If I Can't Have you

(43) Alfie Solomons

"Want some bread?" Alfie asks gruffly.

Jemima was sure bread was a euphemism for rum judging by the smell of the factory. It smelt nothing like a bakery, it did however smell a lot like a distillery.

"Not at the present moment," Jemima responds, "is he here?"

"Is who here?"

"You know who," Jemima says.

"Course I know who," Alfie replies, "you can say his name it's not like saying Macbeth in a theatre."

"If we both know who I'm talking about from the pronoun, it makes the extra syllable redundant," Jemima states.

"Fucking hell, mate, do you have smaller words in your vocabulary?" Alfie chuckles, "people down here might think you're speaking Latin."

"Possum loqui latin, si tibi placet," Jemima replies.

"I don't know what that means," Alfie states.

"English it is then," Jemima hums, looking around the distillery.

"Had word your man has just departed from the wharf," Alfie says, "now, obviously I've helped you massively, so why don't we not mention to Thomas that you're here until after our meeting? I'd rather the blood stay in his head rather than journeying south of his body."

"Ollie!" Alfie shouts suddenly, making Jemima flinch.

Soon enough a younger man was sauntering towards them, "yes, Alfie?"

"Take Miss Morrigan here somewhere else," Alfie orders.

"Where?"

"Just not near my office," Alfie states, shooing them away as he wonders off.

"Where's his office?" Jemima asks.

"Good try," Ollie laughs, "when they're done with their meeting I'll take you there or Alfie will bring him to you. Don't worry, it's not long until you see him."

As they were walking further into the factory, Jemima could feel a lot of eyes on her, making her shift uncomfortably. She never had liked attention.

"Ignore them," Ollie states, "they don't see many women, but they won't come near you. Not if they want to keep their jobs, and their hands. Alfie has made that clear."

"If Alfie has said that, it can only mean he's planning on going into business with Tommy. Save the girlfriend, keep her safe, use that as a bargaining chip?"

"Or we're just decent people," Ollie suggests, "Sabini is scum, nobody wants to resign to being in his presence."

-

"Jemima?" Tommy says questioningly, as Alfie takes him around the factory after their meeting.

"Tom!" Jemima exclaims, her face lighting up as she rushes over to him, taking his face between her ends looking at the cuts on his face.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" Tommy demands, his eyes flickering to Alfie, as he pulls Jemima into his arms.

"Should be thanking us, mate," Alfie says, "that tone was awfully accusatory. You two lovebirds can leave now."

-

"What happened?" Tommy asks, once they'd exited Alfie's property.

"I know what you're thinking," Jemima says, "no, he didn't touch me, I haven't seen him since we got to his house."

"Walk me through it. What happened when you got to the house?"

"He told his corresponder to take me to the room beside his," Jemima tells him, "his name was Jamison Mitnen, he said that he couldn't contact you directly but could take me to someone who could."