Yellow Roses // Thomas Shelby

Chapter Eighteen

I stood in front of the cobblestone buildings, staring at the words: Birmingham Jail.

It's worth it.

Calongero was on my hip as we entered the jail behind a guard. He brought us to a place where there were two part. One was clean, one was filfy. They were separated by bars.

My father was wearing torn clothes with dirt on his body. I hated how he looked. He was once a well kept man, but alcohol got the best of him. It wasn't his fault. It was the booze.

He was skinnier now, his features more defined as he sat down, handcuffed in front of me. His eyes were sunken into his skull and his hair was longer.

"You're one person I never expected to see," he started the conversation, not making eye contact with me.

I haven't spoken to this man in four years. I felt as if I owed him something. I was the reason he got locked up.

"Dad, this is Calongero, your grandson." I told him. He looked up, his eyes batting towards me and my kid.

"Is he Shelby's?" My dad asked, not taking his eyes off the kid. I nodded.

"I came here to talk about that." I adjusted Calongero on my lap.

"You're married to him?" My dad asked. He didn't react in any way. He just kept staring at the kid.

"Getting married. In two weeks." I looked at him. "We were going to get married before the war happened."

My mind kept going back and forth- should I leave right now, or should I give him a second chance. My heart leaned towards giving him a second chance. The kid needs a grandfather.

"I want you to be there. I've got your bond money with me." He looked at me, his eyes wide. "You have to promise me something."

Don't do it.

"Anything, Natty." His gaze flickered to my eyes for a second, then went back to the kid.

"You have to accept them. Accept that they're gypsies, except that I'm marrying into their family and that's the end of it." I told him sternly, he nodded. "You can't pull any stupid shit."

"Natty, pulling the shit that got me in here was stupid. I was so high on opium, morphines, hell I was even intoxicated with Liquor on the days that Doc wasn't working." His fingernails bit into his hands. "Frankie drives for Doc now?"

My breath hitched at the thought of my brother. He didn't know? He didn't know that his son had been killed by one of his own enemies?
N
"You didn't hear?" I asked, looking him in the eyes. "The Lee boy's?"

His jaw clenched. Blood was starting to draw from the top of his hand from his nails. He released his grip and nodded. "I told him not to get involved with that shit."

I nodded. "I don't care. All that matters is that you clean yourself up and you show up at my wedding." He nodded in response, folding his hands.

"I'll do anything for you, Natty." He told me in a lower tone. It was as if he felt terrible about what he did years ago. It was like he actually cared for once in his life.

I nodded as I walked to the guard, handing him the envelope of money. He looked inside, then opened the gate at the end of the cell. My father came walking towards me, a smile on his face.

The first thing my father did was put his arms around me, hugging me. When it felt like a hug from when I was a kid. It was like I was 9 years old again and I was leaving him for my first day of school.

"Who's this little man," my father bent down to get a good look at his grandson. Calongero giggled as my father picked him up, raising him to the sky.

"He looks exactly like your mother, Natty." My father said as he placed Calongero on his hip, walking down the street. I nodded. The more I looked at the kid, the more I saw my mother in him.

We came up to the old apartment my father used to stay in. I had everything turned off and just paid the rent for it. No utilities. I only came here when I needed something.

"Thomas isn't too fond of letting people stay in the house..." I looked at my father, he nodded in response. He ruffled Calongero's hair as he set him down on the stoop.

"I'll go buy a nice suit for the big day. If I run into any of the Blinders, I'll try and make amends with them." My father told me. A lump in my throat was starting to form. Not out of sadness, out of happiness.

He hugged me again, rubbing my back as I leaned into his shoulder. I couldn't stay for long, Thomas would probably call his brothers because he thinks I got kidnapped or something.

Calongero held my hand as we walked to the house we shared. It was one of the best houses in Birmingham. It was huge with stables and everything. It just didn't seem like enough for what we were worth.

We walked into the house, hanging our coats up and putting our shoes underneath the bench. Calongero went up to his room as I made my way to Thomas's study. It was late. He had been working since 6 in the morning.

Thomas smiled as he saw me walk in the door, but didn't get up. He had a pen in his hand and was reading through the papers as I walked over to him, putting my hands around his neck.

"How was it?" He kissed my wrist, holding onto it with his left hand. Still, he didn't get up.

"Same thing. Adam came back a week ago, he's still getting the feeling of things." I rested my head against his, looking at the work he was doing. "I saw my father. That's why I'm late."

He put down the pen and looked at me, turning his desk chair around so I was standing and he was sitting.

"You what?" He asked, clearly upset.

"Tom, he didn't even know my brother was dead. He's changed." I told him. He clenched his jaw, his fingernails digging into his palms.

"He hurt you, Natalia." He spoke.

"What about Calongero?" I sat on his lap, my inner thighs pressed against his putter thighs. "My father has changed, Tom. He's had years to think about what he did. Hell, he even approved of the wedding."

My hands played with his head of hair, massaging it. Thomas leaned back, closing his eyes.

"I take it you invited him." He said, not looking at me.

"Cmon, Tom. Don't fucking be like this." I said, basically warning him not to cross me.

He brushed the hair out of my face. "I'm not trying to, Natalia. I just want you safe." He kissed me softly. "Alright? The Shelby's have a lot of enemies, and I don't want you hurt."

I smiled, deepening the kiss. His hands went behind my back, pulling me closer to him. His hair was so soft and silky, it made me never want to take my fingers out of it.

"My my, Mr. Shelby." I pulled away from him, smiling. He went back in to kiss me again, but I backed away from him. "I thought you had work to do."

"You're more important than work." He put his head in the crook of my neck, breathing heavily. "You're the most important thing in my life. I want you." He told me, biting down on the softest part of my neck.

"Let's not get the desk dirty. I paid a fortune for that."