Burdened Love - A Peaky Blinders Story

19

"No Alfie would never stoop this low. He swore to me he would stop the business with the Priest" I said shaking my head. 

"Millie, I don't think you know your brother as well as you think" he said sternly. 

"Tommy there has to be a way to know for sure if it was him, please just don't do anything rash until then." I begged as we got out of the car heading inside the house.

"Get some rest. Arthur and John are here, we need to talk about what we are going to do" he said. 

"Promise me" I said sternly staring up at him. His eyes flicked away from mine and then flicked back. "I promise" he said and then pulled me in for a small kiss and then walked into his office. 

I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I tossed and turned the whole night and at about 4am I heard footsteps approach my bedroom door and I watched as the doorknob turned slowly. 

Tommy stood in the doorway. He was in the same clothes but his shirt was unbuttoned halfway and the bags under his eyes were deeper than normal. 

"You're awake" he said walking in to the room sitting on the edge of the bed by my feet. 

"I cant sleep" I said sitting up to look at him better. Even in the darkness I could see his beautiful blue eyes peering at me. 

"I know how to test if Alfie was the one who told them." He said. "I am leaving to meet him in the morning" he said sighing. 

"Im going" I said sitting up further. 

"No" that was all he said. 

"Fuck that Tommy, I am going" I said sternly. 

He reached out and stroked my face with his fingers. "I love you" he said. "That is why you can not come" he said. 

"Alfie would never hurt me and-" he cut me off by climbing over me and kissing me slowly. 

"Not fair" I said holding back a smile. 

"I refuse to lose what I love anymore" he said whispering as he kissed on my neck and it shot tingles through my body. 

"But-" I said but I was unable to finish, due to his fingers lingering around the lace edge of my undergarments. 

His other hand coming up to my face as his thumb pulled down on my lower lip playing with it. "hush now" he said sweetly. 

"Tommy you cant just avoid this conversation" I said and then gasped as his fingers slipped under the lace and touched me gently going in circles. 

He leaned towards me and whispered "I can do whatever I please, now just let us forget about everything except for this moment right now" he said and my whole body tingled as he continued touching me. 

I stopped arguing and let him take control. 

I awoke early and the sun had barely began to rose. I turned over in the bed expecting Tommy's warmth but my fingertips just brushed the cool sheets. I shot up and opened my eyes fully and ran over to the window where I saw Tommy by his car. I put on a coat over my nightgown and put my boots on not bothering to lace them up. I quickly opened the door to my room and then stopped. I turned around and dug my revolver out of my suitcase. Alfie had given it to me years ago for just in case. I tucked it in my pocket and then ran down the stairs outside to see Tommy getting in his car. 

"I am coming with you Tommy!" I yelled. 

He stopped in his tracks and looked at me and then continued getting in his car. I could not let him kill Alfie, I needed to be there. My blood boiled and I took the revolver out pointing it at Tommy. 

"If his life is on the line today I have a right to be there." I screamed as my hands shook. 

He just stared at me through the car and then slowly got out walking towards me. 

"If it comes to it will you actually use that thing?" he asked calmly walking towards me. 

"If I let you come and something goes wrong, who's side will you be on?" he asked. 

"If he has to die, I do it" I said coldly lowering the gun. 

"Come on" he said turning back to his car and I followed him. 

We got in the car and began to drive. It was quiet for a while. 

"I would have never actually -" he cut me off "I know you wouldn't" he said calmly. 

"You have to stay in the car and if something happens then use your own discretion" he said. 

On the way there he told me his plan, on how to discern if Alfie leaked the information. I agreed it was a good plan and then the rest of the drive was silent. 

We got to this large warehouse where Tommy parked his car. 

"We are going to be meeting right here just 20 feet away. Stay hidden and watch my back." Tommy kissed my forehead quickly and got out of the car walking out in the middle of the warehouse. Shortly after Alfie pulls up with one of his body guards. I did not recognize him. 

I watched them talk and I saw Alfie hand over three small papers to Tommy. All of a sudden I see Tommy pull out his gun and point it at Alfie. My heartbeat sped up and I waited. No not right now not yet, I said to myself. 

Tommy tackled Alfie to the ground and they wrestled on the floor for a second. I pulled out my gun and took it off safety. Alfie's bodyguard peeled Tommy off of Alfie and held him by the collar pointing his gun at his head.

Now, I said and then opened the car door running up to them I shot the bodyguard. His blood splattered on me, and my ears began to ring everything went silent and It felt as if I was moving in slow motion. Alfie was staring at me in horror and Tommy stared at Alfie with his gun pointed at him. 

"Tommy stop!" I yelled he was unmoving. "If you kill him, you will have more people coming after you, and right now you need to focus on getting your son back". 

Tommy lowered his gun and Alfie stepped towards us. I raised my gun and pointed it at him. The same one he bought me to protect myself. 

"I crossed the line Shelby? I did?" Alfie said stepping towards Tommy only inches away from his face. 

"You have no right to act above me. With all of the men you've slaughtered just like me!" he yelled spitting in Tommy's face as he did so. Tommy just stared blankly back at him. 

"Not to mention my sister, Tommy. You don't think that is crossing the line?" he screamed. 

"Well said Alfie" Tommy said backing away. "Well said". 

"I did not know about your son" Alfie said and I believed him. 

"I know" Tommy said quietly. 

Alfie walked away giving me one last disapproving look. I stood there still in shock and I put my gin back in my pocket. 

"Amelia" Tommy said looking at me but I couldn't move or speak. I had just killed a man. 

He shook me "Amelia!" I snapped out of it and noticed he was standing right in front of me and I collapsed into his arms. 

"We have to go baby" he said softly.

I nodded and then he guided me to the car. We drove off and I stared at the dead man and the pool of blood he laid in. 

"I should have forced you to stay home" he said quietly. 

"No, I had to be there" I said sternly trying to gather myself. 

"You shot a man for me Amelia" he said it almost like he did not believe it. 

"You can't die" I said. 

"Neither can you" he said.