Arthur Shelby- Love at First Sight

Arthur Shelby- Love at First Sight Pt 8

It only took a couple of days for Changretta to retaliate with the help of Linda and her scorn. Arthur was usually the first in the Betting House before it opened each morning. He found the silence peaceful. Though unnerving to some, to him it was wonderful. Only the sounds of the city outside and papers shuffling on his desk. Before Y/n, that freedom from the hustle and bustle of busybodies and nosy eyes gave him time to feed his demons.

He'd pull out his vial and chop his lines on his desktop. Fine particles of white coke lined up and cut with a credit card. Delicate lines of blissful numbness calling out to him. The silence and the emptiness of the Betting House at that time of the morning became his home away from home. He'd shut the door to his office, hunch his tall lanky frame forward in his chair and do line after line. He'd become predictable in his routine, so much so that Linda let it slip on purpose to Luca. Too bad for her she never knew the effect Y/n had on Arthur.

The explosion rocked through the early Monday dawn hours of Birmingham. The ground shook, pieces of brick and mortar of the building created shrapnel that rained down over the streets. Car horns blaring and singing their whining song from getting hit with the shockwave of the blast. The twinkling sound glass shattering from windows of nearby businesses. There was nothing left of the Betting House but fragments of the foundation and burst water main spewing a fountain of water into the sky.

***

The family and Y/n were gathered around Tommy's office in his home. John had been the most vocal, ready to fight and bring the war straight to Changretta. It turned into a massive argument, everyone began arguing and screaming over what to do next. Only Y/n and Tommy sat quietly, reflecting in the events at hand. Arthur stood beside Y/n practically seething at what could have happened to him had he not been curled up behind Y/n that morning in a deep sleep.

"Enough!" Tommy's calm but dominant voice rang out in the room, his fist pounding on his desk trying to evoke silence.

All mouths closed, but the tension held. Each one of them wanted to retaliate, all of them so worked up for revenge. It had to end and quickly. Glasses clinking being filled with alcohol, plumes of cigarette smoke wafted up to the ceiling. It'd become so quiet one could hear the Grandfather clock in the corner of the office ticking away. The eerie silence was only broken when Y/n started to laugh. At first, it was soft and hardly there muffled behind closed lips, but soon her head fell backward. Her laughter was chilling, but Arthur knew that sound too well having made that sound himself before a fight.

"What the hell is so fucking funny? You're supposed to be here putting an end to this and all you've done is fuck Arthur!" John stood so fast his chair tumbled to the floor behind him. Arthur had been ready to launch himself at John, but Y/n held a hand to his chest.

"All eyes are on you now, idiot." Y/n stood and walked across the office filling a glass of whiskey. "You CAN'T retaliate without the officials pulling you in and that also means Luca can't do anything else either in fear of getting caught in the open. Patience, for now, no one does a fucking thing."

"How the fuck can you ask us not to do anything?! He blew up one of our businesses! Arthur could have fucking been killed!" This time it was Michael that piped up angrily.

"Friday," Y/n smiled knocking back the contents of her glass. "We strike on Friday. I know you like to act hastily John, but trust me. We have eyes on us right now, but I can promise you. We can leave him with almost nothing."

***

Y/n stood in front of the mirror smoothing out her dress trying to hide any lines from the knives strapped around her thighs. Arthur stood beside her in a dark grey dress suit straightening his bowtie, but his eyes kept wandering toward her. There was buzzing energy between them, Arthur desperately wanted it all over with. He wanted to end what he'd started in a drugged up rage. If he'd only listened to Tommy, if he'd only waited and been patient, none of this would be going on right now.