CHAPTER ELEVEN

In the three days since the races, Adelaide had not seen a soul. Anger still festered within her. She was not sure of the exact cause for it could have been multiple things: Tommy's willingness to make a deal of her and Grace, or Kimber's happiness to suggest such a thing, being a man willing to take and take. Being a woman meant expecting such attitudes, but that didn't mean she was used to it.

The emptiness of the house only seemed to amplify her feelings, the heat of her disappointment and rage curling in her stomach, making her both sickly full and with an appetite unsatiated. With her mind free to wander, she could think of nothing other but that day- that evening when Thomas had taken her by the waist on two separate occasions. Once to spin her around the room in a tame dance, and for a second time, preventing her glass weapon from piercing Billy Kimber's skin.

Adelaide felt betrayed by her thoughts. For a moment she hated him, her jaw clenching together as tightly as her eyes. Hated the way he'd involved her so easily. And yet, in a way, she'd wanted him to. She'd wanted him to trust her, to let her in, to keep her close. Adelaide had wanted it for all the wrong reasons.

Hadn't their plan been to stay anonymous in their work in bringing Emilio Smith to strength? Adelaide Davis was not supposed to become so infatuated with her competition, with the man who didn't even know he was her enemy.

A knock rang through the hallway to where Adelaide sat in the kitchen. She'd grown used to the quietness of the house now and wasn't ready to let Harry and the boys break it. But she opened the front door anyway, only to let out a harsh gasp as a hand connected with her throat and pushed her further into the flat.

"Even prettier with my hand wrapped around your neck," Billy Kimber mused, his voice low enough for only her to hear.

She had the urge to spit at him- to do anything to get him away. He was a small man, his height reaching just below hers, his arms skinny and fingers thing, but she spotted the men behind him, his bodyguards with dark suits and shadowed faces, and stilled her body. When his lackeys had filed in behind, shoulders widening purposefully to intimidate, he let go and pushed her back. Adelaide fell with her hands behind her back, leaning against the wall.

"What do you want?" She snapped, letting the venom spit from her voice.

"Your man," he began, his lips tilting to one side in an arrogant sort of look, "at least, I'm assuming that's how you're tied into all of this. Your man, Mr Smith, promises me a day at the races with his prettiest woman. Now I don't feel like your obligations were met."

He came towards her again and she stopped him with a glare. Kimber smiled.

"I'm surprised a man like Emilio Smith would be happy enough to sell his women, but I'm not complaining," he said. Adelaide cringed away from him. The tiny man held such power and he didn't even know it. "I want what is owed to me."

In that moment, with him leering at her as he had at the races, she feared the worst. But he retracted, smirking, with his silver tooth showing, and glanced to her over his shoulder. She watched him with careful eyes.

"I'll be seeing you, Adelaide Davis."

Alone and with her mind overthinking, Adelaide could stay in the empty flat no longer. She found herself in the only other place she knew to go, hoping for a friendly face, but the place was almost empty, except for the committed drunks, and Grace had long gone home.

"Adelaide."

She heard him before she saw him.

"Thomas."

If he noticed the use of his full name, he didn't show it. Tommy took himself behind the bar in Harry's absence. He stood in front of her, eyes never leaving her face as he reached for a glass and a fresh bottle of whiskey. Then his gaze dropped to her hands, to the fingers that nursed her own glass, and the cuts that had barely been looked after. Tommy took her hand in his, turning so her palm faced upwards, tracing lines across the cuts that would surely scar.

"You would have stabbed him if I hadn't stepped in," he said. There was no question behind it. He knew she would have.

"I would have done what was necessary," she said, watching the movements of his fingers against her skin before she pulled her hands away, hiding them in her lap, ignoring the sudden rush of cold.

"It never would have been necessary," he said, shaking his head, looking at her with those same, intense blue eyes. "I wouldn't have let it be."

It should have calmed her to know for sure that he had never intended to let the deal go through. She had known it, in her heart, but it still stung.

"How was I supposed to know that?" Adelaide said.

Tommy finally looked away and in the absence of his gaze, she finally felt as if she could breathe again. He had the nerve to look disheartened by her words- as if he'd given her enough reason to trust him- though he hid it well.

She fought the urge to look at bottom of her glass as his eyes turned to her again. But then Finn came flying through the front doors of the Garrison, eyes wild like a wolf, face ruddy and warm.

