XIV. Dead man's heart.

⚠18+!!!!!Smutish scene and mature language at the end!!!⚠

After Daniel talked with Maude that morning, Henry decided to make one final attempt at getting his sister to eat or drink something. He started off small, bringing her a cup of tea while she sat in bed. She watched him as he slowly pushed her bedroom door open, eyeing her cautiously as he entered her room, setting the cup down on her nightstand.

Maude eyed the cup before turning to her brother with a quirked eyebrow. "Since when do I get tea in bed?" She asked softly, the smallest hint of teasing in her voice.

"Thought you'd need it," Henry said, resting his hands on his hips as he stared down at her. "I know something bad happened." He muttered softly, eyebrows furrowing as his gaze fell down to the ground. "You don't have to tell me, but I want you to know I'm here for you, Maude." He said softly before reaching down and giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'll always be here for you."

Maude stared up at him with furrowed eyebrows, her lips pulled into a deep frown. "If I tell you, you can't get angry." She pleaded as she shook her head at him. "You can't do anything." She added.

"What happened?" He asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed, turning his body to face her.

"Promise me." She demanded as she stared at her brother with pleading eyes.

"I promise." He replied with a soft sigh, knowing he'd regret making that promise because his sister only ever made him do it when she knew he'd get angry at someone. He grabbed onto her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "Please tell me, I'm getting sick with worry." He begged her.

Maude went silent for a second as she stared at her brother, eyebrows deeply furrowed, picking at her nails, and fresh tears pooling in her eyes. She took a deep and shaky breath before speaking. "I shot someone the other night." She informed him softly.

Henry's breath hitched, his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach as he stared at her with wide eyes. "What?" He asked softly, eyebrows knitting together as he shook his head in confusion.

"I was with Tommy in the Garrison, for a meeting with two Irish men." She explained vaguely, knowing her older brother was a lot more attentive to details than her younger brother. "They tried to kill Tommy, and I shot one of them." She added softly as his gaze flicked down to her lap.

Henry was silent for a second, gaze flicking around as he processed every word his sister had just said. He looked at her, eyebrows deeply furrowed and eyes filled with concern. "Maude..." He whispered, his mouth falling shut as he struggled to find the right words to say to her.

"I can't tell you everything, but I want you to know, I did what I had to." She told him as her gaze flicked up to meet his again. Henry silently stared at her, slowly shaking his head as he was filled with concern and worry. "I'm alright, Henry." She assured him as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'm alright." She whispered as his arms wrapped around her, hugging her protectively against his body.

It was only the following day, Monday afternoon, that Maude came out of her bedroom while her brothers were at work. She was sitting in the living room, drinking a cup of piping hot tea as she stared blankly at the fireplace, watching the flames.

A knock pulled her attention away from the flames. She put down her tea and went to open the door, eyebrows furrowing as Tommy rushed into her home. "I'm gonna have to lie low for a while." He informed her.

Her eyebrows furrowed even further, confused. "Why?" She asked softly.

Tommy let out a deep sigh as he shook his head. "I lost my bargaining power." He explained. This copper, it's just me and him now." He added.

Maude's eyes widen in realization. "They found the guns?" She asked, stomach knotting as she thought about what this meant for them, for Tommy.

"Yes." He confirmed with a nod of his head before reaching his hands out and taking hold of her waist, pulling her close t him. "When I get back, I wanna tell you some things." He informed her as he gave her waist a soft squeeze.

"You are leaving the city?" She asked as she raised her furrowed eyebrows at him, her hands reaching up to press against his chest.

He nodded his head in confirmation. "Only for a little while." He assured her softly as one of his hands moved up to cup her cheek.

"Take me with you." She pleaded with him, silent for a second before she reached up, placing her hand on top of his as she continued. "Take me with you and then you can have your say." She insisted, her eyes silently pleading with him.

Tommy slowly shook his head. "Your brothers-" He tried to reason with her, knowing her brother would be pissed to know he has dragged her into his business once again. While neither of them said anything to him, he knew they were aware of what happened at the Garrison.

"Fuck my brothers." She cut Tommy off as she shook her head. "Take me with you." She pleaded and when he was silent for a second, she reasoned with him. "You think I will be safe from these coppers?" She asked as she raised her eyebrows, knowing they could get to her for what she had done in the Garrison.

