"Kaia Gold get downstairs now before I drag you by your hair!"

Kaia froze in her room when she heard the front door swing open and slam against the wall, feeling as if the whole house was shaking.

Her father's voice echoed against the bricks and she felt her heart start to race and her palms sweat, wondering what on Earth he was angry at her for that morning.

She quickly pulled a blanket over her shoulders and rushed down the staircase, not having much time to prepare herself for the wrath of Aberama Gold.

Kaia hadn't seen her father or Bonnie in the handful of days since she'd split up with Calvin and started whatever it was she'd started with Thomas. The house was quiet without them but Thomas had paid more than one visit to keep her company in the time they'd been gone.

"What is it?" Kaia asked, her hands clutching the sides of the blanket that was draped across her shoulders.

"Tell me it isn't true?" He asked, his head tilted to the side and a desperate look in his eyes, "Tell me he's lying."

"Tell you what? Dad I have no idea what you're taking about, I-"

"Mr Gold, Mr Gold wait!"

Kaia rolled her eyes and let out a heavy breath that had frozen her heart for a few seconds once she heard Tommy's voice from down the street, the sound of running footsteps getting closer as her father stared her down.

"Get the fuck out of my house Thomas I don't-"

"Mr Gold," Tommy panted, bending forward with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, "Please."

Aberama kept turning his head from the Blinder to his daughter, waiting for him to slow his heart and explain himself.

"Go on then, Peaky boy."

"You see, I..." Tommy looked over Aberama's shoulder to make eye contact with Kaia. It was only yesterday that he'd last seen her but he hadn't felt himself since they'd said goodbye, his heart immediately warming at the sight of the woman looking so naturally beautiful in an innocent state.

Aberama cleared his throat, crossing his arms at his chest and narrowing his eyes at Tommy who just sighed loudly.

"I can't explain, there isn't anything to explain. Bonnie's telling the truth, Mr Gold."

The look of disappointment that flashed across Aberama's eyes made Kaia feel sick. She watched as he slammed the door in Tommy's face, leaving him on the doorstep in the melting snow and bitter wind. Bonnie was nowhere to be seen.

She stood still in the kitchen, watching as her father did the same, his eyes tightly shut. She knew he was thinking about what was the right thing to say, trying to calm himself down and not overreact.

Kaia half expected Thomas to knock on the door, the God-complex within him telling her that it wasn't an action that was too far-fetched, only there was no knock that came.

"Why?" Was the first thing that Aberama uttered quietly, looking up at his daughter who stood looking like the worried child he'd raised so long ago.

"Why what, Dad?" She replied.

"You got rid of Calvin, why? And for him?" He said, pointing back behind his shoulder with his thumb.

Kaia sighed quietly and chewed on her lip. She knew that to a father, Calvin was perhaps the ideal man for a daughter to bring home, and someone like Thomas Shelby was seemingly the polar opposite. But Kaia couldn't help how she felt.

"I couldn't lie to myself, Dad. Calvin was a gentleman but Tommy, he just gets me, without me having to change."

Aberama just scoffed, "The only thing he's going to get you is shot, Kaia."

She stayed quiet, both their eyes being drawn out the front window. Two young boys were throwing snowballs at Tommy who clearly hadn't disappeared. They watched as one of the children slipped and fell, Tommy immediately helping the boy back to his feet and dusting the snow from his clothes before the child smashed a snowball right into his face.

Aberama turned back to his daughter.

"I'm sorry," he said, "If this is what you want, then..."

"It is," Kaia interrupted, nodding her head, "He is."

She knew her father disapproved but she also knew that he was well aware there was no use fighting his daughter, she would do what she wanted regardless of whether she had his blessing or not.

Aberama sighed and shook his head, walking over to the front door and pulling it open.

"Shelby!" He called out, "You better get in here."

The two men entered the house again, closing the door behind Tommy that time. Kaia broke a small smile in Tommy's direction, his skin pale but his cheeks red from the cold, his hands white as he peeled off his leather gloves.

"Mr Gold, can I just-"

"Shut up before I shoot you, Shelby, you're lucky you're even in here alive." Aberama held up a hand to silence Thomas, to which he fell quiet.

Tommy looked across the room to Kaia, his eyes questioning the silence that Aberama had conducted. Kaia just shrugged her shoulders, her eyes holding an equal amount of confusion at her father's actions.

"Listen here, the both of you." Aberama said, his eyebrow raised as he looked between the two of them, "You will not sleep in the same bed in this house if I am under the roof, do you understand? Hell, I don't even want you in the same room alone if I'm here."

"Of course." Tommy nodded, clearing his throat. Kaia couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed, knowing that this was more than likely the only time Thomas Shelby had had a woman's father tell him what he could and couldn't do with his daughter.

"Dad..." Kaia groaned, looking down at the floor.

"You can shut up as well, I'm being reasonable here Kaia, I could've had his head on a spike outside the house by now if I wanted."

Kaia looked over at Thomas who's face held a blank expression, however she knew that by the way his eyes were glinting that he was trying his best to hold back a laugh.

Though in Aberama's defence, Kaia knew her father wasn't joking, he wouldn't hesitate to kill any man who came close to his daughter.

"And one more thing," he said, stepping closer to Thomas, the two men eye-to-eye, "If you do anything to put my daughter in harms way, I will personally slit your throat, are we clear?"

Tommy clenched his jaw, swallowing hard. He wasn't necessarily intimidated by Aberama Gold, despite knowing that he would kill him without giving it a second thought, but he was nervous about messing up his chances with Kaia, knowing that he walked on a tightrope daily when it came to safety.

"We're clear, Mr Gold."

The glare in Aberama's face dropped and his lips curled into a smile, his hand outstretched to Tommy who also smiled, shaking his hand firmly.

"Good. Why don't you pour us some whiskey, Kaia, I think I need to get to know what Thomas likes to do apart from fix races and blind men."

The two men sat down at the kitchen table and Kaia grabbed two glasses from the cupboard, reaching over to the shelves for a the bottle of whiskey. She pulled on the cork for a moment, struggling to get it out when Thomas placed his hand on top of hers, looking down at her with his lips pulled to one side in a sly smirk.

"Here," he said quietly, squeezing her hand and pulling out the cork, "Easy."

Kaia looked up at him, the same feeling of her skin burning up with desire at the way he gazed at her being almost unbearable, especially knowing there was no way he could give her what she was wanting that night.

Tommy knew exactly what was going through Kaia's mind, learning that her imagination was going wild whenever she drew in a sharp breath and held his gaze intimately for so long. His thoughts began to wander too, but the presence of Aberama less than three feet away from them was paralysing.

"Pour it yourself." Kaia said, sliding the bottle across the counter to him.

Tommy just looked at her, his eyes tracing every inch of her body as she stood before him. She might've only been in a satin slip with a thick blanket covering most of her body, her hair tied up and her skin bare of anything, but Tommy still thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"I will," he cleared his throat, pulling his eyes up her body once more, making her blush, hoping her father didn't turn around and notice the tension between their eyes from an innocent conversation.

Tommy might not have been able to satisfy Kaia that evening like she so desperately wanted him to, but that didn't stop her. She was restless all night, her thoughts hungry and dangerous as they interrupted any pure thought she had, though they were few and far between as she heard the low hum of his voice talking to her father downstairs.

Kaia lay in bed, her eyes closed and her mind barely needing to work for her to imagine her own touch was his. The hold that Thomas had over her was strong and she couldn't wait until the next time she'd look up and see his face above her with his hand around her neck, without it being all in her head.