jess.

John and Jess arrived to see Alfie the next afternoon. Jess stayed close to John because well Alfie... he could be sort of unpredictable. He has never betrayed the Shelby family, but word got around quick in Small Heath and Alfie had pissed off his fair share of people. Jess was so excited to see their good friend Clara.

Clara had met the rest of the girls when she worked a couple of odd jobs with Jess. Housekeeping and bar maid were just a couple of them. Tommy quickly took her in like he did the rest of them but not to be kind but because he seen her of good use. He instantly sent her to be a spy to see what Alfie Solomon's was all about. But the trip instead favored Clara. Alfie gave her a job at his bakery and the two quickly fell in love He always showered her with endless gifts which usually included her favorite things like books and flowers. Clara knew of Alfie's crazy, unpredictable side but she still loved him.

John grabbed Jess' hand as they moved from the parking garage. Camden Town was up and coming. Getting more and more businesses by the daily but had its fair share of violence. Jess smiled up at John as he rubbed her hand and moved the pace quicker.

"How do you feel about this love?" Jess asked him out of curiosity.

"Well, it is Alfie, he has yet to give us a reason not to trust him. But I swear, if he even tries, I will blow his brains out." John promised her.

"Aren't you a sweetheart?" Jess jokingly rolled her eyes.

"You knew when you got with me, I wasn't all right up here." John smiled. But Jess would not have John any other way. He was loving but unpredictable, the perfect balance for her.

"As long as you don't get me shot." Jess teased him.

"Anyone shoots my girl they won't have a chance to explain themselves." John said. "You happy to see Clara?

"Of course. I wish she were still in Small Heath. But you cannot help it when you are in love. She told me Alfie got them a dog. Named him Cyril." Jess told him. John scoffed.

"Oh, a dog now. Dog, books and flowers...got to keep that up here in my 'Ways to impress Jess' notes." John messed with her pointing to his head.

"Flowers are enough for me. You know what I want next anyways." Jess said. She secretly was wishing for a proposal,

"And that beautiful, will be done when you least expect it. You like my surprises." John smiled at her.

John and Jess walked up the building holding the sign, Solomon's Bakery. A man named Ollie, Tom said he would be standing outside, nodded his head at them. Jess almost laughed because if this were Alfie's security, she would not be surprised if they got robbed. Ollie looked like he would not hurt a fly. Jess could kick his ass.

"I assume you are here for the meeting with Alfie?" Ollie asked them.

"Yes, we are little early. Not familiar with the area." John said short.

"Well, I am going to have to pat you down. Security reasons." Ollie told them. "Come in the doors here."

Jess and John followed Ollie through the wooden doored entranced. He locked the door behind them. Five locks, Jess counted as she watched him. Ollie walked around standing in front of them. Jess rolled her eyes holding her arms out, John following suit. Ollie approached Jess first.

"And don't get fucking handsy with my girl. Got it Ollie? I will cut your fuckin balls off." John looked at him with cold eyes. Ollie nodded in agreement.

Ollie walking up to Jess, patted her arms first. He could feel Johns eyes on him watching his every move which made him nervous. He patted her arms first and slowly made his way down her sides. He stopped looking at John as he got to her waist.

"Go ahead and fast. One wrong move, I will break your hand." John sneered at him. Jess smiled at how protective John was of her. Ollie moved fast. Jess giggled at the thought of how easily with Johns threats she could have snuck a gun in. Ollie moved to John.

"I would say if you hurt him, I will stab you, but you know...you have been threatened enough today." Jess laughed. John looked over at her with the biggest grin. Ollie moved quickly on John and cleared his throat.

"This way." Ollie murmured obviously embarrassed. John grinned pulling Jess in close to him as he wrapped his arm around her small frame. They walked down a long hallway that had one single door at the end. Just like Tommy's office. Jess rolled her eyes at the similarities but at least Alfie was funny. Clara said the man was quite the joker. Ollie knocked lightly on the door before entering slowly, John and Jess following.

"JESS! JOHN!" Clara beamed as she ran into the arms of Jess. Jess hugged her big and it felt good to see she was okay. Clara squeezed her tight before running to John and hugging him.

And there he sat at his huge wooden desk. The man, the legend, Alfie Solomons. Jess had heard so much about him, but he didn't see him scary. Like the stories she had heard. Alfie stood and he was a tall man, a bit taller than John. He offered his huge hand to John.

"Alfie Solomons. And you are John Shelby, right?" Alfie shook Johns hand sternly.

"That's right. And this here is Jessica." John stood confidently. Jess smiled as she tried to keep his cool and confidence.

"You can call me Jess." Jess offered her hand. Alfie threw his hands in the air and walked around the desk as he hugged Jess. Jess looked so small in his huge arms and he towered over her.

"Hugs make things less awkward don't it? You want one too, John?" Alfie joked.

