Setting
He walked behind her a couple of steps. Even with her speeding up, he had to slow down to stay behind her. He could feel the anger radiating off her like a bomb waiting to explode. Leon knew he was the target. Yet, he couldn't help but admire the view from back here. A roguish smiled pulled up one side of his lips, enthralled by the site of her rear in that tight dress. He followed as if he were the snake and she the charmer.
Nevertheless, he needed to snap out of it. He was in a very precarious position. The silence from her made it all the more deadlier. He ran a hand through his thick hair and sighed in frustration. What had he done?! He didn't even know what she was punishing him for. But clearly, he had done something.
Leon Earle wasn't a Godly man yet he sent up a silent prayer for what he was about to do. Start World War III with his wife. That too in the middle of the street because he just couldn't take the silent treatment from his wife anymore. Not that they prescribed to the rules of discretion when it came to their tiffs. The street was as good a place as home.
"Ava. Stop." Leon called out. Taking her arm in a tight grip, whipping her around to face him knowing she wouldn't do as she was bayed. "Can you at least tell me what I've done this bloody time woman?!"
It seemed he couldn't do anything right these days. It was only very recently his wife had completely lost her mind. She had over the last month or two turned into a demented harping bitch. He loved her but he couldn't take much more of this. He didn't need any stress at home, he had enough with his business. Yet, he knew where this was going. It was going the way all their discussions did. A blazing row.
Her face was a picture. When she was like this all Leon wanted to do was kiss her. And strangle her. Simultaneously. Whenever, she was angry with him it reminded him of their wedding day. Standing up at the alter with a strange girl he had barely spoken two words to with that exact look on her face. Of course when the vicar had declared them man and wife, he had kissed her senseless and wiped that look of her face. These days however, it wasn't that easy.
"I've got," Leon looked down at his watch hissing slightly. "an hour and a bit to get down to Kent, pick up the shipment to make it back for dinner tonight. So you gonna tell me why you're being bang out of order to me or would you prefer I spend the night in Calais or what darlin'?"
This would not end well was all Leon could think.
#FA5858
An irrational rage boiled in Ava's stomach as she strutted down the street, two steps ahead of her pig-headed husband. She knew he was just walking slow to appease her, which only infuriated her more. He should try walking around London in heels! That waitress's face still burned her eyes, like the smoke from a fire made with damp wood. She tried to send him messages silently, to make him understand how his actions made her feel, but even Leon was oblivious to the minds of women.
"Ava, stop."
His hand latched onto her arm and she resisted the urge to slap him when he spun her around. Arguing in public wasn't an unusual occurrence with them, but slapping him? Oh, the gossip that would bring. "Can you at least tell me what I've done this bloody time woman?!"
She wanted to scream at him, punch him, and cry. Most importantly, she really wanted to cry. But she kept her expression schooled and her face the picture of beautiful rage.
"I've got..." Leon glanced down at his watch and made a hissing sound that set her nerves on edge. "An hour and a bit to get down to Kent, pick up the shipment to make it back for dinner tonight. So you gonna tell me why you're being bang out of order to me or would you prefer I spend the night in Calais or what darlin'?"
Oh, how she wanted him to do that. To humiliate him for what he did. To make him pay for being the asshole that he was. But Ava hated being alone in their giant, creaking house at night and Leon knew that. He knew that threatening to spend the night somewhere else would force her hand. She ripped her arm out of his grip and glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Stop acting so innocent, Leon. You know what you did," her anger wavered and she bit on the inside of her cheek, hard. "You were flirting with that pretty waitress, right in front of me. Like I wasn't even-"
Her voice cracked and she just wanted to bawl her eyes out, right there in the streets. Lord, she was so angry a moment ago, but now she was just sad. Did her husband not love her anymore? Was that damn waitress really prettier than her? "Like I wasn't even there," she finished, her voice tight as she turned away.
#0A0B85
"You need to keep your nose out of things, kid." Ah... Henry was investigating a possible forced prostitution ring by a large, but unorganized, gang. He was getting close to finding the head of the group. Henry understood women who did what they had to to support their family, but forcing women to do that was not something Henry could ignore.
"I will not submit to you." A dangerous thing to say when clearly outnumbered, but Henry's father would rather him to lose badly than to give in. He would do anything to have his father see him as success.
One of the two men's fist connected with his right eye. Henry grinded his teeth, tensing up though it did nothing to ease the pain. The sound of a gun cocking made Henry begin too silently plea to any god that could be listening. The prayers must've been answered as the blows to his body ceased. Upon opening his eyes, the gods out there must have a flawed sense of humor. The stone cold face of Stephen Hampton was, almost, not scary any more. A worker for his father, the muscle seemed to be more like a babysitter for the baby of the Earle family. Whenever Henry was in a situation such as this one, Stephen appeared suddenly. Henry's attackers looked ready to run as Stephen's guns was held to both of their heads. Henry tried to meet Stephen's eyes.
