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Fan art by KarinaGZ. As always, she did an amazing job! 

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Chapter Text

Kate shook her head as she surveyed her appearance in the mirror. She looked and felt like a whore. She could not believe that this had happened to her. Her father had died a few months ago, finally following his beloved wife, who’d passed the year before. However, he’d left her with a few debts here and there. She’d been able to sell the house, rent a room and pay off the larger debts while living comfortably in a boarding house. One of her final debts had been to Darby Sabini. Her father owed him 150 pounds. She gave him a down payment of 50 pounds and told him that she’d pay him back as soon as she was able to find steady employment.

That’s when he offered her a job as a coat check girl. The pay was good, 18 pounds a week, so she’d accepted it. Checking the coats had been alright. She hated this club. It was smelly and smoky, and the bouncers allowed people to fornicate in public! She didn’t understand how people could have no shame or embarrassment and just start having sex in public! The club looked respectable from the outside, but from the inside, it was anything but respectable. People did drugs right in front of her coat check station. Acts of homosexuality happened in the corridor. Considering that it was illegal and the men showed no fear of being caught, Sabini had paid off a ton of people to allow this to take place. Fortunately, she only had to work here for six weeks, and she had five more to go.

But she’d probably be out a bit sooner. One of the dancers had fallen and broken her ankle. She’d been yanked from her station, taken backstage and given a flesh-coloured ‘dress’ with silver strips and feathers. It was more like a bathing suit, and she didn’t want to wear it. However, the bouncer made it very clear to her that she had very little choice. The only thing that helped was one of the dancers said they got paid 35 pounds a night. So, she’d be able to get out faster than planned. The only thing was she hated this. She felt degraded and cheap. Not to mention, she didn’t ‘dance’ the way these other girls did. She’d been told, 'Just shake and shimmy,' and all would be well.

She was told to go and dance near the right of the stage and ‘show off her wares’. Men would pay to dance with her, and she’d have to ‘give them what they wanted’. She'd allow whatever was necessary on the dance floor, but she wasn’t allowing them to do anything off the dance floor, and there certainly wouldn’t be any sex. She’d been dancing on that spot for about fifteen minutes when a man shouted. "f**k off!!”

She’d been startled, and her eyes scanned the club. There were three men, a table or two away from her. They looked…different somehow. The way they moved and carried themselves, not to mention their attire, made it clear that they weren't from London. One of the men turned and shouted at the waiter. “Irish whisky! A bottle!”

She smiled internally. No one bothered to order Irish whisky in London. The other man, who’d shouted earlier, bellowed in the waiter’s ear. “And hurry up!!”

The man who ordered the Irish whisky was now slowly scanning the club. Her initial instinct was that he was up to no good. Then he locked eyes with her…and her entire world just stopped. The music faded, she stopped dancing, and he just stared at her. She couldn’t move, she could barely breathe, and he didn’t break eye contact with her. He stared through her. He stared at her as if she were beautiful. She didn’t understand what was going on in this moment. The two men he was with were talking to him, but he kept looking at her. His concentration was only broken when Mario walked over to him with another bouncer and started talking to them. She could tell from the way his jaw clenched in irritation that something was wrong. The tension grew with the wail of the trumpet.

CRASH!!

A bottle got thrown at their table, and they jumped to their feet as someone shouted. “Peaky scum!!” The men on the table in front of her jumped, as did the others, and a fight broke out. The men were outnumbered, but that didn’t stop them from fighting. She stood there watching as people scrambled out of the way, screaming while the loud music played on. When a glass got thrown her way, she decided it was safer not to be a tall target. She got down, being careful not to break her ankle in these sky-high white heels.

She looked around; the dressing room was on the other side of the ballroom. That meant cutting dangerously close to the fight without getting caught up in it. Just as she was planning to go, she spotted one of the guests pull a gun and aim it at one of the men’s backs! She didn’t know why she did, but she just grabbed a fallen tray and slammed it upside the man’s head! He let out a groan and went down! The man turned around, revealing that he was the one who was staring at her. His eyes went from her to the man on the floor and the gun in his hand and then back to her. He moved towards her, breathing heavily with a cap in his hand and a mad look in his blue eyes.

He grabbed her by the arm and moved her to the outskirts of the fight. “Not safe here, sweetheart. Go outside. Now!”

She did. She didn’t know why she did, but she moved towards the front entrance. There was no fighting on the edge of the room, so she was able to make it all the way to the coat room area safely.

BANG!!

The sound of a shotgun going off caused her to jump. She spun around to see it was Mario firing his gun in the air. Mr Blue Eyes walked up to Mario, even though he was threatening him with the gun. “Get out.” Mario ordered coldly. ”.

