Johns POV
I walk into Letty's bedroom seeing her laying on her bed, facing away from the door. I take my cap and jacket off, placing them on her desk before I walk over to her bed. I lift the covers and climb in beside her, wrapping my arm around her waist as I bring her back into me.
"You okay, beautiful?" I ask lowly, feeling her shrug. "Just didn't think he would ever do that to me. Seems like he would rather protect his precious Grace than protect me anymore." She says angrily. "I don't know why he would do that. Explains why he didn't say anything to me or Arthur, eh? He knew we would never let him do this." I tell her.
She turns round in my arms, tangling her legs with mine. "I know you two wouldn't. I thought the same about Tommy but clearly, I thought wrong." She sighs, playing with my tie as she smirks softly. "What's that smirk for?" I ask her curiously. "Just remembering the fun times we've had with this tie." She says.
I laugh remembering all the times I've tied her up with it, tying her to my headboard. "Yeah, and it won't be the last." I promise her as she smirks. "You better keep that promise, John Shelby." She warns playfully and I smirk. "I will. You'd think I'd give up the opportunity to have you at my mercy again?" I raise my eyebrow at her.
"No, I know you. It's one of your favourite things to do to me." She says and I nod, agreeing with her. "One of many things I love doing to you." I say as she smiles. I run my hand down to her ribs where she hisses making furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "What's wrong?" I ask her.
"Nothing." She dismisses quickly but I lift her shirt up seeing bruises spread across her ribs. "Did Kimber do this?" I ask her angrily, feeling anger for Tommy even more. "When he pushed me onto a table." She tells me and my jaw clenches. "Fucking Kimber." I growl lowly. "I'm okay, John. Been through worse before." She tells me.
"Doesn't make it better. It shouldn't have happened in the first place, baby." I tell her and she nods. "Yeah, you're telling me." She says, sighing softly. I move my hand to her hair, brushing my fingers through it as I speak. "Look, I'm after calling a family meeting tomorrow at the Garrison and I really need you there, Letts. It's bloody important. Tommy's an arsehole at times but if there's one thing that bastard loves, it's you. I know it." I say, clenching my jaw at the thought but also on how she's going to react when I tell her my news.
"I'm not speaking to him. I've got nothing to say." She says before she looks up at me. "You okay?" She asks and I nod stifly. "Yeah, just don't want to lose you. I can't lose you." I tell her and she smiles, placing her hand on my cheek. "You're not gonna lose me, John Shelby. I promise." She promises me and I just hope I don't.
"I need you to know that what I tell you tomorrow is not to hurt you. And I don't want you to think you aren't mine because you are. You're my girl and I'm yours. I promise. Till the day I take my last breath, you're the only woman for me." I tell her sincerely and she smile softly. "It's us against this god for saken world, yeah?" She asks and I nod, grinning. "Us against the world, beautiful."
******
Tommys POV
Me and Polly walk inside the Garrison, into our private room and Polly sits down at the table while I hover against the wall, staring down at Letty. She sits beside John, his hand clutched tightly in hers as she stares into her whiskey glass, not bothering to look up when we walked in. Arthur sat across from them and the three of them sit in silence.
"Alright John, there's only one man-" I cut myself off, waving my hand at Arthur who offers me a drink. "No. There's only one man guarding the house. What's troubling you?" I ask as John lets out a huff, and I see him squeeze Letty's hand tighter. "Fuck me. Not so tight, John. This is my punching hand." She says pulling her hand away, flexing it to get the circulation back into it.
"Sorry." John says before the clears his throat taking the tooth pick from his mouth. "Polly, you know what it's been like since Martha died." His starts and the room falls silent. "God takes the best first." Polly speaks, her eyes soft. John was never in love with Martha, he only married her because of their son but I know he appreciated her.
"Truth is, my kids have been running bloody rings around me. Running barefoot with the dogs until all hours." John murmurs, his voice nervous. "Pol, give him ten bob for some shoes. Is that it John?" I ask, my patience running out along with my temper. "Maybe if you stop opening your mouth and let him finish, he fucking will." Letty says, not even looking at me.
