4

The following day was expected to go easier as the last few. My mind was still racing at the fact that I got an apology out of Tommy fucking Shelby. Magic is real, and in the palms of my hands clearly.

I went home with the thought of him, thinking about silly things like his parents and his family life. The wedding ring meant he was married which made me think of his lady. I got to imagining the life of Tommy. Pictured everything a certain way without my actually knowing a single thing about him.

On my way to work, I felt a bit off. A little nervous than before, and it was an emotion I can only describe as the sign of me knowing I'm going to see Tommy soon.

I was excited. Shy. Nervous.

All the things I would normally feel, had I been crushing on someone. Was I crushing on Tommy? I don't bloody know. Scratch that, I do fucking know. The answer was yes.

He has eyes the colour of the sky on a summers day. The face of a God who came straight from heaven. The voice is a man who can scoop me up into his arms.

I could almost hear my nagging subconscious, he choked you, with intentions of killing you. How can you be interested an a woman beater?

All questions I should ask myself. But as I swept mascara through my lashes and put on heels, was I thinking about that? Fuck no.

"Good morning Alene," the warden Grant says to me. He smirks, blushing at me. He's a little red man with a bald head. A bastard who tries to glance under nearly every woman's skirts. "You look ravishing."

"God." I roll my eyes. "Can't a woman wear heels and a little blusher without being ravishing?"

He laughs. "It's just that usually you look quite dead."

I get it, I'm being an arsehole. I deserved that.

"Can I help you with anything?" I ask, pushing my things into my little locker. I look down at Grant, who clears his throat.

"Yes actually," he licks his lips. "A gentleman is here from the church. A member called father Hughes."

"Okay?" I close my locker. "What's that got to do with me?"

"Well he asked for you specifically. I assumed maybe you two were acquainted."

"Acquainted?" I almost laugh seeing as I haven't been to church in over twenty years. Never once picked up a Bible either.

"Yes. He said he attending your wedding." Grant looks at me as if I am some sort of mad woman, he's almost certain this person attended my wedding when I know he didn't.

I turn and stare at Grant. My wedding that happened nearly ten years ago? The same wedding that only a handful of close family and friends were invited to? I almost laugh, that's impossible.

A voice is sounded from afar and before I can even turn my head does Grant smile widely and spin me around to face the person. "There he is, father Hughes, I found her." Grant, in his cunning ways disappears in the back, leaving Hughes and I alone.

Only then do I begin to imagine this man as the perpetrator who hurt Thomas in such a way.

"Hello." He says, extending a hand.

I am hesitant at first, his smirk alone is something that makes me worried. Not taking his hand, I look up into his lifeless eyes, "You told Grant you know me?" I tilt my head, "I don't recall us ever meeting."

"Perhaps you can allow me the privilege of rejogging your memory." He mentions the hallway. "Lets walk, shall we?"

Not denying him, and knowing I must make my rounds soon. I take my medical kit and head out, with him following close behind.

"I'm sorry to hear about your ex husband." He tells me, hands behind his back as he walks beside me.

I notice that we are heading downstairs, he seem to know exactly where we are going, which makes me question his intentions. Downstairs is of course where Tommy is.

I keep my cool, despite having a meltdown. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He scoffs. "Come on now Alene," He has his head up, confidently taking strides beside me. "Your husband who you seemingly loved, gave up on your marriage the moment he found out you couldn't do your job as a woman." He murmurs, revealing only what my immediate family know of. He leans in, "A woman who cannot reproduce is everything but woman, isn't that right?"

I stop the moment he stands before the doors of Tommy's room. I face him, spinning around so that we are literally face to face, and he is not able to wither himself into Tommy's room. My face burns, I want to crawl into a ball and hide away from the truth. But how can I?

You've got more to give, that's what my sister said when she got news that I was unable to reproduce a child of my own. The love my former husband and I had for each other was no match for the true love he had of wanting a child someday. Heartbreaking really, it was an ordeal that broke us.

"How do you know this about me?" I ask, looking up at him. "Who did you have to manipulate in order to find that out?"

He smirks, "Your secrets are nothing in a holy house such as the church. As a matter of fact," He puts his hand out, and with the back of his hand, he runs it over my cheek. I pull back, denying him. "Your mum was not a hard lady to confess. She practically showed up in confessional every day. She told me about your father, and how much he hit her. Told me that you took a liking to him. Daddy's girl. While you sister preferred the company of your mother." He nods, as if to confirm everything.

