Thomas Shelby never saw her coming.
With her quick wit and scary silences, Leilani Solomons was a vision to the eyes of any man. He wanted her. But she didn't want anyone. Betrayed by most men in her life Leilani wasn't ready to trust anyone. Not...
"WHY THE HELL IS HE HERE?" This day had gone from tiring to exhausting. Isaac Henderson stood outside Ada and Ani's house. Ada had seen him walk up the path and began to get angry again. Fuck. Not now.
"Ada. I'll deal with it. Just stay here" she begins to walk out. Before opening the door into the hallway she looks back at Ada. "And for God's sake, keep your fucking voice down" she says, smiling at her. The Shelby boys amused at their sister's friend.
Walking out into the hallway she straightens her clothes. Lani had no clue why her boyfriend would be here. It's 7:00 on a Tuesday evening. She didn't want to deal with him.
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Ada looks at the door intesly after her friend exited. Isaac did not deserve her. She knew that he hit her, Lani didn't know that Ada knew. But she had her ways. If Ani didn't break up with him tonight then she would have to go to Alfie Solomons. His sister wasn't safe, and Ada was sure that he would have something to say about it.
"Who's that?" Thomas asks. Taking Ani's seat. "Her boyfriend" Ada says this through gritted teeth.
"So, Ada. How 'ave you been?" Arthur asks, he taps the seat next to him. Gesturing for Ada to join the group instead of sitting on the opposite side of the room.
"I'm fine, Arthur" she sighs. They fall to a silent state. Ada tries her best to hear the conversation going on in the hallway on the other side of the door. Instead, she stands up and walks to the big window. She could see if Lani had invited him in or not.
Thank god. Isaac was still standing outside. Ada just hoped he stayed there. Willing for her friend to stand her ground. "Stop being nosey, Ada" Thomas calls.
"Fuck that" John says, getting up and joining his sister at the window. "How come you don't like him anyway?" John asks.
"He's a dick" she spits, not meeting her brothers gaze.
"Tommy, go out there and see if she's okay" Ada says, demanding to know that her friend is safe.
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As soon as she opened the door she regretted it. Isaac looked like he was going to blow up at any second. Because of this, Ani decided to stand her ground and not let him in. Her brother was here. A toddler was here and she was not going to let him disturb them.
"This is a nice surprise" she says happily "but I'm afraid I can't let you in. Karl's in the kitchen having his dinner" she continues.
"I don't give a shit, Ani" he snaps, trying to move past her.
"I said, you can't come in. Why are you here?" She asks spitefully.
"Don't fucking talk to me like that" he says, raising his voice. He pushes Lani then puts his hand around her throat, taking the air out of her lungs.
"Fuck off" she says angrily. Mustering the strength to push him off her.
Isaac raises his other arm, getting ready to punch her. But he stops.
"Ada was worried"
A voice speaks from behind Ani, one that she does not yet recognise. Isaac pushes Ani away from him slightly, making Ani tumble back slightly.
"We'll continue this conversation tomorrow, Lani" he whispers in Lani's ear.
Then, as quick as he came. He left. Leaving Lani standing, shocked in the middle of the hallway.
She turns around to see who had come out. Thomas Shelby stands next to the door with his hands in his pockets.
They just stare at eachover for a moment. He steps away from the door and slowly walks to her. Careful not to go too close. "Are you alright?" He asks.
"Do me a favour? Can you not tell Alfie about this?" She asks quietly, avoiding his question. Knowing that now Isaac is gone that Ada would be listening at the door.
He doesn't say anything. He just nods, then goes back into the living room.
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^^^^ Lani's outfit for this 'day'
The following morning, the last thing Lani wanted to do was to go to work. She had been in a bad mood all morning, but to be fair, so was Ada, therefore it made it easier to have a quiet morning. Anytime after Ada speaks to or sees her brothers she would be in a bad mood for a day or so. Then, Lani would get her a bottle of wine and they would rant about men. It was a smooth cycle.
She had been roped into walking Joseph and Sophie Wallace to school again, thanks to the shouting from the night before. It was the least she could do if she wanted to keep a good reputation around the new neighbourhood.
The rest of the day went as usual at work. She had met up with Alex on her lunch break to tutor him. He was busy that night. So he cut in for her lunch break. Great.
It wasn't her week.
Lani had decided that she wasn't going to see her brother's today. She knew that they would just irritate her slightly and she would end up fighting with them. Instead, she was going to go home and take Karl out for a walk. She knew that Ada would probably still be in a bad mood so maybe she wanted some peace and quiet.
And she was quite fond of the little toddler. He had his mother's spirit and was quite smart for a 4 year old. He would often spend time with his mother in the library when she couldn't find a baby sitter. He would just sit there and read for a while. Obviously, a child's book, not Shakespeare.
As she was walking home she noticed a man walking behind her. He had followed her all the way from the school. Maybe she was being paranoid, but either way she stopped and looked in a shop window, so the man could walk past.
"Are you interested in pans?" She snaps her head around suddenly, grasping her keys in her coat pocket.
Thomas fucking Shelby.
"What?" She asks, clueless.
"You were looking at the kitchen shop. At a pan" he states, pointing at the window that Lani had stopped at.
It was indeed, a kitchen hardware shop. And there was, in fact, a pan in her eyeline.
"Yes. I was looking at a pan" she mumbles, turning around and walking away.
She hears him laugh slightly behind her, before catching up with her.
"You know there are less creepy ways of coming up and talking to me. Rather than following me from work, Thomas Shelby" she states. Putting emphasis on his name. It seems to shock him slightly. Instead of the usual 'Tommy' or 'Mr Shelby'.
"Probably is" he says, lighting a cigarette.
Fuck. Walking ahead of them was the one and only Isaac Henderson.
