𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐆𝐎
chapter 6

It had been a mere few weeks since Ada Shelby became Ada Ellis. She and Harvey had been trying their best to make their relationship work. It was difficult at first but they made it happen.

Before the wedding, John had expressed his regrets about how Harvey was marrying Ada. Nobody knew about how John and Harvey felt for each other — they didn't even know. But there was something. Something that made it feel wrong to be marrying Ada. Whatever it was that they felt, they couldn't admit it. Not if they wanted to live.

If anybody found out, they'd be arrested and maybe even hung.

Ada's bump was very much there now that months had passed and Harvey was growing more nervous as the days went on. It wasn't long now until she would come to have the baby. But what Harvey didn't realise was that his father was yet to find out about the whole thing.

Well, that's what he believed.

John was sat with Harvey in the Garrison, conversation flowing like normal. "She sleeps a lot." Harvey said. "I'm not sure if that's something I should be worried about, though." He said.

John shook his head. "I don't think so." He replied. "But when they're pregnant, everything bloody changes. And I mean everything." He said.

"Yeah— there's been a few times where I thought she was going to throw a bloody chair at me." Harvey joked, knowing that Ada would never harm anyone for no reason. "It's going well then, i'm guessing." John looked down, somewhat jealous. "I think so." Harvey answered.

He looked at the two empty glasses on the table and grunted as he stood, taking them. "I'll be back in a minute." He told John before stepping into the main room of the pub and going to the bar. "Two whiskey's please, Harry." He placed some coins on the counter.

Harry was quick to pour the glasses back up with the whiskey and nodded at him. "There you are."

"Thank you." Harvey said.

The door to the Garrison swung open and Leyland stormed in. Harvey muttered a few things under his breath and turned away.

"You!" He roared, his voice hoarse and sickening. "Fuckin' come here." He demanded. Harvey slowly turned toward him and felt his heart pound against his chest. "What's this i'm hearing about you and the Shelby girl?" He grabbed Harvey by the shirt.

Harvey looked up at him.

After hearing the name "Shelby", John had stepped out from the snug to see who it was that was saying the name in such a cruel manner.

"What have you heard?" Harvey hissed, not giving in.

Leyland scoffed. "That you've only gone and gotten her pregnant— that you've married the whore." He insulted. He leaned in close to whisper, "and here I was, sure you were one of those... those gays— with her fuckin' brother.." And within seconds, he stumbled backward after Harvey punched him. Harvey's chest heaved up and down. Gasps sounded throughout the room and John felt a grin creep on to his face.

"That's the mother of your grandchild you're calling a whore." Harvey pointed. "And me," his voice cracked, "your son.."

"It doesn't change a thing." Leyland hissed. "She's trapped you for life. You're stuck now, son." He said.

Harvey shook his head and went to punch him but felt Leyland's hand engulf his own. Harvey's eyes widened and suddenly he felt his skin burn after Leyland had landed a punch against his cheek.

And another.

And another.

And another.

Until John tried to pull the man away and ultimately failing. Leyland pushed Harvey against the wall and punched him two more times. When he took his fist away, Harvey's head hung low and he didn't have the energy to fight back.

Everybody in the pub watched in horror.

"Enough, I tell you! Not in my pub!" Harry begged. John pulled his gun from his holster and pressed it into the back of Leyland's neck. "Get your fucking hands off him now or i'll shoot you in front of all these people." John whispered. Leyland's eyes widened and he slowly let go of Harvey, letting him slide down the wall.

"The next time you lay a fucking hand on him i'll slice you to pieces." John hissed. "Me and my brothers will make you regret everything you've ever done." He said. "Now get out of the fucking pub."

Leyland didn't turn around. He didn't say anything. He just walked away slowly, John's gun still pointed at him.

After tucking his gun away and hearing the door close, John whispered a quick "fuck," when seeing the state of Harvey and kneeled down to lift his face up. "Can you hear me, Harv? Eh, can you hear me?" He asked.

Harvey's left eye was swollen and blood was falling from his nose and mouth, some beside his eye too from a large cut.

"Alright, come on." John pulled him to his feet and draped Harvey's arm over his shoulders to keep him upright. Without waiting to hear anything from anyone in the pub, John began practically dragging the boy to Polly's house.

John hit the door aggressively with his fist and heard a light mumble from a very pregnant Ada on the other side as she slowly went to open it.

"Hurry the fuck up!" John shouted.

Ada rolled her eyes and opened the door, her face dropping when seeing her beaten husband. "What the fuck has happened?" She panicked, stepping aside and letting them in.

"Where's Polly?" John asked, putting Harvey into a chair and watching him tiredly lean his head against the table, unable to keep his eyes open from the blood that had gotten in them.

"John what happened?" Ada asked, following him in.

"Just— where's Pol?" John asked again. "I'm here." Polly answered, Tommy behind her after they heard the shouting from the two siblings. "What the bloody hell has happened here?" Tommy asked with concern as he saw the Ellis boy drowsy in the chair.

"It was his dad." John said.

"Again?" Ada asked with a saddened expression. Ada began trying to gather things to clean him up but was stopped by Polly who urged her to sit down. With a sigh, she pulled the chair beside Harvey and tried to keep him awake. "You can't go asleep incase you've hit your head," she whispered, stroking his hair.

Harvey hummed and lazily sat up. Ada cupped his face and tutted. "Why did he do it?" She asked John.