"Tommy!" He pulled in a ragged breath, chest heaving. "We've been done over."

John and Arthur came barrelling out of the private room then, needing only a nod from Tommy to have them running from the pub, taking off towards Watery Lane. Tommy was not far behind them, skirting swiftly around the bar, only stopping to stand in front of Adelaide. He gripped her arms with urgency.

"Will you watch, Finn?" She nodded without hesitating. "Don't take your eyes off him."

A moment later, he was gone, pushing through the doors in the same manner as his brothers did. Adelaide slid from the barstool, watching from across the room as Finn caught his breath, hands on his knees.

"Are you alrig-"

The boy levelled her with one thoughtful look before he took off through the doors of the Garrison, leaving her no time to finish her questioning. Finn was fast, sprinting down Garrison Lane with his cap clutched between his fingers. Adelaide could do nothing but try to follow, losing sight of him as he rounded the corner, ignoring the shouts that left her lips.

She went to the only place she thought he may go. Watery Lane came into sight as she knocked off her low heels, taking to running faster in her stockings. The doors to the betting den were cast open, beckoning her in.

"Finn, you better be here!"

Adelaide came crashing around the corner, falling into reach arms, stopping her from wandering further. She gasped at the hold before turning to face the man who encased her.

"Tommy," she said, cheeks warm from the run. "I'm sorry. Finn ran off."

He looked down at her shoeless feet and the muddy tracks behind her and only shook his head calmly, moving her by the waist. "It's alright, Adelaide," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle as he moved further into the room. "As long as he isn't here."

With tentive steps, she followed after him, finding Arthur in the middle of the upturned room, kicking the broken chair with the toes of his shoes.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" The eldest Shelby shouted, dragging a hand down his tired face.

"The Lees. All of them. Cousins, nephews, even the bastards," a man said, his hands covering a cut in his head that poured with crimson blood.

"They've taken anything they can lay their hands on," Polly said before turning to count the cash boxes. "Four fucking cash boxes."

It was quiet for a moment, before Tommy held up an old pair of rusted wire cutters, drawing the attention his way. "They left these."

"Wire cutters. Why would they leave wire cutters?" Polly asked, looking between the boys.

The brothers shared a look, fear evident on their pale faces. Arthur seemed to go rigid, his spine straightening and eyes widening as he scanned the room. John followed suit, souring the room with a pointed look.

"Nobody move," Arthur said. "I think our friends are playing the game."

"What game?" Polly asked, picking up the cash box and starting towards the back office.

"Aunt Pol. Don't touch anything!" The urgency in John's voice made them all still. His lips were thinned, his hands resting in fists by his side.

Only Tommy didn't seem to betray his nerves with his expression. Adelaide glanced around the room, looking for something that seemed to look out of place, but with everything upturned there was nothing. Not that she knew what to look for in the first place.

"Erasmus Lee was in France," Tommy said, and realisation seemed to spread through the boys. "When we gave up ground to the Germans, we'd leave behind booby traps, set up with wires. And we'd leave wire cutters as part of the joke."

Tommy took a moment to survey the room before his eyes came to land on Adelaide. His jaw was taut, his lips pulled thinly as he held out a hand.

"Adelaide, walk towards me very slowly."

The worry that clouded the room had her stepping toward him gingerly, forgetting all the unease she'd held about his motivations that morning. There was no denying his reasoning now as he caught her by the waist and pulled her flat against his chest.

"Somewhere in here, there's a hand grenade-"

"Holy Jesus!" Polly interrupted.

"-attached to a wire."

She was glad that Finn had not found his way to his brothers. Adelaide felt Tommy still against her, hands momentarily clenching at the fabric of her dress.

"No. It's not in here," he breathed. "If it was here, it would have blown by now. It was my name on that bullet Erasmus sent. He set a trap all right. But he's set it up just for me."

Her heart lept as Thomas ran from the room, uncaring as to where his feet fell. But he was right. If a hand grenade had been hiding in that den, it would have blown them all t pieces the moment Arthur had kicked his way through the chairs, or when Polly had wrapped her arms around the cash boxes, or when Adelaide had come sliding through the hallway. The trap was not here, but Tommy ran to where he knew it would be.

