#evacore

Gabriel’s death had been hard and when he killed Arthur, Tommy Shelby knew he had to leave before the curse he is takes anyone else. Eva did not take it well, just as she was ready to return to the world after entombing herself in their bedroom for months, he left her with the burden of their three young children and all they had built together.

“Did you finally get tired of living on your own?” his witch drinks wine made in her native Mexico wearing a black negligee that shows off her breasts in ways that reminds him why he merely moved to the abandoned dower house instead of staying away for good. She drinks more now, she had been sober for so long and now Tommy’s ruined that too.

Eva visited weekly with food that tastes like anger and pain and leaves in a huff because even their fucking is tainted by said anger and pain. Reminds him how they conceived the boy who died in his arms because the car meant to kill Tommy swerved and killed their nine-year-old boy. Perhaps that is why he cannot make himself return to his old life, Tommy Shelby fucked around with Nazis and they took their youngest son in revenge before they made him kill his own fucking brother. Martha Shelby’s ghost had never left, it had been only been pacified with the spirits of Arthur and John, who died right before Arthur from typhus while traveling with the Lees, but she wanted all her children to join her. Just him, Ada and Finn remained alive.

“A witch came, stole our son’s scarf and claimed she could wake the Devil pretending to be her sister; I want the woman to be even more disappointed than when I chose to fuck her sister instead of her the first time around.” He takes the wine glass from her hand drinking it all to bolster the spark that sent him crawling back to his wife. It’s good stuff, expensive and rare just like the woman who owns the fucking vineyard in the land she’s never going to see again.

The Witch scoffs, her dark eyes annoyed at the denial of her poison but the red smirk held the pride of a woman knowing she has no equal. The last time he tried to come back she made him beg on his knees and pushed him back with a high-heeled foot because she gets drunk on the power only she has over him. Eva made him monogamous, held his heart and balls so tightly they stopped belonging to him even if they are still physically attached to his body. “Should I have a plate set for you at breakfast or are you running from your children again like a coward?”

No wife takes abandonment well, Eva was red hot passion and while she may be as elegant as the black silks she wears, she is still the mad girl who had far too much trouble controlling her rage. He deserves it and he knows it.

“Are you still pretending you don’t love me anymore?” he asks as she moved her long toned legs from his seat before placing them on his lap like they used to.

There is never going to be an end for them, they burn for each other no matter the size of the flame and carnage between them. He loves her and she loves him until the universe collapses into itself. Still she makes a very convincing pantomime pretending its over.

It’s always over until she comes back with food, news and the need to be with him again every other day. Sometimes they don’t even make it to the bedroom, all his tables and chairs wobble as proof of how much she still wants and loves him. His book mentions her more than Jesus Christ is mentioned in the New Testament from the moment he first saw her. Chapters dedicated solely to her that he’s written and she’s read making them both fall back in love with each other all over again.

The food she makes always tastes of her feelings, gives you the same emotion and triggers memories that fit said feeling. She has not forgiven him for leaving, the food she made for him often tasted of that anger and resentment. The coffee she had made him last Sunday tasted of secret hopes, inside jokes and the memories of when they still lived in Watery Lane. Particularly one where he made a complete nuisance of himself when she was trying to cook them breakfast.

He had made the goal to return last winter when he left his prison and Gabriel’s ghost led him to the frozen pool where his children skated over the ice. Little Florence was ten years old now, she had still been nine that January. Nine on the cusp of ten just like her brother who haunted these lands and spoke to him and only him. Flora hadn’t listened to Charles and Diane about skating too far from them and fallen through the thin ice. Tommy had been the only one fast enough save her.

He took them to his home, his son scowling the entire way letting his venom strike and his eldest daughter afraid to enter a place so haunted by ghosts begging her to help them. Tommy had cared for his youngest, removed the freezing wet clothes and bundled her up as best as he could in his warmest clothes until Eva came. Held the crying girl for hours hating himself for leaving her when she was only four years old.

From then on Flora had come to see him each day. Braving the mile out of Arrow Park to go past the decrepit Abbey burned down by Henry VII’s men, past the graveyard for the tenants and the family plot where Gabriel’s grave is accompanied by Arthur’s and into the rundown dower house he wasn’t supposed to ever inhabit. She claimed her mother wasn’t home and needed help with some homework the first time and suddenly it became a habit.

It wasn’t Kaulo, or Ada or Duke that was making him return. It was the little girl and her mother who hadn’t given up on him. They waited until he was ready and even if he never will be, it was time to return whether he likes it or not.

