Pearl had finally gone back to work and the sigh from Harry when she walked through the door could be heard all the way to Coventry. He asked if she was needed by the Shelby's today and that it wouldn't be inconveniencing them that she was at The Garrison. Pearl simply laughed at his absurd worries and confirmed that she was in fact allowed to be there.

Arthur was one of the first in after opening and John followed soon after. They both retreated into their snug and Pearl only had to make sure their bottles of whiskey were always replenished. She would occasionally exchange words with them through the hatch when she wasn't busy but on the whole she left the boys to their antics.

A few hours later Myrtle entered the pub and came to sit at the bar, much to Pearl's delight.

"This isn't your usual stomping ground?" Pearl grinned.

"I thought a change of scenery would do me good and maybe alleviate some of your boredom"

"It's really not that bad" Pearl responded as she turned to the bottles behind her, "What would you like?"

"Irish whiskey, love"

Pearl filled a glass and pushed it across the bar into Myrtle's hand who took a sip and winced slightly.

"What do you mean 'not that bad'?" Myrtle asked whilst swirling the drink in her hand.

"Oh, just it's not all it's cracked up to be. I'm not fighting for my life everytime I come into work or anything. I actually quite enjoy it"

"Enjoy working with gangsters and ruffians? Well there's a thing" Myrtle murmured.

Peal rested her forearms atop the bar and gave Myrtle a little nudge.

"Lighten up, they can actually be incredibly entertaining if you give them the chance"

Myrtle glanced through the hatch to where John and Arthur were sat, "Even the Shelby boys?"

"Especially the Shelby boys"

Pearl had peeked over at them and caught John's eye, who gave her a goofy smile, she gave him a quick wave in return and turned back to Myrtle who was looking at her solemnly.

"What? They can be nice"

Myrtle grimaced at the word 'nice', "They used to be... but not anymore. The Shelby boys are deplorable, what do you spend your time talking to them about anyway?"

"Just this and that, nothing important" Pearl answered dismissively.

Myrtle finished her glass and grabbed her bag.

Pearl frowned, "You're not staying then?"

"No, I best be going"

Pearl nodded and let Myrtle leave. The old lady bumped into a brunette man as she walked to the door and exchanged pleasantries with him for a few minutes before leaving and with that Pearl busied herself with work once more.

A few minutes later, Arthur came to the bar and placed an empty bottle in front of Pearl.

"Come on, you're meant to keep us topped up. That's what we pay you for"

Pearl fetched him another bottle and handed it over, "Say, Arthur, do you know what your reputation is like around the locals? Not you personally but, you know, the organisation and your family"

"They're scared of us. As they fookin' should be" Arthur shrugged.

"But they don't hate you or anything?"

Arthur's forehead creased as he considered the question, "No, Pol always make sure we stay charitable - ya know giving money here and there"

Pearl nodded and mindlessly bit the inside of her cheek.

Arthur waved his hand in front of Pearl's face to bring her focus back to him, "Why is that?"

"I just know of a woman who really isn't fond of your family. I was just wondering if it was a shared sentiment amongst the city"

"Which woman?" Arthur questioned as he took the lid off of the whiskey bottle.

"Myrtle Clarkson"

He stopped fiddling with the lid bottle and rubbed his hand against his mouth, "Right..."

Pearl instantly stood up straight at his reaction, "Why? What happened?"

"Ah... I don't think it's me place to say"

And with that Arthur slinked off back into the snug, despite Pearl's protest that he should stay and explain himself. She let out a huff of annoyance as she realised all Shelby's could be just as vague as each other.

Later on that day, Pearl was clearing one of the central round tables when she noticed a pair of eyes following her from the corner of the room. She recognised the mousey, brown hair but it took her a minute to place the man's face. An agitated anger ran down her spine as she realised it was William Brown, one of Grenfeld's men who had come back to Birmingham with her. He was sitting with two other men whom she didn't recognise.

Pearl cleared away the glasses she was holding and approached the table. William smiled as she approached and spread out his arms as he settled into an irritatingly cocky posture. Pearl placed her hand on the table in front of him and lowered her voice.

"I don't remember your job entailing spying on me" she hissed.

The man was a little older than Pearl but she didn't let that intimidate her, as hard as he tried.

"You're clearly going above and beyond in your work, so I thought why shouldn't we?" William gestured to the two other men sitting with him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

His brow furrowed spitefully, "You spend an awful lot of time with the Shelby's"

"Because that's what I'm meant to be doing. I don't think Grenfeld would be happy that you're spying on one his best operatives"

"Actually, Grenfeld was all for it"

Pearl scoffed because of course he was. She should've known he'd never really trust her.