That man was completely unintimidated as he walked up to Mario and stared down the barrel of the man’s shotgun. “Are you going to use that?” he asked quietly. However, his voice still ran inside the hall because it was so still. Mario, like the rest of the men, was stunned by his answer. The man shook his head as he stated. “Didn't think so.” He and Mario stared at each other a long time. Mario attempted to appear like he was the one in control because he had a shotgun, but he failed to impress.

The man turned towards his table and calmly picked up his hat, along with the bottle of whisky. The two men he was with also grabbed their hats and fell in formation with him. She realised in that moment that he had to be a soldier. Not only that, but the men with him were as well, and they all began to walk out of the club. “We came here not to make enemies.” The strange man announced with a shake of his head. “No!” She happened to notice the one man sneak a kiss from a girl standing there. “We came here to make new friends!” The other man kicked a body lying on the ground, clearly contradicting everything that he was saying. “Those of you who are last,” he said dramatically. “will soon be first. And those of you who are downtrodden will rise up.” He nodded as he surveyed the crowd. “You know where to find us.”

She stood there, watching as he and the two men with him walked by her. He put his hat on, paused and then turned to go back towards her. That man shifted his bottle from his right hand to his left. With his right, he gripped her chin, tilted her face up…and stole a kiss from her! Not just a kiss, her first kiss from her! Kate stood there; shock and an assortment of feelings flowed over her in confusion! He backed her up against the wall, the cold whisky bottle touching her exposed leg. She was grateful that he kept his other hand on her face because she really wasn’t wearing much of anything.

He broke the kiss and looked at her, breathing heavily. Dear God, those blue eyes of his were intimidating, and she could feel herself shaking as she stared at him. He inhaled deeply as he ran his thumb over her mouth. He nodded as he said. “Thanks for the help, sweetheart.”

She had…no words. She just stood there, shaking like a leaf on a tree in the dead of winter, and watched him leave the room. She didn’t know what to do or what to say. Every inch of her was warm, tingling and burning. When the door shut, everything came back to life, and business as usual resumed. She turned back into the room, and it occurred to her that she didn’t even know who he was or where he’d come from. She went backstage and changed back into her regular dress to work the coat closet. That’s what she’d been hired to do, and she wasn’t going to be standing on stage, gyrating for complete strangers anymore. Would it take her longer to pay back what she owed? Yes. But it didn’t matter. She was determined to leave this part of her life with her dignity intact.

“I think I’ve lost a tooth! I'll have none left at this rate!” Arthur proclaimed as they walked away from Sabini’s club. Thomas was barely listening to a word coming out of Arthur’s mouth. “Some f**king holiday this is!”

“Yeah?” he asked, playfully giving him a shove. “Are you all right without your f**king medicine, Arthur?” Arthur laughed at him as he handed him the bottle of whisky. “Here, this'll fix you.”

“Give me that!” Arthur said as he grabbed the bottle and proceeded to yell at someone walking by.

He turned to John. “You, John Boy, eh? How are you? Or should I ask your f**king wife?”

“Oh, give over!” John said with a laugh.

“No more talk of chickens, do you hear me?” He said as John let out a cackle that was somewhat chickenlike in its sound.

“f**k the chickens!” Arthur proclaimed.

“I've 50 quid in my pocket," he said firmly. “Let's paint the town, eh?”

John let out a loud whoop of his own as they moved back to the car. There were other places that they could go. “Hey Tommy!” He asked. “How was she?”

He didn’t react. “Who?”

“That dancer!” He asked.

“We both saw you, Tom!” Arthur added. “So, go on! What was she like?”

What was she like? He couldn’t really answer that because he didn’t really know. It was just a kiss; it wasn’t supposed to mean anything. But even now just thinking about her started making him throb. She was sweet and there was a scent about, like cinnamon and roses, that seemed to cling to his mouth. She tasted of Irish whisky. At first he thought it was from the bottle, but he hadn’t had a drink yet. She was perfection itself, and there was no way to describe her. She hadn’t fought him; he’d expected a smack afterwards, not for her to melt into his forward embrace. When he pulled apart and looked at her, those emerald green eyes sparkling under the lights…he’d nearly forgotten about Grace.

“Tommy! "Come on," Arthur said. “What was it like?”

He didn’t really want to talk about her; it didn’t seem right, but he had to give them something. He exhaled as he said. “Like drinking that whole bottle of whisky in one minute and then standing up.”

They hooted and hollered as he started the car up and drove to another establishment. He could always duck them later and circle back and see if she’d come out after work. All clubs closed at midnight, so, come 12:15, he’d be outside the back door waiting for her. She never showed left the club. When he grabbed the last girl to ask about her, what he'd been told made his blood run cold.

Sabini had sold her off underground to teach her a lesson for 'allowing the enemy' to kiss her. Thomas put a gun to the girl's head and told her to take him to where they'd taken her. He'd done plenty of terrible things, but he'd never allow a woman to be hurt for something that he did.

