Tear It Down

Chapter Fourteen

"What do you want to do with her?" John asked as he leaned against the back wall.

"Yes, let's talk about that." The woman spoke up as she looked to John. "No doubt you're siding with Arthur on the matter, but of course you won't act on it. After all, what would your children think? Little Katie knowing her fath-"

"If you so much as speak my children's names I will-" John hissed, Arthur having to step in front of him to keep him away from her. 

"You already did a number to the bitch, John." Arthur said as he tried to pull John back. "Let Tommy deal with her."

"Yes, let's. Seeing as he is the one in charge of this operation." The woman said as she looked up to Arthur. As Arthur cursed under his breath she smirked.

"Let Arthur deal with her Tommy." Penny spoke up, glaring at the woman.

"Don't be hasty in what you say, Penny." Polly said as she looked to her. "We need answers."

"And she's so willing to cooperate." Penny scoffed.

"She will." Tommy said as he griped the edge of the chair holding the woman and leaned it back.

  "It's hard to be intimidated by a man I damn near stand eye to eye to, but I commend you for your effort though Thomas."

He ground his teeth at her words. "I don't give a damn about what you think. I want answers, and you'll give them to me."

She made a clicking noise with her tongue. "Is that anyway to talk to me Thomas?"

There was something about the way she said his name, be it the way it rolled off her tongue, or the way she said it in a bored tone, it got under his skin. "I'll talk to you anyway I damn please."

"Of course you will." She sighed. "You're a Shelby. Better than all others. Or so you like to believe."

Sitting her back down he said "Leave us."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur snapped.

"I said leave us."

"Whatever you are gonna ask her we have a right to hear the awnser." John said, crushing his cigarette beneath his boot.

"Be good boys and listen to your brother." She said as she smiled up at Tommy.

As John passed by him Tommy held out his hand. "The knife." John handed it over wordlessly, looking to the woman with an unreadable expression. Tommy looked to make sure the others listened. Only Penny stayed in place. "You heard what I said. Go." She tightened her jaw, hate in her eyes, but she did as he said. When the door closed he turned to the woman. "Give me a reason and I'll open your throat." He warned.

"I'm sure you will."

Standing behind her he uncut the rope binding her hands together. He offered the knife to her and her eyebrow rose. "What makes you believe that I won't kill you?"

"After all the chances you've had I'm sure you would of done so already if that was your goal."

She shrugged and took the knife and cut her legs free. When she stood she rolled her ankles before handing the knife back. She walked over to a nearby table and began to strip off her shirt

"Why have you tried to tear us down?"

"If you didn't pose such a problem then i wouldn't have to." She said. "But you, you're a smart man, a man who makes trouble for people in my line of work."

"And what is your line of work?" Tommy asked as she began to unravel the bandaging around her chest, her back to him.

"Whatever I'm paid to be." she shook her head and looked back to him over her shoulder. "I was surprised to see John was the one who caught me, so i may have been too quick in calling you smart. After all, you couldn't even grab me in a crowd."

Tommy ground his teeth together. "Insulting me won't help you."

"That's just it, I'm not the one who needs help Thomas. You are." when she pulled her shirt back on and turned to him she asked, "What of Ada and little Finn? You haven't asked if I know of them yet."

Tommy balled his hands into fists. "Why would you need to know them? They aren't part of the business."

"Oh of course they aren't. Yet. But in time." she looked Tommy over as she rubbed her wrists and leaned back against the table, giving him a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You clearly know our names, so what is yours?"

"Adrien."

"How much do you know about us?"

"A good amount. For instance you give change to beggars, be it from the goodness of your heart or want for them to recognize you as the man who helped them, I'm not sure. You were once also a bookmaker, but the war," Tommy didn't move, didn't blink in reaction, but a smirk crossed her lips. "the war changed you."

"Enough. Why did you take the job?"

"Simple. You're in the way of some business men who don't want their hands dirtied and a woman can't go on with empty pockets."

"There are other ways a woman can earn money."

"A man doesn't pay enough for what I need, and marriage is simply another form of imprisonment for a  woman such as myself. That's where you and I are the same Thomas. We want the respect we deserve."

"We're nothing alike."

She shrugged and rubbed her left arm absentmindedly. "Granted, I don't rely on opium."

"Why did you let yourself be caught?" he was growing angrier with each thing she said but he kept his anger in check. He couldn't afford to ruin this chance.

"Let myself be caught? Now why would I do that?"

"To get to me."

"Pride is one hell of a thing, isn't it? And yours is almost unrivaled." she shrugged though. "But yes, to get to you. After all, remove the head and the body is useless."

Tommy looked her over slowly before speaking. "Answer me one thing."

"Depends on your question."

"Who's side are you on?"

"No side but my own."