"You're not listening to me," Malachi states, "either that or your naivety has gotten the better of you. I want my girlfriend out of that cell right fucking now."
"Or what? You have no weapons," Campbell shrugs.
"You think I need a weapon to kill you?" Malachi says, "trust me, if I find out you, or any other of your scumbag pigs have laid a finger on her, a weapon is the last thing that will cross my mind when I'm planning your execution."
"If you think threatening a senior police officer is going to do you or her any favours, it is with great displeasure that I get to inform you that's not how it works," Campbell responds.
"I prefer the term commination," Malachi shrugs.
"I'll cut you a deal, I give you Miss Shelby, you give me Thomas Shelbys location," Campbell negotiates.
"That seems like more of a question to ask your 'operative,' doesn't it?" Malachi remarks, "Grace works for you, no? She's the one Tommy went with."
"Graces interests have been misplaced during the course of her mission," Campbell states, "so do we have a deal?"
"I'm not here to make deals," Malachi says.
"I'm offering you her," Campbell replies, "tell me Thomas Shelbys location or I'll add a murder charge, that'll be a lot harder to talk her way out of. Or perhaps I'll arrest you too, two men in two days, seems a bit on the homicidal side."
"And I'm in the mood to commit another," Malachi glares at him, "you will be meeting the same fate should you not watch yourself. You're not in control here. Your office is locked from the inside. You won't be able to fend me off if I chose to attack, and once you're gone, those officers will listen to me."
"Then why haven't you? If it's that damn easy?" Campbell scoffs.
"You have an older sister," Malachi says, "she seems delightful, I know what it's like to lose a sibling and I don't want to put her through that, do you?"
"How do you know about Mary?" Campbell asks, raising from his chair.
"You're acting like you've hidden her away, she lives near the Mersey, not that far from here," Malachi says.
"You stay away from her," Campbell states.
"I'm not planning on going near her, I don't like delivering the news of death to someone if I've killed the person that died," Malachi replies, "how's that sound for a deal? Florence walks free and your sister gets to have a living, breathing brother."
"Fine," Campbell says, "take her. Get her out of here, just stay the hell away from my family."
"If you don't like people messing with your family, why would you mess with someone else's? Quite hypocritical," Malachi hums, watching Campbell unlock his office door, barking out orders.
"I'm glad we could come to an agreement, Chester," Malachi smirks, stepping out into the hallway, lighting up a cigarette, his eyes on Moss who was heading towards the holding cells.
He returns a couple minutes later with an exhausted looking Florence. Malachi notices a scratch on her neck, and a mark on her cheek, he clicks his tongue glancing at Campbell, "expect to be an officer down, and if you ordered it, expect this station to be burned to ashes with you inside."
Florence smiles when she sees him stood there, rushing over to him, throwing her arms around him resting her head against his chest, inhaling his scent. God he smelt good.
"Thank you," Florence sighs.
"I wasn't going to leave you in here now, was I?" Malachi responds, gently taking her face in his hands, his thumb caressing the graze on her face, "let's get out of here."
"Wait," Florence says, pulling him closer, leaning up to kiss him, her arms going around the back of his neck.
"This is a police station," Campbell inputs, the couple don't stop, Malachi lifts his hand from Florence's back, putting his middle finger up at the Inspector.
-
"Flo!" Finn exclaims, running through the betting den wrapping his arms around his sister, "I missed you."
"I was gone for a night, Finn," Florence says.
"And I missed you," Finn states, "I like it when you're here. It's not like I could've walked into the station and seen you."
"I missed you too," Florence replies.
"More than the others?" Finn questions.
Florence laughs, nodding, "more than the others."
"Because I'm your favourite," Finn grins cheekily.
"You're pushing your luck, Finn," John says, looking at his sister, "what happened to your face?"
"It's no use, John," Malachi replies, "she won't tell."
"Because nothing happened," Florence says.
"Florence." John states.
"Jonathon." Florence responds.
"Don't think we won't go down to that station and 'question' each and every fucking officer until we get a suitable answer," John says.
"Be my guest," Florence shrugs, "they won't give you an answer, because they don't know."
-
"Not tonight, Flo," Mal sighs, feeling her arms wrap around him from behind, as he was washing the dishes from dinner.
"You're annoyed," Florence states.
"Yes," Malachi responds.
"Why?" Florence asks.
"Why do you think, Flo?" Malachi replies, "you walk out that station with scratches that weren't on you before and you expect me to believe nothing happened?"
"I'm telling the truth, nothing happened at the station," Florence states.
"Then where did you get those cuts from? What are you so insistent on hiding?" Malachi asks, placing a clean dish down before turning around and looking at her.
"I don't know how I got them, but I know I didn't get them at the station," Florence says.
"How do you not know?" Malachi questions.
Florence doesn't respond, she just stares back at him watching as the realisation hits, and he diverts his attention from her to the wall behind her, "you're taking again? Florence, what the fuck."
"Just once, just yesterday, I got to see her again, is wanting to see her such a bad thing?" Florence replies.
"You sniffed a line at Betty's grave?" Malachi scoffs, looking back down at her with tears in his eyes.
"No, no," Florence shakes her head, "on my way there. I promise it was just the once, I just wanted to see my best friend."
"You didn't see her, Florence, she's not here for you to see," Malachi states, "you understand that, right? You understand that was just you hallucinating? Taking drugs is not going to bring her back. It didn't last time, and it won't this time. Why would you put yourself through this again?"
"You're telling me you wouldn't give anything to just have five more minutes with her?" Florence replies.
"You think I don't miss her? She was my sister, Flo, I miss her every second of every day," Malachi responds, "but I can comprehend there's nothing I can do to bring her back. If I could find a way to have five more minutes with her, I would, but you didn't get five more minutes with her. Whoever you saw, it's not Betts. Betts can't be brought back. This is what sent you spiralling last time, please Flo, do not let it happen again."
"It won't, Mal," Florence nods, "it was just the once, it won't happen again."
"You promise?" Malachi asks.
"I promise," Florence says, "I won't touch the shit again. I'm sorry."
YOU ARE READING
Game Of Bliss
FanfictionFlorence Shelby was one of many things, but she was not weak. That would not be a word anyone would use to describe her. However, returning from war, the brothers found a different sister to the one they had left behind.
