Nothing Left To Break

16

AFTER STAYING SILENT FOR HOURS ANI FINALLY SPOKE.
"I need some food" she stated, getting up from the kitchen table abruptly.

Thomas had taken her back to his and his families lodgings in London. It was fancy, grand. It suited him. Well, it suited the fancy version of Thomas Shelby. He still wasn't completely used to all this money. He had never had it before now.

The couple walked in silence after Vin had left. After Tommy had to practically push him away. He had no idea what they were saying but he knew that it had affected Lani.

"What can I get you?" Thomas asks, reaching into the cupboard to get a bottle of whiskey out.

Instead of saying anything Ani just puts on her coat. Preparing herself to leave the room again.

"Where are you going?" He asks. Ignoring his brothers who have just walked down the stairs.

"To get some fucking bread"

"Was that Leilani Somons?" Arthur asks, laughing at his brother and slapping him on the back.

"Fuck off"

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Walking along the streets of Camden Town on her way to see her brother there was a mixture of thoughts running around her head. Why did Alfie lie? Was that letter from my 'father' real? Why did my family lie to me?

Although she was confused as usual, she was angry. Angry that her siblings had taken away the opportunity for her to know her father for however many years. It didn't matter, everything that happened with Thomas. Because that wasn't any of their business, her personal life. But family is everything. Well, that's what Alfie said. It doesn't seem to be running true at this moment.

Once again she finds herself outside her brothers warehouse. It had gone dark by now seeing as it was nine o'clock at night. Her anger had practically blocked out her fears of walking alone. Not that they were very prominent. She had a gun on her at all times if the worst happened.

There was one man standing outside the warehouse now, not two as there usually are.
"Evenin' miss solomons" the man that ani recognised as Peter says to her as he opend the door. He had been working for Alfie for years, he was one of Alfies most trusted employees, that's why Ani was a bit confused as to why he was on the door.

As always the atmosphere in the warehouse was stale and gloomy. That was probably why Alfie held all of his meetings here. To make his "business partners" feel intimidated and maybe even a little scared.

She walks past Alfies late workers, the ones who rarely went home, because there was nowhere to go. They were the mean ones. The ones who didn't really care about the business, just the money and the fact that they finally had a roof over their heads. She couldn't exactly blame them.

Of course, her brothers office light was on. Although he had a family he never took the time out of his work to actually come and see them in their own homes. Instead he made arrangements for them to come to him. As if they didn't have their own lives to run.

Ani didn't knock. This wasn't going to be a pleasant discussion. She had once again been lied to and betrayed by her brother. She had lost any respect that she once held for him. He kept her own Father from her. And when she asked about it, he lied straight to her face. Made it out that he was a bad person, that she was being paranoid. How can someone treat their own family like that.

Alfies head snapped up when he saw his sister. Usually he would be happy to see her. But not now. Not when she had that look on her face. The look that told him that he or someone had severely fucked up. He wished to god that it wasn't Thomas Shelby again or Alfie would have his head in a box by the end of the hour. Well, he would definitely attempt to anyway.

"The letters" she states coldly. No love or compassion showing in her eyes. If Alfie was a random stranger or someone that didn't know Ani as well he would have thought that she was angry. But Alfie saw the hurt behind her eyes. And it absolutely broke his heart. He did that. He hurt his sister. The one person he always vowed to keep safe and love, to shield her from all of the fucked up things in the world. He had hurt her.

He knew that he couldn't lie to her anymore. Instead, he went to a locked drawer in his desk and opened it slowly, averting his eyes to and from his sister and the locked drawer. She just stood with tears in her eyes, waiting to fall. Alfie knew they wouldn't. Her tears. They wouldn't fall now. It had been too long.

He held the bunch of letters in his hand for a moment. A sense of curiosity washed over him, briefly. It was a possibility that these letters and the things that he didn't do with them, would be the reason that he may never speak to his sister again. He kept this thought in the back of his mind as he handed them over. There must have been fifty odd letter's there.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Ani asks. Her demeanor has changed now. It is as thought she has lost her breath. Like she ran to the warehouse, all to find the wrong answers. The words that she spoke were spoken with so much hurt that Alfie grew tearful. He had deceived her, and most of all. He had let her down.

"You" she starts, trying to remain calm "are a fucking coward" she whispers.

Ani looked down after saying that and counted silently through the letters. Without saying another word she walked out. There was nothing left to say and nothing more that either of them could say. It had all been said.

She steps out into the cold evening of London. Walking around the corner she finally stops. On a bench where she knew that none of Alfies men would be able to see her. The guard had bid her farewell as she left and let her walk by. All of Alfies other men had walked along and had not noticed the woman holding her whole life in her hands. Or, the life that she could have had at least.

And as she sat there and pondered what could have been, Thomas Shelby walks around the corner and sits next to her. He doesn't need to say anything. His presence is enough.
And only then, with him by her side,

She finally let a tear fall.