Tommy knew as well as he grabbed her hand. "Come on." He insisted, pulling her with him as he rushed out of the house and lead her to his car.

He drove off, leaving Birmingham. It was nearly dark when Tommy drove onto a secluded road leading into the woods. A few minutes in and they came to a stop in front of an old run-down cabin, that the Peaky Blinders used to hide out in whenever needed. Tommy helped her out of the car and lead her inside.

Maude walked around the cabin, eyeing the old and dusty furniture. It looked like no one had been there since before the war. At least not a maid, she thought as she wiped her finger across a bookshelf in the corner of the room, painting her finger black with the thick dust. "Well, at least it has a roof and four walls." She muttered as she glanced at Tommy over her shoulder, watching as he lit a few candles to light the house up.

"We'll only be here for a day or two." He assured her as he made his way towards one of the couches in the living room, patting it down and letting out a cough as the dust flew up. "Coppers won't search too long." He insisted as he sat down with a sigh.

"How did they find out about the guns?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned towards Tommy with furrowed eyebrows, head tilting to the side.

"I don't fucking know." He whispered as he threw his head back against the couch, running a hand over his face as he closed his eyes. "Someone talked." He muttered. "Someone fucking talked."

"But who, Tommy?" She asked as she raised her eyebrows, making her way to the couch next to Tommy's and wiping down the seat before sitting down.

"I don't know." He replied as he shook his head, his gaze slowly drifting towards her as he let out another deep sigh.

"Someone close to you has been talking a lot, about many things." She muttered as her eyebrows furrowed again "Who knew of the guns?" she asked him.

"You, your brothers, and mine, my aunt." He listed as his gaze diverted to the wall in front of him. His aunt he had told the day in the church, just before Campbell arrived in town, and both his brothers and Maude's brothers he had told when Danny Whizzbang was presumed dead, and the guns were buried in his grave on top of a hill. "The men who stole them." He added.

Maude sighed, knowing it was a rather long list of people who knew about the guns. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she thought over everyone who knew, and how much half of them liked to drink.

"Drunk men talk, Tommy. Whether they are family or not." She muttered as she looked at him and he groaned in agreement as he threw his head back against the couch again. "What will you do?"

"The guns are no longer my problem," Tommy replied as he shook his head.

"No, but whoever is talking can cause more problems. "She insisted, going silent for a second as her mind wandered towards the one person she did not trust at all. She turned towards Tommy, eyebrows furrowing and head tilting to the side. "Did you tell Grace about the guns?" She asked.

"No, I've barely ever spoken to her." He muttered, eyebrows furrowing as he shook his head, not having enough patience within him to greet the blonde, let alone tell her about his business. "Did you let something slip?" he asked as he raised his eyebrows at Maude.

"I never mentioned guns, let alone stolen ones." She assured him as she shook her head, certain with herself that she has never discussed any part of Tommy's business with anyone else. She was silent for a second as her gaze darted around the room, eyebrows deeply furrowing as her mind began to wander. Then she turned to Tommy. "The meetings you held in the snug, Tommy...she could have heard." She muttered.

Tommy's jaw clenched, running a hand over his face again as he considered the possibility. He looked at Maude. "A lot of people could have heard." He muttered. "The Garrison, the shop..."

Maude sighed as she stared at Tommy while both of them went quiet for a second. As she thought over who could have possibly betrayed Tommy, her mind got stuck on what had happened at the house only an hour ago. On the words, Tommy had said there in the living room. She looked down at the floor for a split second before turning back to him again. "Tommy...at the house, you said you wanted to tell me some things." She reminded him softly as her eyebrows slowly furrowed. "What do you want to tell me?" She asked.

Tommy held a hand out for her, and she glanced down at it in confusion before taking it. He tugged her up from her seat and pulled her towards him and onto his lap. One arm wrapped around her waist, and his other hand rested on her legs that were thrown sideways over his. "Do you believe in miracles?" He asked softly as he looked up at her.

"I'm Christian, of course, I do." She replied, wrapping one arm around his shoulder, and placing her free hand over his heart as she stared down at him.

"Do you want to hear a story of a miracle?" He asked as he raised his eyebrows at her.

Maude's eyebrows furrowed for a second before a small smile tugged at her lips, nodding her head. "If it will get you to your point." She muttered teasingly and a soft chuckle slipped from Tommy's lips as he patted her thighs in response.

