Created by the devil

Salvation.

Gia felt someone put some hair behind her ear. Her thick eyelashes fluttered open. Everything is hazy to her, but she can make out a shadow next to her. She stares at the silhouette until it becomes more clear. Some part of her would've predicted Tommy to sit next to her, but it was Esme.

She looks down to see herself sitting in a hospital bed. Esme's voice resonates in the empty room before she can ask what happened. "Take it easy, love. You took a big shock there." Esme took Gia's hand in hers. Gia was confused about why Esme was being so kind to her. She cleared her throat before her painfully sore voice got out, "Elijah."

Esme smiles before saying, "He's safe. John took him to ours. When Tommy called for me to come over, I called Polly." Esme's hands left Gia's to get a cigarette out of her bag. That's when Gia started to remember what happened.

A sharp shooting pain.

"Gia?" He yells.

Blood spreading.

Leaving some blood behind on her olive skin.

"Stay with me, Gia! I can't lose you... I'm begging you, Gia, look me in the eyes."

She lifts her upper body a bit. Her sour voice hurts less the more she uses it, "Tommy." Esme quickly shut her down by saying, "He had to deal with some business. A Jew or something in central London." Gia would've liked for Tommy to have been there. Esme noticed Gia's sad smile. "Don't look so morbid. We're better off without them anyway." Gia furrowed her brows "Them?" She questioned. "Men, Gia. Don't get me wrong, I love John, but I would love to strangle him sometimes." She ended her sentence with a smile.

"But he did say to call the address he gave the guards outside." Esme stood up and opened the door. Gia heard Esme practically yell, "Oi, you fuckers what's the address." A small man gave her a piece of paper, and she didn't waste any time quickly turning around and closing the door in his face. She took the phone, which was sitting next to the door, in her hand.

Gia heard someone speak on the phone before Esme answered, "Pass me trough to Camden Town, London. Number 24." Esme picked up the phone and sat down after placing it on her lap. She heard someone pick up and immediately asked, "Tommy?" She heard a big sigh through the phone. "Tom, it's for you." A thick accent said. "Thank you, Alfie." She heard Tommy's voice.

"Yeah, Esme?" Tommy cleared his throat. "She's awake." Her voice softens. "Will you pass her trough, ey?" He asks in the same cold voice. Esme stands up and walks to Gia's bed. She gives the phone to Gia, and encourages her, "Go ahead." Gia picks up the phone and puts it against her ear.

"Tommy?" She hears a sigh of relief on the other side. "You doing good, Gia?" He asks in a softer tone. "Euh... Yeah." She thinks about it. She hasn't really felt any pain since she woke up. Sure, she fell sore, but she wasn't really in pain. "Good, if anything changes, call me." He tones. Gia nods, and before she could put the phone down his voice intervened, "Gia?" She hears him breathing loudly. "Yes?" She asks unsure. "You don't have to be brave if you don't feel like it. I'll love you anyway." He told her. "I love you too, Tommy." She smiled.

That's when she realised, those were the words she wanted to hear her entire life. The words that left his mouth were like the key to liberty. She didn't have to be brave. She always was brave cause she didn't want somebody to take care of her. She took care of people. Nobody had to take care of her. That was her job, but now she had this broken man telling her that he would take care of her. Even if she didn't want to. Those sweet wirds sounded like salvation to her.

"You done?" Alfie asked Tommy. Tommy kept himself from rolling his eyes. He passed the phone back to Alfie, who placed it next to him on his bureau. "So, you sat here for almost an hour, wasting my fucking time, to get a phone call from your girlfriend?" He asked. "That phone call from my wife decided whether I would kill or not. I guess you're a lucky man." Tommy took a drag of his cigarette. "Cause if I got a phone call to tell me she was dead, you would've met her on your way to hell." He blew the smoke out of his mouth.

He stood up and straightened his vest. He took his cigarette and put it out on Alfie's paper. "If I somewhat hear about your fucking war ever again, I'll make sure you're the one who loses it." He walked to the door. "You actually think I asked them to put a fucking bullet in her?" Alfie asked dumbfounded. "Just come back in here and sit your sweet arse down. We have an understanding." He tried.

"We fucking do. I understand that I ordered my men to get back to Birmingham about an hour ago." He got closer to Alfie's bureau. "I fucking understand that they took my weapons with them, and now you understand that you're on your own." Tommy fumed. "It's not even one of my men who shot her." Alfie stated.

"It was a bullet meant for me, but it hit my fucking wife, Alfie. I don't care whose bullet it was. If she was dead, I would've killed everyone." Tommy stated loudly. Alfie nods and stands, now closer to Tommy's face, he says, "The Italians are not planning on fucking leaving. After me, It'll be you, and then the Russians. They're the fucking mafia, Tommy. If I go down, then you're next in line. Especially after yesterday, they'll be more hungry for dead on the streets. I poked the fucking bear, and now they're angry. You think you can outsmart them. Cause, let me tell you, it's not about who the smartest man is. They come here with the mindset of having everything because they already have everything. They have money, men, arms, their GOD, and Coppers on their side. They are the law even tho they haven't even been to the place yet. So, tell me what you're going to do when they burst through your door and enter that ignorant bubble of yours?" Alfie questions him.

"Then we'll show them why you do not fuck with the Peaky Blinders." Tommy whispers back. "We've grown, we became stronger, Alfie. We're bigger than ever before." Alfie started laughing, "You really think you can win a war with the fucking mafia? Have you gone mad, Tom? I know intelligence is important in this business, and you are a smart man. But these people are born with the devil in their veins."

Tommy stays silent. Alfia goes around the bureau and sits Tommy down in the seat behind him. He leans back against the bureau, and says, "Listen, before all of this shit, it was just me and Sabini. The Sicilians gained that fuckers trust. Do you know where he is? He's as dead as Jezus himself. Those people got traditions. They don't trust anyone, but their own blood. If you think you can charm your way up to them with your gypsy blood. Then I think you deserve to be called the stupidest man alive."

"One day, Alfie. The Shelby's will change the world." Tommy told him confidently.