love knows no bounds | thomas shelby

the garrison takes a new boss

as eveline stirred from her slumber, her eyes gradually adjusted to the soft morning light filtering through the window. blinking away the remnants of sleep, she glanced down and realized she was still clad in her uniform, now marred by dirt and blood. panic surged through her as she remembered her looming shift at the garrison.

with a sense of urgency, she hurried to get ready, but the sharp pain radiating through her body forced her to slow down. each movement was a reminder of the brutality she had endured. despite the ache, she managed to don a fresh uniform, with the fabric feeling foreign against her bruised skin.

making her way to the bathroom, eveline hesitated before the mirror, bracing herself for the sight. horror washed over her as she took in the multitude of bruises marring her face. there was no time to dwell on her appearance, however.

without sparing another glance at her reflection, eveline hurried out the door and headed towards the garrison.

as eveline arrived, she pushed aside the pain that still lingered in her body, and instead she focused on the task at hand. though, her efforts to blend in were prevented when harry caught sight of her face. 

"y'alright, ms. eveline?" harry questioned with his gaze darting over her injuries.

despite harry's concern, eveline brushed it off, insisting that everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about. though he did not seem entirely convinced, harry took the hint and left her alone.

as she went about her tasks, eveline couldn't shake the nagging worry of encountering grace. the mere thought of facing her filled her with dread and anxiety. the blonde was the last person she wanted to see right now, knowing that her presence would only serve as a painful reminder.

as eveline worked behind the bar, her attention was diverted when two men in flat caps entered the garrison. her heart skipped a beat as she recognized them immediately - tommy and arthur shelby. 

"a surprise," arthur remarked with a smirk, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for someone. "where is she?"

tommy chuckled, removing his own cap to reveal his brown hair underneath. 

"what is it you've always wanted, arthur? eh?"

as they made their way further into the garrison, thomas reminded arthur of his long-standing desire to own his own pub.

"how do we know it's for sale?"

looking around the garrison with a calculating look, thomas responded to arthur's question.

"everything's for sale to us, arthur. we're making a lot of money these days."

as the brothers made their way to the bar, eveline couldn't help but smile at the sight of them.

eveline greeted arthur with a friendly smile, saying, "nice to see ya, boss."

arthur began to express his doubts about running a pub.

"you've spent two-thirds of your life in pubs," thomas remarked casually, with his words punctuated by a hint of amusement.

eveline chuckled at tommy's response.

she chimed in. "it's easy. just try pourin' instead of drinkin', eh arthur?"

then, arthur looked between tommy and eveline, with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he asked, "but i can still drink it, right?"

"your pub - you do what you want," reassured thomas.

eveline was pleased with arthur taking over the garrison. seeing her friend assume ownership of the pub filled her with pride and excitement. she knew the man had a deep connection to the place, having spent countless hours there over the years.

their attention eventually turned to eveline behind the bar. thomas, who initially had his back facing her, turned to look at the girl.

"are you going to tell us what 'appened yesterday?" tommy inquired.

the dreaded question reached the barmaid's ears, pulling her back into the whirlwind of emotions she had been desperately trying to escape. although the longed to forget about the events of the previous day, she couldn't ignore the shadow cast by grace's involvement. the unanswered questions of who that man was and why he wanted grace lingered in eveline's mind.

before answering the shelby, eveline scanned the bar, searching for any potential eavesdroppers. satisfied that it was safe, she gestured for thomas to join her at a table tucked away in a corner of the pub. she didn't want anyone else to hear their conversation. 

as they sat down, thomas leaned in attentively. his eyes were fixed on eveline as he waited for her to speak. 

"yesterday," eveline began, her voice shaky as she was finding the courage to recount the events of the previous day. "i was walking home from my shift, when this bloke grabbed me, demanding money. i told 'im i didn't have what he wanted, then he shoves me against the wall, startin' to harass me. called me by the name of grace."

thomas clenched his jaw tightly upon hearing eveline's account. there was a flicker of anger that flashed in his eyes.

"did you get a good look at 'im?"

"no," eveline responded, shaking her head. "he was wearin' a black coat and cap, covered 'is face. i couldn't see much."

his disappointment was noticeable.

taking a deep breath to compose himself, with his voice low but firm, thomas issued a warning. "don't trust that grace, an' from now on, you get one of us to walk you home."

eveline nodded in agreement, silently acknowledging thomas's directive. though she didn't voice her thoughts, she wondered about tommy's intentions regarding the man who had attacked her. she pondered what retribution he might seek, and the fate that awaited him at the hands of the shelby brothers.

as for grace, eveline couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal that lingered in her mind. she also wondered if thomas would take action against her, and what consequences she might face for her involvement in the events that had unfolded. 

with a sense of unease, eveline braced herself for the uncertain path that lay ahead.