Already Broken (Thomas Shelby)

prologue

The year was 1914, Elvaira was at the young age of twenty. But it was a suitable age, so her aunt and uncle thought, for a girl to be married to a respectable man. Yet here she was in  love with none other then a Shelby man. Her and Thomas had a secret love that wouldn't remain secret for long as the two couldn't help but brag to their families about each other.  This was before the war when the Shelby men where still smiling and laughing, before the horrors of war changed them.

Elvaira had her back against the rough dark of a tree, she could feel it scratching through the thin material of her red dress, but she could block it out as she was staring up into the ocean blue eyes of Thomas Shelby, his arm resting above her head as he leaned down. "You are lovely my dear."He whispered softly to her, brushing some of her wild, curly brown hair behind her ear. A soft blush decorating her lovely olive skin. His hand traced down her cheek as he pulled her into a kiss, the woman melting against him, her arms going around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body closer to his.

"Eh! Would you two stop it now!" Arthur called as him a and John walked towards them, wearing smiles on their face. Elvaira pulled away with her face burning as she hide her face against Thomas's chest. The taller man sighing. "Really Arthur?" He questioned annoyed, the eldest Shelby smiling at him. "It's our last days together before we have to leave. We want to spend some time with her too." Arthur said, once they reached them John pulled Elvaira into his arms dispute the annoyed Thomas that was watching him.

Elvaira's bliss shattered like a falling glass at the mention of them leaving her to go to war. She held onto John tighter. "Do you have to leave?" She asked looking towards Thomas but she still clung to John like if she let go of him the three brothers would disappear. Thomas sighed softly. "Sadly yes but don't worry to much Little dove, we'll be back and you'll have your brother." He reassured her. Arthur taking her from John's arms and holding the girl he considered a sister tightly. "I do worry Tommy, I'll always worry about you."

"Right, 'nough mopping about, let's go have some fun, eh?" Arthur said as he let her go but kept his hands on her shoulders, looking at her with kind eyes. With that they spent the rest of their final day laughing, smiling and causing chaos in their wake with their fun.

Night had fallen and the four sat in a open field, a fire burning brightly. Thomas looking at her, watching the fire dance in her dark brown eyes. Stories were told and questioned lovingly by the disbelieving friends. Hares caught and cooked over the fire to make their dinner.

Arthur and John  had fallen asleep by now, Elvaira and Thomas close together. She was snuggled up against his side as he held her close, the two gazing up at the stars and soon drifting to sleep in each other's arms. It's tragic to think this was the last day that they would spend like this; in love, laughing, smiling, having fun without the weight of a world pressing down on them. But what was even more tragic is that they didn't even know it was the last day.

It wasn't soon after the Shelbys left that Elvaira was sent away to live with her aunt and uncle, the two determined to turn her into a proper and elegant lady who would marry a wealthy and respectable man. Forced to wear fancy dresses and high heels, her makeup and hair done by a woman who worked for her relatives. It made the free spirited girl miserable. She would much rather spend her night asleep under the stars,thinking back on the adventures she would go on back home, how they would make her aunt rave about that not being what a lady would do but to hell with being a lady, it's not who Elvaira Dogs was.

She was a free-spirited Gypsy.

Warnings - the warnings for this book are and are not limited too
- murder and violence
- strong language
- drinking and tobacco use
- Sexual content
- rape
- suicide attempt