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Kate let out a scream behind the gag as her hands were tied tightly behind her back. She screamed again and tried to get free from the hands that were all over her body. Her clothes had been ripped from her body, and two men had stripped her naked. She’d managed to kick one in the balls, but it didn’t do any good. She was forced into revealing undergarments while enduring being forcibly touched, pinched and poked. After one of them bit her nipple, she bit his nose when he raised his head from her sore breast. She’d been slapped and then gagged.

She hadn’t been expecting this. There had been an objection that she wasn’t filling the spot as a dancer, but she stood firm. “I was hired to check coats. Not to dance atop a stage half-naked.” It had seemed to go well, and then she’d finished out her work easily enough. But then she collected her coat and started to go outside so she could return home. She’d been stopped by Mario and two other men.

“Who is Mr Shelby to you?” Mario asked.

She’d stared at him. “Nobody. I met him tonight.”

“Yet,” he said suspiciously. "You attacked one of Mr Sabini’s men for him.”

She hadn’t realised that. She inhaled as she said. “All the men in my family were soldiers.” She shook her head as she said. “You don’t shoot men in the back.”

"Nor do you turn on the hand that feeds you.” Mario said. “Especially to aid our enemy.”

She nodded curtly. “Understood. I shall restrain myself in the future.” She turned to walk away, and Mario nodded at the two guards. She’d been grabbed, causing her to demand. “What are you doing!?”

“Sabini doesn’t take betrayal well.” She stared at him in shock. “Especially when he has been gracious enough in allowing time for you to make allowances and time for your debt. But now…you must pay it back in full. Now.”

She felt the blood draining out of her face as she explained. “I do not have such a sum!”

“You do and you will.” Mario shot her a cold look as he said. “One of the dancers informed me…that you’ve not slept with a man yet.” The blood drained out of her entire body as she began to struggle to get free. “Men will pay dearly for that. Enough to get you out of debt.”

She shook her head. “No! I will not---

“And you don’t have a choice!” He shouted at her. “After that…you will be returned to Sabini, and you shall thank him for sparing your life.”

She spits in Mario’s face. “I’d rather die!”

Mario nodded and said. “I’ll relay your message to Sabini. Perhaps he will oblige you.” He nodded to the two men. “Take her to Lorenzo. Let him know that Sabini wants her back after she’s been broken in.

With that, she’d been dragged outside, thrown into a car and driven a short distance away. She was then dragged into an alley where they entered a brick building. It looked like a simple enough store, but a hidden door masquerading as a bookshelf was opened. She was dragged down some steps and past a room that was filled with dozens of men. She could hear an auctioneer actually auctioning off women! She was thrown in a room, and that’s when the two men entered and began removing her clothes. Now that she was ‘dressed’ to their wishes. She’d been dragged down a narrow corridor with a dozen other scantily clad women.

She kept looking for a way to break out, but so far she couldn’t see any way to get free. She was gagged, and her arms were bound so tightly that she had no wiggle room. She wouldn’t cry. She refused to cry because these weak, pathetic worms didn’t deserve her tears. Her heart began to pound faster as she got closer to the auction block. She heard the prices that the women were going for. Some were as low as 80 pounds, while some went as high as 150. She had no idea where she’d fit in. When she was shoved out onto the auction block, she felt like she was going to vomit.

“And here we have a present from Darby Sabini tonight!” She shot the man a warning look as he slapped her on the arse. “She’s quite the rare prize, for she happens to be one of the few virgins that we’ve got tonight.” He moved to undo the buttons on her underwear… And she headbutted him! The room let out a howl as the man grabbed his nose. One of the guards came out and slapped her. The auctioneer inhaled as he examined his nose. “Well, now you know why she’s still a virgin because no one wants to f**k that unless they’re crazy!” He inhaled and turned back to her. “Now, as I was saying,” he undid her shorts, and they landed on the floor. She stood there, half-naked, as anger, humiliation and panic began to overwhelm her. "She is a fine prize. Provided there’s a man out there who’s man enough to try and tame her.” He suddenly grabbed her around the waist and bent her forward as if he were going to f**k her from behind. “She’d be a great ride!!”

Oh, she’d teach him what a ride is.

He entered the auction room and scanned the place. It had been way too easy to get in here; security was non-existent. The room was small and dark, and it smelt of booze and tobacco. He’d waited to see if she showed up. If he’d missed her, he would regret it. He waited, and after two girls were led off the block, she turned up. He knew it was her because of that stare. She wasn’t as frightened as the other girls were. She was angry enough to fight, showing that she had a fighting spirit. That had been confirmed when she headbutted the auctioneer. She’d been hit after that, but she took the hit well without crying out. It made him wonder just how many times she’d been hit.