Tommy threw his head back against the couch staring up at the ceiling. "Once, there was a broken man. He was barely a man at all. He fought in a war that killed him on the inside. Stopped his heart beating. He turned into a cold man with no feelings." He began talking softly as his arm wrapped tighter around her waist, pulling her closer. "Then a girl came along. She showed him compassion and kindness. She showed him trust. She got his heart beating again."He continued as his gaze flicked towards her. "She woke a dead man's heart." He finished as the hand on her thigh moved up to cup her cheek. "I never thought I'd fall in love... until-"

Maude stared at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence but he never did. "Until what?" She asked softly as she leaned into his touch, staring deeply into his blue eyes as she waited for a response.

"Until I met you, Maude." He replied and her breath hitched.

Maude silently stared at him for a second before reaching out and cupping his cheeks, resting her forehead against his. "I am in love with you as well, Tommy." She admitted softly as her eyes fluttered closed. "It's you who is keeping me in Birmingham. I don't ever want to be apart from you." She whispered to him.

"And you never will, sweetheart." He assured before pressing his lips against hers, shifting her body so that her legs were on either side of him and she straddled his lap."You never will." He repeated when he pulled away from her lips, his hands resting on her waist as he stared at her, lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him as she reached out and ran her hand through his short hair, head tilting to the side as her eyebrows slowly furrowed.

Tommy stared at her for a second before nodding his head towards the bed pushed up against the wall on the other side of the room. "How much I want to lay you on that bed and fuck you." He shamelessly admitted to her.

Maude quirked an eyebrow at him as something deep within her stomach fluttered. "That is very unprofessional, Mr. Shelby." She muttered teasingly at him as one of her hands ran up and down his chest, toying with the buttons of his shirt.

"I'm afraid I can no longer remain professional." He informed her as he gave her hips a hard squeeze that prompted a gasp to slip from her lips as she shifted on top of him. "Each of my thoughts about you are improper." He insisted.

"Thoughts about fucking me?" She asked as she quirked an eyebrow, staring at him with a lust-filled look as her tongue shot out to wet her dark red lips. A smirk tugged at her lips as her head tilted to the side. "Tell me your thoughts, Tommy." She pleaded as she slowly grinded herself against him, making his breath hitch.

"I think of how soft your naked skin will feel. How your breast would fit perfectly in my hands." He whispered as his hands moved up her sides, slowly dragging towards her breast, cupping them and giving both a hard squeeze. "How sweet your moans would sound. How warm you'll feel when I put my hand between your legs." He whispered as one hand ran down her body, running down to her calf before pushing up her dress, fingers slowly grazing the warm skin of her leg, up her thigh before settling between her legs. "So warm and wet." He grunted as he squeezed her again and a moan slipped from her lips.

"Please." She pleaded with him, her lips parting, eyebrows deeply furrowing as she grinded herself against his hand. "Please, I want you Tommy." She begged as she gripped onto his shirt so hard her knuckles turned white.

"You want me here, ey?" He asked as he gave her another squeeze right between her legs that prompted a low groan from deep within her belly.

"Yes." She pleaded as she frantically nodded her head.

"Then you'll have me right here." He assured her before yanking her flush against his body and pressing his lips against hers in a hard, fast, and sloppy kiss.

Tommy took her to bed that night, taking his time in exploring every inch of her body as he undressed her. He worshiped her body as he made her cum over and over again until she was near to tears, begging him to stop, overstimulated and beyond exhausted, but never before so satisfied in her life.

By midnight, Maude was laying wrapped in Tommy's arms, her naked body pressed to his, her head resting on his chest as she stared up at him, her fingertips running up and down his cheeks as she had a distant look in her eyes.

Tommy stared down at her, knowing her well enough by now to know her mind was completely elsewhere. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as his fingers ran up and down her spine before pressing against the small of her back, holding her close to him.

Blinking a few times she snapped back to reality and met Tommy's gaze as a smile tugged at her lips. "That your thoughts truly are very improper." She replied as she laid her hand flat against his cheek.

"Will you continue working for me knowing about my thoughts?" He asked as he quirked a teasing eyebrow at her.

"Sleeping with the boss is rather scandalous, no?" She asked as she grinned widely up at him, raising a teasing eyebrow in response as she chuckled softly.

