Angel

28

            Alfie kept me bed ridden for days on end and he'd taken the whole time off work, leaving Ollie to run the day to day operations of the bakery. He flitted about me, hardly ever leaving my side. When the shakes came he'd pull me into his chest and hold me tightly in his warm embrace until they subsided. He cooked for me, and made sure I was eating, and I started to gain back the weight I'd lost being held captive. My figure was beginning to fill out once more, my breasts bouncing back to their modest size, my hips and bum regaining their original size, and my waist became lean and trim again, I could no longer see my ribs. And it was all thanks to the man I'd fallen in love with. He constantly whispered sweet nothings into my ear, making sure I was well aware he intended to be there for me every day for the rest of my life. "Angel, there's a phone call from ya sista," Alfie said softly as he set a tray down on the empty side of the bed.

            I sat up against the headboard, grabbing the phone and laying it against my ear. "Hello?" I asked, and jumped when I received an outburst of shouting in response. "Where the fuck have you been? You disappeared from the party and no one's heard a thing from you for weeks!" Ada shouted. "Ada, first of all, I need you to know I'm fine. Just calm down. Just before Charlie was born I received a threatening call from Sabini. He followed through at Charlie's christening party. He planted a waiter who was instructed to give me drugged champagne, and kidnap me. I dunno how long I was gone for, but Alfie was able to break into the building, and get me to safety. Sabini and his men have been in hiding ever since, so I'm safe now, and I've recovered," I explained, and I could hear her sniffles from the other end of the phone. "I have to tell Tommy. You deserve justice," she whispered. "Ada, you can't. Sabini threatened me to get to Alfie. Tommy can't know about this. It's better to not say anything and pretend it never happened. I'm fine, and there's no cause for concern," I told her, and she sighed. "How can you be sure you're safe?" Ada asked. I let out a small chuckle. "Ada, Alfie has men constantly watching the house, when the time comes for either of us to leave neither of us is going anywhere without a fleet of men, and Sabini knows he crossed a line this time, he won't be showing his face in London for a long time," I told her.

            She sighed again, still worried for my safety as she always was. "Ada, I'm alright," I told her earnestly and I could picture her nodding and rolling her eyes. "Alright, alright. The wedding's coming up soon. Are you coming to Polly's in a few months for the final plans?" she asked. "Yes, I will. For the moment, Alfie won't let me leave the bedroom because he's still convinced I need more 'healing', but I'm hoping he'll let me out of bed to go to the meeting," I chuckled. "You've got a good man, Lena," Ada chuckled in response. "I do. I'll see you in a few weeks when I head back to Birmingham. And remember, don't fucking say a word about any of this," I warned her. "I won't say anything, calm down. I love you," she replied. "I love you too," I said with a sigh as I placed the phone back on the hook. "So how then did she get me numba, eh?" Alfie asked as he slid into bed next to me. "I gave it to her in case something should happen. Looks like it was a good thing too, she was going out of her mind with worry," I replied, sipping coffee from the mug Alfie had brought in with him earlier. "Couldn't 'elp but notice a tone of annoyance when ya told her I wouldn't let ya out of bed," Alfie sighed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and drawing soft patterns on the bare skin of my chest.

            "Well of course I'm annoyed. At first I probably needed it, but I'm starting to go stir crazy. I need to get out of this room. I need to walk around and run and do something, or...someone," I told him with a smirk, reaching for the buttered bread on the tray. Alfie had refused every single one of my sexual advances since he'd brought me home, insisting I was too frail at the moment for him to take me. "I'm not frail anymore you know. My figure has returned, I have no injuries, I'm healthy as a horse," I said, beginning my argument. "Alright, alright, angel. Speakin' of 'orses, why don't ya get changed and come outside to see Odin. Ya haven't ridden in months," Alfie replied, and I almost gasped in shock that he was no longer insanely worried over my health and had finally come to terms with me being completely healed. "Oh God yes!" I yelled, and Alfie chuckled as I threw back the covers and jumped from the bed. He headed downstairs and out into the backyard as I changed. I threw on a dress he'd left in the front of the closet for me, a flowing white dress that fell to just below my knees, the sleeves made of lace.