My face gives it all away, mums always been an avid and devoted Christian woman, she's always praised Jesus, despite the many difficulties he's brought to her life. An abusive husband who ended up in jail at least for half of his life. And then two snotty daughters, one who hated her - me, and one who loved her endlessly - my younger sister Gabby. I take a step back, hitting my back against the metal bars that protect us from Tommy.

"My mother only has one weak spot, and thats from you no good, lying Christians who feel superior to the innocent and feebleminded." I hiss, "You used her weakness to your advantage, but let me tell you something Father. I know just as much about you as you know about me. These underlying details of molestation and sexual assault that goes on behind closed doors of the churches. And although I cannot bare children, something tells me I won't go to hell for it." I reveal, looking into his eyes. "But you might, for knowing the things you know. And I'm not saying you partaking in such horrendous crimes against children but, if you do, I hope you die slow and painfully."

He frowns so deeply and shaken, I think he might hit me, Hughes stares down at me. "You're stronger than your mum, you should be proud of that." He says, nodding once. "Perhaps thats why, I heard there is a man here who you've been tending to."  As I stand there looking clueless of the fact that Father Hughes could potentially be the man Tommy was warning me about all along. "A man named Tommy Shelby."

"I don't know who that is." I reveal, trying to keep my calm. My medical kit is hooked around my fingers. I want to throw it at him, and run away. I press it close against me, creating a divider between myself and Hughes.

"No?" He smiles. "You're not lying to a man of God, are you?"

"Fuck God." I snicker, rolling my eyes. "And fuck you, you can shove all of that exploitation and trickery up your arse for all I care."

Hughes gets uptight, upset, he puts his hands up but I am too quick for him to touch me in any sort of way.

"Don't you dare put your fucking hands on me!" I snap, not too sure what I plan on doing with my hands in a knotted fist. "I swear, I'll scream."

Again, this amuses him. "Scream! Oh the inmates would love that I'm sure. A beautiful young lady like yourself crying out, it'll only arouse the beasts."

Shaking my head, I look up at him and sigh. "Hughes, please, your being quite ridiculous and I have work to attend to-" I try to walk around him, but he blocks my body from moving.

"Tell me where Tommy is." His chest puffs out.

"Who the hell is Tommy?!" I lie, just before he lunges at me.

Of course, me being thinner, shorter, and much more equipped of my surroundings, do I maneuver myself perfectly so that I duck under his arms and around him. I am quick to spin around but the moment I do, my cheek comes right in contact with the back of his hand. A slap to the cheek that nearly makes me sink the floor, my medical kit breaks open, and the first thing I set my eyes on, I reach for. A pair of scissors, harmless really unless I angle it right into his artery, killing him. But Hughes is on his feet and pushes his foot into my flattened hand, I cry out, looking up at him for mercy but he leans down and covers my mouth with his hand. That smirk embeds itself into my brain, like a cancer that won't go away.

"Listen 'ere girl, you think you're protecting the lad..."

My eyes widen at the figure behind Hughes, Tommy stands behind the bars, looking at me as if I'm a schoolchild whose gotten hurt. He pities me. I look back at Hughes, making sure to keep his attention on me. I swallow, tears in my eyes.

"This'll only backfire and if I find him somewhere in this prison," Hughes looks up and around before bringing his gaze back down to mine. "I promise you, Alene, I will break each one of your precious fingers and you'll be nothing ." Hughes warns me. "Do you understand?"

I nod, yelping like a dog the moment he pushes down on my fingers before finally letting go and I fall into a fetal position. I suck in a breath, grinding my teeth together as my eyes water. Pain pulses through my fingers, I can see my middle finger and ring finger just oozing of blood, I try to move my pinky, but I cant. I'm bent too far, I take my wrist with my other hand, looking at my fingers to conclude that I'll be out of work for days. Hughes walks away from me, and I let out a loud scream filled with regret, sadness, anger, desperation, I don't know, but as I look down at my semi-squished fingers do I hear the bars slide open and his feet in my eyesight.

I am lifted up into his arms, and I weakly open my eyes to see Thomas's blue eyes glisten. He stares down at me, murmuring something, but I can only hear a buzzing in my ear. I'm in shock, I know this, but as the tears roll down my cheeks do I stare at his moving lips.

I got you, I've got you. You're okay. You're going to be fine. I've got you, Alene.