CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Not Going Anywhere
THE NEXT MORNING, THOMAS AND HIS BROTHERS LEFT FOR A LITTLE VACATION TO LONDON.
He promised Tabitha they'd be back home late that night, but she told him to go have fun with his brothers and stay out of trouble. Tabitha gave Thomas a kiss goodbye before him, Arthur, and John left. She spent the whole day with Polly, who was strangely in a sad mood. She took the matriarch out for a day of shopping after she had a fight with Esme in the betting shop.
While out shopping, Tabitha ran into Lizzie Stark, the prostitute around Small Heath that was going to marry John and Thomas offered money too. She was known for sleeping with Thomas before he married Tabitha and committed the rest of his life to the gypsy woman he fell in love with. Tabitha did not like Lizzie Stark because she used to show off that she slept with Thomas multiple times. Tabitha thought she was a threat to her and Thomas' relationship, even though Thomas made it clear that he loved Tabitha and was fully devoted to her.
Lizzie was trying hard to get Tabitha to like her, let the Shelby wife know she wasn't after Thomas and wanted to be friends. She tried from having a normal conversation around the Garrison and at the local dress shops, but Tabitha continued to avoid her. It didn't make her give up, she found every opportunity she got to convince Tabitha that she wasn't an enemy.
When Lizzie ran into Tabitha and Polly when they were out shopping, the prostitute thought it was Tabitha's idea to have Thomas hire her as a secretary for the company. She told Tabitha thank you for having Thomas hire her, and Tabitha had no idea what she was talking about. Showing her anger, Lizzie scurried away. Tabitha was mad as hell that Thomas didn't tell her that he hired Lizzie to be his secretary and was gonna kill him when he got back from London.
Luckily Thomas wasn't able to face her wrath, because he got wrapped up in something worse. After him and his brothers returned from London, Thomas went to park his car and he was ambushed by Darby Sabini and his men. Sabini and his men best Thomas to a pill and were about to kill him before the coppers showed up. Thomas could've die if the police didn't show, and they immediately took them to the hospital. Tabitha and Polly were the first to hear the news, and Tabitha broke down and almost collapsed if Polly didn't catch her.
After Polly comforted her for the night, Tabitha left in the morning to see Thomas in the hospital. She was pissed off from many things, hiring Lizzie, Thomas lying about what he was doing in London, provoking Sabini, and almost leaving her a widow. She kept her anger in check once she entered the hospital and approached the secretary at the front desk.
"Can I help you?" The secretary asked with a smile.
"I'm here to see Thomas Shelby," Tabitha said, keeping a stoic expression.
"May I ask your relation to Mr Shelby?"
"I'm his wife." That caused heads to turn in her direction and the secretary's eyes to widen. "Tabitha Shelby."
The secretary turned to a nurse walking by and told her to come over. "Please take Mrs Shelby to Mr Shelby's room."
The nurse nodded nervously before leading Tabitha down two long hallways. The gypsy woman followed behind until they reached a hospital room in the middle of the third hall they went down. The nurse knocked and slowly opened the door.
"Your wife is here to see you, Mr Shelby," she said, then moving from the doorway.
She then left, leaving Tabitha to look and gasp at Thomas in the hospital bed. His face was all battered and bruised, his lip busted, and eyes that he was barely able to open. Sweat coated his entire forehead and his hair was damp. It was hard for Tabitha to look at him in such a state, but she also couldn't look away.
Tabitha closed the door behind her, standing in front of it with her arms cross. Her expression was stoic, wondering whether she wanted to cry or hit her husband in the back of the head.
"I don't want you to see me like this," Thomas said, trying to speak.
"For better or worse, for sickness and in health. Those were the vows we made each other," Tabitha said. The anger finally reached her voice when she continued, giving the look. "Are you finally going to tell me what the bloody fuck is going on now?! And why you didn't you tell me you hired that whore Lizzie Stark as your fucking secretary?"
"Tab, it's nothing for you to worry about-"
"No, it is something for me to worry about, Tommy! I'm your wife! And honestly, there's a vacancy on your ass and my foot is looking for a room." The look was growing stronger, and Thomas silently shuddered from it and his wife's fury.
"Tab-"
"I've been nice, tried not to push you, but now this has gotten out of hand. If your face wasn't already bruised, I'd be beating the shit out of you right now." She was not going to stop her from speaking. "You're going to tell everything that happened at the Black, London, and with Sabini right now or else..."
Tabitha trailed off, wondering what was going to be at the end of that or else. A light bulb went off in her brain, knowing the exact that always made Thomas talk. She called down a little bit, but anger was still in her voice when she finished.
"Or else...no sex for a month."
Thomas' eyes widened from the threat. Deciding between telling his wife everything or no sex for a month. No sex for a month was not an option.
"You wouldn't..." Thomas said in disbelief.
"Oh, I would," Tabitha hissed, giving a sneer. "Start talking."
Thomas sighed in defeat, and Tabitha pulled up a chair and say beside his bed. Thomas had told her everything that happened down at the Black Lion, the people who told him to murder a man, burying the body in the way to London. He told her about going to the Eden Club and getting in a fight, everything that led up to getting attacked by Sabini and his men. Tabitha's eyes watered when he finished, upset and sad from what Thomas went through those last three days.
