The Warning

Polly sat at her dining room table shifting on her seat and occasionally flicking her unused cigarette in the ashtray. She watched him with the persistence of a hawk ready for the mouse to move. He just sat gathering his thoughts which she guessed kept dropping out of his hands clumsily rolling everywhere. He was thinking too hard. He was scared, upset and unable to voice it.

"Right, well I took off work which means I'm not being paid to sit here in silence while we waste time." Her abruptness and honesty surprised her son David. He'd sat in a chair several feet away from her and the table. He'd been hunched over his arms reclined on his knees deep in his own worries. She'd seen this before in his father. It yielded nothing of use, unless he grabbed the thought and started untangling it.

"It's okay luv, your father had a hard time voicing his thoughts when they were heavily entwined with emotion. Tell me the problem then we'll sort it out around everything else, yeah?" She took a long deep drag seeing if he could talk. This was getting tedious. She knew the men would be home soon and she'd heard about the run in at the club from Devlin.

David had called her and asked for a meeting. She barely heard from him and she had gathered from her conversation with Dev and Winter, well the way they dogged answering questions about David's commitment to knowing his mother, rather, that he was angry with her about her illegal dealings, his years in the orphanage and so on.

She wished he would bring it up so she could set the record straight. She didn't care if he believed her, but damn him if he was going to live in a fantasy that she did any of it with the intention of losing the four people she loved most in the entire world. He'll, she was still trying to find Michael and Anna.

Tommy had suggested asking David to use his influence to send out inquiries about her other two children. She squinted and really looked at him.

She had a feeling his problems at the moment had to do with the three ambitious men in her life that she was forever trying to keep up with, she'd given up keeping them in line. She was stubborn but not stupid. She knew when she was facing a losing battle.

She still wasn't sure if her desire to know David was one of those battles yet. She'd try to be patient but even she knew she wouldn't live forever.

"David, either you say one word...or I'm getting up to go to the betting shop and working so that I can get paid and eat this week. Looking at your suits and fancy shoes, I know money isn't something you have to think about right now." She had intentionally added the last part to piss him off. She knew he had pride in being his own man and using his education to his advantage. He sat up straight as she had predicted.

"What are Tommy's plans and why do they involve us? Why London?" David's tone was no nonsense and so was his stiff demeanor. Polly smirked at her son, so he did have a little of his mother in him after all.

"I can't tell you what Tom thinks anymore. Since France he just makes up his own plans and thinks when he barks orders we all listen." She sat forward leaning towards him. She had an idea.

"His woman, at the Garrison, would be your best bet but you'll have to be careful with her. I don't trust her and she's cautious with her words." Polly meant it for the warning to be taken seriously. She really was concerned about Grace constantly. She was never wrong about her sense of people. EVER.

"You may actually know her." She added hastily but it had been intentional. David seemed intrigued, his brow furrowed and he leaned toward her unintentionally.

God, he was a carbon copy of his father. Dev had more chiseled features like Tommy but David, David was a spitting image of his dad.

"How?" She smiled knowing that by getting him to ask her questions, she and him engaged in conversation now. It would be easier for him to talk to her. Truly it was already easier since Peggy wasn't around.

"Tommy employed a posh girl from Galloway, supposedly that's where she is from.....I'm still unsure of her intentions." She sat back and waited for him to speak. He was thinking but the cogs were turning smoothly this time not junked up by overthinking. So much like his father she mused to herself.

"Unless she lost her money, what is she doing here..let alone working here, in Birmingham?" He asked, puzzled. He couldn't put it together either. " Had Tommy even gone to Galloway where maybe she saw him and thought to follow?" Wow, he was smart. His mother had thought the same things.

"No, not as far as any of us know and Tommy has denied ever going. It would be too far for him to slip away unnoticed for long since he's a part of two businesses. One of us would notice." she flicked her cigarette and offered him one. To her surprise he took it from her. She wasn't sure if he'd smoked or not. He was starting to get comfortable.

"None of us can find out. Your cousin put in an inquiry, she lied to him about working in a bar and leaving cause she'd been pregnant, although I'm guessing that last part was Tommy's assumption due to lack of evidence." She watched the emotions flick across his face. He was firmly invested in his own intrigue, a quality that came from her and her alone.

"We'll unless she's black listed for government reasons ... .there will be a trail. You have a name?" He asked her pointedly.

"I do, hand me my pen and pencil on the table next to the couch please." She sat waiting as he glanced around her table for a notepad and pencil. He turned to her smiling and victorious. She stilled her heart.

"Here, please be discreet. Tommy is falling in love with her even though I'm pretty sure he isn't even aware that he is yet. Her name is Grace Burgess" They smiled at each other. If he knew the name he didn't let on. No changes in him to indicate he'd ever heard the name or met her before.

"I'll ask. Do you think any little news on her would possibly disrupt him from his plans on taking over my and Dev's territory in London?" He asked, tapping his hand on the table and cocking his head. He was getting confident now. A slow uneasy feeling flooded her body. She needed to find out why she was unsettled now. Perhaps she was just now noticing that he was too confident out of the blue.

"Only momentarily. Like you, when Tommy sets his mind on his ambitions. There is no stopping him from successfully climbing." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. He was smirking at her now. Great, he did have the Shelby devilment to him. Her eyes widened at the realization that if he and Tommy ever saw eye to eye, there would be no stopping the dynamic duo. It was truly a terrifying thought with David's position in society coupled with Tommy's drive to be successful.

