Chapter Thirty Three
"It's you, Michael."

Arabella squirmed uncomfortably, squished tightly between Ada and Isaiah in the back of the Bentley. They were on their way to the hospital to attend one of Tommy's business meetings, and Arabella was very hungover.

"You look terrible," Ada commented, watching her with both a mixture of concern and amusement.

Arabella groaned in response, leaning her heavy head against Isaiah's shoulder. She'd taken Bonnie Gold up on his drinks offer, and ended up getting absolutely plastered.

When Isaiah came knocking on her door in the morning to say they were ready to leave, she'd barely been in bed a few hours. Arabella had eventually dragged herself out of bed, thrown on a dress and left the room without even looking in the mirror. Apparently, that wasn't a great idea, but it was better than getting told off by Polly for being late.

"Been out drinking all night with Aberama's son," Isaiah piped up, teasingly nudging her. He earned a hard slap on his arm in response.

Ada's jaw dropped. "Arabella!"

"What?" She mumbled. "Tommy asked me to."

"Well it's about time you had some fun," Ada said, a grin playing on her lips. "He is quite handsome," she admitted. "So did you..."

"No!" Arabella shook her head firmly, hurriedly dismissing the assumption. "I'm not into him like that. Tommy asked me to get to know him a bit, so I did." She shrugged nonchalantly, lifting her head up from Isaiah's shoulder as the car began to slow to a stop. "He's a nice guy, and he can bloody drink for England, but I'm not interested in him."

"Struggle to keep up, did you?" Isaiah teased.

"No, Isaiah, when it comes to alcohol, I never struggle," she said, patting his shoulder. Ada chuckled, knowing that was very well true. For somebody so small, Arabella sure could drink.

Isaiah moved to open the car door, holding it for Arabella. She stepped out, wobbling a little in her heels, her balance still unsteady from the night before. "Need a hand?"

"I can walk perfectly fine on my own," she told Isaiah, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. His faint laughter could be heard as she stumbled her way towards the hospital entrance, where Lizzie stood waiting for them.

"So, this is just to make things official," Polly began as they started to head into the hospital. Isaiah and the Lee boys lagged a little behind, keeping a close eye on the four women.

"Your official return to the company payroll," Ada affirmed. "So no more talk of New Year's resolutions or Tommy might change his mind."

"What New Year's resolution?" Lizzie asked, the very question on Arabella's mind too.

"Never mind," Ada dismissed.

"I think Ada's trying to tell me to behave myself," Polly said, glancing at her niece.

"Yeah," Ada agreed. "Behave yourself."

"Behave myself or what?" Polly challenged, slowing down. "Behave myself or fucking what?"

Arabella and Lizzie shared an uncomfortable look, whilst Ada sighed, turning to face her aunt. "Ok, Polly, I'll tell you the truth. After your recent troubles, Tommy asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Troubles?" Polly asked in disbelief. "Whilst working for this company, I have killed a man, I have lost a man, I have found a son, I have nearly lost a son, I have nearly lost my own life," she listed. "Now, I will accept my job back, if the terms on offer are favourable, but I will not behave myself." Polly turned away from Ada, striding into Michael's hospital room. Ada glanced at Arabella and Lizzie, her eyes widening in annoyance. "Sorry I'm late," Polly's stated, announcing her presence.

Tommy turned around, glancing between the four women. "Where's Arthur?"

"Do I look like his fucking mother?"

Arabella pulled out a seat, slinging her coat around the back of the chair. As she sat down, she met Michael's gaze from across the table, unable to help herself do anything but smile when she saw him. This was the first time she'd seen him out of bed.

"You look great," she told him, her enthusiasm causing him to smile in response.

"Thanks."

Ada glanced between the two of them, smiling to herself as everything began to click. So this was why Arabella wasn't interested in Bonnie Gold.

"Right, before we start this extraordinary general meeting of the board of the Shelby Company Limited, I'd like to note the absence of the Deputy Vice President, who has not yet arrived. We'll continue without his presence," Tommy began, clearing his throat before handing out papers to the five of them. "Item number one. The reinstatement of the Shelby Company Limited company treasurer. The board welcomes back the former treasure, with generously improved terms and conditions. Due to the exceptionally difficult circumstances the company now finds itself in, the proposed treasurer will now check the terms and conditions, to see if they are in order."

"Item number two, the reinstatement of Co-Company Accountant," Tommy continued. Michael snapped his head up, looking over at Arabella in surprise. She hadn't told him she'd taken the job back. "The board welcomes back the former Company Accountant, and during the absence of Company Accountant partner, due to ill health, all responsibility for the keeping of the Company Accounts pass to them."