"Look, I don't need a babysitter so could you just piss off"

"That's where our opinions differ" he pulled Pearl's arm so that she was forced to sit beside him on the bench, "Grenfeld thinks you're getting a little too close to the Shelby's for his liking"

"That's not his call to make" Pearl shuffled further from him.

"I think it is sweetheart"

Pearl grimaced at the nickname and looked away from William. As she did she noticed Arthur watching her, they briefly made eye contact before he walked out of The Garrison. John stayed behind, sitting in the snug with the doors wide open and watching Pearl intently. She turned back to William, trying to avoid John's burning gaze.

"So what does he want me to do then? Ignore them?" Pearl remarked sarcastically.

"Don't try to be funny, it's not becoming of a young lady"

He tapped Pearl patronisingly on the nose and she hated the way he was looking down on her. She swallowed thickly and stopped herself from retaliating, the last thing she wanted to was to raise her voice and make a scene.

"So" she seethed, "What does he want me to do?"

"Grenfeld is proud of the progress you've made, he just doesn't think it's necessary to go about making lifelong friends. You don't know who you can trust"

"Well that we can agree on"

William was growing impatient with Pearl's incessant need to talk back to him, "Can we trust you, Marie?"

"I've done more than you bloody lot, haven't I?"

William blinked slowly and clenched his fists, "That's not an answer"

Pearl dead panned him because in her mind he was acting incredibly dim, "Yes. Of course you can"

"Then you need to start proving yourself-"

"Are you kidding?" Pearl blurted out.

William leant closer and lowered his voice, "Marie... watch it"

She rolled her eyes a little but allowed him to continue speaking.

"You need to spend less time with the Shelby's and more time investigating. We know you're stalling"

"Please, you don't know anything. I'm closer than you think - trust goes both ways here"

Pearl noticed William looking at something over her shoulder - or more like someone. She turned and saw Tommy approaching the table with Arthur and John by his side. Pearl wanted to curl up and die because she knew any interaction between these men would never go smoothly.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" William smiled.

Tommy placed his hands in his pockets and squared his shoulders, Pearl couldn't help but think he looked like a peacock splaying its feathers.

"We're going to need you stop harassing this woman"

Oh god. Pearl sunk further into her seat.

"Harassing?" William gasped, "We were just having a simple conversation. Weren't we?"

"'S not a simple conversation if you have to drag her into the seat" Arthur commented.

"So you should just let her go" Tommy added.

William scowled at the three men, "What makes her your problem?"

"She's our barmaid" Arthur stated proudly.

Pearl had heard just enough and abruptly stood up, "God you lot, she has a name and she's right here. Also no i'm not your anything, I'm a barmaid. Grow up. Now you lot" she pointed at William and his two goons, "I'd like you to leave now"

The three men stayed sat silently.

"Now! Go!" she started to shoo them out of the pub.

They reluctantly stood and made their way out. As William passed Pearl he mumbled, "Watch it, blondie"

Pearl and the three Shelby boys watched them leave and once they were finally out of the door Pearl rounded on them.

"I'm not here to referee your dick-swinging contest. What were you thinking?"

John and Arthur looked rather sheepish but Tommy remained ever emotionless.

"We thought you looked uncomfortable" Arthur piped up.

"Thank you, Arthur, but I promise you I can handle myself. Next time don't go tattling to Tommy"

Pearl looked at Tommy with an exasperated look but there was no remorse in his eyes. He simply tilted his head towards the back room and walked off, expecting Pearl to follow. Arthur and John slinked off back into the snug and Pearl braced herself before following Tommy.

She stepped into the backroom and swung the door shut, ready to go off on Tommy and his arrogance.

Pearl threw up her arms as she walked towards him, "What was that?"

"Calm down, it wasn't-"

"No, Tommy I'm pissed off! You can't just walk in here locked and loaded for a fight when I'm having a private conversation"

"So all of that was of your own free will?"

"No, of course not, but that doesn't matter because I can deal with it"

Pearl sighed heavily, hoping this was getting through but he continued to stare blankly at her.

"Who were they?" he asked.

"They were some of Grenfeld's men. They were asking why I've been spending so much time with you and your family, which is why it doesn't help that you burst in fucking defending my honour or whatever that was"

Tommy rubbed his hand against his forehead and started to pace back and forth, "I didn't know they were watching you. Arthur only said that there were men in The Garrison-"

"There were men in The Garrison?" Pearl scoffed, "Listen to yourself Tommy! What makes you think that you have the right to come in here and speak for me as if you have any idea what's going on. I'm my own person. I've had enough of men thinking they know me better than I do"

Tommy stopped pacing and stepped towards Pearl, closing the gap between them and looking - almost - longingly at her.

"I had to make sure you're okay"

Pearl furrowed her brows, "Since when has that been your job?"

