Polly's Boys

The opening part 2

The Garrison Re -opening Part 2

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"I want a word, now!" Tommy stood near Devlin at the bar. No, he leaned into Devlin trying to intimidate the other gangster. I wouldn't work. Devlin was just as seasoned as his elder cousin. According to files David had gotten them to look into his cousins, he had almost as many known kills as well.

Devlin shoved off the bar and kissed Lizzie's cheek. She giggled in response causing Tommy brow to furrow. Devlin and Lizzie knew each other, a few times, on one of her trips to London. He winked at Winter who waved back as she sang. He followed Tommy into the shadows, after all, that's where both men dealt most business dealing wasn't it? In shadowed secret meetings?

Tommy lit a cigarette with a match and started smoking glaring at Dev. He shrugged and took out his bent lighter, lighting his own. There lighters and soft candles barely able to keep up the light within the darkness.

" Fancy city lighter got banged up huh?" Tommy asked, His husky deep tone laced with amusement, his observation making the other man smirk.

"Yep, shot in France. Kept it over my heart with Winter's name on it. My good luck charm." He patted it as it slipped back into his suit jacket pocket.

"The lighter or your wife?" Tommy challenged. He knew where Winter's loyalty lay after he and his brothers had cornered her in her dressing room at the Eden Club. He was pleased she'd chosen her husband. At least one of them had an honest woman, or a woman at all.

"Both." Devlin replied curtly. He'd play along with Tommy's little game, for now.

"So how's Grace? Mum says sometimes you still share correspondence." He smiled at his cousin and tried not to laugh when the other's jaw clenched and his eye's hardened. Even in the dark, he could see the stealy blue daggering him back with anger.

"We aren't here to talk about that. " Tommy said dismissively. He was livid.

"Between us, I don't see why a man like you would be okay with a liar, let alone a wealthy one. It's not like you two had a shared vision of the future and certainly not the past." Devlin was curious about his attraction to the blonde Irish spy. She was pretty and obviously intelligent. What else did she had=ve that had blinded his hardened cousin so.

"I said enough!" He pointed his finger meer inches from Devlins face. He didn't flinch, if he could deal with drill sergeants and enemies in his face, what was one emotionally injured cousin?

"Bang." Dev taunted him. "That's what happened to the other guy right?" Tommy glares at him. He wasn't going to let the conversation go. He agreed with his mother. Tommy wasn't done with Grace, not yet anyway.

"You don't have to protect your mum, eh. We've been doing just fine without you two interfering for years." He was pacing now. Devlin had heard that his temper was second only to his own.

"Not your job, is it?" He challenged, causing Tom to stop dead in his tracks.

"PollyAnna is like a mum to me. If you have questions as to why or how I am protecting her, the way I am, ring me office, eh?" He leaned over the table and glared at Devlin. He glanced at the curtain. He didn't want to have this out tonight. He wanted to flirt with Winter between her sets, drink with Devlin and get to know Michael who he was taking back tonight. He really didn't have time to posture over who Polly Gray belonged to.

"While we appreciate you all taking care of her prior to us finding her, she IS my mum. We've got it. This isn't business Thomas. This is just family." He turned slightly making it known that he was done. Tommy reached for his bicep and tugged him back.

"How can I trust you not to go behind my back in business if you do it for the family. We are family." He hissed. Breath tainted with whiskey.

"First of all, this was about our mum." He rolled his eyes. He hated repeating himself especially when the other person refused to listen.

"I was trying to protect her from getting Michael taken away for good or her landing in jail." Tommy's confession was emotional but sound.

"She still doesn't know anything does she? Kids run away all the time especially from foster care or adopted families...I would know..I would know.... He willingly got into our car to come see her. She's innocent of this little visit and might I add, that you had previously mentioned that you told him who she was and where she was...I just provided a ride he could have gotten from anyone. See, we're covered." He looked at his cousin's hand then back at the man's tired face. He wasn't doing well.

"Keep them both out of trouble. Do you hear me?" Tommy warned sternly.

"Again, this isn't business Tommy, you don't tell me what to do." He took his arm back gruffly and stormed out from behind the curtain.

"Where's David? He asked Ada. She'd been eavesdropping.

"He and Peggy went that way." Ada pointed to the stairs" I'd give it a few minutes." tThey both chuckled as he shook his head. They couldn't go a day.

"Tommy take you to task?" she called out after him.

"Fuck no, He tried though. This was a family affair between the Grays, not his business." He looked at Ada. She gave him an apologetic look. He liked her. She was smart and mostly kept to herself.

Ada shook her head at him"You're all bloody Shelby's I swear." He scoffed and walked away from her giggling. He just wanted to relax now, at least for a few hours before he had to break his mum and her youngest son apart.