The auctioneer clearly had it in for her after the headbutt, for he’d started stripping her in front of the crowd. He hadn’t done that for the other girls, but he wanted to break this woman and humiliate her. But she wouldn’t break easily. He could see that in her eyes. The auctioneer bent her over, groping her breasts, and began to thrust against her as if she were a mare in heat. Suddenly, the auctioneer howled and moved away from her, clutching his balls. He frowned. How had she managed that with her hands behind her? Her foot went down… and he realised that this daft woman had kicked the man in the balls!! He nearly started laughing as she turned and kicked the man in the ribcage! He went down, and the guards went towards her. But they weren’t fast enough to stop her from crushing the man’s balls with her heel. Twice! Oh! She'd be fun if a man could win her favor.

All the men around him were groaning in complicit agony, and he could see from the looks on their faces that they weren’t about to jump into bed with her so quickly! That was good. It meant she’d go at a lower price than anticipated. The auctioneer was in no state to talk, so one of the men restraining her said. “We start the bidding at 50 pounds.” No one put their hands up. He waited to see if they’d drop the bidding. They did. “40 pounds!” Not a word. "Thirty-five."

No one wanted her. Good. Because he did. He put his hand out, and said. "200 pounds."

Her head shot up, and those green eyes of hers scanned the room looking for him. No one said anything. “Sold! For 200 pounds." That wasn't the order of things, but they somehow knew that no one was going to pay that much for her. He was fortunate to have that amount on him.

Perfect because he didn’t have much more than that on him. He stepped forward, opened his wallet and counted out the money. “Here.”

The guard counted it and nodded. “All yours. Don’t know why you’d want her.”

"I've handled horses. I know how to handle a mare in heat.” That head of hers shot forward, clearly intending to headbutt him, but he was ready for her. He caught her by the throat and stopped her, causing some of the men to cheer. He spoke in a voice low enough for her to hear. “You better not do that.” Those green eyes of hers flashed as he gave her a push back. She was brought off the auction block, and he grabbed her underwear and stuffed them in his pocket. She was hyperventilating now; he could see that panic in her eyes and hear her breathing rapidly behind the gag.

The guards led them to a small, dim room with just a cot in there. She got half-thrown onto the bed, her arse in the air and exposed to his gaze. He was a man after all. He noticed her. She had a creamy body, full of beautiful curves, and everything about her was in the right place. She rolled onto her side and looked at him, those eyes of hers flashing with a warning that she was going to kill him. He got out of his coat and nodded at the men. “Thank you.”

They nodded. “Sabini wants her back when you’re done.”

He nodded. "Alright, and thank you.” They walked out, and he locked the door. He really should have brought Arthur and John, because this was starting to become a crazy idea. He turned towards her and got out of his coat. She braced herself, and he shook his head. “It’s alright. "I'm not going to hurt you," she said, something behind the gag that sounded suspiciously like a curse. He exhaled. “I’m going to remove the gag. Try not to bite me or anything.”

She nodded, and he removed the gag. She let out a curse as she began working her sore jaw. She looked up at him, and recognition flashed in her eyes. She stared at him and said. “You!?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

She was confused as she asked. “W-what are you doing here?”

“Went to pick you up at Sabini’s. Got one of your co-workers to bring me down here.”

She looked up at him, and his heart stopped in his chest. God, she was so beautiful. Those eyes of hers. She looked at him. No, she stared through him. “So,” she asked hesitantly. "Why are you here?”

He didn’t know how to answer that question because he didn’t know. He studied her a moment and asked her. “Are you a whore?”

She jolted as she asked. “What?”

“Simple enough question. "Are you a whore?” She's stunned. Good. He wanted her to be that way. "Because if you’re not, you’re in the wrong place.”

“And where do you imagine the right place is?” She spits out, causing him to arch a brow. “In your bed? Under you whether I’m willing or not?”

"Never said where. But I am curious… What's a virgin doing in a whorehouse?"

“Would it?" she licked her lips. “have mattered to you, if I wasn’t?”

He shakes his head. “No, but let’s say it made me more inclined to help you.”

“Help me?” Her eyes lit up. “Are you going to help me?”

“Yes.” He takes her underwear from his pocket and hands it to her. “Turn around, I’m going to untie you. Alright?”

She nodded and did as he ordered. With a few twists, she was free, and she scrambled into her shorts. After cutting her free, he drapes his coat around her shoulders. "Thank you.”

“No problem," he exhales and offers her his arm. “Shall we go?”

“Go? Go where?”

“Well, I’m going home, and I don’t think you want to stay here, do you?” she shakes her head. “Thought not. I’ll put you up with my aunt. You’ll be safe with her.” She hesitated, and he said. “You can trust me.” After a long minute, she took his hand and he said. “Right, let’s get you out of here.” He opened there door…to see the bruised auctioneer and two guards waiting right outside the door.

Chapter Text

Kate took a few steps back, but this man held her hand tightly and didn’t back down. The auctioneer takes a few steps towards her rescuer, who instantly threatens him. “You try and stop me from walking out of here with her, and I’ll blow your f**king brains out.”

