To Be A Shelby

Chapter Sixteen

THOMAS

Billy Kimber stroked his mustache as he lazily looked around the room, clearly not paying attention to what Thomas had been saying. It didn't matter because he knew he wasn't negotiating with Billy Kimber, but rather the bespectacled man that calls himself Kimber's assistant. He clearly was the smarter fellow.

"That's what we have for you, Mr. Kimber," he ended his proposal, taking a sip from his wine. All the talking made his throat feel dry.

"Take care of the Lees, you say?" Kimber's assistant asked.

"That's right," Thomas confirmed. He stole a glance to where Marie was seated and was surprised and agitated to see that a flock of men had gathered to sit with her, even making conversation and laughing.

"That woman, weren't you dancing with her earlier?" Billy spoke, causing Thomas to look at him and grit his teeth.

"Yes," he cautiously replied.

"She your woman?" Kimber asked, taking a fork and grabbing a piece of meat from his plate before casually putting it in his mouth.

"N-no, Mr. Kimber. She's my adoptive sister," he clarified, hoping this would protect her from the threat that he felt coming.

"Even better. They say marriages were weapons in the olden days to strengthen alliances, she might just strengthen the bond between ours," the man sitting in front of him said wryly while he looked Marie up and down as if he was undressing her.

"My sister isn't–"

"I'll add her to the clauses of the contract. The deal can only be fulfilled if all clauses have been met. I want your sister as collateral in case you're all planning some silly prank on me," Kimber declared before Tommy could finish.

The feeling in his chest grew heavier and at that moment, he would like nothing more than to bury those forks into Billy Kimber's lustful eyes and beat up all the men flirting with Marie on her table. On the other hand, he'd come this far, he didn't want to jeopardize the deal. He was tempted to agree thinking it would solve lots of things, his inexplicable desire would be suppressed and the Shelbys would be getting a chance at a legitimate business.

"What's wrong, Thomas? Have you gone soft? Don't tell me you're in love with your sister?" Kimber said sarcastically, as if he was joking, and then laughed like a pig gasping for air.

"N-no, that's not it..." he said, his grip on the butter knife tightened and it took every ounce of his will to restrain himself from sticking it into Billy Kimber's neck.

"Then let me have her and let's call this a done deal," Kimber said.

Tommy's feelings wrestled with his ambition, and in the end he said, "Let's call this a done deal, then. You can have her."

"Good thinking. Have her meet me at my mansion in twenty minutes," and Kimber stood to leave.

"Wait, what are you–"

"Relax, I just want to talk to her," Kimber said.

Billy Kimber didn't look trustworthy at all. Thomas also didn't know what came over him that he said yes to Kimber's terms. "How'd it go?" Johnny asked.

"Take Marie to Billy Kimber's mansion and tell her I'll be there in an hour," he instructed, voice cold and distant.

"Sure, I'll stay with her until–"

"Don't. Leave them be," he interrupted Johnny, tossing him the car keys and picking up his suitcase before leaving.

"W-what?" Johnny asked, pretending he didn't hear him the first time around.

"I said leave them be, John. Billy Kimber wants to marry her, and in exchange he's got the Shelby's backs so long as they're bound by marriage," he explained, not bothering to look at Johnny.

"And that's it, then? You offer her up lile she's some sacrificial lamb?" Johnny exclaimed in anguish, pulling Thomas by the shoulder.

"She wants to be a Shelby, then here it is. The ultimate sacrifice, because that's what Shelbys do for family," Thomas said, mind in a chaos of confusion, anger, and guilt.

"Shelbys don't sell each other out, there's no redeeming yourself after this, Tommy. She will never look at you the same," Johnny warned before he picked up his suitcase and left.

Thomas stood there for a good ten minutes looking shocked as if he'd just gotten slapped. He pictured how Marie looked at her like he was worth looking at, how she'd said that she saw the good in him, that innocent smile. Tears stung his eyes as he realized what he had done.

He dropped his suitcase and followed Johnny and Marie, to tell them to stop, but when he looked over the veranda, they've already driven off. Powered by fear and regret, he ran down the flight of stairs, bumping into someone unexpected as he did so.

"Lizzie Stark?" he said in surprise.

"Tommy, I take it you've heard from Johnny," she replied, nervously tugging at the hem of her clothing.

"I did. Now, I don't usually care who my brothers end up marrying but I need to make sure... did you quit business?" he asked, lighting a cigarette.

"I have, just a few regulars, that's all," she said, looking down at her feet.

"Now, Lizzie, servicing a few regulars doesn't quite sound like quitting to me. If I offered you 20,000 would you do it with me now?" he tested, they've spent some time together in the past, after all. She serviced him when he got back from the war.

"Th-that's... I-I don't know," she hesitated.

"Make that thirty," he pressured.

"F-for old time's sake?" she gulped and looked at him, a look of resignation and consent.

He laughed before saying, "I thought you quit? Yet you'd still offer your service, to me, nonetheless– the brother of your fiancé. You disappoint me, Lizzie," he turned his back on her and walked away, but ran back.

"Did you drive here?" he asked to which she nodded. "Good, drive me to Billy Kimber's mansion," he instructed.

"If I do, you won't tell Johnny?" she hoped he wouldn't, he could see it on her face.

"Drive me there or not, doesn't matter. Johnny will find out. You might as well do one redeeming thing and help me save someone before I tell him," Thomas laughed, waiting for her answer.

Left with no choice, she led them to her car and they rode to where Marie was. He wasn't a devout man, but in that moment, he prayed to whoever would listen to a faithless man like him– please don't let it be too late.