CHAPTER TWELVE | bombs away
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Thomas ended up spending the night with Lucie, she fell asleep with her head in his lap. The soft whispers he cooed in her ear killed her into a deep slumber.
She woke up the next morning, in her own bed where she didn't fall asleep. She looked towards her nightstand to see a small piece of paper with somewhat sloppy handwriting scrolled onto it.
Luce,
I want to talk to you, you fell asleep last night. I'll see you either at Polly's by 2pm or at yours by 9pm.
Tommy.
Lucie had a shift today, but she didn't want to see Grace, not today. Instead she decided to just go to Polly and tell her everything.
When Lucie had got out of bed she noticed that Tommy had left his coat. Since Lucie didn't have one, of course she was going to use it. By the time she was changed and ready to leave it had just gone ten. Lucie didn't bother tying up her hair today. She touched up yesterday's make up too. She wanted to make an effort.
Lucie was now walking down the smog filled streets of Small Heath. The cold air nipped at her skin, making her wrap Tommy's coat tighter around her frame. Residents of Small Heath were coming to know the barmaid who Thomas Shelby was taking a shine to.
Once Lucie reached Polly's she decided to just walk straight in, as if she didn't already learn not to do that when Ada got married.
"Pol, you in? Thought I'd nip over for a while got some things to tell you." When Lucie walked into the betting shop that was adjoined she saw Polly, Arthur, Finn and Tommy all staring at the girl with smirks.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Lucie squealed.
"Been looking for that, Lucie." Tommy said, referring to the coat wrapped around her.
"Sorry." Lucie began to remove the coat feeling extremely embarrassed.
"Keep it, I've got more." Tommy gave a small smile, one so quick none of his family saw, only Lucie.
"Right then, John's in the Garrison, wants a family meeting. Wants you there too, Luce. Scudboat, we'll be back in ten minutes." Polly shouted as everyone piled out.
"Five." Thomas shouted shutting the door.
Whilst Everyone walked to the pub Thomas hung back to walk with Lucie.
"You feeling better, Love?" Thomas asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Yes, and thank you for yesterday Thomas. I loved my dress."
"I loved you in it, Luce, now get a move on." Lucie felt her heart flutter.
By the time everyone had piled into the private room in the pub, you could see how tense John was. Thomas has seated himself next to Lucie, who was sat next to Polly.
"Alright, John." Tommy spoke politely when everyone was seated.
"What's troubling you, Love?" Lucie asked sweetly, earning a smile off John.
"You know what it's been like since Martha died." John looked upset, Lucie had never met Martha, but she was sure she'd been a lovely woman.
"God takes the best first." Polly places a hand on John's.
"Truth is, kids have been running bloody rings 'round me." Johns voice was trembling.
"Running barefoot with the dog till all hours."
"Polly, give him ten bob for some shoes. Is that it John?" Lucie swatted Tommy's thigh. Giving him a stern but playful look.
"Now what's your point, John?" Lucie question.
"What the kids need is a mother. Woulda' snagged Luce, if she were a bit younger." At those words Tommy placed a firm grip on Lucie's knee. Making goosebumps rise on her skin.
Lucie wanted to play along, for the fun of it.
"I would of been happy to John." Lucie smiled. Lucie could see Thomas' jaw clench and his grip tighten.
"Anyways, I'm getting married." John said followed by a cough.
Everyone went silent and looked towards Thomas. The atmosphere was thick and tense.
"Does this poor girl know you're gonna marry her? Or are you gonna' spring it on her all a sudden?" Polly questioned.
"I already proposed, and — and she said yes." John stuttered.
"I think there's a shell about to land and go bang." Tommy added.
"It's er— It's Lizzie Stark." John finally said. And so the shell goes bang.
Everyone burst out laughing. No one could keep it repressed. Lucie tried her very best to not laugh at John. But with everyone else doing so, it was proving extremely difficult not to.
"John, Lizzie Stark is a strong woman, and I'm sure she provides fine service to her customers." That triggered Lucie, she let out her laugh, snickering along with Arthur and Tommy.
"I won't." John shouted before calming down. "I won't, hear the word. Understand? Do not use that word."
"What word is that John?" Tommy sighed.
"You know what word that is."
"Everybody bloody knows." Arthur finally spoke, laughing as he did.
"Everybody can go to hell." John shouted.
"Whore? That word?" Lucie swatted Tommy once more. Trying to repress a giggle as she did so. Tommy just smirked and moved his hand up her leg slightly and giving her thigh a squeeze. Which automatically made Lucie shut up and go redder than John. Polly cock her brow at the girl.
"Or prostitute? How 'bout that one?" Tommy added again. This time Lucie just stayed quiet, not wanting to alert Polly anymore.
"Right. I want it know, if anyone calls her a whore again, I will push the barrel of my revolver down their throats, and blow their word back down into their heart." John seethed.
