METHOD OF MALEDICTION ━ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 ³

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚:

In the quiet shadows of her unfamiliar lodgings, Marianna James moves with practiced caution, the weight of six months away from the chaos of Birmingham etched on her face. 

She slips into the role of anonymity, leaving for work in the early morning hours, treading lightly under the radar of a city that knows nothing of her past.

Yet, as she quickens her steps, the sensation of being followed sends a shiver down her spine. With swift precision, Marianna reaches for the revolver nestled in her bag, a relic from a life she thought she could leave behind. 

The tension in the air thickens as a figure materialises in front of her, interrupting the solitude she sought.

"Marianna James?" The words hang in the air, and her response is firm, revealing nothing of the turmoil within. "Yes, that's me."

"We haven't come here to frighten you." Declares the man before her, his companion standing as a silent accomplice to the cryptic encounter.

Mar regards them with a quizzical gaze, uncertain of the unexpected rendezvous. 

"There's a message from Mr. Churchill." The man reveals, a message that tightens the grip on Marianna's breath.

In that moment, beneath the guise of a new life, she realises the inescapable truth – she can never truly run away from the shadows of her past. The echoes of Birmingham reach even the quiet corners of her exile, and the enigmatic message heralds a summons to a destiny she thought she could elude.

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In the dimly lit corridors of Arrow House, Marianna James moves with purpose, her footsteps echoing the silent turmoil within her. Unbeknownst to her, Thomas Shelby follows, his presence a lingering shadow that refuses to fade. As he catches her wrist, forcing her to face him, a storm brews in the intensity of their gaze.

"No. No, Thomas." Mar protests, her face etched with disbelief.

"Yes, Marianna." Tommy retorts with a casual demeanor.

"Don't- Don't you bloody dare," she implores, pushing him away with unwavering conviction. "You... you betrayed me. All my life, I've only been betrayed by those people I trusted. And this man? He never once betrayed me; he helped me, he saved me."

"You don't love him." Tommy remarks, a cigarette dangling nonchalantly from his lips.

"How do you bloody know that?" Mar's words reverberate through the empty halls.

"Because I know." Tommy asserts.

"And we both know that what's true cannot happen. And that I deserved this. I deserve him. You should be able to accept that," Mar states firmly as she walks towards the exit.

Tommy pursues her, pushing her gently and cornering her against the wall. Their proximity is charged with a shared history that refuses to fade.

"Let me make one thing very clear," he declares, his voice low and intense. "I want you; I will always bloody want you. I've wanted you every single damn day since you walked out of my life, and even more since the day you walked back in it. All roads lead to you, even those I took to forget you."

Mar meets his gaze with a bittersweet mock. "And what you want doesn't make sense anymore; you are a married man, Tommy. You are a father. Maybe this time, you'll be able to think before making your choices."

The echoes of their complicated past reverberate through the walls, leaving an unresolved tension lingering in the air.

author's note: 

I'm properly chuffed to be scribbling away on this one. Brace yourselves for a jolly good time between the chapters that would come. Cheers for being the best readers a wordsmith could ask for!