CHAPTER 30

Tilly sat with her legs crossed, sat alone inside a booth. Her eyes scanned the room as she looked for anything unusual, just like Arthur had asked her to do. She was majorly confused as to what she was supposed to be looking out for. Who she was supposed to be looking out for.

"Can I get you a drink?" A voice spoke from in front of her. She looked up, her hands resting on her knees.

God, she wished David wasn't busy with work.

He was young, possibly older than her though. Fairly decent looking. Dark hair and dark eyes. Tilly nodded slightly, forcing a small smile. "That'd be nice, thank you."

He clicked at one of the men who stood nearby and watched as he walked off. "May I sit?" he asked politely, a slight accent appearing. Tilly nodded, moving over to make room. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Matilda, Matilda Willows."

"I knew I recognised you from somewhere. You paint, yes?" He hummed, accepting the two glasses of liquor off the other man. Tilly nodded, taking it from his hands. "Your work is truly amazing," he complimented.

"Thank you," she smiled, looking away quickly. "I didn't get your name though."

"Angel, Angel Changretta."

Her heart sank but she refused to allow the expression on her face to change. The youngest Changretta son. The Italian family that had peace with the Shelby's for years now, an extremely arrogant family. She was unsure what he was doing in London. So she asked.

"What brings you to London?" Tilly sipped her drink, noticing how he didn't take his eyes off her. "Well, I was supposed to be attending a wedding. But there were some..complications." Angel told her, not including the current trouble that had been caused between his family and the Shelby's.

He didn't mention it because he had no clue that Matilda had ties with them. During their conversation, her head began spinning ever so slightly and she couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or the lack of food in her system.

"Am I boring you?" he chuckled lightly. "Hm?" Tilly turned her head back toward him. "It seems I've lost your attention," Angel observed in a slightly insulting tone.

"I apologise, I've got quite a lot on my mind at the moment." She excused, looking back at the crowd of people, trying not to forget why she was there. Then it hit her. What if Angel Changretta was who Arthur was talking about.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Unfortunately no," she refused, not wanting to talk to him any longer. Angel frowned, trying his hardest to read her. But it was impossible.

Her body language was unreadable, her face was unreadable. She was unreadable.

He cleared his throat and sat up straight. "So tell me, Matilda, do you have a man? A family?"

His question made her tense up. It felt as though her throat had closed up. She looked down at her knees. "Both my mother and father are dead," she said quietly. "And I have a man."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

Tilly didn't like how invasive he was being. They had met all but an hour ago.

She took a deep breath, looking him dead in the eye. "My father died during the war, did not return from France. My mother died at the hands of the devil." She said. He tilted his head. "The devil?" He asked. Tilly nodded, "suicide."

The expression on his face changed slightly. "And the man?"

"I've been with him for almost a year, he's lovely. You may know him, his name is David Jones?"

Angel shook his head, "never heard of him."

"Well, he's fairly known around here. Owns a very successful liquor business. In fact, the whiskey you're drinking is his" She pointed out.

"Well, he makes shit whiskey." He spat, his accent coming through. Tilly laughed slightly. "You're hilarious."

"I don't believe i told a joke?" He tilted his head.

"You didn't," Matilda sighed, sipping the rest of her drink before standing.

As she stood, taking a step forward, he grabbed her wrist tightly. "Would you go out with me sometime?"

Billy. Billy Woods. That's who she saw in Angel. And she didn't like that.

She scoffed, ripping her wrist away. "I'd never fraternise with somebody like you."

Angel was quick to stand and grab her upper arm. "You will go out with me," He said quietly. Tilly looked at him with concern, "i said no."

"You will go out with me or else-"

"Or else what? You'll kill my family, i have none. They're dead already. I know how you work, Angel. I know how your family works. And i don't like it." She shook her head.

His grip was tight as he pressed his fingers into her arm. "Let go of me."

"How do you know anything about me, hm?" He questioned. "Because I grew up with the Shelby's," she hissed, "and they'd kill like wild dogs if i asked them too."

"Is that a threat?"

"I don't know, is it?"

The look in Angel's eyes petrified her. He finally let go and anger flooded through him as he watched her walk away, the dark blue dress making her look even more breathtaking than she was.

"You will die crossing the street, Matilda Willows!" he called out, his hands balled into fists.

As she walked through the dark streets of London, goosebumps covered her bare arms. Light shouting and laughs could be heard from the small group of younger girls who stumbled down the road, clinging onto each other.

Her breaths were short and quick as she fumbled with the keys to her home, begging to get inside. Once the door opened, she entered and slammed it behind her.She didn't know what was happening. She couldn't breathe.

"You'll die crossing the street, Matilda Willows!"

Tilly scrambled to the phone, quickly dialling the Shelby number. "Ello?" John answered. "John," Tilly breathed whilst she leaned against the wall.

"Tilly its fucking..twelve at night!"

"Get me Arthur, right now." She demanded, placing a hand on her chest. David appeared in the hallway, a concerned expression on his face. "What's happened?" He asked. She ignored him.

"Ello," Arthur grumbled. "You bastard! You send me into the fucking lions den with Angel Changretta, what the fuck were you thinking?"

"Hold on a minute, slow down."

"He said i'll die crossing the street, Arthur. Do you know how much that scares me. I have enough issues going on in my head, i don't need another that will make me afraid to leave the house. You've put both me and David in danger!" She shouted down the phone.

Arthur winced, moving the phone away from his ear. "We'll sort it, alright?"

"We'll sort it, we'll fucking sort it," She mocked. "Shouldn't of fucking sent me to do your dirty work in the first place!"

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