"Your brother seems to have the drive in him too. You're hardworking, loyal boys." She patted his hand but stilled again when his smirk turned dark and dreary. There was a darkness and maliciousness to him. Maybe that had been what dev was warning her about.

"Watch Devlin on the loyalty part, he's only loyal to Winter." He stated it like it was a common fact. No emotion in it at all.

"She's that good of a fuck?" Her question made David laugh, he sounded like his father even. He seems to soften at her boldness.

"Even before they fucked he was loyal to her. They slept in the same beds even though the nuns tried to beat them and separate them for it. Every night until he left. He's so blinded by her, he lives for her, breathes and works for her...no doubt would kill for her." Polly nodded. She'd thought that herself when he spoke about her. She still hadn't meant the magnetic star yet. She just knew Devlin was completely and totally enamored with her.

"I'll keep that in mind. So besides wanting to know what Tommy is up to, do you want some lunch? I'm hungry and about to get grouchy." To her surprise he nodded and offered his arm. He placed his hat on his head and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.

"I'm picking the place though." He added. She arched her brow in jest.

"Then I hope you're paying, God knows you're too expensive for me, especially losing pay today." she smiled and walked past him as he laughed at her. She was glad for his visit. Even though now she was more concerned with all her men then she'd been before.

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David sauntered into the Garrison. It was busy, he wasn't surprised but it may make it harder to talk to the target of his inquiry if she was busy. He sat down at the bar making sure he was being seen in her peripheral. She looked him up and down, wary of him.

"What can I get you, I haven't seen you around here." She said nicely with a small smile on her face. He knew she was just being polite. Her thick Irish accent sounded clean and polished, mum was right. She wasn't a commoner nor was she from around here.

"I usually go as far as my mums but she recommended this place. Guess my cousins own it." He said smiling trying to be debonair and charming.

"Your cousins?" Her head tilted to the side as she questioned him. She was really searching his face. He knew he looked like them. Her eyes widened and she handed him whiskey. Brown. He frowned but smiled at her when she looked at him. He was used to white.

"Yes, Your grace right? My cousin Tommy has mentioned you. Down played your beauty though. Probably wants to keep you for himself" He winked at her. He'd slipped his ring into his pocket before he'd come in. Luckily he didn't have a crease on his left finger from it being so fitted. She had checked and looked. She blushed, he had her open to conversation now.

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" So how is your night going? Do you need me to drive down and distract you?" His mothers voice drifted through the phone. She'd remembered that Winter was gone now for a few weeks. They'd only been married a few months and parted for three years prior. He was trying to do well on his own again. He knew she'd be back but....

"Distract me, yes, you don't need to drive over here. It's like a three hour drive, mum." He chuckled as she scoffed. He could "see" her rolling her eyes.

"Your brother drove over here today, surprised me." He could tell from the little lit in her voice that she'd enjoyed the visit. David had been distant. Dev was on high alert now.

"Yeah." He said flatly hoping she'd pick up on the tension in his voice. He could feel his stomach tightening.

"Yes, he was upset with Tommy and his plans for London, whatever the hell they are. I was pleasantly surprised that he dropped by to talk." She was guarded now choosing her words carefully. God, he hated this.

"Just...watch what you say. David hasn't done anything without a reason for awhile. Since he got adopted and fell into high society he'll do anything to protect his....position." He waited for a few minutes wondering if the line went dead.

"Hello?"

"It's funny that, he warned me today that you were only loyal to one person. You two aren't as close as you first appeared are you?" She questioned him; her voice was low and careful.

Dev muttered something about dick and something else she couldn't fully decipher.

" Mum you don't understand, David is smart, take you and multiply your smarts by two with Tommy's intelligence. He can play people like a violin and he will. He turned at the Orphanage. Probably a bit my fault. You see, he was a good kid so the nuns and families showered him with praise, sweets and affections. I think their perceptions started to turn him sour. He went from praying for you and us all to being together for praying for a good family away from the Shelby/Grey line. They manipulated him I guess is what I'm trying to say." Devlin hated telling her this. He sounded like he was trying to bad mouth his brother. He wasn't, he just knew what the other could be like. It was smart to err on caution.

"We'll interesting. I take it you were the bad kid then by their high and mighty standards." She had her warmth back and a laugh in her tone. He took an exhale.

"Fuck yeah." He said proudly. He earned some of those punishments.

"You definitely have Shelby's arrogance in you." she said laughing with him.

"Oh, I was told every day mum. Every day." He added cheekily.

"We'll, " I told him about Grace, asking for help finding out about her background. Figured he had higher up connections." Devlin just grunted in response. Why was he helping his mum out? Dev shook his head. Maybe he was getting over it. He just couldn't shake the dread.

"You don't like her, this Grace? Damn, glad you like my wife." Dev knew his mother was an honest person and perhaps like him, too honest.

"I've only spoken to your wife but she seems like a genuine girl. I only get warmth from her. Grace is different. All she does is lie. I don't dislike her, honestly I don't. I just want to make sure your cousin doesn't get hurt." She stated. Devlin understood.

"Well I'm going to head out., I gotta do some jobs tonight." He took any job he could so he wasn't thinking about her or missing her. He planned to drag himself into this house and collapse in exhaustion.

"Legal ones?" she grumbled at him. She already knew the answer to her own question.

"G'night mum. Thanks for calling." He laughed as she cursed at him. He hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket. He was looking forward to not thinking for a bit.