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*/ Chapter Ten - Is it over now?
The sun had barely broken through the clouds in Small Heath before the first bottle of bourbon had been shattered against the wall of the Garrison's snug, the remnants spilling over the floor and seeping into the wood. Nineteen year old Evelyn Marsh, clearly unexpecting such violence in such close proximity, shrunk into herself so badly that she was sure she pulled a muscle in her back.
"Are you fucking joking, Michael?" There might has well been a cloud of smoke coming from the top of Tommy Shelby's head with how his temper had completely boiled over upon hearing that one of his men — one of his right hands, mind fucking you — had killed one of Billy Kimber's own. A fucking Lee brother. "You're trying to get us all fucking murdered."
"Calm down, Tommy," Michael responded, tongue poked against his cheek. "It's just Alexis. Not like he was running anything in the front lines — hell, the old man looked like he was five seconds from kicking the bucket anyway."
"No," Tommy hissed. "No, what you did was reckless and careless."
"I couldn't let what happened with Evelyn go, Tommy," Michael's voice lowered the slightest bit as he stepped closer. "You know what he was planning on doing to her. He came alone. He came to her shop — and if that fuckin' pissant Officer Clarke wasn't around, what would've happened to her?"
Tommy remained silent, eyes still hard on him.
"He would've raped her, Tom. You know this. I know this," Michael turned his head to give Evelyn a look. The girl had shrunk into the corner, looking quite small in her brother's coat. "What did he do to you in the shop, Evie? He grabbed you — by the neck and all, we can see. But what else fuckin' happened? Because I can be sure that what you're saying isn't all."
Like a brother does, he had successfully riled her up by stepping closer into her space. Evelyn snapped. "He climbed on me, okay? Threw me on the couch like a ragdoll and told me that my brother shouldn't keep leaving me alone. Because there were bad men out there that would love to..." Evelyn cleared her throat uncomfortably. "That would love to touch. And then I hit him."
