American Angel

Saved

Scarlett made her way to the Garrison to meet the Shelby brothers. Today she wore a long, fitted black skirt with a black top, but chose a red coat instead of her black leather one. She walked into the pub and walked over to Tommy talking to Grace. She was asking him for more money to buy a dress for the races. Tommy laughed after she asked.
"Well how much do your suits cost?" Grace asked.
"Oh I don't pay for suits. The suits are on the house or the house burns down." He said.
Scarlett raised her eyebrows. She liked that. Tommy rolled his eyes and then gave her more money. He turned and looked at Scarlett up and down and then he pointed at Grace.
"Wear red." He smirked.
Scarlett tilted her head and opened her mouth like she was going to say something to him, but stopped. He motioned his head towards the private room and they both walked in. Scarlett sat in between Arthur and John at the round table and Tommy sat across from her. Arthur dealt the cards and they all started playing for a little bit. Grace came in with beers.
"Would you like whiskey too?" She asked Tommy.
"No, just beer." He said.
She set the glasses on the table and walked out.
"Why no whiskey, Tom? Expecting trouble?" Arthur asked.
Tommy didn't answer and the pub became louder and louder as the people in it started to sing.
"I can't believe you let them sing. They sound like they are strangling cats." Arthur laughed.
"What made you change your mind, Tommy?" Scarlett asked curiously.
Tommy looked at Arthur and Arthur looked down at his cards.
"It's about time, Tom." John blurted out.
"Time for what?" Tommy questioned.
"Time for you to take yourself a woman!" John added as he nodded towards the door, talking about Grace.
Arthur discreetly looked at Scarlett who didn't look phased at all. Maybe she was right about having no heart, but Arthur didn't want to believe it.
"You remember what dad used to say?" John asked.
"Fast women and slow horses will ruin your life." John and Arthur said at the same time.
Tommy gave a very small smile and then looked at his cards.
"Alright who's in and who's out?" He asked.
John and Arthur threw their cards on the table showing they were out. The two guys watched as Tommy and Scarlett tried to read each other.
"Well Scarlett....are you in or out?" Tommy asked without taking his eyes off of her.
Without even looking at her cards, she laid them on the table and shook her head once.
"I'm out."
Tommy eyed her.
"Holy shit. It's Billy Kember." Harry yelled.
"Is there any man here named Shelby?" Kember asked loudly.
John and Arthur stood up in the private room and Tommy was still sitting as he looked at Scarlett.
"I said, "is there a man here named Shelby?" He yelled as he fired a shot into the ceiling.
Tommy got up and lead them out of the private room.
"Harry get these men a drink. Everyone else go home." Tommy ordered.
The pub quickly cleared. Scarlett was standing behind the Shelby men, yet to be seen by Billy. Billy sat down as Harry and Grace set the drinks down.
"You go home." Tommy said coldly as he looked at Grace.
She was about to say something to him, but he stopped her.
"Go." He pointed at the door.
She quickly left and Harry made his was out of the room.
"I've never approved of women in pubs, but when they look like that...." Kember trailed off.
John and Arthur sat at the table revealing Scarlett. Tommy pulled a chair up for her and the two sat down right across from Billy Kember. Billy smirked at Scarlett and pointed.
"But damn when they look like you...they can do anything they want."
She leaned in over the table.
"I already do what I want." She said slowly.
"You asked for a man named Shelby...you've got three." Tommy said.
"She's not a Shelby." Kember said.
Tommy nodded.
"No, but she did help me fix the race."
Billy Kember sat back and looked at Scarlett.
"So I take it, you're the boss because you're looking at me up and down I'm a fucking tart." He said pointing at Tommy.
Tommy nodded once again.
"Now which one am I talking to? Who's the boss?" He said as he pointed at Billy Kember and his men.
Billy Kember slammed his fists on the table.
"I'm the fucking boss!" He yelled.
"And you fixed the fucking race without my permission you Gypsy scum!" He added.
Tommy was about to respond, but was cut off.
"I am Billy Kember. I run the races and you fixed one of them. So I'm gonna have you shot against the post." He screamed as he banged his fists on the table again which spilled a whiskey on Scarlett.
The whiskey seeping through Scarlett's skirt made her quickly stand up as she eyed Kember.
"Oh I'm sorry love, would you like me to clean that for you?" Kember laughed.
After that comment Tommy stood up and leaned against the table, putting his arm in front of Scarlett. Tommy looked at Kember then pulled out a bullet and threw it in his whiskey.
"Look at it. It has my name on it. Sent straight from the Lee's who you are also at war with. Your men can't control them. You need help. We can provide that. See I've always admired you, Mr. Kember. You started with nothing and built a legitimate business. It would be an honor to work with you."
"Nobody works with me. People work for me." Kember yelled as he threw one pound on the ground.
"Pick it up, love." He mocked as he looked at Scarlett.
John and Arthur shot up out of their chairs.
"Well go on bend over. I want to watch you pick it up." Kember added.
Scarlett tilted her head and started to move, but Tommy grabbed her arm. She turned and gave him this look that said she knew what she was doing. He let her go.
"Tom." Arthur said as he moved forward.
Tommy put out his arm to stop him. Scarlett looked at Billy Kember who was just staring at her. She walked over and bent down to pick it up. As she did, her top came up a little revealing a glimpse of her tattoos down her spine and her gun tucked in her skirt resting against her back. She picked up the pound and turned around. Billy Kember had wide eyes as he looked at her. She curtsied in front of him.
"I hope you enjoyed the show." She said confidently.
He looked at Tommy with this wild look.
"Five black stars....." Kember mumbled knowing exactly what they stood for as he shook his head.
He looked up at her and then back at Tommy.
"That's for the ceiling. We will be at the races." Kember said.
"As will I." Tommy said as Billy Kember walked out.
Scarlett walked over and grabbed a rag off of the bar.
"I have never had more shit spilled on me." She hissed.
"Tommy, we can't mess with Fucking Billy Kember." John said.
Scarlett and Tommy shared a look and then Tommy turned to his brothers.
"Get yourself a decent haircut, boys. We are going to the races." Tommy smirked.
Scarlett walked over and grabbed her red coat and put it on.
"So how many tattoos do you actually have" Arthur smirked as he asked.
She turned around to see all the men looking at her. Even Tommy was intrigued.
"Only the bravest men dare to find out." She said as she looked at Tommy.
She lit a cigarette and walked out.
Arthur and John both raised their eyebrows and looked at Tommy.
"What do you say, Tom?" Are you brave?" John asked.
Tommy rolled his eyes and put his coat on. He lit a cigarette and walked to the door.
"Where are you going?" Arthur asked.
"To take care of a problem." He said and then walked out.

