Gray and Green // Michael Gray

Money Greed

The mumbling over the phone lines was what woke me up so early.

I picked up the second phone line in my bedroom to listen in on the conversation. It was my sister.

"Dad, I'm trying to be nice enough for her to lend me money. Changretta hasn't really done anything yet." My sister said.

"Tell him to hurry up. Her business here is going up like crazy." My father replied. "I need the money."

"Why don't you pay Changretta to get rid of her? I can't only take so much at a time from the safe." My sister whispered.

"Why don't you get her to take you back here? I've had a wanted sign for her for years. She'll be spotted in no time." My dad said.

"Why do you want her to be killed so badly?" My sister asked. "She's basically doing it herself. She drinks all day, dad. She's been to the hospital because of it."

"You meet with Changretta tomorrow. Say you are going with Isaiah." Then the phone line ended.

I hung up the phone while having a hand clasped over my mouth to silence the sobs. I have been betrayed many times. But never by my own kin.

Tears poured out of my eyes and down my face and onto my silk pillowcases. My whole body hurts. My chest ached.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Send her back? Let her know I knew what she was doing? I would obviously change the locks on the safes. Better save myself while some of it is still there.

I slipped on my robe and shoes and walked out to the living room, going towards the metal box in the corner. I opened it up, then changed the numbers on the mechanical side. It used to be 190326, now it's 189056. I hope I could remember it.

The next thing I did was walk out the door and head towards Polly's place with tears pouring out of my eyes. What did I do to deserve this? What have I done to be given such a disappointing experience?

I knocked on Michael's window, hoping it was the right room. I tried to remember. I had spent a night with him once. I hope it was the right room.

To my suprise, the window opened and Michael was looking down at me with a cigarette. His eyes widened at the state I was in, all blurry eyed and inflamed face.

"What the hell happened? Did Changretta come see you again?" Michael asked, holding out a hand so I could climb into his room through the window. Once I was in he shut the window and turned towards me.

My arms went around his shoulders, pulling him in for a hug as I cried into him. He cradled the back of my head, pulling me closer. I didn't usually do this to people. He was the first person I thought of.

"I'm sorry, Michael." I sobbed into his bare shoulder. My hand buried itself in his hair, holding onto him as I felt my mind go a bit hazy. "I'm sorry for putting you through this."

He pulled me out of his shoulder and looked me in my eyes. Blue eyes to Green eyes. Warm eyes to worried eyes. I had never felt more safe than I did right now.

"Anna, what happened?" He asked, keeping it so I could lean back into him.

"Lenora." I caught my breath between sobs.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What happened to her?"

I shook my head. "Nothing happened to her. She didn't come here for me, Michael. She came here for my money. My father and her sent Changretta here to kill me, Michael."

Michael led me to his bed, pulling the covers over me and letting my cry into his chest. His fingers wove through my hair, separating the waves. My tears fell onto his bare skin.

"What are you going to do?" He asked me softly.

My right hand went to the side of his face, running my thumb over his cheekbones. It surprised me that he wasn't shouting for his cousins by now. He just lay there and talked to me while the saltwater leaked from my eyes.

"I don't know. When I overheard it, my first thought was to come here. I don't know why." My breathing became more steady.

"I think you like me, Anna." He smiled down at me, making me laugh through tears. I wiped the water off my face and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You know," I wiped away the tears again. "We never went out for a second dinner like we agreed to." I smiled up at him, changing the subject completely.

"I'll take you tonight. Anywhere you want." He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. "And let's not get any alcohol this time."

—

It's 5 o'clock at night. I slept 14 hours. I was sober.

Tommy was the last to come through the doors, smoking a cigarette and having a drink in his hand. We were all waiting for him.

"What's all this about, aye?" He took a seat at the table across from Arthur and looked at me.

"Seems we have a bigger picture than I was imagining. Where is Isaiah?" My finger traced the outline of my glass, but I didn't pick it up. I wasn't in the mood for a drink just yet.

"I assume he is with your sister," Tommy exhaled smoke. "Why do you ask?"

"Michael has talked to Isiah, he said he didn't know I had a sister. Even better, he doesn't know anyone named Lenora Green." I looked at him, then back at my glass.

Polly looked at Tommy with a disappointed look. Everybody knew what I was thinking except Tommy Shelby.

"What are you implying, Doc?" He asked me.

I've seen all three of these men at their worst moments. I was the one who fixed John's ribs when they were crushed to pieces. I was the one who took care of Arthur when his leg was snapped in two. I was there when Tommy Shelby couldn't keep whines of pain from coming out of his mouth. I was there for all of them during the war.

Nothing compared to this.

"My sister didn't come here for me," I shook my head with a small laugh. "She came for the money and the business." We made eye contact. "Did you talk to my father when you went to France?"

Tommy scoffed. "Are you saying I'm trying to take your money?" He laughed.

"I wouldn't put it past you." Nobody would.

"Anna, I can assure you I haven't done anything." He opened another cigarette.

"Anyways, Changretta isn't here for the Shelby's. He's here for me. My father ordered it." I broke the news.

Polly's jaw clenched and Arthur's head bowed. Tommy looked down and John didn't know how to react.

"Why would your father do that? You've left him alone for eight years." John asked, his voice sounding confused.

"He wants the money." I laughed sarcastically. "He wants everything." I looked at them all.

Everyone paused, not sure of what to say.

"So what do we do? Changretta knows you're staying with us. He'll come after us too." John said. I nodded.

"I don't know. He doesn't have any family so we can't go after that." I answered.

Tommy paused, and everybody's lips were pursed. They were thinking.

"Why don't we all sleep on it, yeah?" Tommy looked at all of us. "I know you and Michael have plans. Arthur and Linda, well..." he cleared his throat. "And John better get back to his wife. We meet here tomorrow at noon, yes?"

I set my jaw, chewing on the inside of my cheek. Truthfully, I was trying to get out of the dinner with Michael. I didn't want to embarrass myself.

"Tommy is right, dear." Polly told me. I wanted nothing more than to slap the middle brother.

I built this company with my own two hands. No way I was letting a literal 16 year old take it from me.