𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘿𝙪𝙤 ; 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮 [ BOOK 2 ]

FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE; GOOSEBUMPS

On the day Charlie opened his eyes for the first time, his parents were hazy blurs, but he had taken in their aromas, bathed in their soft words and felt the warm touch of gentle hands. Each time he had cried they came at once and so an idea of safety in his world developed, a foundation on which his future personality would rest upon.

In the years that followed life weren't so simple. His father struggled to provide enough emotional support whilst supplying their family with unlimited pounds and his mother had no other option but to remain frozen for a huge proportion of his life, delaying time for critical bonding.

Though they adored him with every atom of their bodies, their tempers frayed, with each other and enemies he wasn't aware of, but to the best of his knowledge, they were in a very hazardous business and constantly in danger, hence why they abandoned their mansion for a tiny shack. Inside, little Charlie grew a seed of worry, powerless as he was to mend the parents he loved or articulate her feelings. He was the centre of all of their love, securing an eternal marriage based on his being.

Caroline and Thomas kissed their son's head before they exited their home which was heavily guarded to protect Charlie, and together, Thomas and Caroline entwined their fingers as they made their way to the graveyard to show sympathy to the woman Caroline had murdered in cold blood and to the woman Thomas had an affair with. Surely, it was obvious they both had meddled with Lizzie, but there was no way on earth that they'd be appointed guilty.

After their short journey in silence, Caroline was ripped away from Thomas by her brother. Oscar shot the man a knowing look, and with a nod, Thomas walked away to comfort his aunt who looked shocked to lose another loved one in such a short period of time.

"I know it was you." Oscar whispered when they were out of earshot. "I can't prove it, but it all adds up. You can't kill everyone who Tommy has slept with. They're innocent, he isn't."

"Lizzie struck when Thomas was at his weakest. She's always been pining for him and she got what she wanted." Caroline smirked. "And so did I."

Oscar placed his hands on either side of his sister's forearms. "You're a mother, Caroline. You have to stop seeking revenge on people who're on the same side as you. Otherwise, who'll be there to take care of your son when you inevitably die from all the shit you participate in?"

"Lizzie Stark was the last woman I'd ever ask to take care of my boy." She growled. "She was corrupt and would surely spread her diseases globally. And if she was on the same side as us, she wouldn't have been in a relationship with an Italian anyhow."

"She was with him before Luca came."

"Ah, but we were at war with the Italians long before recent times." Caroline reminded him. "When Danny Whizzbang murdered one of the Italians many years ago during one of his midday terrors, that initiated the war."

Oscar raised a brow. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"There's a lot you don't know about the Peaky Blinders even though you are one of them." Caroline tutted. "You want to know why? It is because I did my very best to protect you as a young boy to prevent you becoming the man you are now."

"There was no preventing this transition. In my blood, I was destined to be as strong as you, but the Shelbys saved me like they did you."

Caroline snorted. "They didn't save me. I saved myself."

***

In the early hours of the following morning, despite being two months too early, Caroline awoke to the wall behind her head shaking with almighty screams. In a state of immediate panic, she sprung out of the bed she slept in beside Charlie and ran to Polly's, fully clothed in her night garments, fully unable to care about her appearance, because in that moment, hearing those horrific squeals, resonated the feelings all too familiar, and if she could help a fellow woman in trouble, she'd do her very best to subside the worry.