“I don’t think I ever sold that lie to anyone.” The witch admits with the same brown eyes that grace their children looking at him deep inside his soul knowing there’s more than just missing his family that brings him here.

But that will come later.

Right now he wants to sit in silence in the dark with her and drink the rare wine they drank to celebrate his retirement six years ago.

The two couples entered together, devious smirks all around.  Their host would have no inkling of the actual motivation behind their attendance. Had he, he might have considered revoking the gold leaf edged invitations that he'd had hand delivered to the ladies that were now entering his mother's mansion on the arm of a demon and an angel.

Instead his hubris had overpowered all and he'd sent the invitations.  Seeing them both now, a wide grin spread across his face.  Those that doubted him would soon come to understand that he could come to run the family business just as well as any of them.  He would show them, he would show the all!  And with those two ladies on his side, no one would doubt that he could pull in contacts and associates that would form an empire.

Jasper and Adriel knew they had little to worry about from the mortals milling about.  In fact, the mortals should be fearing them.  Only slightly less lethal were the women they walked in with, the witch and the grigori.  So, there was no fear that anything would happen as they momentarily left the beauties to obtain drinks from their host's bar.

With the latest bauble that Jasper had gifted her, a blood red ruby, around her neck, Eva was damn near untouchable, and Anna was a power immortal in her own right. Eva and Anna were the perfect juxtaposition of dark to light in almost all ways - magic, complexion, business dealings. They could both be ruthless and devious when the need arose, and it most certainly had this night.

For the next few hours, liquor would flow, conversations would as well, dances would be shared, and food enjoyed.  The end goal would never leave the mind or sight of the foursome, but they would allow themselves some enjoyment before the pinnacle of the night.

There was supposed to be an announcement at midnight.  One about the usurping of the throne of the Shelby dynasty. However, that announcement never would come.  

At a quarter til, Anna lured their host into his office with seduction she had honed over the years of having to distract beings in New Orleans.  The men were in the room, but kept to the shadows, they were mere observers in this endeavor.  Once the door was closed, and privacy ensured, Anna pulled their host very, very close.

“Michael, you really never should have double crossed Tommy, cher. I'm afraid you have to die now.  And then you can rot in Caligo.” Anna whispered it in his ear and then pulled back just in time to see his eyes go wide as Eva slipped her blade slowly between his ribs to embed it in his heart.

Both women then moved to the side, joining hands as they watched the life drain from Michael Gray.  A large crimson stain growing on the beige oriental rug beneath him.  Jasper and Adriel came to stand on either side of the two women. The quadruple being the last thing Michael saw as he slipped into the hereafter.

“Right then,” Jasper quipped with a devious smirk.  “Time to take this bastard down to Caligo.  Arioch is so looking forward to a new play toy.  He has a new cerberus puppy, you know, needs a chew toy.”  He winked and kissed Eva on the cheek before ripping Michael’s soul free from his body with a *pop*.  “Be right back, love.  Don’t want to keep the Demon of Revenge waiting, he gets testy, you know.”  With a wink, the demon was gone.

“He does enjoy doing that.”  Adriel chuckled as he waved his hand.  All fingerprints and memories of the foursome were removed from the entire party.  When Michael’s body was found, there would be nothing to tie them to it, and therefore, nothing to tie Tommy to it either.  Jean Pierre’s attorney was getting him released from jail presently on the trumped up charges Michael had orchestrated with the Bowery Boys from London.  They’d also brought over a few friends from the French Quarter to help him get some payback for that.

“He promised to take me to see the puppy tomorrow, I’ll have to give our regards to Michael again.  It was such a nice ending to the party.”  Eva smirked and winked.  The surprise on Michael’s face had been quite delicious.

“Want to join us for dinner?  We’re going to myst down to Tuscany for some authentic Italian.  I know an amazing cook down there that is over a century old and has some tricks up her sleeve.  You and Jasper are more than welcome to join.”  Anna smiled.  She was glad her friend had found a woman that complimented him so.  “There’s also a siren down there that needs a talking to, so we’re going to take a dip in the Mediterranean.  Always a fun time.  We like to do it naked.”  She winked at Eva.

“Now, how could I turn down an offer like that?”  Eva grinned deviously.  Naked fun with her demon was always a good time and if that siren looked at him wrong..well, accidents did happen and she knew Anna was always amused when Adriel had to fix things.  She and the other woman did get along so well.   Yes, this was turning out to be a very good night.

Eva Smith belongs to @evita-shelby