Arabella smiles softly, glancing up at Michael to catch his reaction. He raised his eyebrows at her, a little annoyed that she hadn't mentioned it to him beforehand, but too pleased to be working with her again to care.

Tommy passed Arabella a pen, and she began to sign at the bottom of the papers whilst he continued on. "Item number three. The Company Treasurer, having read the terms and condition, lodges a signed contract of employment agreeing to the terms and conditions with the temporary head of accounts. All those in favour of the reinstatement of Mrs Elizabeth Gray to the position of The Shelby Company treasurer, please raise your hands."

Everybody's hands raised.

"Why, goodness," Polly said as she looked around the room. "Thank you."

"Any other business?" Tommy asked, waiting about half a second before continuing. "Right, I declare this extraordinary general meeting over. Now we talk about the real business, but, for that, we need Arthur." He exhaled heavily. "Where the fuck is Arthur?"

After almost an hour, everybody had become restless, and the general conversations were dying a very slow and painful death. Not to mention the majority of the awkward silences were taken up by Arabella's stomach growling, since she hadn't had the time for breakfast.

"Sorry, ladies." One of the nurses popped her head around the door, indicating to the cigarette held in Lizzie's hands. "There's no smoking in here."

"Yes, love, we know," Polly smiled.

"All right," Tommy spoke up, checking his watch for the umpteenth time. "He's an hour late. Fuck him. This business directly affects Arthur, but he's not here, so we'll take a vote without him."

"What business?" Ada questioned.

"Official business that wasn't on your agenda, Ada," Polly responded bluntly.

"An informant told us that six years ago Luca Changretta came from New York to Birmingham to be best man at his cousin's wedding," Tommy explained.

"We found out that they used Reid and Dunn in Broadgate for the photographs," Polly added, placing a picture down in the middle of the table. "The photographer kept the negatives. I persuaded him to give us copies and to enlarge this one." Everybody leaned in to take a look. "That is Luca Changretta."

Arabella's chest began to tighten as she stared down at the photograph. This was the man who'd killed John. She turned her head away, swallowing the lump thickening in her throat.

"I've seen his face, so I could pick him out," Tommy said. "Half the men in the photograph are Changrettas, which means the chances are they're the men will come kill us. We need to get both these photographs into pubs and on street corners, and put it about that there's a reward for information."

Tommy and Polly exchanges a brief look. "We also propose that we give a copy of this photograph to Mr Aberama Gold," Polly said.

"We need to forget the idea that it has to be Arthur that pulls the trigger," Tommy added. "Tradition will just fuck us up."

"We should wait for Arthur," Ada insisted.

"Arthur's not here, Ada," Polly reminded.

"We need Luca Changretta dead," Tommy stated. "That's it."

"Dropping the law of the bullet is part of the process of modernisation that I was working on before I were–" Polly cut off, pausing briefly. "Before I was executed."

"You weren't executed, Pol," Michael spoke up. Arabella's eyes widened at his term of address.

"What did you call me?" Polly retorted. Arabella and Ada shared an uncomfortable look across the table. Michael's eyes shifted away from his mother.

"Right," Tommy interjected. "Let's take a vote. I'll deal with Arthur. All those in favour of giving the photographs to Mr Gold raise your hand."

Arabella's hand immediately shot up, everybody else in the room following, albeit slightly reluctantly from Ada.

Tommy nodded. "Then it will be done."

"Mum–"

"Oh, 'mum' now, is it?" Polly bit back at Michael. "I smelt perfume when I came in here."

"Yeah, it was the flowers," Tommy said quickly. Arabella rolled her eyes. "Right, that's it."

"Who came in here, Michael?" Polly pressed.

"The truth is, Polly," Tommy began, appearing agitated by her line of questioning. "The woman that raised him came in here. She has every right to come in here. She brought him fucking apples and she left. We're in the middle of a vendetta and Arthur's missing," he reminded, standing to put his coat on. "We need to find him. Concentrate on what unites us. This is all temporary."

"Yeah, temporary, right," Polly said bitterly, eyes narrowing as she moved past, leaving the room.

Everybody else began to rise from their chairs, putting their coats back on, except from Arabella. "I'm gonna stay for a bit," she announced, looking towards Michael.

"I'll tell Isaiah to wait for you," Ada said, glancing between the two of them. She saw the way Michael's eyes brightened at Arabella's words and couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks," Arabella said, moving her chair to face Michael properly.

"Oh, Arabella, how did it go with Aberama's son last night?" Tommy asked, pausing by the doorway.

