Underneath My Feet [T. Shelby]

Black Card

Tommy had left London and headed back to Arrow house without his brother John. The need to be alone was stronger than finishing his business in London.

As soon as he entered his home he locked himself away in the office, ignoring Mary's persistence for him to eat. It started with one bottle of whiskey and then it went to two.

Tommy was barely able to see as he poured the burning liquid down his throat. All he needed was a minute for his brain to shut off, to forget her fucking eyes...

As he reached over for his cigarettes he lost his footing and fell. Cursing himself he decided to stay on the floor and smoke.

If he was to die here it would be a blessing. Tommy never stopped thinking, planning, plotting but he never faced this type of failure before. It was ripping at the insides of his heart and burning up into his throat until a growl of frustration flew out.

As the room began to spin he leaned back and let his head rest against the floor. All he could see was her eyes swirling around behind his, taunting him for failing her.

"Fuck you" he hissed before leaning up and gulping down a large swing of whiskey, some slipping down his chin.

—-
Two weeks later

"Are you fucking sure Tommy?" Polly hissed down the phone.

"I'm sure Polly" he answered back, his hands covering his face as he tried to focus on the new task in hand.

"I'll round the family up. We won't be long"

Tommy slumped back in his chair and stared down at the black mark that he received that morning from the Changrettas. The haze of booze that had been in his systems for three weeks was wearing off and he was starting to feel ill.

Instead of succumbing to the weakness he moved out of his chair and decided to get cleaned up. If his family saw him in this state they would lose all confidence in him. They needed to listen to him now.

—-

"Why the fuck now Tom!? Eh? Why now?" Arthur boomed as he stepped into Tommy's office, Linda at his hip and the rest of the family following.

"What we gunna do Tommy?" John cut in before he could speak. "Wipe the bastards out?"

Tommy cleared his throat and made his way over the drinks cabinet. To ward off his hangover he needed to drink.

"We're going to stay together" Tommy said, his voice heavy with authority. "Nobody leaves Birmingham, not even for a fucking second. The changrettas want us all dead, if we split up for one second they'll pick us off" and Tommy knocked back his drink.

"Agh I knew we shouldn't of killed the fucking lot" Arthur groaned before slumping in the seat before the fire.

"Well you ave' so there's no point moping. We need to stick to Tommy's plan" Polly interjected.

"What about Amelia?" Ada suddenly asked, her eyes going wide with realisation that she would of been sent a black card. After all Tommy had killed the Italians for kidnapping her and forcing his hand.

Tommy froze, his hangover had slowed him down immensely that he hadn't even realised she was now on the hit list.

"Ah shit" Esme hissed.

"We need to bring her back here" Polly said as she quickly stood in front of Tommy's desk, trying to find his eyes under all that fog.

"She won't come" he croaked before clearing his throat and lightning up a cigarette. Plans going through his head.