Sinbound

(29) The Upcoming Expansion

"Right, before Tommy gets here, I think there's a few things we need to get straight between the rest of us," John states.

"Like what?" Alex responds, taking a drag from her cigarette.

"I want to know when did we all take a vote on this expansion south?" John asks.

"I reckon it's a bit too late to be asking that now, John," Alex replies, "you have something you want to say, you wait until everybody is here, no point in voicing your complaints if Tommy isn't even here to hear them."

"I see all the books," John says, "legal and off track. Sort of stuff you don't see. In the past year, the Shelby Company Limited has been making one hundred and fifty pounds a day. A fucking day - sometimes more."

"I don't see? John, do you think there's just some fucking guardian angel watching over you? Clearing the books up when you've got too fucking drunk and passed out? Trust me, I see it all, I have to correct some of it," Alex responds.

"If you know that, then answer me why we need to expand? Why are we changing things? We don't have any use for more money than this," John says, "look what has happened already, we haven't even set foot in London yet, and they're already blown up our fucking pub."

"That wasn't the cockneys," Alex shrugs, putting out her cigarette, "as I said - you're making these complaints to the wrong people, wait for Tommy."

"If it wasn't the cockneys, then who else? You obviously know a lot more than you're letting on," Esmé inputs.

"Of course I know more than I'm saying," Alex replies, lighting herself another cigarette, as Tommy enters the betting den.

"I'm told only family are allowed to speak," Esmé states, going back to her book as Tommy looks at her expectantly.

"That didn't stop you before," Alex replies.

"It didn't stop you either," Esmé remarks.

Although Esmé didn't explicitly say what she meant, the implications were there. Alex was a bastard who didn't share the same two parents as the rest of them.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Polly queries.

"Pol, leave it," Alex says, "go on, Esmé, you've obviously got a lot to say."

"On your feet, Esméralda," Tommy orders, as Esmé stands up, looking around the room.

"I'm not a blood member of this family, and perhaps that means I can see things differently," Esmé states, "so I will get to my point."

"That would be nice," Polly says, taking a seat beside Alex.

"Shelby Company Limited is now very successful, but London... I have kin in Shepherds Bush and Portobello. It's more like wars between armies down there, the coppers fight side-by-side with them, the use of bombs is the least of it," Esmé speaks, "I have a child, blessed with the Shelby good looks, I want John to see him grow up."

"I want us to someday live somewhere with fresh air and trees, and keep chickens or something," Esmé continues, "but London is just smoke and trouble, Thomas. That's all I have to say."

"That was a lot of words," Arthur mumbles, pouring a glass of whiskey, "a lot of words."

"The bang in the pub was nothing to do with London, understood?" Tommy responds, "the bang is being dealt with. Secondly, we have to nothing to fear from the proposed business expansion so long as we stick together."

"After the first few weeks, nine tenths of what we do in London will be legal, the other tenth is in good hands," Tommy says, "you've expressed your reservations, so anybody who wants no part in the future of this company, walk out the door, go and raise your chickens."

Tommy clears his throat, "for those of you with ambition, the expansion process begins tomorrow."

-

"Why have we been left babysitting?" Lewis groans.

"Babysitting? It's your cousin, her siblings, his sister and my brother," Alex replies, "it's not like they're random kids."

"I deject the motion that I'm a kid," Melanie responds, looking up from the game of chess her and Aidan were playing.

"You're sixteen, Mel, you're a kid," Bentley tells his sister.

"There's nothing wrong with being a kid," Danté says.

"Exactly," Bentley replies, "he gets it."

"It means I can do this, and get away with it," Danté smirks, before placing a hand on Alex's head, ruffling up her hair, just like she usually does to him.

"He's not exactly wrong," Amari smiles.

"Are you sure it's because you're a kid, and not because you're Amaris brother?" Lewis replies, "Aidan get over here."

"I'm good thanks, she still scares me," Aidan says, smiling at Melanie, "checkmate."

"At least I still scare someone," Alex states.

"Yes, you're so scary," Finn nods, sarcastically, "can't be scary if you're ticklish."

"You're dead," Alex says, placing her drink down, as Finn runs away laughing.

"You're ticklish?" Lewis asks.

"Try it and you'll be digging your own grave, blondie," Alex threatens, as she walks back into the room, carrying Finn on her shoulder, "Bentley! Sammy! Save me!"

"You got yourself in this position," Sammy responds.

"I really don't think I did," Finn replies, gesturing to the fact he's dangling over Alex's shoulder, "I don't think I can jump this high. Lex, my darling, terrifying sister, please may you bless me with the presence of a floor beneath my feet?"

"Does it still count if you have to fall around 30 feet to reach the floor?" Alex states.

"You're not throwing me out of the window!" Finn squeals, as there's a knock at the door.

"I'll get it, you carry on," Amari winks.

"Mari, no!" Finn calls after her, as Alex inches closer to the window, before placing Finn down.

"Lex, need some help over here," Amari says, as the two men in front of her start speaking German.

"Hans? Gunter?" Alex questions, "sie wünschen?"

"Wir sind ausgesperrt," Hans replies.

"Ich hole den Ersatzschlüssel," Alex says, before going to the set of drawers in the hallway, and getting the spare key for her neighbours that had been locked out of their apartment, handing it to them.

"Dankeschön," Gunter smiles, "guten abend."

"Guten abend," Alex replies, closing the door, as everyone turns to her confused.

"You speak German?" Amari says.

"And French," Alex shrugs.

"When did you get German neighbours?" Bentley asks.

"They've been here longer than I have, they escaped Germany after the war, the uprising of the Weimar government, prolonged political instability," Alex responds.

"They weren't soldiers... right?" Lewis asks.

"They actually fought for Britain, and were granted citizenship," Alex replies, "they've written a biography if you're interested."

"I am," Melanie says, and Alex walks over to a bookshelf, finding the published copy and handing it to her.