Tommy exhaled through his nose and placed both his hands on either side of Pearl's face, cupping her cheeks.

"Don't do that..." she whispered, her voice breaking ever so slightly.

Tommy shook his head in confusion.

"Don't do it because I don't know what it means. You want me to be your solution and then you want me gone. I'm prepared to take the fall for your family if I have to even though, as far as I know, you want me dead. I know I broke your trust and I'm sorry but please, Tommy, I can't keep up and I don't know what you want from me"

She flicked her eyes between his as the words permeated the minute space between them. He started to stroke his thumb along her cheeks.

"I don't want you gone and I don't want you hurt" he spoke under his breath, as though that was meant to make things any clearer for Pearl.

"So where does that leave us?"

Tommy leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on Pearl's lips. Gentle had never been the first word that jumped to mind when she thought of Tommy, but in this instance there was no word better suited. His thumbs were delicately stroking the apples of her cheeks and the touch of his lips was featherlight upon her own.

The effect Tommy had on her was bizarre, only a few days ago she swore to Ada that she'd never fall in love with him but now nothing seemed more appetising. She would always follow Tommy whenever he asked because she had this carnal desire to know more. She could never tell what he was thinking so the urge to find out outweighed everything else - like being close to Tommy was the most important thing she could ever be.

But that's the thing... it wasn't.

Lillian would always be the most important thing to Pearl and she would always put Lili's needs above her own. However, in this moment she was willing to be just a little bit selfish.

Tommy pulled away a fraction of an inch but ceased to say anything more.

"This really isn't-"

"Don't say anything" Tommy interrupted.

Pearl tilted her head slightly with a smirk, "That's not every 'equal opportunities for women' of you"

Tommy rested his forehead against hers with a sigh, "Why do you always have to ruin it?"

"If I don't, who will?" Pearl smiled and Tommy let out a reluctant laugh, "But, really, you have to know this doesn't work"

"That's only because you don't want it to"

Pearl furrowed her brow because, of everything, that wasn't what she expected to come from Tommy's lips. As though he really could see this lasting, even though there wasn't a possible way in Pearl's mind that it could.

"I'm leaving, Tommy, and for all we know could be in the clink by the end of the year"

"I'd never let that happen, and as for you leaving - I've got plans"

Pearl pulled back and looked at him, curiosity gleaming in her eyes, "Plans?"

"Expansions" He clarified.

"To London?" Pearl asked as a smile crept onto her face.

Tommy's face mirrored hers with a smug smile, confirming her question.

"So you'd be in London?" Pearl asked again, her tone bordering on giddy.

Tommy nodded, "And you'd be in London"

"You know I wouldn't be working for you? I've got my own goals"

"I don't want to stop you from achieving them, Pearl"

Pearl exhaled whilst nodding slowly, allowing all of the information to filter into her brain. Then without warning she wrapped her arms around Tommy's neck and pulled his lips down to hers. He accepted blissfully and placed his hands on the small of her back.

Pearl finally let herself believe in this - in them. She'd never been big on hoping, she'd worked for everything she and Lili had after her parents died, hoping seemed futile; but now she was unabashedly hopeful - she was hoping that this would work.

❀❀❀

She walked home that evening with a spring in her step and a smile on her face, rather embarrassed about the state her interaction with Tommy had left her in. Pearl hadn't even noticed that it had started to rain on the way back and only noticed once her hair and skirt started to weigh down on her. She wasn't even bothered enough to think about the fact that there was a high chance she was being watched by some group or another.

Pearl stepped inside her house and walked straight over to the fire to try and dry herself. She noticed that the kitchen was empty with not a single morsel of food lying around; it wasn't that she expected Myrtle to be cooking for her, it's just that she normally was - or would at least leave out leftovers for when she got back in.

There was a chance that maybe Myrtle had just gone to get an early night but Pearl couldn't ignore the worry that was creeping over her shoulders.

"Myrtle!" she called out but to no avail.

She walked to the foot of the stairs and called out Myrtle's name a few more times but still, no answer. Pearl broke into a jog up the stairs and ran into Myrtle's room which was desolate. Her stomach started to flip as doubts shrouded her brain and she worried that William and his men had something to do with it.

Pearl ran back down the stairs and grabbed the handle of the front door ready to go searching but just before she could leave she heard movement behind her. Pearl whipped around and was frozen on the spot as she found herself eye to eye with the barrel of a gun.

a/n

i'm back at uni now so apologies if the updates are a bit slower but believe it or not we're actually nearing the end of this book :(

I always intended it to be short because I didn't want to overwhelm myself and give up on the book but I am considering writing a second book, that would probably be shorter than this one, but we'll seeee