She knew he was intimidating as hell and dangerous. His voice unnerved her, but at least he was making it clear that she wasn’t going to be hurt on his watch. The guards straightened up as the auctioneer explained. “Sir, Mr Sabini wants her broken in. You don’t get to keep her afterwards.”

“I just bought her for 200 pounds.” He states calmly. “Tell Sabini she's not for sale. I got her fair and square.”

The man’s face falls as he realises that this isn’t going to be an easy transaction. “I am willing to pay you 400 pounds to give her back.” Kate inhales. That’s a huge amount. She looks up at him; he’s not even flinching. “500.” The man still shakes his head. “600.”

"No," he says firmly as he tightens his grip. “I’m not returning her.” Kate exhales and holds tightly onto him. “She’s under my protection now. She's safe. Now, get out of my way.” The guards step forward, and he says. “I bought her. That makes her my property. Sabini knows who I am. I was in his club earlier tonight.” THAT made all three of the men pause. “My brothers are out in the car. Shall I go get them?” Somehow, all of the men stepped aside and let him go. He nodded. “Tell Sabini, if he doesn’t want his property to go missing, then he shouldn’t have put her up for sale.”

No one said anything. He guided her quickly but calmly outside of that small building. She inhaled the scent of the ‘fresh’ air again. It was London. It had a weird, dirty and murky smell, but it was a hell of a lot better than the scent underground. He moved her towards a car, opened the door and then got in. She got in beside him and held the coat close to her body. For a while, neither of them spoke, but she did. “I need to go to my boarding house.”

He nods. “We’ll pick up your things, but you’re coming with me.”

She glowered at him. “I’m perfectly capable of---

“You wound up on an auction block.” He stated. “I’ve no doubt that you’re capable of defending yourself, but you still wound up there regardless.”

“Only because I didn’t have my gun!”

He smirked and said. “Don’t care. You’ll get your things, and you’re coming with me tonight.” She opened her mouth, and he cut her off. “They know where you live. All it takes is for one of them to realise that I could have taken you back here and you’d be dead.” He was right. She hated that he was right. “You’ll stay with me tonight.”

She didn’t know what that meant. She frowned. “I thought…you said that I’d stay with your aunt.”

"I don't live in London," he said simply. “We’re all in Birmingham. So, he won’t come down there looking for you.” He leaned back as he reached into his pocket for a cigarette. "How'd a girl like you wind up in a place like that?”

“A girl like me?” She enquired. “A whore?”

He shot her a look. “If the auctioneer was telling the truth, you’ve not let a man between your legs.” She didn’t like this. She didn’t like the way his words made her warm all over. “So. No. A whore, you’re not. She stiffened and turned away from him. “So, how’d you wind up working for Sabini?"

She was silent. She didn’t want to talk to him, but the fact of the matter was she was 200 pounds in debt with him now. She inhaled and said. “My father owed him 150 pounds, and he offered me employment to pay him back.”

“By dancing?”

"No," she said firmly. “I’m a coat check girl.”

“Didn’t see you checking any coats.”

Good God, he had no filter whatsoever! She exhaled as she said. “One of the girls had hurt herself,b and I was asked to fill in for her.”

"Makes sense.”

She glowered at him. “And what does that mean?”

“It means you can’t f**king dance.”

“Then why the hell were you staring at me?” She demanded the words falling from her lips before she could stop them from coming out.

He was silent before asking her. “Why were you looking back?” She couldn’t answer that question. They drove in silence for five minutes, and then he asked. “So, where’s your boarding house?”

“Two streets over.” She said without looking at him. She exhaled as she realised. “They took my purse.”

“Don’t worry.” He said. “Just go in, get your stuff and leave. Are you paid up for the month?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“So, you can leave.”

He was right. She went upstairs and managed to avoid being seen. He waited patiently outside her door and didn’t even attempt to force his way in or do anything because he ‘bought her’ for 200 pounds. She knew that she had to pay him back somehow; she just didn’t know how to do that. She came out with her bags, and he grabbed them without a word. She followed him down the stairs, left a note for Mrs Mayfair and got back in his car with him. He drove to a small but respectable-looking hotel, which put her ill at ease, but she knew that for the moment she didn’t have a choice. He went up some stairs to the second floor and then unlocked the door. He went in with the bags, and she didn’t have a choice but to follow him.

He nodded towards the room and said. “There’s the bed.”

She tried to ignore her rapidly beating heart. “So I can see.” It was a small room. Just a bed in the centre and a small bath off to the side. There was no couch or anything to lie on apart from the floor. “Where will I sleep?”

“In the bed.”

She bit her lip as she asked. “And you?”

“Same bed.”

She shook her head and turned to leave the room. “No.”

He closed the door in her face and locked it. “It’s late. I’m tired, and I don’t have any time for games.”