"His dad called you a whore so Harvey punched him." John leaned against the door frame. Tommy raised his brows in amusement and Ada placed a hand on her baby bump and leaned back into her chair as Polly held Harvey's face to begin cleaning it up.

"That hurts—" He hissed, trying to pull away but failing due to the woman's grip.

"Yes it will. So stop bloody moving." She scolded.

Ada watched and winced as Polly wiped over the cuts and bruises. Tommy soaked a cloth with whiskey and ushered Polly to the side. Harvey leaned on his fist and Tommy tilted Harvey's head up.

"This will hurt—" he said, pressing the soaked cloth to the open wound and watching his face twist in pain.

Ada closed her eyes and turned away.

"Pol, get him something cold for his eye." Tommy instructed and Polly did just that. "Look at the trouble you've gone to for our Ada, eh?" He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Harvey cracked a smile. "Just doing my job."

Ada stifled a laugh and shook her head. "It isn't your job if it's going to end up with you all bloodied and bruised." She said.

"Yeah. We can't have you fucking up that pretty face of yours, can we Harv?" John joked. Harvey bit down. "Don't make me laugh, John boy. It hurts my face." He said.

Polly gave Tommy a cold cloth and he held it against the swollen eye. "Hold that there." He said and Harvey did. Tommy stepped away and took a deep breath. "And you say this was his father's doing?" He asked John.

John nodded.

"What's his name."

"Leyland." Polly said through gritted teeth. "Leyland Ellis. Lives around the corner." She said.

Tommy nodded once and pulled his Aunt to the side. "That money I put away— put it toward getting them a house. It might be small but he isn't staying with his father anymore do you hear me? The father of my niece or nephew isn't staying there."

"I understand." Polly said.

"What's going on?" Ada asked after seeing her brothers somewhat angry expression.
"Nothing, love. Don't worry." Polly assured her. "Harvey—" She waited for a response.

He grunted.

"You can stay here tonight." She said.

—

Ada and Harvey lay beside each other in her dimly lit bedroom. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady but he wasn't asleep. Ada watched him and carefully reached up to trace her thumb over the bruised skin.

Harvey flinched slightly, caught off guard by the action.

"Sorry." She whispered. He just hummed and kept his eyes closed. "You didn't have to do that for me." She told him. Harvey kept his eyes closed again. "I did." He corrected. "No man should let another speak about his wife in the way my father did tonight."

Ada listened.

"What was it that made him angry?"

"Maybe that I hadn't told him that you were pregnant and we got married or the fact that it's happened. I don't know." He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her, choosing not the mention the comment Leyland had made about Harvey and John. Ada hadn't noticed yet and when she did, she felt herself go pink in the face.

Harvey smiled slightly and began running his fingers up and down her arm gently. Ada moved her head closer to his and let her hand rest against the back of his neck.

"How long?" He asked, placing a hand on her baby bump.

"A few more weeks at least." Ada said. "God, we haven't even thought of any names." She whispered, a hand on her mouth. Harvey chuckled. "There's still time for that." He said.

Ada shook her head. "No there isn't." She said dramatically.

Harvey just grinned. "How about.." he paused, "Karl." He said. Ada looked up at him. She strangely liked the name. "That's quite nice actually."

"Did you not think I was capable to pick a nice name for our child?" Harvey joked.

"Well— no.. it's not that I.. it's just. Oh forget it." She sighed loudly, getting flustered. Harvey laughed to himself and shook his head, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I'm joking." He assured her.

He thought again. "Karl John Ellis."

Ada nodded slowly. "I like that. John will be pleased." She said. "But for a girl?"

"You can pick for a girl." Harvey offered. Ada looked up to think properly. "Elizabeth. After my Aunt Polly." She said. Harvey nodded in agreement. "Karl or Elizabeth it is then." He said.

Ada smiled with satisfaction and wrapped her arms around his bare torso. Harvey leaned his chin on her head and closed his eyes.

—

That next morning, Tommy surprised the pair with the new house not too far from John's house. All it took was a bit of money and the power of the being a Shelby and the house was theirs. Ada couldn't believe it and Harvey didn't know what to say.

They looked around the slightly furnished house and Harvey just took it all in. "Thank you, Mr Shelby."

"Stop." Tommy said. Harvey thought he had done something wrong. "Just call me Tommy. I'm your brother in law now. No need for formalities." He assured the boy. Harvey nodded once. "Thank you, Tommy."

"I'll have the rest of the furniture put in by tomorrow and then it's all yours."

Harvey smiled and Ada appeared again, walking to them. "Oh, Tom." She sighed and lifted up to hug him. "Thank you. This means a lot." She said, comforted by the idea that they had their own house for when the baby arrived.

"Well we couldn't have you living at Aunt Pol's could we?" He grinned.

Tommy, after a few moments, reached for the door handle. "I'll be off then. Enjoy your evening— and, Harvey, there's business tomorrow so be up early." He said.

"What business?" He asked carefully.

Tommy opened the door. "We're ending the war with the Lee family."

And before Harvey could ask how they were going to end the war with the Lee family, Tommy had already closed the door so Harvey just looked to his wife who shook her head.

"Don't look at me. I haven't got a single clue. They don't tell me anything these days." She admitted. Harvey tutted and placed a hand on her back. "Home sweet home then, eh?"

"Home sweet home." Ada agreed.

chapter 6
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