Rebound // Alfie Solomons

43. Break Him

"Hello?"

"It's been a while." Polly remarked.

"I'm not avoiding you," Cora informed her.

"You don't answer my calls." Polly countered.

"I'm busy. What do you need Pol?"

"Grace had a baby. A little boy. Calling him Charlie." Cora remained quiet. "Tom is marrying her. Today." Again cora said nothing. "Cora? Did I lose you?"

"What do you want me to say Polly?" Cora spat. "He married her once and she ran the fuck off. He had a baby with her and... I hope she can handle him and his temper and his whoring and lying. I also hope she breaks him, shattered to the floor."

"Cora-"

"Call me anytime Polly, but not about Tom. Not about his new whore. Or his new baby." Cora told her stiffly. "I really do gotta go." Cora told her. "Bye polly."

"Bye Cora."

+

''Polly."

''Hello, Grace.''

'You look absolutely beautiful...' Polly glanced back at Grace. The blushing bride. She remembered Cora and Tommy's wedding. She remembered how big Cora smiled and how in love Tommy was. He looked at her like she was the universe. He didn't look at anyone else like that. But his cock and his head never seemed to listen and he pushed her away. Now he was marrying Grace again, after all the shit she pulled.

''Welcome to the family.'' Polly said blandly.

''Oh, I see.'' Grace remarked biting at her lip.

''Tommy's orders. No upsets tonight... Your hair, everything, beautiful.'' Polly said bored, she didn't spare Grace a second look

''Do you know where he is?''

''Yes. Yes, I do.'' Polly agreed pouring herself another drink.

''You know, Tommy really wants to keep certain things a secret from me. It's very hard when you're man and wife... We were late coming down because we were having sex. So afterwards, he told me everything." Grace informed her.  ''Royalist Russians buying weapons to fight the Bolsheviks in Georgia. A lost cause, Tommy says. And Churchill, he's the go-between. But it's against government policy so everything must be kept a secret.''

''You know it's gun? They started the business tonight?'' Polly countered

''No. I didn't. But you just told me. So, thank you.'' Grace told her and Polly hissed out a breath ''Let's not forget I used to do this for a living.''

''Oh, I haven't forgotten, sweetheart. It's only Thomas that's forgotten what you are.''

+

"Ada he is so perfect," Cora remarked following her through the stacks. "He is a gentle sort of aggressive." Ada smirked back at her. "It doesn't make sense, I know but his lips and his tongue. Ada we talk, we talk for hours and he makes me laugh and he makes me feel like I'm the only person in the world. You know how nice that is?" Cora remarked leaning against the bookshelf.

"He's that good huh?"

"Ada, I think I'm in love." Cora admitted.

''Hello, Ada. Cora.''

''Tommy Shelby? In a library?'' Ada chuckled.

"I think he is lost." Cora agreed.

''I need to borrow a book about the Russian Revolution." Tommy shouted through the library. ''Have you got a new wharf at Maida Vale now?''