"Men and their cocks never cease to amaze me." Polly added, looking towards Lucie, who was giggling at her remark.
"Wherever it points, they follow." Lucie added, which cause Polly to laugh too.
"John, Lizzie Stark never did a days work vertical." Polly spoke once more, Lucie was trying so hard not to laugh, Tommy squeezing the leg definitely shut her up however.
"She's changed alright. People change." John stood up in a huff, Lucie turned to Arthur who just sat back and laughed at his younger brother. "Like with religion."
"Lizzie Stark has got religion, eh?" Tommy inquired.
"No! No, she doesn't have religion. But she loves me." Poor John. Lucie and Polly could clearly see the woman didn't, Tommy and Arthur knew it too.
"Tommy, I won't do it without your blessing." John said, coming over to Tommy and Lucie. "But of all the people in the world. I want you to see it as brave."
"Oh, it's brave alright." Arthur added at perfect timing.
"Brave is going somewhere no mans ever gone before, and John Love, with Lizzie Stark you'll hardly be doing that." Lucie could barely keep in her laugh as she said it, which triggered everyone else's laugh.
"Just because you don't know what love actually is Lucie." John added, out of rage. He didn't actually mean it. It hurt Lucie however, she hadn't been in love, well she thinks that anyways. But she might be in love with Tommy? She'd never experienced love before.
"As a late birthday present John, you can give me an apology." Lucie sat back on the chair and gave John a stern look.
"Listen, Tommy. Welcome her to the family. As someone who's had a hard life. All right? Because I need someone. The kids need someone." John and Tommy were in a serious stare, until little Finn came running in and opening the door.
"Tommy, we've been done over."
Everyone clambered out of the private room and began to run for the betting shop. Lucie running at the back, already loosing her breath.
Once Lucie had finally reached the shop, she saw Scudboat holding his eye with blood on his hands. The Lee's had been round. However what really caught her attention was a worried Tommy walking towards everyone with a pair of wire cutters in hand.
"Tommy, why've you got wire cutters?" Lucie voice wavered and wobbled as she spoke.
"They left these."
"Wire cutters, why would they leave that?" Polly asked.
"Nobody move." Arthur said calmly.
"You fucking what." Lucie retorted. Not in a hostile way but a frighten concerned-for-her-life kind of way.
"I think our friends are playing a game." Tommy said calmly.
"What game?" Polly began to walk away.
"Aunt Pol. Don't touch anything." John urged.
"Tommy, I'm fucking scared." Lucie added, her voice cracking.
"Erasmus Lee was in France." Tommy said, still calm and composed.
"Shit!" Scudboat exclaimed.
"Whenever we gave up ground to the Germans, we'd leave behind booby traps, set up with wires. We'd leave wire cutters as part of the joke."
"Somewhere in here there's a hand grenade." John added. His voice began to tremble.
"Holy Jesus." Polly was finally scared.
"Are you fucking joking?" Lucie was beyond frightened.
"Attached to a wire, don't move any chairs, or open any doors." Lucie's feet were stuck firmly to the spot.
Whilst everyone began to move tentatively, Lucie began to piece everything together. It would've blown by now.
"Tommy, the grenade, wouldn't it have blown by now, we all came in and moved shit around." Everyone looked towards Lucie. She was right.
"The car. No one move until it's safe." Tommy ran out of the house. Lucie followed straight behind.
The pair walked briskly towards where the family car was parked, inside was little Finn, pretending to drive.
"Finn. Finn stay exactly where you are." Tommy held his hand towards him.
"I was pretending to be you." Finn giggled, filled with childish fun.
"Which door did you open to get in, sweetheart?" Lucie question and she walked towards the boy.
"I didn't I climbed through the window." Finn giggled once again.
"Alright Love, I want you to climb out, the exact way you did when you got in, can you do that for me? I'll take you for sweets if you can." Lucie was trying to be calm, because she could see Tommy was becoming worried.
Finn began to giggle and just opened the door to get out. Lucie ran straight towards the boy and grabbed him, throwing them both onto a pile of bags beside them.
Tommy grabbed the grenade from the footwell of the car, and threw it against the far wall. Finn started crying in Lucie's arms, she just stroked his head and rocked him.
Tommy ran towards Lucie and Finn, his breath ragged and heavy. Lucie held the little boy in her arms and Tommy hugged them both.
"That's why you should never pretend to be me."
"Tommy you're scaring the poor boy. Come on Finn, Love, let's get you those sweets." Lucie held Finn in her hip and walked closer to Tommy.
"You're a good brother Thomas. Just never, ever get Finn in shit like that, eh?" Lucie laughed.
"Stay the night with Finn and me and Pol. He'll want you here."
"I'll see you later Tommy." Lucie kisses his cheek and walked away, tickling the little Shelby to stop his crying.