Angel

35

            "Finn, you can stay," I heard Tommy bark as I entered the house. "Wow, what's the occasion? Finn gets to stay and you call me all the way up from Camden Town?" I sighed, taking the unoccupied seat next to Polly at the table. "Sit down, John," Tommy ordered, and I watched as my brother took a seat. "John, you cut Angel Changretta," Tommy started, and my eyes narrowed. "You fucking what?" I gasped out loud in anger, stopping short as Tommy held up a hand. "You cut Angel Changretta," he started again, "Even though Arthur, told you to apologize. Even though Lena and Polly told you to apologize." "Mmhmm," John muttered in agreement, his eyes set on the floor in front of him. "You chose not to listen to Mr. Apologize or the Missus Compromise. And now I've got an Italian walking around my backyard saying he's gonna kill my brother. So what do we do, John? Do we apologize or do we compromise?" Tommy lectured. "Oh, it was just something John said as a joke," Arthur jumped in, trying to ease the angry tension. "Yeah, but he's your brother as well, Arthur," Tommy rebuked. "Yeah," Arthur muttered with a nod, "I know I didn't want to start a war over something John said without meaning it." Tommy fell silent for a moment, before looking back to Arthur, "So, should he apologize in Italian or in English? Or should we ask them which fucking language they prefer? I'm not clear."

            "You said while this business was going on in London, you wanted peace at home," Polly spoke up, laying a hand over Arthur's arm. "And the only way to guarantee peace is by making the prospect of war seem hopeless. If you apologize once, you do it again and again and again. Like taking bricks out of the wall of your fucking house. Do you want to bring the house down, Arthur? If you're soft on rebellion, it'll grow," Tommy replied. Arthur rose from his seat with an angry grunt and I let out a sigh as I rolled my eyes. "Bloody 'soft on rebellion'," Arthur scoffed. "You did the right thing, John. Now we go on the offensive. We take two of the Changretta pubs, and we take them tonight. That's it," Tommy spoke. "Oh! Right. For Christ's sake, why?" I quipped loudly. "Hey!" Tommy yelled back at me. "Why?" I shouted again. "Why? Because we fucking can. Because we fucking can and if we can, we do. And if we lift our heels off their necks now, they'll just come at us. Remember these are the bastards that wanted Danny Whizz-Bang dead," Tommy shouted back at me. I licked my lips before pressing them into a hard line, watching as Tommy's gaze flickered to Arthur who stood pacing with clenched fists in front of the fire.

            "You're getting soft, brother," Tommy commented lowly, "Soft and weak. Save the Bible for Sundays, eh? Finn. I need to get to Hockley and then home. It's been a long day. You take the Wrexham, you take the Five Bells. You get 'em signed over to us in the morning. You make sure the coppers stay away, Lena, you'll be in charge of that portion. Don't use the fucking phones, alright? There's someone listening," Tommy ordered before turning and following Finn out of the room. I sighed, reaching for the still steaming cup of tea on the table in front of me, closing my eyes and drinking deeply. "Well done," Arthur spat at John before leaving the room. I let out a loud sigh as I placed the tea cup back on the table. "If you're waiting for me to yell or scream it's not going to happen. You can go," I said softly to my middle brother. He looked up at me in slight shock. "What's done is done, there's no going back. Can't change it, can only go from here. Now go," I said with a nod towards the door. He gave a quick nod and rose, leaving the room. I let out a loud sigh and slumped in my seat. "Have you got anything stronger?" I asked, motioning towards the tea with a look at my aunt. She let out a short chuckle, pulling a bottle up to the table from underneath her seat. "All this testosterone is absolutely infuriating," I muttered, pouring the brandy into the tea cup.