"It's not worth it. Let them go." Unlike his father and brothers, Henry has no blood on his hands. IT still made him innocent, something he despised about himself. The terrifying man before him was considered the devil by his enemies. A sudden grin crossed his bruised face, a picture example of a light bulb going off in his head.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxDialogue: #780000
His smile matched hers as she moved to let him join her in the booth. He was glad to see Lizzie in brighter spirits as it was impossible for him to be happy when she didn't feel similarly. As soon as James seated himself beside his wife, his arm automatically wrapped around her, drawing her close. Elizabeth had slid her hand into his, giving it a squeeze, and James did the same. He watched her adoringly as she raised the bouquet of flowers to her nose. "Thank you for my flowers, darling, they're beautiful." she said giving him a kiss on the cheek in thanks.
"Anything for you, love." He responded, kissing the top of her head. He listened as she questioned Charlotte. "What do you say to your father, Lottie?" His beautiful girl got out of her seat to crawl onto his lap and throw her arms around his neck. With the arm that wasn't around his wife, he hugged his daughter to him. "Thank you daddy, they're my favorite. Although, you didn't have too, I wasn't mad at you, only mummy was." Both James and Elizabeth laughed at that. He thought it was funny that she knew why he had gotten her mom flowers. Lizzie smoothly replied with, "That's because you're daddy's special girl, my love."
Nodding in response to his wife's words, he released Charlotte from his hold to look at her. "You're my little Lottie, remember?" he said. When she nodded and smiled up at him he lightly tickled her side causing her to go into a fit of giggles. Once he stopped, she moved from his lap to sit by his side instead. His attention moved from his daughter to his wife when she asked him how his morning was.
"It was fine. There was a problem with one of our delivery boys that I had to handle, but other than that, work was uneventful." Jimmy moved the arm that he had wrapped around her to where he could rest his hand on the outside of her thigh, his thumb gently moving back and forth in a soothing pattern. "I didn't have to deal with Leon though, so that was nice."
James leaned his forehead against Elizabeth's head as he breathed her in. "God Lizzie, I wish we could have the rest of the day to ourselves, just the two of us." He knew that wasn't going to happen, but he wished it would. "We never seem to get much time alone anymore."
#085700
Seeing the two arms reach out to grab the kid didn't put Stephen into fighting mode... yet. The youngest was worthless despite his obvious wanting to be involved in his family's business. Kids like him aren't meant to be in this life. Jonathan would never be involved in a life like this. A life that took away the one person he cared for more than anything. Stephen balled his fist, digging his nails into his skin. 'Must not think of it now.'
Drawing out his two pistols, Stephen casually walked over to the two attackers. The two men froze when the cold, metal nozzle of his Smith and Wesson 38 special met their temples. An evil grin crossed Stephen's face. Having the power to control someone's life was sweeter than any candy. Glancing at the youngest Earle, Stephen saw the boy has the beginning of a black eye, split lip, and several bruises. The boss would be upset with him for not acting sooner. Not like it was his fault, he should've taught the kid how to defend himself. Another thing that made Stephen better than that family: he actually spent time with his kid. Though he only has one, Stephen wouldn't show favoritism like the old man.
"It's not worth it. Let them go." The kid's response only pissed Stephen off more.
"They hurt you and you want to let them go? Stupid child."
"Get out of my sight or my bullets will be the least of your worries."
"That grin better be of gratitude. Your ass will be in more pain if you say anything smart."
Leon stared at Ava for a long, LONG moment. The look upon his face, completely and utterly dumbfounded. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. And if she began crying . . . A disbelieving laugh escaped him. She was too surreal. This woman that he wanted to throttle the life out!
"Okay, okay, okay," Leon started plaintively. "So let me get this right." He laughed without humor. "I took YOU out- no. No, no, no, no." Shaking his head. "I asked you to come out to lunch WITH me. I ASKED you. To lunch right? So I could go there, get a bit of nosh like and then flirt with the FUCKING waitress IN FRONT of my wife?!" At the rising altitude of his anger, Leon's voice grew louder and louder with each passing word until he was booming at her. "Are you out of your FUCKING mind woman?!"
She'd pushed him to this! After weeks of not so silently enduring Ava's wrath it had all come to ahead. He loved the damn woman but by God she was an absolute fucking nightmare when she got like this. Inconsolable and accusing. He couldn't lie, sure the waitress was pretty and she was giving him those eyes but Ava knew better. They were both exceedingly good looking people. Ridiculous good looking people. However, he wasn't fucking out of his mind that he'd take her out and flirt with a flippin' waitress!
"Jesus Christ! I wish someone had fucking told me I was marrying insane fuckin' of her rocker Miss Marple! You wanna go investigate a murder now seeing as you've solved the mystery of the flirting waitress yeah love? You know, seeing as her taking my fuckin' order is flirting. You know if it was up to you darlin' I wouldn't even be allowed to see or talk to my own mother!"
Every word dripped in morbid sarcasm. She belonged in the fucking nut house, Leon thought in his rage. Course women looked at him! Was he to hold that against them?! Hell! He knew men looked at his wife and he sure as hell couldn't blame them! He found it hard not to look at her. But as long as that was all they did. Look. He had no problem. Yet, the thought of another man touching her, well, that boiled his blood. Good thing was, most men knew that if they wanted to continue breathing, they wouldn't so much as pass her a glass. But that was neither here or there right now.
"I tell you what love, how about yeah? I just don't talk to any woman that's not you-better yet, I won't even look up at another woman yeah? You do all the talking for the both of us from now on? How's that sound? Suit ya?"
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