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"Let me get this straight," started Alfie for what sounded like the tenth time. His hand extended toward the racetracks, the dark liquid in the glass he was holding swirled dangerously. "You made me travel all the way from London to watch a fucking horse race?"
"Go easy with the drink brother," you warned, "Or else your whiskey will land on a toffs head."
"Now look," he turned to you, leaning against the white fence. "Look, look, look alright? You don't like fucking horses. It's that-fucking-simple."
You chuckled lightly, fixing your older brother's hat that the wind was desperately trying to blow off his head. Alfie didn't push your hands away, looking at you as if you lost your mind.
"It's been a while since you stopped by to see how I was doing," you mused, tone clear of any vulgarities. "I grew to love horses."
Your older brother was often difficult to understand. Like right now, he patted the top of your pretty hat and slung his arm around your two shoulders, pressing a kiss to your cheek as if to tell you he's not mad at you for bringing him to the races and/or lying to him. "Alright, I'll bite."
You nodded gratefully and enjoyed the fresh air surrounding you.
What Alfie didn't know was that while your decision to attend the Derby came from your newly found love for horses and their world of races, the love itself didn't come to you out of the blue.
Meeting Thomas Shelby at none other than the grey, smoking Camden Town changed your life in many ways. It brought out the deeply hidden love for the horses that in the end urged you to attend the Epsom Derby after the last year's scandals. Despite what took place the year prior, the race was all but missing guests. It was swarmed with people and the laughter that followed them.
Alfie looked at you, nonchalantly placing his hand on your flowery printed cloche as if he was trying to embarrass you. "Alfie stop!"
"I'm your brother alright?" he fought, finishing his drink in one go. "It comes with the fucking territory."
"Messing with my hair?" You exclaimed, fixing your jacket, seemingly finished with the conversation. "That's not in the job description."
"Yeah, yeah," Said Alfie dismissively, "Whatever."
"I need a drink," You announced suddenly.
Turning your body to shake off his big arm, you gave him your best begging eyes.
"Ain't no where in hell I'll sit with those fucking toffs," he remarked, just about to swing the alcohol into his mouth when he realized he didn't have any. "Shit."
You were already inside by the time he realized you've moved, leaving the older Solomons no other choice but to follow.
***
You walked pass the fountain and with ease grabbed a drink off the passing attendant, settling down onto a free table by the window. The sun's rays of light fell on the carefully placed and centered roses, framing the small table and making it look pristine. While waiting for Alfie, you discarded your jacket, leaving you in your light dress and Mary Janes only.
The burning eyes of several surrounding officers weren't intimidating, quite actually making you confident as you sipped the drink peacefully, knowing that the gazes would drop the moment Alfie walks in.
And it was truth, what you thought. When Alfie Solomons waltzed in to find you, your name was replaced with his and only when he sat next to you would they know who you really were.
Your sibling settled into the chair quite loudly making you cringe behind your drink. "You couldn't be louder even if you tried."
"Y/N," Alfie said, "You're my sister."
"I am well aware of that particular fact."
"Therefore," he continued. "I can't kill you."
Your eyebrows raised, "That is correct. You can't."
"But what I can do and will do," your brother pointed at you. "Is kill the bastard that made you like fucking horses."
"Here we go again."
"I'm fucking serious Y/N!"
"I know you are Alfie."
You laughed lightly and with a dismissing shake of your head at Alfie, turned to the door through which a man just walked in. It took you a second too long to recognize the rugged lines of a face hidden by what looked to be a Peaky hat. Once you did recognize the newcomer, the drink you had been drinking went through differently, urging you to cough uncontrollably. You turned back to Alfie immediately, fixing your cloche. "You're not going to choke and die, are you?"
"What are you doing here, Alfie?"
You watched as your brother's face immediately brightens up.
To Tommy Shelby's voice of course.
***
You watched the four-legged beast with parted lips, listening to the thundering sounds of its hooves that penetrated through the air. Next to the horse was Thomas Shelby, whispering and leading the blue roan mare in your direction.
"She's beautiful," you commented in a daze, enchanted by her beauty. Tommy smiled, handing you the reins carefully, though not taking a step away from you as to make sure you were safe.
"Quiet and colossal Mercy," said Tommy, running his hand on the horse's dark mane while the other one settled on your waist, almost unnoticeably.