She glowered at him as she spat. “I am not sharing a bed with you!”

“Well, you don’t have any other choice.” He stated as he removed his coat and draped it on a chair. He began to remove his vest. “I’m not paying for another room, and you are already in debt to me. Also, it’s not a good idea to be in separate rooms if Sabini decides to come looking for you. So, we share the bed.”

"I'll sleep in the bathtub!” She declared.

He nodded. “Suit yourself!” Kate grabbed her bags and went to the bathroom. But when she entered…there was only a toilet, sink and vanity. F**k!! She turned around to see he’d already removed his shirt and vest. He nodded and said. “What side do you want?”

"I don't care!”

“Fine with me.” She slammed the bathroom door, and she could have sworn she heard him chuckle. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t have the money to buy another room to sleep in, and he is right. He has her over a barrel, and he knows it. She washes her face and thinks. She’s not putting on a nightdress, so she pulls out one of her oldest dresses and puts it on. She walks out of the bathroom to find him already in the bed. He’s got his shirt off, but from the way the covers are drawn around him, she can’t tell if he’s naked under them. "Do you always sleep fully dressed?”

"Oh, hush up!” She stated she walked over to the far side of the bed. “This is improper enough!”

"I've already seen you naked, so I don’t give a f**k."

She whirled around and demanded. “Has anyone called you a bastard?”

He didn’t even blink. “Multiple times. Now get out of that dress and get in the bed.” She didn’t move. He exhaled as he blew cigarette smoke in the air. “I won’t touch you. I saw what you did to that man already. Don’t think he’ll be able to piss, much less have sex again. "So, you don’t have to worry," he exhaled as he said. “I may look, but I won’t touch you.”

That was comforting and unnerving at the same time. Unnerving because he indicated that he had somewhat lecherous intentions on his side, but comforting to know that he already stated just how far he was willing to go. She inhaled as she asked. "And what assurances do I have that you won’t…rape me?” He shot her a look. “I’ve been threatened, assaulted and groped by men all night! So forgive me if I’m less than content to be getting into bed with you!”

He glanced at her before saying. “I give my word on the life of my sister and aunt that I won’t put a hand on you. And if I do, you can tell them when we get to Birmingham tomorrow, and they’ll hang me by my balls.” She looked deep into his eyes at those words. He remained calm and seemed as if he were being sincere. “If I wanted to hurt you,” he said. “I’d have done it back there and left you for Sabini. I didn’t have to be out 200 pounds.”

"I'll pay you back!” She said firmly. “When I get a job!”

“And I’ve got one for you.” He said offhandedly. “My brother owns a pub. We fired our barmaid and have been looking for another.” He studied her. "Are you interested?” She hesitated. “Make no mistake, this is business. I will give you the money to pay off Sabini. You will work at my pub to pay me back.”

Ok, she was starting to get a little more comfortable. “So, I will owe you 300 pounds?”

“Just the hundred," he states.

She frowns. “But, you bought me for 200.”

He nods calmly. “I’ll be getting it back this week.”

She nodded and said. “I’d still like to pay you back.” He opened his mouth, and she cut him off. “I insist. I’m not a charity waif.”

He nodded. “Suit yourself.

She finally asked the question that was on her mind. “And…would I be expected to sleep with you?”

He let out a sigh of irritation. “For tonight. Yes, we’ll share the bed. After that, you can stay in your own bed!”

She inhaled and said. “I’m asking…if I’m expected to have sex with you.”

He looked her dead in the eye and only said. “Only if you wanted to. If you want me to f**k you, then I’ll do it, but I don’t force women. Where’s the fun in forcing someone?”

She believed him. In that moment, she believed him. “Ok.” She hesitated and said. “I’ll be back.”

He nodded and let her go back into the bathroom. She stripped slowly out of all her clothes and got into a plain, overflowing white nightgown. She exhaled as she came out of the room. He was putting out his cigarette in the ashtray when he looked up at her. Once again, he had that familiar penetrative stare that she hated to acknowledge. She put her bags at the foot of the bed. She felt as if she were going to be sick as she drew the cover bag and got into the bed beside him. The room was fraught with tension, and she could barely breathe. He exhaled, and the bed shifted with his weight. She tensed and closed her eyes, trying not to let her imagination run wild with her.

Thump.

She turned to see that he’d wedged a pillow between them to act as a temporary barrier between them. She couldn’t help but smile at that. He exhaled and said. “Now go to sleep.”

“Ok.” She hesitated before asking the first question that they should have asked each other. “What’s your name?”

“Thomas Shelby.”

After a moment passed, she said. “Mine’s Katherine Carter.”

He nodded and said, “Go to sleep, Kate.”

She smiled. He was a strange man, and despite the close quarters, she was able to fall asleep peacefully. She felt assured that she would wake up safe and unmolested.