            "That's why they rely on us, love. Where do you think they'd be if they didn't have us?" she replied, placing a hand over my own. "Good point," I muttered, taking a swig of brandy. "So tell me, now that the business is all done, what ever happened to the man you were so taken with at Tommy's wedding?" I asked, shifting slightly to face her. I grinned as I watched the corners of her lips turn up into an involuntary shy smile. "He's painting a portrait of me," she said slowly. "Wow. So you've been spending quite a bit of time together, haven't you?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. She nodded in response. "Polly, I'm so happy for you. Will he be in attendance at Grace's charity event?" I asked, knowing the date would soon be arriving. "He will," she responded shortly. "I'll have to make sure he's up to my expectations," I laughed, swallowing the last of the brandy that remained in my teacup. "Well we'll see, won't we," she chuckled in response. "Oh we shall. But for now, I have coppers to pay off," I muttered with a sigh, rising from the seat. "Be careful!" Polly shouted after me as I pulled my coat on and left the house. Arthur had already set up a meeting with Moss, and I knew he'd be waiting for me just a short walk away.

            I pulled the collar of my coat tighter against my neck as I tried to keep the heavy rain from slipping down the back of it. Car lights sat still up ahead, and I quickened my pace to reach the car. Quickly scanning the empty streets, I walked around to the passenger side and entered, closing the door tightly behind me. "I need you to clear your men out of Nechells tonight," I said, staring straight ahead and pulling a wad of cash out of my inner coat pocket and handing it over to Moss. "I thought you lot were a bit grand for this sort of thing these days," Moss commented as he took the money from my hand, rifling through it. "Moss," I warned, holding up a finger. "Mind you, I think Tommy enjoys the sport," he finished. "Something like that," I muttered, opening the car door and slipping out. "Goodnight, Elena," Moss called. "Night," I replied shortly, stepping out into the pouring rain. I knew mere hours from now that a bloodbath would be occurring down in Nechells, and my brothers would be put to work. I walked down a few side streets to where I'd parked my own car earlier that night, and slipped inside, turning the engine over and peeling out of Birmingham towards London.

            When I eventually arrived home the aroma of a home cooked meal graced my nose. "That smells delicious," I moaned as I shut and locked the front door behind me. "Angel, come sit down by the fire, you're dripping wet," Alfie sighed, wiping his hands on a dish rag as he took me by the hand and gently sat me down in the armchair by the fire. "Hello Cyril," I cooed as the large mastiff lumbered excitedly towards me, sitting by my feet and resting his head on my lap. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, scratching Cyril's head softly as I let the warm glow of the fire ease the cold from my bones. "What was it this time?" Alfie's gruff voice asked, and I opened my eyes to see him standing before me, a cup of tea in hand. "John cut Angel Changretta, and Tommy had to figure out where to go from there. They're taking two pubs in Nechells tonight," I replied, taking the cup of tea from his outstretched hand. "You're a regular housewife," I chuckled as Alfie wandered off back into the kitchen to grab the food. "Well, love, I'm not gonna be in the game much longer. Might as well practice for when we both retire," he chuckled, entering back into the room. He shooed Cyril away from my feet and placed the plate on my lap, taking a seat on the arm of the chair and eating from his own plate. "Grace's charity event is coming up. We're both expected to be there," I reminded him as I started to eat.

            Alfie let out an audible groan. "Why? Why do we both have to attend shit like this?" he asked. "Alfie, it's Grace. She gets excited over social events. Besides, you're involved in Tommy's business plans this time. If anything happens at this party, or if parties involved decide to attend, you'll need to be there," I said, and he nodded. "Alright, alright, you're right," he replied. I chuckled, turning to look at him, "Am I ever wrong?" Alfie stopped eating and turned down to look at me, shaking his head with a grin. "You never are, and it's infuriating, woman," he growled, and I laughed as he pressed his lips lightly against mine, running a light hand through my dampened hair. "Now, come on, finish your dinner and lets get you up to bed. I can think of a few more exciting ways to warm you up," he grinned, his eyebrows moving up and down. I let out a loud laugh as I shook my head, picking up the pace.