As the youngest Shelby child and twin to Finn Shelby, Kezia has spent the last 4 of her 10 years locked away for her mental defectiveness.
She returns to Small Heath under the legal guardianship of her brother, Thomas Shelby. Despite knowing she's s...
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Please enjoy this extra long chapter as we close out the wedding with Polly leaving no crumbs. 🖤
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
"Don't let it get to you, Kizzie girl."
"Okay."
The siblings and Michael re-entered the dining room. He broke off and went to sit next to Lizzie. None were the wiser. Except for Kizzie, Arthur, and Michael about what just happened.
Kizzie's body felt like it was being dragged under. Felt Tommy's eyes as she and Arthur rounded the table's corner. He helped her into her seat beside Linda and John. Everything about today was strategic, even the seating. Kizzie didn't much understand it, but she did know that Tommy wasn't happy when Grace placed Kizzie beside Linda and John, and not beside Arthur and Tommy...
Lizzie's final words echoed: "You can tell Tommy from me all the girls in the office think he's losing his fucking mind!"
Father was crazy—John always said so. The realization that something was wrong with her father made Kizzie feel less terrible about their relationship; something was wrong with him. Not her.
Father was not Tommy. But Kizzie didn't recognize Tommy much these days. Was Father taking over her brother now that he was a proper parent?
Father hijacked Kizzie's soul after Lizze's words. Every memory of him flooded her insides. She rarely thought of him anymore. And when she did, it was never so intense. She had stumbled up the stairs and her knees hit the steps' edge. Michal didn't understand, but Arthur did.
"Breathe, Kizzie girl. Breathe."
She tried, but the air couldn't get in enough and expand her lungs. What came out were harsh pants and whimpers.
"Michael, go watch the door. No one comes in."
"Yeah," their cousin said, quickly getting up to climb the stairs.
When he was out of earshot, Arthur told her, "He's not here. He's gone, last anyone heard was he was in New York robbin' people blind."
"I know."
"But it don't matter, do it?"
Kizzie shook her head and was able to breathe a bit better.
Arthur crinkled his brows together. "You've been through a war with him, Kizzie girl."
"How do you make your war quiet?"
Her brother smiled. Kizzie only now picked up the smell of heavy alcohol on his skin. "Linda is a good woman. Finding someone who loves ya makes a difference..." But then he shook his head. "But, uh... Sometimes just talking about it instead of keeping it in does the trick, too."