Hours later as the night fell, Scarlett was sitting at her kitchen table writing her father a letter until Liam busted in her house.
"Damn, forget how to knock?" She asked as she stood up and walked closer.
He didn't say anything as he stormed over to her and slammed her against the wall by her throat. Lane ran through the door yelling as he tried to get him off Scarlett. She could smell the whiskey on his breath and knew he was drunk. She has never seen him this mad. He's never laid a hand on her until he came here.
"You complain to your little boyfriend about me and he comes and pays me a visit. Oh that's not like you Scarlett. You handle things yourself...or at least I thought." He hissed.
"He's not my boyfriend!" She yelled.
He gripped her throat harder, but she just looked him in the eyes with no fear.
"You'll probably let him call you Scar, won't you?" He screamed in her face.
Scarlett was done. She had kept her cool with him because he was a friend, but he had crossed the line for the last time. She kneed him in the groin twice, which made him stumble back.
"You wanna hit with the low blows. Two can play at this game. Let's go." She yelled as she got closer to him.
"You never deserved him. He was too good for you." He screamed.
"What about you? Huh. You were the one who was in love with his best friend's fiancée." She said as she shoved him back.
"You were the one that confessed your love at our engagement party." She added.
"You were the one that was supposed to be his protection that night." She shoved him.
"You." She screamed as her voice broke.
"I may be guilty of all those things, but I didn't kill him." He said as he pushed her back.
"You did." He said loudly.
Scarlett's head shot up and punched him without thinking twice. She punched him again and was going for a third hit until Lane came and put his arms around her to hold her back.
"How dare you." She screamed at Liam.
She shook Lane off of her and walked up to Liam. She brought her knife to his face.
"You better pray he gets to you first next time, because I swear to God if I do...I'll put the fucking mark on your face." She said in a low tone.
Liam looked up at Scarlett with wide, fearful eyes after hearing that. He stepped back and Lane pulled him out of the house. If you get marked by a member of the Capone family, you're as good as dead. They leave it on your face for a while, as you constantly look over your shoulder wondering when they will find you and kill you....and they don't kill kindly.
Scarlett stormed out of her house and into the betting den where Tommy, Arthur, and Poll sat. Tommy and Arthur stood up as they saw the red handprints left on her neck and her bruised and bloody fist.
"I told you I took care of it." She raised her voice at Tommy.
Arthur and Polly looked on in confusion. Tommy was about to say something to Scarlett, but she shoved him. He stumbled back a few feet and she walked right back up to him.
"I don't need you fighting my battles. I can fight my own." She yelled.
"I don't need to be saved." She said in a low threatening tone as she got in his face.
He lifted her chin and looked at the redness.
"Clearly."
She grabbed his hand and shoved it away from her face. They stood there for a second looking at each other and then she walked away. She turned around and looked at Tommy once she got to the door.
"Business partners take care of their own problems." She hissed and then slammed the door as she left.
Tommy knew she had heard him and Grace's conversation because Arthur told him. He turned and looked at Arthur who saw and then looked down. Polly laughed which made Tommy turn around. He shot her a look.
"My God, Tom.....she's just like you." She said.