"Alfie...behave." Clara chuckled. Alfie walked back around his desk as he flopped in his overused chair. Clara grabbed a seat next to him. Jess and John grabbed a seat on the opposite side of the desk. John sat quietly not knowing how to take Alfie.

"Right, so you are here to discuss a deal, hmm?" Alfie asked. John cleared his throat and readjusted in his seat.

"Yeah, about that. Tom said he has talked to you some. We made some dealings with some new people lately." John started before Alfie interrupted.

"And with who?" Alfie asked. Clara rubbed Alfie's arm sending a smile to Jess.

"The Krays. Reg and Ronnie." John said.

"Innit him who is the crazy one? Or is it Rich? Fuck the lot of you might as well be crazy making ties with the Kray boys." Alfie scoffed.

"Alfie, love, why is that?" Clara asked confused.

"Too bloody fucking unpredictable if you ask me. Thomas Shelby, that fucker, that brother of yours is a little in over his head mate." Alfie scoffed.

"Listen Alfie. I know you got men. Tommy has given us an offer to give you. One he says he knows you cannot refuse. The amount on this paper, would be your cut. Same as ours. It is just in case things go south." Jess said. She took the small piece of paper out of her pocket sliding it across the desk. Alfie picked it up and slowly unfolded it and Jess watched as his eyes widened.

"Alfie, that is a lot of money. It would get us away from here for a while." Clara whispered as she leaned against his shoulder.

"Yeah love, but no amount of money is worth your life. Nothing in this world compares to you Clara." Alfie looked at her with his loving eyes.

"I can promise. You have my word and even Toms...we will handle the job to the best of or advantage before pulling you or your men in." John promised him. Alfie sat in silence. Clara stared at his face and her eyes wondered from Alfie to Jess to John.

"I don't need no bad dealings on my side of town, yeah?" Alfie murmured.

"Of course. No bad doings will come to Camden Town." John reassured him. Alfie glanced at Clara before studying the paper once more. He slammed his big hands on the desk before standing quickly. He once again offered his hand to John.

"You got a deal then, mate." Alfie smiled. John smiled as he shook Alfie's hand.

"Want me to get the rum, Alf?" Clara smiled walking to a small table. Jess suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out realizing it was a message from Wendy.

WendyBendy

We have been betrayed. Delete this message. Guy from the Garrison was talking to Teddy Smith. I am going to find Millie. Get a hold of Jenny. Stays between us. Xoxo

5:20 PM

JessyBessy

I will message her. I had a bad feeling about this. Be safe Wen. I will be home soon. Xoxo.

5:22 PM

"Who was that?" John asked walking behind her. He hugged her from behind placing a small cup of rum in her hands. Jess hated lying to John, but she could not break her promise to Millie or any of her friends.

"Just Wendy. Told me she has a shit ton of candy for us all to binge Netflix when we are home." Jess lied as she downed the small cup. "Another cup please?"

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                                                                                          jenny.

Michael held the door open as Jenny slid in the passenger seat of the car. It was half past six and they were heading to London to do a job for Tommy. Jenny shuffled in the seat and she pulled her black, lacy dress down to cover more of her legs. She preferred sweats and a tee shirt but once this job was over it would be well worth it. Michael and Jenny were going to get their shit together. Get clean and start fresh. The idea of a family was starting to cross Jenny's mind a lot lately too. She even thought about going back to school since she was practically kicked out.

Jenny looked at the driver's side as Michael slid in next. He looked nice wearing a nice polo and tan pants. Michael Gray was her whole entire world. They were both two fucked up people who refused to give up on each other. Michael put the keys in their Bugatti, and it roared to life. It was fast and anyone who knew them, knew they liked fast. Michael sped out of the apartment complex and started the journey to London.

"You ready for this?" Michael asked her as he grabbed her hand.

"I mean...I am the life of the party am I not?" Jenny smiled at him. Michael bit his lip and shook his head at her.

"You can say that." Michael chuckled. Jenny leaned over the console onto his shoulder as he sped down the highway. "You seem off tonight though."

"Just thinking, you know." Jenny whispered. Jenny always had a million thoughts in her head afraid the wrong one would scare him off.

"Like what? You are always scared to talk to me." Michael sighed as he kept his eyes on the road.

"I just...am ready, Michael. I never thought I would say that. I want to be clean. I want you to be clean. We can go see Polly and Abe. And Bonnie, we always have fun with him. Maybe both of us can get back into school." Jenny told him.

"It isn't going to be easy. It will be hard. But we can do this. But I don't think the school will take my back now especially with the felony on my record." Michael said. You could hear the disappointment in his voice. Jenny shot up as she looked at him with stern eyes. "What?"

"Michael Gray. We are in this together. Someone will take you and we will find the perfect place. Besides when you do your accounting shit, it is totally hot." Jenny winked at him. Michael looked at her with the one look that made her weak. Love.

