The Sun Will Rise | T Shelby

twenty three

Three weeks had passed since Angelina moved down to London with Alfie. She knew that Thomas and the boys were looking out for Luca and his men, but any contact about the matter went directly through Thomas and Alfie, never to Angelina.

She was left in the dark most of the time, Alfie refusing to tell her what Thomas had said on the phone some days. All she was told was that Lorenzo was safe and sound, and that was all she really cared about.

London had grown on her. She'd seen very little of the city but Alfie had done his best to show her around his favourite places when he had the chance, and when it was safe. Some days she was told she couldn't leave the house, so for those long hours she spent her time helping Mary with housework since there was little else for her to do.

Alfie was still as loving and attentive as he always had been, and Angelina was thanking her lucky stars that he was by her side every day. Though it didn't stop her from thinking about Thomas when she was alone and her mind wandered, which was admittedly more often than not.

After Angelina hung up on Thomas in the pub, she hadn't heard his voice again since. All she could think about was the way he sounded when he said those words. He sounded broken. Angelina had never heard Thomas cry before, but she wouldn't forget how his voice cracked as he told her he loved her for the first time.

It was raining when she left the house. Alfie had already left for work a few hours earlier, telling Angelina that he'd been told it was safe for her to go out that day. Angelina was thankful, she had a dress fitting at a shop down in Kensington at midday that she'd been looking forward to for days.

She took a taxi across London and arrived just on time for her appointment. A gentleman with an umbrella opened the door for her and ushered her inside the store, keeping her dry from the grey London sky.

"Angelina, so lovely to see you again."

The seamstress kissed Angelina with a smile and the two of them made mindless small talk as Angelina slipped into the dress.

She stood still as the seamstress pinned her dress, asking Angelina how she preferred the fit of her Japanese silk. Alfie had noticed Angelina was feeling rather low and he'd wanted to cheer her up. He'd taken Angelina shopping a week and a half prior and let her pick out a new dress, promising she could wear it when they went to the theatre next.

"I'll be back in a moment, dear."

The seamstress disappeared with a small smile, leaving Angelina alone in the room. Her eyes scanned the racks of dresses and suits that lined the walls, admiring way the fabric clung to the mannequins in the shop window.

What pulled her from her daydream was the ringing of the bell above the door when it was pushed open, as well as her heart stopping.

"Luca."

He smiled menacingly, his hat tilted and a wooden pick between his teeth.

"Hello gorgeous, you haven't changed a bit."

The smile didn't fall from his face as he approached Angelina, though it fell from the seamstress' as she came back into the room, dropping the basket of thread onto the floor when she saw Luca holding a pistol in her direction.

Luca chuckled, still holding the gun in his hand as he pulled Angelina down from the podium, holding her against his chest. Angelina felt his breath tickle her neck as he placed a soft kiss on her collarbone.

"You're coming with me, sweetheart."

He held Angelina firmly by the waist and ushered her out of the shop, quickly pushing her into the backseat of a black car that was parked outside.

Angelina shuffled away from Luca, huddling as close to the window as she could. He just laughed, his eyes not moving from her.

"You never used to be this afraid of me, what happened?"

She didn't say anything. Her first thought was Lorenzo. She prayed to God that he was still safe in Small Heath and Luca and his men hadn't gotten to him first.

Luca kept talking as long as the wheels of the car kept turning, though Angelina couldn't focus on anything he was saying. She wasn't afraid of the man sat beside her, the man who was her first kiss, her first love, her first everything. But she was scared of the man that she knew he could be.

"Get out, Angelina."

The car had stopped and Luca was stood at the door, a gun in his hand and a scowl on his face. Angelina quickly jumped down from the car, Luca grabbing her wrist as soon as her feet hit the floor. She watched as his men walked inside the building, the handle of pistols peeking out from behind their jackets.

Angelina had no idea of where she was. She didn't see anything she'd recognised on the journey to the building, and there were no other cars or people outside what she assumed was an old apartment complex when they arrived.

She was pushed by the barrel of a gun in her spine down a corridor and into a cellar. It was dingy, one window looked out onto the floor of the street above and a few lamps dotted around the room gave little light.

Angelina adjusted her eyes to the darkness, feeling Luca pick out the pins that had been holding up her dress, throwing them onto the floor after removing them from the silk. Angelina pulled the fabric around her tighter, trying to maintain her dignity.

"Just tell me what it is you want and this can be over a lot faster than this. We're wasting each other's time here, mate- oh, oh my god."

Angelina's eyes widened when she saw Alfie with his hands tied behind his back, slumped on the floor against the wall.

"Alfie!"

"Shut up, Angelina. Or I'll put a bullet in his head do you understand me?"

Angelina sobbed loudly, nodding her head as one of the other men tied her hands behind her back, kicking her in the back of the knees so she fell to the floor, dragging her backwards so she sat a few feet away from Alfie.

They looked at each other. Alfie felt his heart break in his chest. The pain wasn't comparable to anything he'd ever felt.

"Look just leave her out of this, she hasn't done nothing, alright?"

"Mr Solomons," Luca chuckled, bending down in front of Alfie on the ground, "She is the reason for all of this."

Luca gave Alfie a small slap on his cheek, winking at him before rising back to his feet. He left the room, waving his hand for his men to follow him. The door slammed shut and Angelina heard a bolt slide across it before footsteps disappeared.

She looked desperately at Alfie, sniffing to try and stop her from crying anymore. Alfie's face was beaten and bruised, he had a cut above his eye that was fresh and blood was trickling down his face. His hat was gone and his hair was damp with sweat, his eyes swollen and his knuckles were turning purple.

"Alfie what's happening?" Angelina whimpered, trying to shuffle closer to him but being held back by the shackle on the wall.

"Don't cry darling, please." Alfie smiled weakly at Angelina, desperately wanting to hold her against him and comfort her. He felt useless.

"It's going to be alright, I promise. I'll get us out of here, and if I can't, Tommy will. I know he will. He made me a promise."

The only problem was, Angelina knew all too well that you could never have faith in a Tommy Shelby promise.