Chapter Text

The following morning,

He was hard. That was the first thing that he was aware of. He probably wouldn’t have been hard…if this woman weren’t draped over him. She tossed and turned a bit; that was expected. However, at some point in the night she’d knocked the pillow to the ground. At least, he assumed she did because the pillow wasn’t on his side of the bed. It was on her side, so she had to be the one who moved it. She was on top of him, and her left arm was wrapped around his waist. Her head was resting on his chest, and she was peaceful.

He didn’t know what to do. He suspected that she was one of those women who did NOT like to be woken up early. So, waking her up would undoubtedly mean a foul attitude, if not a punch to the balls or rib cage. She did have a stressful night and was bound to be exhausted. But despite her suspicions, he had a feeling that she trusted him. There was no other reason to explain her turning to him for comfort in her sleep. But that wasn’t what confused him so much about her. She was so warm and soft. His body couldn’t help but react to her nearness, and so did his mind. He felt calm somehow when he awoke this morning. A look at the clock…showed it to be 9:00 in the morning! He was surprised that Arthur and John hadn’t banged on his door yet.

BANG! BANG! BAN G!

Kate bolted up and elbowed him right in his stomach. He coughed, and she jolted, scrambling backwards until she fell out of the bed with a yelp! Her thud was muffled, so he guessed that she landed on her pillow. She let out a bewildered sound. “What the---

“Tommy!” Arthur said loudly, causing her to jump. “You in there?”

He exhaled and got out of the bed. “Yes, Arthur."

"Well, where the f**k are you?” He said. “John’s about ready to start eating his arm off out here!”

He opened the door, cracking it just a bit. Arthur and John tried peering in, but he blocked them and said. “Go downstairs. Get a table, and I’ll be down. Alright?”

“What’s the matter, Tommy?" John teased. “Got a girl in there?”

He rolled his eyes and said. "Downstairs." He closed the door and turned back to where Kate was. Or rather, had been. Somehow, she’d managed to make it to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. He cleared his throat and said. “You can come out. I sent them away.”

"I'm getting dressed!” She said with a fury that suggested that she wasn’t a morning person.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. Yeah, any man who married her would have to be reckoned with. He saw why physically a man would want her. Her attitude and temper left a lot to be desired, though. She was a woman of fire, and her tongue was sharp like a knife. He got dressed quietly, and no sooner had he pulled his coat on than she came out of the bathroom. She was wearing a sage-green embroidered dress. It was plain, but it fit her well. However, it didn’t flatter those curves that he knew were under there. He shook his head. He had no business to be thinking about those creamy thighs of hers, even if he had fantasised about them in his sleep.

She inhaled and moved to go grab her other bag. He nodded at her as she spoke. “I am ready.”

“Alright.” He grabbed one and stepped outside the room. “Let’s go.”

She mumbled something but followed him. They walked down to the dining room, and there were Arthur and John. “Tommy!” John said. “Everything on here is f**king." John’s face froze as he clearly saw Kate behind him. “Tommy?”

He ignored him and sat down and grabbed a menu. Kate stood there, waiting for some reason. “Er, Tom?” Arthur asked. “Who is this?”

"Kate," he said simply.

There was silence, and then Arthur asked. “Well, where’d she come from?”

He continued to browse the menu. “Darby Sabini.”

John choked as he said. “How’d you wind up with her?”

“And why the f**k is she standing there?” Arthur asked, causing him to look up at her.

He could tell from the stubborn tilt of her chin that she was annoyed. He didn’t know what. It was too early for him to get annoyed at her, but she was going to make her feelings known. “Sit down.”

She made a mocking expression. “I thought you’d never ask!” She sat down and took the menu from his hand. He exhaled and took the menu from Arthur.

There was a slightly awkward silence, and then Arthur cleared his throat. “You know that Poll is going to have questions.”

“We need a new barmaid," he said simply. “She’ll do.”

There was once again quiet. “Yeah, that didn’t work out so well, Tom.”

“Don’t care.” He said as he browsed the menu. He really wasn’t hungry, but he knew better than to skip eating when they had nearly a 3-hour drive to get back home. He tried to ignore Arthur’s words that were echoing in his head. He knew that hiring another barmaid was a risk after the disaster with Grace. But Grace was gone. She’d gone to America, and she wasn’t coming back. She’d gotten married, and regardless of her preying on his mind, he knew that this was probably going to end as just a disastrous mess.

“Bonjour, gentlemen." The waiter appeared from nowhere. "And lady.”

The sly tone with a not-so-subtle implication didn’t escape his notice. Kate, however, wasn’t in the mood for such things. She shot the man a look and said something to him that was sharp in French. Her tone was so sharp that Arthur and John straightened up in their seats. The waiter was instantly regretting his tone. He didn’t fully understand what Kate was saying, but he knew ‘eggs, bacon, tea and orange’. The waiter scarpered off as if she’d lit a fire under his arse.

