Emma

Chapter Thirty-Seven.

I open my eyes and immediately feel a cold breeze tickling my skin. I look around me and frown my eyebrows when I don't recognize the room. Where am I?

"I see you are awake"

I turn around and quickly stand up when I see Father Hughes standing in front of me. I take a few steps back and try to understand what is going on. "Where am I?" I ask in a calm tone. I must not show that I am a bit confused by the situation.

"Don't worry my child, you are safe"

"I am everything but safe in your presence," I reply.

"Well, I am sorry to hear that," Father Hughes walks over to me and I hug my chest in a protective motion. "Please, don't think I would ever hurt you"

"You know who I am. A man is incapable of hurting me"

Father Hughes smiles. "I am starting to see why Thomas Shelby fell for you. And why everyone else in the family hates you"

"Why am I here?" I ask. Although, I think I have an idea of why he took me.

"We had to make sure Mr Shelby was respecting certain terms of our deal"

I scoff. "You think Thomas will make an alliance with you?"

"To save you? I have no doubt"

"Well, you will be waiting a long time," I reply. I don't know what Thomas would do for my safety, but I know he will tell Ackley what is going on. And Ackley will find me. He always does. I just hope Thomas will tell him.

Father Hughes take another step forward and I try to step back again, but I am stopped by the wall behind me.

"You are a very interesting woman Ms Langdon," starts the priest. "You have all this money, power and respect, and yet you kneel in front of insects like the Shelbys"

"I never kneel," I retort.

"You did. You did kneel when you didn't take Birmingham. You stopped because of love," says Father Hughes in a tone close to disgust.

Love?

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

"You do. You just won't say it. Because you know I am right. You could've prevented this situation. I know who you are, I know you could've prevented all of this. And yet, you let yourself go down like that. Why? To see whether Thomas Shelby really loves you? Whether he would do anything for your safety? It's pathetic"

I remain silent. I don't see why I should answer him, I don't see why I should say anything to this man. This cruel, evil and repulsing personage.

"We have been watching you, Ms Langdon"

"We?"

"The League and I. You are an impressive businesswoman. And I have to admit, I was surprised to see Winston Churchill himself coming all the way from London just for you"

How does he know Winston came? How long has he been watching me?

"Even if I don't know what your relationship with Mr Churchill is, I am quite impressed. He isn't an easy man to please"

"How dare you?!" I shout, repulsed by his assumptions. "Winston has been a friend of mine for years! I will not let you speak this way"

"Are you sensible as to whom gets in your bed?"

"I am warning you, you stop right now. Or I'll have your tongue cut"

Father Hughes walk over to me, but this time I don't move. "It is only you and I here my child. You can't do anything"

His gaze falls down on my body before he looks me in the eyes again.

"If you dare touch me, I promise you even your mother won't be able to recognize you"

The priest chuckles. "You are not that interesting to me"

He turns around and walks back to his side of the room. I glance at the open door, and the idea of running crosses my mind. But I know he will catch me, or maybe even kill me. Although, he does need me alive for Thomas' to respect his part of whatever deal he was forced to accept. Is he going to do it? Does he care that much about me?

"I always wondered. Why a woman like you would stand beside a man like Thomas Shelby?"

"For the same reason, no one stands beside you," I reply.

"You stand higher alone"

"But you go further together," I retort.

"Where do you think the Peaky Blinders will take you? They are not clever enough to see who you are; what you are. They drool in front of you"

"They don't. And you know, just like me, they'll make you pay for who you are"

"I thought you would," replies Father Hughes in a mocking tone.

"I don't make people pay. They know better than to upset me"

And that is true. I never have to get angry or to torture people. Every single person I deal with knows not to upset me. They know who I am, unlike the Shelbys, and that is why they fear me. It's also why the Shelbys never will. They knew me as a nice lady with a heart of gold. If they were the ones who travelled to my territory, things would've been different. They never would've liked me, they wouldn't have had the time.

"I hope I will be there the moment Thomas Shelby sees you for who you are," says Father Hughes as he walks back to me. He stands too close to my face and I have to turn my head on my right to protect my gaze from his repugnance. "I wish I could see the day when you will finally kneel"

I look back at him, anger filling my mind. "I will never kneel"

"You will. They all kneel"

Alright, now I am angry. "Who do you think you are?" I retort. I keep my head high and stand straight. "You are nobody. You are just a man with low self-esteem. You are not smart enough to make yourself respectable. You had to kidnap a woman to make sure someone would obey you"

"I have no-"

"I am talking," I say, interrupting him. "You think I am afraid of you? I will never be afraid of a man. All of you are like vermins to me. In your head, I am just a rival of the Peaky Blinders, someone who 'wishes to be like them'. I am better than them, I am better than any of you. I am a Langdon, my name is more powerful than the one of your so-called king. You should be the one kneeling, not me"

"I don't kneel in front of a woman"

I am tired of listening to him pronouncing this word as if it was an insult. "You think this is my first time being a hostage? I have been held a hostage by the President of the United States, by Benito Mussolini, by Manuel Estrada Cabrera. And you dare think I am afraid of this little kidnapping? At least those men made History, what did you make Father? Nothing more than a little mistake"

"I make no mistake. Thomas will do as I say as long as you are here"

"This isn't your mistake," I reply. "Your mistake is thinking you will get out of here alive"