Child of Ice (Thomas Shelby)

Chapter sixteen: Cold water

As Thomas read the letter anger building in his veins he didn't know whether Ayla was live of not which bothered him immensely. He knew how stupid he was to have let her go unprotected he knew he should have left with her or even tried harder to keep her there. Every moment without her felt like a sin to him and he was burning for it. When Polly handed him the box the velvet felt expensive in his hands, every corner of it reminded him of the corners he cut to be with her. A luxury he knew came from the king's land. Polly watched his actions carefully, taking each of them in. 

She expected some sort of outburst from Thomas but it never came. She felt herself relaxing, lighting up a cigarette as the sun dazed through her newly washed curtains.

Thomas's eyes moved across the page line by line and the silence in the room was uncomfortable, his heart breaking into millions of pieces as he read each word.

'Why didn't you give this to me after she left?' Thomas looked over at Polly who sat there in shame trying to keep a brave face he didn't show any weakness as it just came off as anger.

'Would it have made you go after her if I did? I didn't think so.' She exhaled clouds of smoke exiting her mouth and nose desperately trying not to make eye contact with him.

'I told you I don't need you to make decisions for me.' He finally opened the box, the sight of the two rings made his cold beating heart ache. For the first time in forever he finally found a purpose in life. Something that he wanted to hold onto and Ayla was it.

He had never met a woman like her before, she was nothing like the rest. The way her eyes twinkled when she was happy or the way her lips would curl at the ends when she was being sly. He missed her touch, her smell, her voice. He missed her bravery and willingness. 

She was the first woman to stand up to his family without fear and he needed a power figure like himself beside him not to mention the fact that she was faithful, under Chesters grasp most people would have given in but she didn't even crack. Thomas knew he would never find anyone like her again.

'What if she doesn't want me to find her? Or what if she's dead?' Thomas looked up at the mother figure

'That is a possibility, the king is unreliable but Ayla isn't, do you think she would give you those rings for no apparent reason after everything she's been through?'

'If I go after her I'll undoubtably be killed by her father. This is a trap and I know it' Thomas rubbed his temples in frustration

'Then make sure you don't go unprotected' She stated the obvious. Tommy thought hard for a while but the silence was broken shortly after.

'Do you know where she is?' Polly asked

'Of course I do, it's the only place she would have gone to stay undetected' he felt himself smirk mentally

'Which is?' Polly raised her eyebrows, happy that Thomas had come to his senses.

'Somewhere she thinks I wouldn't think about finding her, somewhere so obvious I wouldn't dare go' Thomas finally let out a smirk. 

'I'm lost' Polly said throwing her hands up in the air.

'Come on Pol I thought you would have guess it before hand' Thomas smirked at her but she shook her head 

'London' The smirk grew

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The brothers packed what they needed in the back of Arthurs car mostly weapons and money which is all they ever needed. With a strict idea of where he was going John and Arthur made it apparent that they were behind Thomas whatever he needed. The drive would only take a few hours which didn't bother the brothers. It gave them time to think about what they were about to do.The trip was long and quiet as the brothers tried not to talk to each other looking out the window every chance they got.

Once they arrived in the buzzing town of Leicester square night fell rather quickly, it was a nice feeling to finally stretch their legs. The clubs were busy and the bars were filled to the rim people enjoying themselves to the limit.This was the 5th nightclub they had searched in london but Ayla was nowhere to be found.

Something in Thomas's heart felt like he was coming to the end of something. The end was nearing and he could feel it but was his mind playing tricks on him?

'I doubt she's going to be in here Tommy, this is the fifth nightclub we've searched' John said with little hope but Thomas ignored the comment completely.

'Its the last nightclub in the square" Thomas said but Arthur cut him off rather abruptly

'And what if she not here?' John asked as Thomas clenched his jaw. 

'Then maybe she really is dead' Thomas's words were a shock to even himself. He desperately hoped it wasn't true. He wanted to believe that he could see Ayla again, hold her in his arms and make her a Shelby once and for all.

As they pushed the doors of the nightclub open the long hallway packed with people half conscious. Men kissing men and women acting like whores left right and centre begging for a few quid. No one even noticed the brothers walking in like they owned the place, shoving people out of the way in the process. 

The jazz music blaring from the main hall where everyone would dance on top of each other  in the spotlights under the influence of alcohol. Each and every woman looked the same to Thomas but John and Arthur were drawn by the outgoingness of the women of London.Drooling like school boys and forgetting what they originally came here for. 

'Looks like London knows how to party' John joked earning him a laugh from Arthur but a strict face from Thomas.

'I bet you a fiver London girls are real filth' Arthur licked his lips which disgusted Thomas. A hypocrite at large. Before he met Ayla he would have been the one cracking the jokes and chasing after the cheapest woman in the building.

As they walked around the nightclub it looked like all hope had ceased. No sight of the beauty Thomas had fell in love with. He started to wonder if Ayla was real or a figment of his twisted imagination.As Thomas left John and Arthur to their own devices he took himself back through the hall way and out into the pitch black poorly lit street. Lighting a cigarette in the dark was an easy chore for him, he could do it blindfolded. Exhaling all of his problems for a moment. Cars passing as fast as the wind, people stumbling home with a stranger in their arms.

'You shouldn't be here' An all so familiar voice said in the dark. Pressing his eyes shut he knew his mid was playing tricks on him once again. 

'Neither should you' He spoke softly keeping his eyes away from the voice. 

'No, You really shouldn't be here Thomas you've got to leave right now!' The panic in her voice seemed genuine and fearful which was nothing like the woman he knew...