"Those were the people who wanted to hurt you, the Irish, Sabini," Thomas said, trying to hold his tears back. "Sabini said things that made me want to gut him like a fish. Said him and his men were gonna take turns with you and then put you out of your misery."
"I don't care," Tabitha said, nodding her head. "Let Sabini come, I'll kill that bastard like I killed Kimber."
"Tab, he threatened to hurt you to get to me. I can't let..."
"I don't care about that, Tommy, I care about you," Tabitha repeated, her fingers gently removing a stand of hair from his face. "I already told you that I am not going anywhere. You're stuck with me until we're old and gray and barely able to walk."
Thomas chuckled at the old and gray part, slowly raising his arm up so he could brush his fingers against her cheek. He then cupped the cheek, letting her hand rest over it. How they loved each others touch.
"Old and grey, eh?" Thomas asked, chuckling again.
"Absolutely," Tabitha smiled. "This is our empire we're building, my love. I'll be with you...till the very end."
"I hope so, Mrs Shelby."
Thomas faintly smiled and Tabitha leaned down, tenderly kissing each other. The kiss brought a smile to Tabitha's lips when they pulled away. Thomas scooted over, allowing Tabitha to lay down and curl up beside him.
"You still need to tell me why you hired Lizzie to be your secretary," Tabitha brought up.
"I can't believe you're still jealous of her," Thomas scoffed with a smirk. "She's been trying to get you to be her friend."
"Oh please, she literally struts around me because she knows I know you two slept together several times."
"That was before we got married, Tab. I made perfectly clear that there is no women that I've loved more than I love you."
Tabitha's cheeks heated up real quick, and instantly melted into her husband's chest.
"You're so soft on me, Tommy Shelby," she mumbled softly into his chest. "Promise me that there will be no more secrets between us."
"I promise. I'm sorry."
They stayed in embrace for almost two hours until the nurse came back.
"Mr Shelby, Mrs Shelby, there's a new visitor," the nurse said as Tabitha got out of the bed.
"No, send them away," Thomas said, wanting to be left alone with his favorite person in the world.
"I am here on the King's orders. I'm afraid I must insist," said a familiar voice, making Tabitha turn her head towards the door.
It was Chief Inspector Campbell, the man Grace was working for. Tabitha sent a glare his way when he entered the room.
"I don't believe we've met in person, Mrs Shelby," Campbell said. "I'm-"
"I know who you are," Tabitha cut him off deadpanned.
She said nothing else, and Campbell then looked down at Thomas from the footboard.
"Are you gonna thank me for saving your life?" Campbell asked, making Tabitha's eyes widen.
Thomas said nothing, looking at his wife is pointing at the counter. "Please pass my cigarettes, Tab."
Tabitha nodded, grabbing his cigarettes and matches off the counter and handed them to him. Campbell continued to speak to Thomas.
"Three nights ago, at the cooperative stables in Montague Street...there was a murder. A man named Duggan," Campbell said. "The Oxfordshire constabulary found his body in a shallow grave."
"I need to piss," Thomas said, avoiding answering the inspector's words.
"Nurse," Tabitha called. She began to walked towards the door when Campbell stood in front of her, stopping her by putting his hand up to her.
"I know it was you who carried out the murder of Mr Duggan," Campbell continued. Then he took a seat, and Tabitha stood right beside Thomas as he lit himself a cigarette.
"Oh, by the way..." Tabitha started, talking to Campbell with a smirk on her face. "Grace, she went to New York. A place called, uh...Poughkeepsie. She's married now."
"To a banker. He's rich," Campbell replied. "I'm sure she's very happy." Then his cane met the ground. "You two have been under my microscope for some weeks now. I've been observing every move you make." He looked at Thomas. "And that is why I was in hand to save your life."
"I imagine being shot by woman hurts the same as being shot by a man," Thomas replied. "You know, Mr Campbell, when I got shot they gave me a medal. No medal for you I bet."
That's when Campbell got back up, using his cane
"Mr Shelby, our reunion...is part of a very carefully worked out plan, which is been in place for some time now."
"I bet you see her face every time you lean on that fucking stick," Tabitha said, trying to provoke him. He still addressed Thomas.
"And as result of the information in my possession...I can charge you with murder at any time and provide two impeccable witnesses, whose testimony will lead you to go the gallows," he said, pressing down on the gauze on Thomas' chest.
Then Campbell stood up with his hand half wrapped around Tabitha's neck. Tabitha didn't show any fear from the action staring the man in the eyes with a stoic expression, fearless. Thomas wasn't able to get himself out of bed, wanting to beat the shit out of Campbell for laying a hand in his wife.
"As for you, Mrs Shelby..." Campbell started. "I know you killed Billy Kimber. I can change you with it anytime I want and you'll be in the gallows right beside your husband."
He then addressed them both, letting go of Tabitha's neck.
"Both of you are on my hook, Shelbys. And from this day forth...you both belong to me."