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.
As she stepped out into the lane, she felt a gun pressed to the side of her neck.
Her eyes widened.
"Don't move" The man said, her hands began shaking. He placed the gun in his trousers and grabbed her, pulling her backwards.
"What the fuck are you doing, get off me" she screamed, kicking her legs.
He placed a hand over her mouth.
"See, i saw you come here earlier, thought it was funny, Shelby girl roaming around at night alone. Thought you'd know better"
"Get off" she shouted. He pinned her up against the wall, her feet lifting off the ground.
The man's fingers held her chin, pushing her face to the side.
"You do anything to me and my brothers will kill you" she screamed. The man was twice her height and weighed a lot more than her.
"Well by the time they find your dead body i'll have left the city" he taunted, snatching the hat from her hand and letting it fall to the floor.
"What do you want" she asked.
His hand trailed along her leg. Shivers went up Lottie's body.
She shook her head. "Please don't" she begged. Despite the darkness, she could see a wide grin displayed on his face.
He began attempting to unbutton her trousers but she kicked her legs again, resulting to her laying on the floor, him on top of her.
Panic rose inside of her.
"Get off me" Lottie sobbed, punching his chest. He placed a hand over her mouth and continued trying to take her pants off.
No matter how loud she tried to scream, nothing came out, no one was there to help her.
She attempted to reach for her cap, begging that she could grab it in time.
The man saw her attempts and grabbed her wrist, twisting it around. "Please stop" she shouted, panicking under his weight and trying to push him off.
"Thought a Shelby would be a bit better at fighting" he breathed, moving his hand to her neck.
She let out a breath, struggling.
Lottie shook her head, trying to avoid his touch. Her hand reached to the front of his trousers, carefully sliding the gun from them.
Without hesitation she fired it into his chest. His whole body collapsed on her. She winced, trying to climb from underneath him. She shot him again, and again, and again.
Lottie struggled to breath as she attempted to wipe the blood that had poured onto her after shooting him in the chest.
Loud sobs escaped her mouth as her hands shook, still holding the gun.
Lottie began running back toward watery lane, stopping at the corner to throw up.
As she stopped in front of the house, she hit the door continuously.
"It's fucking 11 at night what the bloody hell-" Tommy opened the door, his eyes widened at the sight of his blood covered sister.
"What the fuck" he whispered. "Tommy" she said quietly, her voice croaking. "Come on, come inside Lottie" he urged.
"Tommy" she repeated, falling into him, "I killed him" she sobbed.
"Killed who Lottie" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders only to be shrugged away.
"The man" she shook her head, staring at her hands where the gun was.
"What the bloody hells going on" Polly appeared, stopping dead in her tracks once she saw Lottie. "Jesus Christ"
"Pol, go get John"
Lottie collapsed onto the floor, pushing herself against the wall and pulling her knees to her chest.
"What happened Lottie, talk to me" Tommy kneeled beside her. "Get away" she shook her head, "get away" she repeated.