Polly's Boys

Polly's Boys 1

The Devils invitation.

 

Crazy Blues, a song the club regularly played in the beginning of the night floated through the smoke of the Snow Club like a blurred haze. Devlin sat in a booth upstairs with his back to the wall facing the door. He wasn't expecting trouble, just the opposite really. He had spent most of his teen and now young adult life trying to cobble together a picture of his family. Before they had been torn apart and he and David, his twin, deposited in St Pius for adoption that never happened for them. Who would have wanted to rough and tumble boys from birmingham? They were already older when they went in anyway dooming them to the pius Catholic orphanage. Everyone wanted to adopt a baby.

He'd heard from the Sabini family that men who had trashed Eden club had looked a lot like him. He had been intrigued. He'd tracked down the Shelby family to Birmingham. They were related to no one other than Elizabeth Gray. The woman he'd called mother for the first twelve years of his life. He'd been paid to watch Thomas Shelby and found his sister Ada Thorne lived nearby. When Devlin had approached Ada a man had answered and refused to let him in.He'd considered barging his way in but knew he may have to play a long game in enticing Ada out. He'd given the man an envelope with a date, time and location to meet him. He told her in the invitation of his association to her family. He'd seen her face when she'd left that day for an errand with her boy. He'd watched from his brother's restaurant across her apartment. She'd been shocked. He was hoping she'd come alone. If not he'd conveniently disappear until he contacted her again. He hated being rushed or challenged. He already had a girl in his life for that.

He checked his pocket watch again. 10 p.m. on the dot and she was smart enough to come alone. He smiled when he saw her wave her invitation at a dance girl on someone's lap. The girl pointed up to his balcony. He waved and smirked when a scowl deepened on her face. Oh good, another sharp tongued woman in his life.

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"It's a shame you didn't invite my brothers, they may have remembered you." She tapped her cigarette on the table. He caught her glancing at him as he pretended to look out at the club. She was trying to barb him. It wouldn't work, he learned how to hold his tongues with manipulative bored nuns.

He waved to his sister in law, Peggy, as she set her fans to do a burlesque dance. Truthfully he had no interest, one, he hated Peggy. You couldn't trust a girl who was a slippery weasel and held so many secrets. Two he just didn't care what the dancers were doing. He was usually out getting money, having a shoot out or securing contracts. He was business, not pleasure oriented. The club was just to luer his cousin out. He needed to regroup and show her he was in charge, mostly to remind himself of that.

"I don't care to associate with the Shelbys. I work and live in London, your brothers are causing a negative stir. " He said disinterested, and he wasn't interested in what she had to say about them.

"Then why am I here?" Ada sneered. "In the smoke and loud jazz." She was irritated with him. She waved her hand through the air to clear the smoke burning their eyes. She was trying to read him. He smiled then and passed her a glass. She shook her head no but seemed to ease at his gaze. He turned to face her. She was a lovely girl and held herself with determination and poise. He smiled thinking of the photo of Brit in his pocket near his heart. He seemed to gravitate to elegant women.

"You seem more level headed than your brothers from what I've heard. Also, you are no longer Shelby, correct?" He raised his eyebrow in unison with hers. She seemed cautious now. He researched people thoroughly. He hated walking into anything blind.

"I would like a proper address for Elizabeth Gray's house. I'd like to see my mum after all these years." He looked away trying to hide his blush when she graced him with a mothers smile. She was pleased with his answer. He just hoped she'd say yes.

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