They all looked at her as she sighed and rested her head in her hands. “I ordered breakfast for all of us. It’s done.’

They all nodded sheepishly. “Alright.”

She moaned and rubbed her head. None of them said anything, but the waiter arrived with a bicarbonate for her, which caused him to frown. “Stomachache?” She nodded and downed the bicarbonate quickly. She put her head back in her hands. He asked. “What’d you order?”

“Stop talking…for five minutes.” She said with her eyes closed.

He frowned. Headache. Nausea. Did she hit her head when she fell out of the bed? She said, 'Stop talking for five minutes,' so they all did. He didn’t know why they were all doing it, but it seemed safer for the moment. John wasn’t even thinking about saying something stupid or funny to lighten the mood. When she finally looked up, he saw it. A few spots of blood on the neck of her dress.

“You’re bleeding.”

She sighed and grabbed her napkin. “Thank you.” After a moment he got up and moved to her. “I’m fine.” He ignored her, and she smacked at him. “I said I’m fine.”

“Shut up.” She went stiff, obviously livid that he dared speak that way to her. He moved her napkin and saw a gash behind her ear. “You need stitches.”

“I’ll survive.”

“Not down in Small Heath.” He said. “You get an infection, and it won’t be pretty.”

“What makes you think Small Heath is dirtier than London?"

He exhaled tightly. He knew why she was irritated; her head was killing her, and he didn’t blame her. But did every word out of her mouth have to be an argument? Arthur spoke up. “The doctors down there…they’re not as clean. So, you might want it done up here.”

“After breakfast," she said quietly. “I ordered tea and told them to just send out a large platter of eggs, meat, and house rolls and to put orange juice in the strawberry cocktail.”

He moved to go back to his seat. “We look like men. Who drinks f**king strawberry cocktails?”

“No, which is why I ordered it," she said simply. “You eat it, not drink it. Just…continue with your business and leave me be.”

So they did. Arthur asked what they were going to do about Kimber. He said that they’d be joining Alfie Solomons' ranks, and Kate didn’t appear to be remotely interested in the conversation, so he knew her head had to be killing her. The food arrived, and Kate had been good with her order. They could all take what they wanted without an issue. He and Kate both kept glancing at each other as they filled their plates. Despite her head killing her, she ate heartily. The bill arrived, and while it was a bit expensive, the food was good. Before he could pay, Kate demanded to see the manager. The manager came over, and once again, she rattled off in French. The manager’s eyes bulged, and he smacked the waiter. He took the cheque from Thomas’s hand and crumpled it up.

Kate nodded and thanked the man. She exhaled and turned to them. “Right, we can go.”

“What’d you say?” John asked.

“I said", she inhaled as she got up. “I didn’t appreciate his waiter inferring that I was a whore because I was eating breakfast with my brothers. He comped the whole meal.”

“We aren't your brothers," John said.

"I'm not a whore either,” she said firmly. "And I didn’t appreciate the insinuation.”

John stared there, and he moved towards her. “Right, let’s get you to a doctor.”

The nearest doctor was fortunately close, and sure enough, Kate required 8 stitches. She took it well, not screaming or anything. He had the doctor give her something to help with the pain, as they had a long ride. The doctor said that she didn’t have a concussion, so he gave her something to help her sleep through it all. Kate fought the medication for a good 30 minutes before falling in a heap in his lap as he drove. From the sounds that were coming out of her mouth, she was asleep.

"She's finally out, Tom?” Arthur asked.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Jesus Christ, Tommy," John said. “How’d you f**king get her in your bed?”

“Nothing happened.” He said simply.

"Sure," John said dryly. “Then why’s she f**king here?”

“Because Kimber sold her.” He said. “I bought her for 200 pounds---

“200!?!?” Arthur shouted.

“What the f**k!" John said. "Poll will kill you.”

He shakes his head. “We’ll be fine.”

“No. No, you f**king won’t!” Arthur stared at him. “200 pounds, Tommy! Why’d you have that much on you?”

He exhaled as he said. “It is London. Never hurts to have more on you.”

“Why’d you buy her, Tom?” John asked. “She isn't like Lizzie."

No, she wasn’t. After a moment, Arthur asked. "What are you going to do with her, Tommy?”

“Like I said,” he exhaled. "Need a barmaid.”

There was a long moment of silence, and Arthur said. “You do remember…that the Garrison got f**king blown up, Tom? No work for her there.”

He hadn’t. f**k! She was going to shout at him something fierce when she woke up in Birmingham with no job and no way to get back to London. However, he had two hours to come up with an alternative to her working as a barmaid in a non-existent bar.

Author's note: I've turned the guest comments back on.

However, any harassment will not be tolerated. Those who have an issue can go somewhere else, but don't ruin things for the other guests. Normally I'd deal with whatever, but due to stuff going on in my personal life at the moment, I don't have the energy right now. Any problems and the comments go back off.