"Now what's your point?" Polly presses, her eyes darting from John to Letty and me as I glare at Letty. "What the kids need is a mother. So, that's why I'm getting married." John tells us as we stare at him in shock and confusion. "Does this poor girl know you're going to marry her, or are you going to spring it on her all of a sudden?" Polly teases. "I already proposed and she said 'yes'." John informs. "I think there's a shell about to land and go bang." I blurt, my words muffled by the cigarette I place between my lips.
"Who is it, John?" Arthur asks him. "It's uh- it's Lizzie Stark." John says as Letty rolls her eyes. "Oh you've gotta be fucking kidding me." She mumbles lowly. "John! Lizzie Stark is a strong women and I'm sure she provides a fine service for her customers." Polly says as she tries not to smile.
Letty and Arthur looks at each and snort, trying not to full on laugh. "I won't hear that word. Understood? Do not use that word." John snaps, leaning over the table to point at Polly. "What's that word, John?" I ask, the room going silent again. "You know what the word is." John mutters.
"Everybody bloody knows." Arthur mutters. "Everyone can go to hell." John snaps. "Whore. That word? Do you know any words for Lizzie, Letts?" I taunt. "Slag? How about that one? Jesus Christ." Letty says shaking her head. "You said you'd stick by me." John says, looking at her. "Not with this I won't. Why'd you think I'd stick with you on something like this?" Letty says, harshly.
"Men and their cocks never cease to amaze me. John, Lizzie Stark never did a days work vertical." Polly snaps and Letty scoffs. "Understatement. It's the only work she knows how to do." She says making Arthur smirk at her. "She's changed, alright. People change. Like with religion." John argues, standing up. "Lizzie Stark has got religion, eh?" I ask. "No! No, she doesn't have religion. But she knows I'm struggling." John replies.
He then grabs onto my arm. "No listen Tommy. I won't do it without your blessing. But of all the people in the world, I want you to see it...as brave." He says. "Oh it's brave alright." Arthur interjects making Letty smirk this time. "Brave is going where no man has gone before. And with Lizzie stark, John that's not really what you'll be doing." Polly laughs.
"Listen Tommy. Welcome her to the family. Because I just need someone to help me with the kids. I'm not asking for anything else." Johns eyes fixed onto Letty, like he's hinting he doesn't want Lizzie as nothing but a nanny for his kids, basically. "They don't need a whore for a mother." Letty mutters as Polly nods in agreement.
Suddenly, the front door swings open and Finn runs in, stopping beside Letty as he pants. "Tommy, we've been done over!" He tells me.
******
Scarlett's POV
I let Polly and the boys sort out what happened while I kept Finn distracted as he asked me to play with him. I hold him on my hip as we walk the dull streets of Small Heath. "Can we play Tommy?" He asks me, reaching up to play with my hair in his fingers. I scoff shaking my head. "Play what?" I ask him.
Finn jumps down from my arms, dragging me over to the garage where Tommy's car is and climbs in over the drivers side door. "Look sis, I'm Tommy!" He exclaims, grabbing the steering wheel as he picks up the Peaky hat left in the car. I stand laughing as I lean against the bonnet just watching the small boy.
"Where are you driving to, Finn?" I ask him as he smiles, ready to answer me but gets cut off by Tommy's voice. "Finn? Stay exactly where you are." He instructs but it falls on deaf ears as Finn reaches for the steering wheel once more. "I was pretending I was you." Finn tells Tommy happily as I start to get worried.
"Which door did he open to get in, Letty?" Tommy asks me. "The drivers side. Please tell there's not a-" I start but he nods, cutting me off. "Yeah, there is." He says as he walks around the car. "I want you to climb out the exactly the same way you climbed in, okay?" He says to Finn who pushes the door open and runs out, towards me.
Tommy wastes no time in picking up the grenade and firing it before yelling clear. I shield Finn, turning him around so my back faces the explosion as Tommy runs over to us. I feel the shock of the explosion underneath my feet as Finn holds onto me scared. "I'm sorry Li-Li. I didn't know." He says to me. "I know you didn't, sweetie. It's okay. You're okay." I say, holding him close to me.