You stood incredibly close to the Shelby. The feeling of his body against yours alone had heat rushing to your neck. "Mercy you say?"
Tommy had turned you around to face him slowly, his blue irises gazing down on you as your hands held the reins tightly. He tipped his chin to the mare with a smile so small you almost didn't catch it. "She's yours. I bought her for you."
***
"Oi Y/N!"
Your older brother snapped his fingers in front of your face, halting whatever memories surged through your mind.
Mercy for instance.
A horse you owned that Alfie didn't even know about.
A mare that Tommy Shelby bought for you.
Something your brother too didn't know.
"Where the fuck did you just go, eh?" He looked at you, "I need to introduce you to my dear friend over 'ere."
"Your dear friend?"
"Don't flatter yourself Tommy," Alfie brushed him off, turning back to you with extended hands. "Y/N, this is Tommy. Tommy this is the younger fucking Solomons sibling. Y/N."
You were seconds away from ripping out your hair, but you smiled sweetly, acting oblivious. "Why don't you sit with us?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," agreed Alfie quickly, pointing at a lone chair with his cane. "Sit down Tom. My sister's always been more hospitable."
"I can see that," Tommy mumbled, eyeing you but giving away nothing about how he was feeling. He threw a box of cigarettes on your table before turning around to grab a chair.
Your heart pumped in your chest, letting you know just how relentless it was at the sight of him.
***
"You're a natural," You heard Tommy whisper as he contently sat behind you on the blue roan mare. You smiled, proceeding to guide the smart mare across the field full of wildflowers, the lofty trees surrounding it for miles and acting as a natural border.
Your hair danced wildly in the sharp wind, so much so it probably gave Tommy a hard time. You wouldn't know, as you sat in the front, though you could imagine. The feeling of him grabbing your wild hair and twisting it in his hands to gather it was fleeting yet fulfilling all the same. Swiftly and with much precision, he placed his razor-sharp hat on your head and stuffed the hair inside it.
You clutched the reins, your knuckles white. "It's all Mercy's doing. She's amazing."
"I knew you two would get along," he said, placing his hands on your waist for balance.
If only he knew the goosebumps that rose from his touch.
***
"She has her money on the worst fucking horse, Tommy I'm telling you."
You rolled your eyes, ignoring the way Tommy looked at you. His blue eyes gazed over your body, taking you in. Drinking you in.
Sending shivers down your back.
Gulping heavily, you turned back around to reach for another drink.
"I believe she has good judgement."
Usually, the words wouldn't lure out so much reaction out of you. But seeing as you're not supposed to act like you know him, neither was he.
Though it looked like Tommy didn't care.
"Good judgement? Ain't that right." Alfie scoffed, "100 pounds on fucking Papyrus."
Tommy's eyebrows raised. "Papyrus eh?"
***
"Just because last year was shit doesn't mean this year will," You said sternly, throwing a look at Tommy threw the hay into Mercy's box stall.
"Oh yeah?" He returned, "Who said that?"
"I did."
You could hear his chuckle fill the stable, making you smile all over. Glancing outside, you saw Mercy drink the fresh water you and Tommy got her. While admiring the mare, you saw the way her lean muscles rippled from under her pelt, her powerful legs twitching ever so slightly.
"Besides," you started. "I've done some research. Papyrus is sure to win."
"Trustful resources I presume."
"Of course," you replied smartly, the last of your pile of hay disappearing in Mercy's stall. "There. All done."
The stable was under Tommy's protection and name as you lived deeply in the urban parts of London. Trusting him with your horse made you feel like you shared a deeper connection, one deeper than kisses and love making.
A passion Tommy shared with you and you only.
"You're going to bet?"
You chuckled, "I won't even go."
"You're a horse owner now," Tommy explained. "Its different when you own a horse."
You allowed his words to settle, "Then why aren't you going? Sabini's gone. The races are clear."
If he was surprised at your knowledge about the gangster, he didn't show it. You bit your bottom lip, regretting that you've let such information escape. Alfie told you about Sabini, not Tommy. "Let's just say I don't have anyone to go with."
***
"You think he's going to win?"
His question, although answered not too long ago, sounded foreign this time round.
It took everything in you to keep your cool.
"Listen, sweetie," Alfie butted in, "Leave my sissy out of this."
You furrowed your brows, "But I'm the one whose money is on the line."