            I rushed down the stairs, saving myself from tripping once or twice on the way down. My heart pounded in my chest from excitement as I bounded out the back door and into the grass. I took a breath of the fresh air and grinned broadly as Alfie held open the gate to the pasture for me. "Thank you," I whispered, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his bearded jaw. I barely noticed his hands start to shake as he remained behind me to close the gate. I chuckled as Odin plodded across the grass to me. He let out a huff of air as he pushed his nose into my chest. "Hello boy," I whispered as I ran a hand down his forehead, placing my other under his face. He moved his head towards the side, and my eyes caught a glint of silver in the warm sunlight. "What's this?" I mused, stepping to Odin's side and observing the thin chain that was clasped around his neck. My fingers picked it up and trailed around the chain to find something weighing it down around Odin's chest. I let out a gasp as my eyes landed on a small circular diamond ring. The band was simple, but the centerpiece diamond was fairly large by my standards, and it was surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds.

            I turned to face Alfie, my eyes starting to fill with tears as I found him kneeling down on one knee. "Alfie," I gasped, clasping my hands over my mouth. "I'm not one for speeches, right? But from the moment I saw ya, I thought ya were a piece of heaven, and I knew I had to make ya mine. I don't know what I fuckin' did to deserve you, angel. But what I do know, is that I don't want to live anotha fuckin' day in this life without ya by my side. So, will ya marry me angel?" he asked, one shaking hand stretched out towards me. A few tears started to run down my cheeks as I slowly brought my hands down. "Of fucking course I'll marry you," I grinned, shaking my head as I launched myself towards him. He let out a booming laugh as I crashed into him, his hands wrapped around my waist as I landed on top of him in the grass. "Yes, yes, yes," I squealed, placing my hands on either side of his face and pressing my lips to his over and over. "I love you, future Mrs. Solomons," Alfie whispered as he pressed his lips to my neck. "Mmmm, I love the sound of that," I groaned as he nipped at my skin.

            With one fluid motion me flipped us so I was on my back and he hovered over me. He gently pushed a strand of hair from my forehead as his gaze moved around my face and my hair that had fallen around my head in a halo. "A fuckin' angel," he muttered, and I chuckled, placing a hand on the back of his neck and pushing my lips to his for a deep slow kiss. "Now, what do ya say we get that fuckin' ring on your finger, yeah?" he asked, and I grinned, allowing him to pull me to my feet. His hand clutched mine as we approached my loving horse. Alfie finally let go of my hand as he unclasped the chain from Odin's neck, pulling the ring off. His eyes met mine as he approached me once again, and it was then that I noticed his eyes were filled with tears just as mine were. "Alfie Solomons, you're crying," I chuckled quietly. "R-right, well, y-you tell anyone about this and I'll," he started but I cut him off with a laugh. "You'll what? Stutter?" I laughed, and he rolled his eyes at my familiar line from the first morning I'd woken up in his guest bedroom. He chuckled lowly, reaching out a gentle hand to grasp mine softly. A few more tears trickled down my cheeks as I watched him gently place the ring on my finger.

            "Alfie, it's beautiful," I told him as I admired the diamond, my voice cracking. Alfie placed a gentle hand underneath my chin, turning it up to meet his gaze. "Not as beautiful as you, angel," he whispered, his voice shaking as he ran a thumb over my cheek. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my fucking life with you," I told him, pressing my body against his as I gripped his shirt collar in my hands. "There's no other way I'd want to spend my life, angel," he replied, his hands snaking around my waist as I pulled his lips to meet mine. We stayed there, pressed tightly together, standing in the grass as the setting sun shone brightly down on us, giving our figures a golden glow against the sky. "Now, my angelic fiance, what do ya say we take this to the bedroom," he said lowly after pulling away from me. "I'd want nothing more, my fiance," I whispered as I bit my lip, looking up at him through my dark lashes. "God, woman...the things ya do to me," he growled. I laughed as he picked me up in one fluid motion, marching us back into the house.