Home Again

Mister Shelbys

"Play nice, Remy," and older man commanded gruffly.

"I-I'll play nice just as soon as you p-put down the kn-nife," Remy stammered.

"Right," the other one said, looking off lazily into the distance. "Arthur, why don't you give him a break?" Arthur shot John a quizzing look before lowering his shiny pocketknife from the waiter's neck. "Let's talk," John said, pulling up a chair to Remy and sitting so that his forearms leaned against the back of it, "man to man."

"Look M-Mister Shelbys. I can't give out personal employee information b-because its against the law. And my boss would kill me. Please..."

Arthur twirled the knife's point along his fingertip and Remy reswallowed his lunch. 

"I 'spec you got more problems than your boss now mate," John looked him dead in the eye.

"Where do you say we cut 'im Johnnyboy?" Arthur asked. Remy squirmed against his restraints harder than before and seemed to let out a squeal.

"I say we start with the ears. That way 'e'll 'ave to strain 'arder to 'ear us next time we ask for the address."

"Sounds good to me," Arthur leaned in.

"W-wait NO!" Remy screamed. "I'll tell you, I'll tell you where she lives. I'll tell you everything. Just please don't-don't cut my ears off," he finished off, panting, pleading with his eyes.

John smirked imperceptibly. Arthur smiled full on.

"Alright," John said. "Talk."

Walking out of the restaurant, the Shelby's were two clean men. They'd had to shed no blood nor bruise any knuckles. It was clean work now.

"Used to be more fun," Arthur said, "back in 'e old days."

"Yeah," John said, "messier too."

~

Clover took a step back.

"What?" Junior asked, already missing the warmth of her close proximity.

"Let's not...not get distracted, alright," Clover said.

"Distracted? I'm a distraction?"

"You still have a problem that I can't help you with..."she lost her train of thought as her eyes drifted down to his lips.

"And?" He questioned.

Clover breathed deeply and tried to right her mind onto the correct path again. Her words sounded winded but she could not help it; he took her breath away. "And you should go on and find a solution..." she finished, more confused than when she had started.

"A solution to my problem," Junior said dryly.

"To your problem, yes," she said, watching him.

"And what if I don't want to go," he said.

"Well-,"

"What if I think I've found something here," he came closer. "You told me to stop running right?" He brushed away the few curly tendrils of hair that had fallen onto her face. "What if I want to stay?"

"That would be..."

"What?" He pulled her waist closer.

She looked into his now sea green eyes. "That would be nice, Mr. Shelby," she said.

"Please call me T-call me Junior." Too many people used his initials. They weren't special enough for her.

She laughed despite herself, "I shouldn't be calling you at all, honestly."

He dipped her backwards and kissed her lips and her cheek and her neck and her collarbone, awakened with a new playfulness. Clover giggled even more.

"What am I to do with this?" She asked herself just as much as him.

He pulled her upright and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not afraid to find out," he said.

She studied him awhile, looking above his eyes, brushing her fingertips through his silky curly hair. "Neither am I," she finally said, looking directly into his eyes.

He laughed and then kissed her deeply.

~

It was night and the air was silent. Junior felt more relaxed than he'd felt in years. He lay on his side, breathing slowly, evenly. Clover lay in front of him, gracefully sleeping. Her smooth brown shoulders rose and fell with her even inhalation. He traced patterns along the warm skin of her bare back and shoulders. Carefully, so as not to wake her, he reached his fingertips under the curly mass of her hair and slightly massaged her neck. She stirred. She groaned in confusion but softly went back to sleep when Junior kissed her neck and whispered for her to close her eyes.

It felt amazing. What they had shared was intense and passionate and perfect. He felt as if his own skin was holy, now that it had been in contact with someone as whole and warm as Clover. The air around him felt different now that she shared it with him. He lied down and huddled close to her, hoping to never have to leave her side again.

~

Junior's eyes fluttered open and the knocking at the door continued. He grunted a little whilst rubbing his sleepy eyes and sitting upright. When the knocking continued, he slid out of bed, careful not to wake the sleeping beauty beside him.

His feet slipped lazily along the hardwood floor as he made his way to the door. "Who is it?" He called. Junior shrugged when he heard no answer. Finally he stopped at the door and opened it slowly, preventing the early morning sunlight from blinding his eyes. Junior's vision slowly adjusted to the visitors before him. They wore black coats and grey peaked hats. He was not filled with worry but with deep, unending dread.

Right before him were his two uncles.

~

Dun Dun Donnn. Thanks for reading!