BITTER - Michael Gray.

FIVE.

♛

Michael gritted his teeth as he helped the intoxicated woman down the staircases and into the pantry.

The anger in his body was unexplainable. Maybe it was because she had stopped him from getting laid moments ago, or because she was too perfect. She reminded him of the village he lived in as Henry. Perfectly sweet and loved by everyone. Well Michael wanted to blow up that village so maybe that said something about how he felt towards Olivia.

"I'm dead nice once you get to know me." Olivia was rambling as Michael led her down into the kitchens.

Maids were scurrying around the pair of them, asking if they could help at all. Michael simply told them to fuck off, a bit harsh in Liv's eyes as they were only doing their job. Michael led her to the back room full of vegetables. A charming man.

"Sit." He instructed and pointed to a pile of upturned crates.

"I'm not a fucking dog." Olivia spat, folding her bloody arms and spreading the mess.

"But you swear like a docker." He scoffed and pulled her arms out, wiping the blood off with a wet towel.

"Yeah well, I grew up with the Shelby brothers as my role models, what did you expect?" Liv sighed.

"Why were you living with my cousins?" Michael shook his head in confusion.

He pressed a boiling towel to Liv's leg. She was unaware that there was any damage there, but the large gash down her calf told otherwise. She tried to pull her leg back in retaliation to the stinging sensation, but Michael's coarse hands kept a firm grip.

"Why are you helping me? I pretty much told you to fuck off earlier." Liv tilted her head and watched him do his nurse bit. His eyes met hers as he looked up at her properly. They were blue, not as blue as Tommy's but pretty in their own way.

"Because if I don't, Mum,
or someone, will batter me for not being a gentleman." He sighed and walked back over to the sink.

"Cute. Who's your mum then?" Liv pressed on with her drunk interrogation.

"Polly Shelby. I saw you too having a chat earlier on, that was lovely." Michael was now wrapping her hands up gently.

A little spark went through her body when he held her hand, but she shook it off, putting it down to the booze flowing though her veins.

"She was like my mum and all." Olivia said, more to herself.

"I don't know what you're on about, so I'll pretend I didn't hear anything. You're all done." He stood up and wiped some blood on his suit trousers, walking off to the door.

"Is that it then? Fine, leave me with the vegetables, see if I care!" Drunk Olivia shouted to no one.

"A simple thank you would've done the job!" Michael shouted back as his heavy footsteps were heard going up the steps.

"Over my dead body!"

♛

Of course Tommy's ceiling was perfectly level, but in Olivia's eyes it was warped. She lay flat out on the guest bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling. The party was done, Tommy and Grace were probably having more sex and Polly was still talking to her artist friend. Using the term lightly. Curly could be heard outside shooing the last cavalry members off the estate, making a smile grow on Liv's face at the thought of him being aggressive.

"Hello." A voice came from the other side of Liv's room. She salt bolt upright, pretty much on the verge of a heart attack.

"Jesus. Don't do that. What do you want?" She asked.

Michael was leaning against the frame of her doorway, arms crossed. His shirt was untucked and the tie was ditched. He looked a mess, but somehow he pulled it off.

"Just wondering. You've got a habit of stealing my shit haven't you?" Venom laced his latter statement.

"What? I just want to go to bed Michael. Leave me alone." Liv sighed.

"So do I. But you're in my bedroom." He replied with a smirk on his face.

"Fine. Don't worry, I'm off." Liv got up from the bed, swaying as she tried not to fall over.

"For God's sake. Stay where you are. Just take it." Michael rolled his eyes. "You're too drunk and I cant be arsed to move you anywhere else."

"Thank you." She smiled at him.

He would never say it out loud, but Olivia had quite a nice smile. It was reassuring, she was almost cute when drunk. Although if he dared call her cute she'd slap him and tell him she's better than that.

"I'm going to the bathroom. Can I trust you not to vomit, pass out or break something?" Michael raised his eyebrow patronizingly. Olivia raised her hands in defence.

"I won't move a muscle."

She was right. She didn't move a muscle as she'd fallen asleep by the time Michael was finished. Her face was smushed into a pillow, Michael's to be exact. Still in her dress and makeup, Michael decided to leave her. It wasn't his place to undress her or move her. And anyway, Tommy hadn't splashed out on fancy sofas for nothing.

"Is she alright?" Tommy asked from the behind the door.

"Yes. She's in my bed though." Michael collected some blankets to prevent him from catching hypothermia.

"Indeed. She also works for you now." Tommy said. Michael's head shot up. He only expected to deal with her tonight and then hoped to never see her again, her constant drama was annoying and he barely even knew her. "Well, if you're starting to help with the illegal business you can't handle legal as well. She can do any paperwork that you can't do. She's very capable."

"We barely fucking know the girl. Grace invited her for gods sake. She said she grew up with you, what's that all about?" Michael was lost.

"That's a story for another day Michael. Just know that everyone in the Peaky Blinders trusts her. You will in due time. Go to bed before your mother berates me for you being up so late." Tommy left the room and shut the door behind him.

Michael made up the large sofa in the corner into a half decent bed for the night. Olivia was on top of the covers and in a dress that wouldn't do much to keep her warm. Michael wiggled the blankets out from underneath her body and over the top of her. She was doing his head in with her drunken antics but letting his apprentice freeze to death in his boss's mansion wouldn't be an excellent option. Olivia pulled the covers up around herself and mumbled a quick 'thank you'.

Back in his own makeshift bed, Michael shifted as he tried to sleep. Looking at the girl in his actual bed, a million questions flew around his head. Why did everyone know who she was except him? Was he being blind, and the answers were right there? What will she be like at work? Although, there was one thing he was decided on.

She's decent when she's quiet.

♛
a/n: i have a lot of exams coming up very soon (like two days away and i've done no revision) so updates might slow down a bit but they should be okay in like 2 weeks! also thank you for reading this book it means a lot!! x