"Working in a betting shop is scandalous." He replied as his hand drifted down to her bottom, giving her a light smack and making her squirm in his arms as she let out another soft chuckle.

"Sleeping with your friends' sister is also scandalous." She replied back as she patted his chest, her grin growing bigger when he hummed in response, slowly nodding his head.

For a second Tommy stared at the wall on the other side of the room before turning to her again. "Sleeping with your brother's friend is scandalous." He replied and Maude rolled her eyes in response.

"Well, then I do not have much to lose if I continue working at the shop then." She replied before nuzzling her head into the crook of Tommy's neck, closing her eyes as she pulled her body closer to his warm one, feeling calm and safe there in his arms.

Tommy was silent for a second, his fingers brushing up and down her back, feeling her soft skin against his. In the silence, his mind began to wander and as he slowly realized what he had admitted to her, that he was in love, he remembered what he put her through that night at the Garrison. And quilt filled him as he remembered he couldn't go see her while she was in a bad way.

"I wanted to come to see you." He muttered softly as his hand rested on her hip, giving it a soft squeeze as he stared ahead of him with deeply furrowed eyebrows, his blue eyes filled with guilt and regret.

Maude lifted her head, staring down at Tommy with furrowed eyebrows as her head tilted to the side. "What are you talking about?" She asked softly as she looked at him confusedly.

"After that night at the Garrison, your brothers said you were in a bad way and I wanted to go see you," he explained softly as his gaze flicked towards her, slowly pursing his lips as a muscle in his jaw tensed. "I wanted to be with you, make sure you were alright," he said softly, wanting her to know he didn't abandon her.

She was silent for a second as she stared at Tommy, keeping her gaze on him as she rested her chin against his chest. "Why didn't you?" She asked.

"Polly said it was best for you if I stayed away." He informed her as he sighed softly, his gaze diverting back to the wall. "A part of me thinks she's right." He muttered softly. "I am no good for someone like you." He insisted as he slowly shook his head.

Maude's eyebrows tugged together as she lifted her head from his chest. "Someone like me?" She repeated as her lips tugged into a frown.

"Someone who deserves better than what I can offer." He explained as he met her gaze again, his free hand reaching up to cup her cheek while the other one rested on her hip. "Someone who deserves more than this life." He added softly as his thumb brushed over the soft skin of her cheek.

"Neither you nor Polly gets to decide that for me." Maude huffed softly as she sat up next to Tommy, lightly slapping his chest when his attention turned to her exposed breasts for a second. "If I want this life, then that's what I'll have." She insisted with a firm voice. "I want you, not what you can offer me." She said as she reached down and cupped his cheek.

"All I can offer you is stolen money, coppers, death, and war." He informed her softly as his fingers brushed over her lower back.

"I don't care, Tommy." She replied as she firmly shook her head, "When will you understand that?" She asked as she raised her eyebrows. "I really don't care." She repeated as she moved onto his lap, straddling him with her legs on either side of him.

"You know your brothers won't be very thrilled to hear of this." He informed her as his hands fell to her hips, his gaze shamelessly lowering to her breasts again for a second. Already he felt himself obsessed with her body. Every inch was as perfect as he knew it would be.

"Well I don't tell them about my sex life, and what the heart doesn't know won't hurt it." She said as she shrugged her shoulders, head tilting to the side as she smirked down at him.

"Will we keep this secret forever then?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as dread filled him because the last thing he wanted was to hide someone as special as Maude Felton. Already he wanted to scream to the world how he felt about her, yet still, he wanted to keep her all to himself.

"No." She immediately denied, because neither did she want to hide Tommy or the feelings she had for him, or how she adored how he made her feel. "We'll just spare them all the details." She said with a soft chuckle as his fingers gripped her hips, messaging her flesh.

"What about Pol?" He asked as he quirked an eyebrow, knowing how much Polly had come to love the girl in the past few months. "She'll have my balls if she hears about this." He insisted, knowing fully his aunt did warn him to stay away from Maude before he hurt her. "I think some days she loves you more than she loves me."

"Can't blame her, can you?" She joked with a soft chuckle as she playfully wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Tommy chuckled in response as he shook his head. "Come here." He insisted softly as he reached up and took hold of the side of her face, pulling her down for a kiss as the hand left on her hip slowly moved her, making her grind on top of him as she let out a breathy moan.