𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘿𝙪𝙤 ; 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮 [ BOOK 2 ]

THREE

CHAPTER THREE; EVERLASTING LOSS

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly."

Polly scoffed. "Believe me, sweetheart. At first, I didn't believe it either, not until I saw her bump that she hid from us with your old faux fur coats."

"My-my faux fur coats?" Caroline blinked slowly then turned to face Oscar. "Please tell me that you are joking."

"About the coats?"

Caroline slapped him upside the head. "No, you imbecile! The pregnancy! You are only sixteen!"

"You don't know me anymore, Caroline. Most days, I looked after Charlie. I know how to raise a child."

She grit her teeth. "Leaving my son was not a choice. Are you blaming my departure on me?"

"Not anymore." He hollowed his cheeks, glancing to Thomas who stood behind Caroline. "When we thought you died, I blamed you for getting involved with the Peaky Blinders, thinking that if you didn't, you wouldn't have left us, until I fell in love with Rosemary and knew that leaving wasn't an option."

Caroline shook her head and rubbed her temples. "You only love her because there's no other option, Oscar. Leaving is always on the table."

"No. This wasn't a mistake."

"So, you impregnated her so she wouldn't leave?!"

Oscar sighed, straightening his back to stand tall and take the criticism like a man. "No, we planned it together. When you met her, she was wild, but after a year, I tamed her. She really loves me, and I love her too. We may be young, but we know what we want and we want this."

"This is no life for a child, Oscar." She growled. "My child has been without his mother for a year because of damned enemies that lurk in every shadow. Is that really what you want for your own?"

"Our child will be protected."

"And you think ours wasn't? We had top notch security and still, somehow, intruders entered our home. Nowhere is safe, especially not here."

Polly stood between the two and clasped Caroline's arm, speaking soothingly. "I've spoken to them individually and they're both adamant about keeping the baby. I've saw them with Charlie and they've been brilliant, Caroline."

"Better still, I think you lot should talk in private." Arthur added with a playful grimace.

"Everything's changed." Caroline grumbled with her gaze lowering. "My baby brother's not a baby anymore, but instead, he's going to have one. My son is four and John is dead, and not to mention, the Italians are creeping up our asses. So, back to business. Someone tell me the plan of action."

***

Caroline looked as extravagant as ever as though a bullet wound in her chest was a mere scratch against her skin. Alongside Polly, Ada and Lizzie, she strode towards the extended table out in the open in Charlie's yard with two Blinders behind her, weapons at the ready to protect her from dangers that lurked beyond.

The creamy sheets of the silk dress slipped onto her shoulders, peppering her body with soft, sensual kisses. Like a lover, it seduced the senses and conveyed with utmost skill the art of pleasing. She stood out like a sore thumb against the other women who wore black as if they were prepared for their own funeral, however, Caroline decided that if today was the day in which her life would end, she'd sure as hell be dressed up to the nines.