love knows no bounds | thomas shelby

tommy's deal

eveline stared out the window of kimber's opulent house, with her mind clouded with thoughts of thomas and what he might be doing with kimber's girl. the house was far grander than anything she was accustomed to, and she found herself standing next to a pool table, feeling out of place in such lavish surroundings.

as she peered out the window, lost in her thoughts, kimber approached her, the sound of a song emanating from the phonograph filling the room.

"you showed me up back there at the races. why don't you teach me how to dance properly?" he suggested.

eveline searched for an excuse to decline. she told the man that her legs were already tired from dancing.

"nonsense," kimber insisted, pulling her closer to him despite her resistance.

feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, eveline stiffened, unwilling to engage in a dance with kimber.

"come on. you weren't so stiff back there, were you?"

sensing her unease, kimber changed tactics, attempting to divert her attention.

"you ever been in a house this big?" he inquired, but eveline remained silent.

when she didn't respond, kimber hummed an impatient, "hm?" waiting for her acknowledgement.

then, billy kimber moved closer to eveline. his eyes were racking over her form as if appraising a prized possession. from her perfectly styled waves to her captivating chocolate eyes, he took in every detail, his eyes stayed on her lips and the way her body filled out her red dress.

"look at you. you look like a bloody film star," the man remarked, his voice low.

without warning, he reached out and grasped eveline's jaw. his touch was rough and possessive as he leaned in for a kiss. but eveline summoned her strength and pushed him away forcefully.

as they stood there, tension thick in the air, eveline attempted to diffuse the situation by suggesting a drink. it was a feeble attempt to regain control of the encounter, but in that moment, it was the only recourse she could think of to escape kimber's unwanted advances.

"oi, how about we 'ave a drink instead?"

with a red-hot expression, the man marched over to a nearby table where a tray of glasses and alcohol sat. he snatched up a glass and hurled it to the ground with deliberate force, the glass shattering into pieces at his feet.

with anger evident in his face, he demanded in an irritating tone, "pick it up."

ward, meeting kimber's gaze with defiance, retorted, "you've got arms and legs, doan't ya? you can pick it up yourself."

his frustration escalated with each passing moment. 

"you're a bloody barmaid," he spat. "if i drop a glass on the floor, you pick it up. i wanna watch you pick it up."

eveline looked on, refusing to budge to his demands.

enraged, kimber lunged toward her, forcibly pushing her against the pool table, causing her to cry out in pain.

"right, you little slag!" he bellowed. "i've tried to be nice. if i drop a glass on the floor, you bend over and fucking pick up the fucking glass, ok?"

the girl struggled against his grip, whimpering in distress. 

just as the english gangster attempted to escalate his assault, the door swung open, revealing thomas shelby. kimber froze, allowing eveline to straighten and adjust her dress.

"what're you doin' here? i've got another hour," he protested to thomas.

thomas's eyes blazed with fury as he calmly but urgently intervened.

"just wait - listen to me," he commanded. "i was gonna let you go through with it, but in the end, my conscience got the best of me." 

he continued, "she looks good on the outside, but she's got the clap."

kimber listened intently as thomas delivered the fabricated revelation.

"when you took a shine to her, i thought i'd use her. call it my better nature," tommy explained. "she's.. she's a whore."

kimber's eyes bore into eveline with disdain, stripping away any illusion of admiration. the same gaze that once regarded her as a prize now regarded her with contempt, as if she were tainted, unworthy of love.

thomas's revelation left eveline feeling exploited, used as a pawn in his game.

she felt dirty, betrayed, and her love for thomas evaporated in an instant.

with a mix of anger and hurt, eveline stormed out of the room.

"just go and wait in the car," he instructed, with his hand resting on her back.

but eveline shook off his touch, her voice tinged with bitterness as she retorted, "i can walk on my own, thank you."

the car ride home was covered in an uncomfortable silence, as the only sound punctuating the air was the steady hum of the engine.

thomas's eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, his mind undoubtedly preoccupied with the events that had taken place just moments before. meanwhile, eveline also found herself lost in her own thoughts, her mind replaying the events of the day like a cruel film reel.

as tears welled in her eyes, eveline's emotions spilled out in a torrent of anger and hurt. her words tumbled out.

"you're a fucking bastard, you know that?" she seethed.

though thomas remained stoic, with his gaze unwavering. eveline couldn't help but wonder if he felt even an ounce of remorse for what he had done. it was impossible to discern his true feelings, hidden beneath the facade of his hardened exterior.

with a bitter tone, eveline continued, the pain evident in every word. "at the start of the day, i was lady sarah of connemara. by the end, i was a whore with the clap."

the words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the betrayal she had endured at the hands of the man she once loved.

thomas sat in silence. he wanted to say something, anything, to alleviate the pain he had caused her, but he knew that no words could undo the damage he had done.

finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, thomas uttered a simple apology. "i'm sorry, eveline."

but eveline's reaction was not what he had hoped for. she scoffed at his feeble apology, her disbelief evident in her eyes. turning away from him, she refused to acknowledge his presence. her silence spoke volumes.

as they continued their journey down the road, eveline eventually succumbed to exhaustion. her eyes fluttered shut as sleep claimed her. thomas watched her sleeping form, with his heart aching at the sight of the girl he had hurt so deeply.

pulling over to the side of the road, thomas gently draped his gray jacket over eveline's slumbering figure, hoping to offer her some comfort. leaning in, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

with a heavy heart, thomas resumed driving, with the weight of his actions weighing heavily on his conscience as they continued their journey home.