about?"

"No" he lied.