"Irrelevant." Your brother brushed you off, standing up, "Here, here Tommy boy. Why don't you and I-"
"I don't want to leave Alfie." Said Tommy coolly, your warning-like glared ignored.
"Come again?"
Tommy gestures toward you, "Your sister will be alone."
"And how is that any of your fucking concern?"
The Shelby just shrugs, glancing at you and tipping his chin toward Alfie. Almost as if he wanted you to come clean.
Not knowing what to do, you did the first thing that came to your mind.
You stood up, too scared to do anything serious and fixed your dress, "I think we should go. The race is about to start."
Tommy glanced at his pocket watch; Alfie was already at the door by the time he placed it back into the pocket of his waistcoat. He gestured to the door with his hand, allowing you to brush past him.
He proceeded to open the door for you, though before you could walk out you felt his hands grasp your arm in a vice-grip. He breathed down your neck, his blue orbs catching yours. You were so close; perfectly close to share a kiss.
"I thought you weren't going to come."
***
He pushed you against the walls of the small stable and kissed you like a man thirsty for water. Gentle, but firm enough to have you shivering against his warm body. Despite the cold air and damp ground, you felt everything but cold in the moment.
Your hands lost themselves in his hair after throwing the hat off his head, Tommy's own hands cupping your cheeks into a singular passionate moment. The heat rose in your neck and travelled to your cheeks as your tongue touched Tommy's tongue, red-hot.
***
"And I thought you didn't lie to me."
"We all have our secrets Mr. Shelby," you whispered at once. "My biggest one was spending days with you and going back home to my brother to tell him I was somewhere I wasn't."
"Mr. Shelby," he scoffed, like the words repelled him when you spoke them. "I was Thomas not too long ago."
"You were," you agreed. "You still are"
"Y/N? Fucking hell. Where are you?!"
It took everything in you to pull away from him and answer your sibling's calls.
"But not right now, you aren't."
***
"It really is a beautiful day, innit?" Said Alfie with a beaming smile, his arm around your shoulders as you walked through the crowd with Tommy. You could feel the heat coming off the Shelby in waves, yet you didn't care.
Why?
Because you were on your way to retrieve your prize. "See Tom? I told you Papyrus will win. It's Steve Donoghue's 10th win!"
"Hold the fuck on."
You stopped in your tracks upon realizing what you had said. "Alfie I-"
The older Solomons just stood behind the two of you, looking on the ground like it was going to give him all the answers of this world.
"Out of all of them," He began, voice laced with disbelief. "You choose this demented bastard."
"Alfie, I didn't know either, alright?" Tommy tried to reason, pointing between himself and you.
"You what?"
"I didn't know she's your sister." He explained slowly.
Alfie looked at him insouciantly, his arms spread wide. "How the fuck is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"It isn't."
"Tommy you sick son of a madwoman," Said Alfie, clenching his jaw and brushing a hand over his beard. "You tainted my little baby sister with your load of bullshit."
"I'm right here." You piped in carefully, trying to quietly regret every moment you had with Thomas. You couldn't. Because every moment was permanent. Could not be erased.
"Did he hurt you, Y/N?" Asked your brother suddenly, looking at your body and face with a worried look reserved only for his little sister. "You know you can tell me."
You rolled your eyes, "No, he didn't! Besides, even if he did, I would kill him for it."
Alfie points at you with his cane. "Now that's right."
Several moments passed in which no one said a thing. Then Alfie spoke up again, looking as if he just came to a great conclusion. "Here are some ground rules Tommy," he started seriously, pointing his cane between the two of you. "Don't fuck her up, you hear me? You make her cry one time, and I will fucking kill you. Further-fucking-more, her shares in the business stay hers, don't try to trick her with some voodoo gypsy kin crap I don't give a fuck about."
"Lastly," Your brother took a deep breath, "Don't get her fucking pregnant. Please. Cause I really need time to process this, I don't need her coming to me with your kid alright? Alright."
You rolled your eyes.
Alfie took that as a sign of good faith, "My blessing is granted should you two stupid idiots decide to peruse this…whatever this is."
After that spectacle, he brushed right past you in order to collect your well-deserved money. Crossing your arms over your chest, you said, "He used stupid to describe idiot. They're the same thing."
"Yes. That he did."
You nodded.
"How's Mercy?"
Tommy lit a cigarette, looking at you from the corner of his eyes. "She misses you. You should come and visit."
"Is she the only one who misses me?"
"Curly says his hellos."