Nothing Left To Break

1

^^^

Ani's outfit in this chapter

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"So, you sell bread, brother?"
Ani asks suspiciously. Knowing that her brother is in fact, not selling bread. And probably selling some sort of narcotic or alcohol. He is Alfie Solomons after all.

"Yes" he replies.
"Can I have some then? Probably cheaper than going to the shop" Ani says, playing with him now.
"It's not ready yet" he snaps.
Bingo.

She had him. Ani knew that she was the only one who was able to speak to her brother like this. Anyone else would have their tounge ripped out.

"Well. I'll come back tomorrow then" she says. Now, she's just implying that he should get her bread, she was quite poor and refused his offers of money. As a school teacher. They say that London is a city of opportunities and wealth. But in Ani's experience she knows, that only applies for men.

"Fine. I'll get one of my men to walk you home" he says, calling someone into his office just by a wave of his hand.

"That's alright, I'm meeting a friend just across the road now anyway" she says.
Alfie's face contorted. He knew all of her friends and none of them would dare come near his workplace.

"Which friend" he doesn't ask this, he demands it. Which only annoys Ani further.

"You don't know him" She says. Rushing out the door because she knew that once she said 'him', that her brother would go crazy knowing she was out with a man.

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She practically runs out the building laughing. Her brother had started to chase her, but must have given up because once she's outside, she is alone.

Still, a smile plastered to her face she walks across the road to the bench where her and her boyfriend had chose to meet.

"Good afternoon, my love" she hears beside her.

She looks up and sees her boyfriend standing above her, looking down at her. As per usual.
"Hello, love" she says casually, taking his arm.

Isaac Henderson was rather short for a man. Ani's height, which was 5 foot six. An average size for a woman. This never really bothered her, but over time it clearly bothered him. He would argue with Ani, point out men on the street and say "I bet you would want to swap me with him". His insecurities took over him to the point that Ani would walk around eggshells whenever she spoke to him.

She knew that this was no way for a relationship to be. She knew that she had to end her relationship with him. But she also knew that he would not take it well, and it was likely that he would get angry. His anger often scared Ani. He had struck her when he was angry. Honestly, Isaac scared Ani. So much so that she had to lock herself in the bathroom just to get away from him until he calmed down.

She also knew that she most probably would have to tell her brother. So Isaac wouldn't feel tempted to come close to her again after she left him.

That was for another day though. For now, all she wanted was to go home. She was going to enjoy this brief moment of serenity with her boyfriend. He wouldn't hurt her in public. And if he did then Ani knew that her brothers men would interviene.

They were everywhere. Around every corner. Ani made clear that she knew they were there. She knew their names and would often engage in light conversation with them. She also knew that they would be reporting everything back to Alfie. However much of a breach in her private life, she felt safer because of it. Not that she would admit that to her brother.

"You're quiet" Isaac says abruptly.
Ani must have drifted off into her own little world.
"Sorry. I'm tired" she says softly.
They are almost at Ani's house so she knew that this conversation wouldn't last too long.

"It's a bit rude don't you think" he spits, taking his arm away from hers.
"Sorry" she says quietly, not wanting to anger him.
"You already said that" he snaps, pushing her away slowly.

"I don't know what else you want me to say" Ani says, a little defensively. Trying hard not to snap back at him.

"Well we're here now so you don't have to say anything" he says, actually shoving her away from him.
She doesn't say anything and walks towards her door.

"Wow. You're pathetic Ani" he shouts after her.
She doesn't turn around. She doesn't say anything else to him. She just grips the inside of her coat pocket with one hand and turns the door knob with the other.

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As soon as she gets in she sighs heavily. Taking her coat off and hanging it up she realises that her knuckles had gone red from squeezing them. Holding in tears she walks through to the living room.

Ada sits on the sofa with a glass of wine. She looks nackered.
"You need to leave him, Ani" she says, not taking her eyes off the jigsaw puzzle sprawled on the small table in front of the sofa.

"I know" she states. Walking to sit in the chair, the other side of the small table. Wanting to finish the jigsaw puzzle which they had been stuck on for the past week.

Ada Thorne had grown to become her best friend. They had only known eachover for about a year when Ada turned up at her doorstep with nothing but a toddler (Karl) on her hip. She offered to pay half the rent and promised that she wasn't an axe murderer. So Ani let her in.

She seemed to be running from something. Once Ani got to know her she found out that she was. She was running from her previous life. That was all she told her, and that's all Ani wanted to know. So that was that. Ada, Karl and Ani quickly became a family.

"Soon" Ada adds. Knowing that Ani will procrastinate for a long while before she does anything.

"Tomorrow, after I've gone to see my brother" she replies, taking a big breath. Ada doesn't like Alfie. Ani suspected that she didn't like his lifestyle. Maybe it reminded her of her past.