In My Blood // Alfie Solomons

Meet the family

Birmingham...

'Do you think she will like me?' Livy questioned as they got closer and closer, they were meeting at a house which Ollie didn't like, too many opportunities to be a trap but Livy didn't question it.

'they will love you livy. I know it. But if they don't, fuck em.' Ollie told her. 'they aren't worth it if they don't see how great you are.'

'thank you for coming with me.' livy told him as they pulled up to the house. 'I don't think I could do this on my own.' She admitted.

'you never have to be alone. You always have me, always.' Ollie confirmed. 'you ready?' he questioned opening her door. She gnawed at her lip as she stepped out. She sucked in a breath before nodding. Ollie kept a hand on her arm as they moved she stepped up to the door to knock but it flung open. Ollie pulled her back a step but a woman, dark hair and dark eyes stared over at Livy.

'Hello.' Livy said cautiously. 'I'm Olivia.' She looked past the woman to see tommy inside smiling at her. the woman hugged her, livy stood frozen her hands at her sides for a moment, eyes wide as she looked over at her brother before hugging the woman back.

'Amelia.' Polly said happily.

'Olivia.' She corrected. 'or Livy.' Polly took a step back looking Livy over.

'come inside, please.' She led them in.

'This is my brother Ollie.' Livy said as she looked around. Three men and two boys stared at her as she entered.

'Hi.' Ollie said stiffly as he determined the threat level, seeing the amount of shelbys in this house.

'Olivia.' Tommy said coming up to her. 'this is Arthur.'

'I know you, you were at the bakery.' Arthur remarked.

'I work at the bakery, help with the books for Alfie.' Livy confirmed.

'Youre well knowledged?' polly questioned.

'Yes, I can read and write and I'm good at math too. My brother taught me.' livy confirmed.

'what a nice... brother.' Polly added glancing over to Ollie.

'This is John,' tommy went on.

'Pleasure to meet you gorgeous.' John said hugging her, she took a step back into ollie when he let go.

'then we got Finn,' tommy said and finn waved from the back room. 'and that-'

'Michael.' Livy said smiling at him. 'what are you doing here?'

'Polly's my mum Livy.' Michael told her.

'So... that means...' she smiled leaving Ollies side hugging Michael. 'I knew I liked you.'

'How do you two know each other?" Ollie questioned, polly nodded in agreement.

'I met michael at the track a while back. Mr. Shelby was buying a horse. I was there with my friend.'

'you met Amelia?' polly questioned her glare turned back to tommy.

'I met Olivia.' Michael corrected. 'I didn't know you were my sister though.' Michael told her. 'good thing I didn't kiss you.' Michael remarked with a chuckle

'I wouldn't have let you.' Livy informed him. 'I have a wonderful man back home in Camden town.' She informed him.

'Alfie?' polly questioned bitterly.

'Yes, he is...' she looked around the group. Remembering that they didn't really get along with Alfie and she went quiet finding her place next to ollie again.

'Tea?' tommy questioned leading the way out of the foyer and into the sitting room.

Livy sat close to her brother, intimidated by the crowd of shelbys staring her down. Her mother wasn't what she expected. She kept calling her Amelia and turned her nose up every time Livy talked of Camden town, Alfie or her life before this very moment. As though Livy should have been miserable up until this moment. But she wasn't miserable. She was quite happy and she loved Ollie. He was all the family she ever needed, after her parents died she missed them, she loved them and this Polly woman wasn't ever going to replace them, especially not with the attitude she was giving Ollie.

'its getting late,' ollie remarked standing up from the table.

'yes, thank you for dinner, it was lovely.' Livy hated ham. She picked at it, pushing things around her plate as the shelbys questioned her, interrogated her all afternoon.

'well I have had the maid set up a room for-' polly began.

'that's alright, we got a room at an inn not too far away.' ollie informed them, grabbing livys coat from the door handing it off to her.

'well Amelia can stay.' Polly assured reaching for Livy but she pulled away politely.

'I would like to stay with my brother.' She told polly but polly thought she meant michael.

'see?' polly snapped. 'she wants to stay with her brother-'

'Ollie. Ollie is my brother.' Livy corrected. 'I'm staying with Ollie.' She glanced over at tommy. 'it was nice to meet you all and nice seeing you again Michael... Mr. Shelby.'

'Olivia we are family. We can call me tommy,' tommy assured her.

'goodnight.' Livy said instead rushing out the door.