Adelaide was the first to follow, sprinting around the street in her muddy stockings. Around the corner, his car was parked and Adelaide's hand flew to her mouth, teeth biting down to prevent a shout as she saw who sat in the driver's seat. Finn was bouncing up and down behind the wheel, a grin playing on his features. It was clear. The grenade was in the car.

"Finn? Finn, stay exactly where you are."

"I was pretending I was you," Finn said excitedly. Tommy's face seemed to cripple, upon hearing such words.

"Which door did you open to come in, Finn?"

"I didn't. I climbed in."

"I want you to climb out exactly the same way you climbed in, OK?"

Finn nodded before swiftly opening the car door and hopping out.

"No, no Finn!"

She could do nothing but shout as Tommy ran to grab the grenade, throwing it far and wide. Flames erupted into the smoke-filled air as the grenade blew, painting the sky a dangerous red. Finn was huddled into his brother's chest, protected from the heat of the explosion. Adelaide let out a guilty sigh of relief when he finally ducked out from beneath his arms, unharmed.

"Are you all right? It could have killed us," Tommy said while he checked over his brother's face, taking his thumb and smearing the mud that was already wiped across his brow. "That's why you should never pretend to be me."

Polly quickly scooped his hand up, pulling him along the lane so she could fuss with his messy hair and dirties clothes. Tommy watched them go in silence, his face weary and tired and painted with relief. When he finally turned to her, the guilt spilled out.

"I'm sorry, I promised I'd keep an eye on hi-"

Tommy interrupted her with a hand to the cheek. His fingers drifted to wipe away a stray tear that she didn't realise had escaped. It had been a long while since she'd cried.

"This isn't your fault. I dragged you into all of this."

If only he knew how wrong that statement was. Adelaide would have been involved whether he willed it or not. Her presence in Small Heath was purposeful. She closed her eyes momentarily, feeling the heat of his touch against her face. She wanted herself rid of him. Wanted rid of the man that seemed to torment her thoughts so heavily.

His head came across to lean against hers, his eyes closing in a similar fashion. Adelaide could feel the heat of his breath against her nose, her lips, could hear the worried pattern of his breathing. He'd never been so close. It felt vulnerable.

"Get yourself home," Tommy finally said, drawing himself away as if nothing had happened. Though the thought of returning to an empty house made her stomach turn, she nodded.

Kimber came to collect his debt as promised.

"Mr Kimber, Mr Roberts," Tommy greeted them, coming from behind. He spoke to all three of them, but his eyes only fell on her. "Miss Davis." He gave a polite nod. "Come and have a look around."

He was using her as an arm piece, a decoration that would taunt him, she knew. By having her- the woman Tommy had stopped him from having- on his arm, it was a show of hollow power.

"We heard the Lees had turned you over."

"You shouldn't listen to gossip, Mr Kimber," she said, giving him a thin smile, squeezing his arm a little too tightly. He gave her the smallest of glares.

They toured around the betting den as the men busied on. Having seen it the day the Lees had in fact turned them over, she could say that there was a big improvement.

"Business is good," the accountant stated.

"Especially since now you know which horse is going to win before you set the odds," Kimber said, unimpressed.

"Your information is very much appreciated."

"Right, well, where are they?"

"John, Lovelock, Scudboat, in here."

The three named walked into the room and stood straight in front of Tommy, hands folded across their front, chins high like soldiers.

"This is my team. They will take up their pitch at your convenience, Mr Kimber. John is the book. Scudboat is the bag man. And, of course, we bring our own protection."

The men stood for a few minutes, letting Kimber observe them. It was the accountant, Mr Roberts who nodded firstly from behind.

"Warwick, next Saturday. At least fifty yards from the beer tent," Kimber said.

He nodded one last time before making his way out of the house, leaving Adelaide to stand in the office. She watched him a moment, not willing to leave. Tommy met her gaze brazenly.

"Why is it that I always find you in the worst of situations, Adelaide?"

"My father always did say I attract trouble," she said, smiling slightly. It helped that trouble brought business, put her in situations that meant she could know both sides.

"A lot of people call me trouble."

His boldness came intermittently, but when it did, it shocked her. Adelaide rose a brow and watched the curve of his face as his lips pulled into a smirk.

"I know."

Kimber found her as she left the betting den. He hung by the side of the road, leaving against his car, cigarette hanging lazily from his lips. He spat it out as she came to move beside him, grabbed her arm, and pulled her from the place swiftly.

Edited