As Anna approached the Garrison, she replayed the plan in her mind like a broken record. The knot in her stomach tightened with each step, battling the urge to vomit. This was her opportunity to end the charade and ensure Johnny's safety-although, it meant breaking his heart.
How could she explain accepting Tommy's proposal while still engaged to Johnny?
She grunted, shouldering the door open as the overwhelming sounds of men drinking and laughing surrounded her. Scanning the room for Harry, she navigated through the crowd to the back of the pub where he was hunched over, scribbling something down.
"Harry," she greeted, unable to force a smile.
"Autumn!" he sprang to his feet, closing the distance and grabbing her by the shoulders to take a better look at her.
"I need your help," she pierced him with her brown eyes.
Harry furrowed his eyebrows in worry, still gripping her shoulders. "What is it?" he asked.
"I need to get in touch with the Italians."
"What?" he yelled in surprise. "Why?" His eyes widened as he stared at her pale face. She looked sick and troubled, and Harry felt it in his bones that something terrible was about to happen.
"I have informations for them," she uttered, breaking free from his grip and avoiding his concerned eyes.
Anna couldn't risk his safety by revealing the plan; it was better if he stayed clueless.
"Okay," he sighed and made his way towards a phone.
Anna followed, her heart racing in her ears and a knot in her throat. She repeated what she was going to say as she waited for Harry to make the call. Everything felt unreal and distant, and she didn't even realize Harry was handing her a speaker.
"Mrs. Thompson, what a surprise," Luca whispered in his slick Italian accent, a hint of mockery in his voice.
"I have informations," Anna pushed out, her voice trembling.
"I'm listening."
"Tommy, he proposed to me," she mumbled, giving a quick glance at Harry, who stood beside her, listening with his mouth wide open.
Anna rolled her eyes, gesturing for him to leave with a subtle nod of her head. Harry shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, causing her to roll her eyes once again.
"Congratulations" Luca cheered in a way that rang false.
"I've got into a family meeting" she continued, brushing off his mockery.
"Now we're talking" he hummed.
"They're aware your mother is in London. They're plotting to end her life tomorrow," Anna continued, ignoring Harry's burning eyes.
The speaker fell silent, and then a resonant, throaty laugh echoed into her ear, causing her heart to skip a beat.
"So these gypsy scums believe they can kill my mother" he chuckled sarcastically.
"That's what I heard, I didn't question them"
"Very well, Mrs. Thompson. We knew your pretty face would come in handy. Tomorrow, we'll bring an end to them for good," he said in a tone laced with disgust.
"Does that mean Johnny and I are finally free?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear.
"Once I have Thomas Shelby's head, you're as free as a bird," he chuckled, hanging up the phone with a sense of triumph.
Anna turned to face Harry, who stood astonished, shock written all over his face. He was barely breathing.
"Autumn, what have you done?" he ran his hands through his hair, pacing behind the bar. "This is not good, this is not good at all," his voice trembled as he paced.
Anna grabbed him by the shoulders, halting his anxious pacing and making him look at her.
"Harry," she shook him a little, but he couldn't keep calm; he squirmed, looking around for an escape.
"Harry!" she raised her voice, demanding his attention.
His eyes finally locked with hers, fear blinking in the depths of his dark gaze.
"Trust me, Harry. I know what I'm doing," she mumbled gently, trying to soothe his nerves. Once his face relaxed a little, she let go of his shoulders and turned around to leave, heading to deliver the news to the Shelbys.
"What does it mean?" Harry shouted after her as she strolled through the pub towards an exit.
"Just trust me!" she shouted back as she pushed the door open, disappearing into the dark streets.
~
Tommy sat in the kitchen with his brothers and Polly, downing one whiskey after another. When he wasn't drinking, he was smoking. Yet, the nerves in his stomach didn't seem to ease. Polly watched him with concern in her brown eyes, but she didn't dare to say anything. Instead, she sipped her drink slowly, being the only sober mind in the room.
His brothers were doing the same, drowning their worries in alcohol until they went numb.
"I think we've had enough," Polly declared, taking a bottle from the table and setting it on the kitchen counter.
Arthur and John grunted in disagreement, but Tommy stayed silent, watching his empty glass and wondering if Anna managed to convince the Italians. He tried to ignore the niggling feeling in the back of his mind that maybe Polly was right and Anna could easily betray them again. But the feeling stayed there and it wasn't going anywhere.
"We need our minds clear, boys," Polly chided, sitting back into her seat and taking a sip of her whiskey.
"Why does it take her so long?" Arthur complained, tipping the last drops of alcohol from his empty glass into his mouth.
Polly instinctively glanced at Tommy, who frowned at Arthur's complaints, swallowing his own distress.
Not long after, the door swung open, and Anna made her way towards the table, pulling down her gloves and hanging a coat on a chair before sitting down.
All eyes were on her, hungry for information.
She took a deep breath and sought Tommy's blue eyes for comfort.
The moment she looked into his eyes, all doubts about her vanished; he simply waited for her to confirm that she had succeeded and that tomorrow they could commence with their plan.
"He believed me," she grinned cheerfully.
Arthur slammed his hand against the table, cheering happily, and John joined in, slapping Arthur's back with joy. Polly just smiled proudly, and Tommy continued to gaze into Anna's eyes, proud and content that the plan was progressing. His face remained stoic, betraying no emotions. Anna already knew him too well to need a smile to understand; she saw the satisfaction in his eyes.
"Good job, Anna," Polly applauded, standing up to grab a bottle she had hidden, pouring a drink for Anna.
Anna accepted the drink with a warm, thankful smile and relished in the burn, savoring the sense of relief after this tiring day.
"Pour us some," John laughed, stretching his arm for a bottle, but Polly swiftly pulled it back, raising an eyebrow at him.
It made Anna laugh, her laughter echoed in the room. The atmosphere was filled with happiness as everyone celebrated the success of their plan. Tomorrow held the promise of freedom, lifting a weight that had burdened their family for far too long.