"You know...babe...I know I don't say it enough, but I do love you. My world would be fucking rocked without you. You are my life." Michael promised her.

"I love you so much too. We should really tell each other more. We are going to need it through the next couple of months. But you got me forever. You are sort of stuck with me." Jenny teased him. Her eyes glancing at the rearview mirror.

"Is that so?" Michael joked with her. Jenny playfully punched his arm.

"That is so. Because if you end up with any other bitch...well...I might stab her." Jenny said in a playful yet serious tone.

"I don't doubt that at all. But there is something about you when you are like that. It does something to me." Michael blurted out. His cheeks turning red. The rest of the group did not see Michael like this. Maybe Rich and Wendy but that was because the four of them were inseparable.

"Oh Mikey, I know I get you all worked up when I am crazy." Jenny said trying to ease the mood. She could not have his emotions a mess when they were on a job. "What about you baby? What is your biggest dream?"

"Well, after we get our shit together." Michael cleared his throat. "I would really like to maybe have a baby with you."

Jenny sat shocked. A baby. Michael Gray would no doubt be an amazing father especially after everything he went through as a child. But Jenny was expecting a whole different type of answer like maybe a house or a proposal. She smiled as she laid her head against the window and noticed the same car still following them. The same one from the apartment complex. Jenny shook her head and came back to reality.

"A baby. I was not expecting that." Jenny whispered.

"What do you not want kids? I mean we do not go too. But like I figured like most girls you would want a family. Plus, if I might add, our kids would be fucking beautiful." Michael said.

"They would be gorgeous. And smart like their daddy. Funny like me." Jenny glanced at him. Michael smiled his little crooked smile at the thought. Seeing him happy was what made her happy.

The two sat quietly for a minute. Jenny watching the car behind them. Michael moved in his seat and made Jenny jump. Jenny turned the radio down all the way because nothing good was playing anyways. Michaels hand gripped hard around the steering wheel and he glanced at Jenny.

"I'm not stupid. I know you have noticed too." Michael looked at her.

"Of course. I mean whoever it is couldn't make it anymore fucking obvious. Idiots." Jenny sighed as she stretched in the seat.

"Surely if something happened back home, Tommy or someone would have let us know by now." Michael said nervously. Michael may of came across as a hard ass but being this far from the group and with his girl alone made him nervous.

"Don't worry babe. It could be anybody." Jenny lied as she tried to relieve some of his stress.

"And I can tell when you are lying. A Hummer full of what looks like five or six men..yeah totally no reason to worry." Michael scoffed. Well she tried. The Hummer was full of about six men from what Jenny could see from their shadows in the mirror. She tried to tell herself they were maybe going to the club or going to see family. "I can't even take my fucking gun in the club. They will search us."

Jenny pulled her foot on her lap and pulled down her sock under her tall leather boots. She showed Michael her switchblade. "They won't search my shoes. This would hold them off for a while until we could get back to the car."

"I love it when you carry that." Michael groaned. "It is sexy as fuck."

"That would be me. The girl of your dreams." Jenny sarcastically giggled. "I am going to have fun tonight with you Mr. Gray."

"Work then play. But you best believe...everyone in that hotel will know my name by the time I am done with you." Michael said with lust in his voice. Jenny buried her face in her hands as Michael made her cheeks red.

"Behave, you are making it hard for me to be serious. I can't concentrate with the thought of you...well...you know. Any who, here we are." Jenny smiled. They pulled in front of the Krays Club. It looked elegant but there were flashy lights and the music was booming loudly from inside.

Michael grabbed her hand. He looked at her with a serious look on his face. The Hummer raced passed them, which was odd, but they would not let their guard down. He placed his gun in the glovebox of the car.

"Listen, I know this is work. But you are still my girl. Please do not wonder off okay? Stay as close as you can. Let's go in here and scope this place out so we can relax for the night okay?" Michael looked at her. He did not want to be here anymore then she did. The club scene was getting old for them.

"I promise, baby. I won't go out of eyes reach. I am ready to just get in and get done so we can cuddle and eat candy." Jenny said. Michael reached over and placed a huge kiss on her lips.

"I love you, Jennifer Gray." Michael smiled at her. Jenny kissed him once more. She loved when he called her that...it was a promise to be together forever.

"I love you, Michael Gray." Jenny smiled. Michael nodded getting out. Jenny watched as he walked around opening the door for her. Michael pulled her slowly out of the car but not before Jenny placed her phone in the glovebox. Michael gave the keys to the valet as they walked up the entrance, hand in hand, to the club.

The night was not going to be what either one of them expected. In fact, as Jenny put her phone in the glovebox not even moments later was a message from Jess. A warning and Jenny missed it. They were going to be betrayed. And Michael Gray was going to be heartbroken.