She turned her head to face him, missing the way Michael's entire expression fell. "Good," she replied vaguely. Tommy looked at her, as if waiting for her to elaborate. "We had a few drinks."

"Good," Tommy said, sticking a cigarette between his teeth. "Keep working on that. See you later."

Arabella turned back around to find Michael staring intently at her. "Everything ok?" She asked.

"Fine."

Arabella frowned, slightly hurt by his flat tone, expecting Michael to be happy to have some company. Maybe she'd thought wrong. "I'm sorry I didn't visit yesterday, I was–"

"With Aberama's son," Michael interrupted, shifting his gaze away from her. "I heard."

Arabella quirked an eyebrow. "Actually, I was looking after Karl for most of the day. I met up with Bonnie in the evening."

"Ah," Michael said with a slight sneer, turning his head away from her briefly. "Bonnie."

Arabella folded her arms over her chest. "What's your problem?"

He shook his head "I haven't got a problem, Arabella."

She scoffed. "You clearly have, Michael."

"I haven't. Who you spend your nights with is none of my business," he bit back.

Arabella's breath caught in her throat as she released what he was insinuating. Michael winced as the words left his mouth, averting his eyes so not to see the hurt reaction on Arabella's face.

"Is that really what you think of me?"

Michael was aware that he should have immediately replied no, because he didn't view her like that, not one bit, but for some reason his mouth was completely clamped shut.

"Okay then," Arabella stood, hurt clear in her voice. Michael closed his eyes, willing himself to say something to make it better. "I'll be going then."

She picked up her coat, part of her expecting Michael to stop her from leaving, so she couldn't help but feel disappointment washing over her when he continued to stare in the other direction, not saying a word. Arabella watched him for a moment longer, silently pleading with him to ask her to stay, but she got nothing. Finally, she gave in and turned around, heading towards the door.

"Wait."

She paused in the middle of the doorway, slowly turning back around. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry," Michael sighed, moving his wheelchair around the table. "I didn't mean anything by that." Arabella was silent, and Michael was beginning to feel embarrassed at the way he'd reacted. "I'm sorry."

Arabella released a heavy sigh, moving back towards the table. "It's okay." Michael watched as she approached him. "But, uh, just so you know, Tommy was the one who asked me to get close to Bonnie. I'm not actually interested in him like that."

"Good," the word slipped form Michael's mouth before he could stop it. Arabella's lips twitched. "I mean, that's, fine. Do what you want, you know?"

"Michael," Arabella began, taking another step towards him. "I'm not interested in Bonnie because I like someone else."

Michael swallowed heavily, eyes glancing over her, taking in her appearance. "Well, uh, whoever he is..."

He stared up at her as his words trailed off, about a million thoughts running through his mind, until she placed her hands either side of his face. "It's you, Michael."

And that was all he needed.

He moved his hands to her hips, gently tugging her towards him. Arabella smiled as he pulled her onto his lap, his eyes searching hers for a few moments, taking her in properly.

If she'd hadn't told him, Michael would have definitely guessed she'd had a late night out. There were still remnants of her makeup on her face, a few tiny spots of black mascara underneath her tired eyes. Her hair was wilder than usual, and when he tucked a strand of it behind her ear, he noticed she only had an earring in one of her ears, rather than both.

Michael couldn't help but chuckle, his eyes flickering over her face as her nose began to scrunch up in confusion. "What?"

"You're beautiful."

Their gazes held for a tentative moment. Arabella slowly began to lean in, pressing her lips to his. Michael smiled into the kiss, pulling back for a moment to clasp his hands either side of Arabella's face. Their eyes searched one another's once more before he pulled her into a passionate kiss. Her eyes closed, and so did is, allowing each other to melt into their embrace. It was different to the kiss they'd shared on Christmas Eve. It was tender, and soft, and full of so much more meaning. This was the kiss Michael had waited fucking years for.

They both pulled apart, eyes slowly fluttering open, staring deeply at each other. Michael saw everything he wanted in Arabella's eyes; everything he'd ever want and more. It was time to admit that he was falling in love with her.

"I really like you, Arabella," he whispered lowly, his voice deep and husky. Arabella's eyes blissfully closed as he leaned in again, soft kisses grazing against her neck. She replayed the way he said her name over in her head, how he prolonged the letters, as if savouring them.

Arabella slowly drew back, Michael's hand moving to rest below her ear, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. She ran her fingers down his chest, slowly leaning back in and pressing a kiss below his earlobe. "I really like you too, Michael Gray."

A/N

Am screaming