When Luca Changretta approaches Evelyn Shelby, believing her to be the blood daughter of his late brother, he doesn't count on Vano Lee being ready to do whatever it takes to ensure he doesn't get anywhere near her.
Evelyn Shelby belongs to @novashelby, and I thank her for letting me use her, along with giving me complete creative freedom to write this. I hope you like it. 🤍
“I'm not armed, boy,” Luca Changretta stood with a sneer etched across his lips, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he regarded the lovestruck boy with a mix of disdain and amusement. It was clear that if he had his way, a gun would be in his hand, ready to put an end to Vano's defiance.
"I don't give a fuck if yer got ya bullet with my name on it, dinlow," Vano spat, his voice unwavering. He curled his arm protectively behind him, wrapping it around Evie and pushing her securely behind him, his body a dauntless shield. "Yer want her, ya gotta go through me, y'hear?”
Evie clung to the back of Vano's shirt, her heart racing as she wished desperately for her nightmare to end. She could practically feel the weight of her father's fury looming over her, knowing well that Tommy Shelby would be livid. Not only had she defied his explicit orders by sneaking out, but she had also ended up with the very boy she was forbidden to see. The irony of her predicament was bitter; the very scenario her father had sought to prevent by locking her away was now unfolding before her eyes.
Tommy's measures were not without reason. Evie was at the center of a dangerous revelation regarding Luca Changretta's late brother, which had ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse, with Tommy doing everything in his power to shield his baby girl from the potential fallout.
Yet, despite his efforts, Luca Changretta had found her. His presence was a menacing shadow, a reminder of the vendetta that threatened to unravel the fragile threads of her life. In this perilous moment, Vano stood as her only source of protection. Evie knew the lengths he'd go to to keep her safe, and while the thought of anything happening to him terrified her, she was confident in his ability to handle himself.
Luca stepped forward with a measured grace, his eyes fixed on Evie as he extended a hand, offering a small bundle of flowers. "For the girl," he said smoothly, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
Vano's response was immediate and fierce. A low growl rumbled deep in his chest as he smacked Luca's hand away with force, sending the delicate blooms tumbling to the cobblestones below. "She ain't interested in yer flowers," he retorted, his voice a defiant snarl.
Luca gazed at the flowers for a prolonged moment, his sneer already devoid of warmth, yet somehow growing even colder as his expression changed. As Luca stepped closer, Vano squared his shoulders, subtly using his hand to guide Evie a step or two backwards. With his towering height, he moved decisively into Luca's personal space, completely blocking Evie from view.
Luca's eyes burned with a menacing intensity as he fixed his glare on Vano. "You have no idea who you're up against, boy. Or the things I could do to you for daring to stand between me and my blood.”
Vano didn't even flinch, standing unafraid in the face of threat. “Try me, big man. Evie don’ want nothin’ t’ do with ya, an’ I ain't scared of thugs like you,”
With a swift, aggressive motion, Luca lunged forward and grabbed Vano, attempting to forcibly shove him aside. However, Vano was ready. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he resisted Luca's efforts with surprising strength, his muscles tensing as he pushed back against the older man's grip. The initial surprise flickered across Luca's face as he realized Vano was a lot stronger than he had anticipated. Despite Luca's attempts to overpower him, Vano held his ground, his determination unyielding as he fought to protect Evie from the threat before them.
Luca's hand shot out, clamping around Vano's throat with a formidable grip. With a swift, forceful swing, he hurled Vano against the wall, the impact sending a jarring shock through Vano's body. The wall shuddered slightly from the force, but Vano's spirit remained unbroken.
"Give it up," Luca sneered, his voice dripping with menace as he attempted to reassert control.
"Over my dead body," Vano shot back defiantly, his eyes blazing with determination as he stood his ground.
Dazed but determined, Vano summoned his strength and retaliated with a fierce headbutt, connecting solidly with Luca and forcing him to loosen his grip as blood spluttered from his nose.
Evie watched in horror, her heart pounding as she stood frozen for a moment, torn between fear and the instinct to help. Her breath hitched as she witnessed the brutal exchange, feeling helpless but desperately hoping for Vano to come out on top.
Just as the tension threatened to escalate into something far more dangerous, a familiar voice cut through the chaos. "Evie!" Tommy Shelby's authoritative call rang out, slicing through the air and bringing the confrontation to a sudden halt. The sound of her father's voice was a lifeline, snapping Evie back to reality and momentarily pausing the violence. Her eyes darted towards the direction of his voice, a mix of relief and anxiety flooding through her.
“Yer hear that?” Vano spat, “That is yer death comin’ callin’. You an’ I ain't armed, but he will be. Yer gonna die t'day,”
Luca shoved Vano back with a growl, but Vano quickly regained his footing, stepping back to stand protectively in front of Evie. His eyes remained locked on the Italian, unwavering and determined, serving as an unyielding shield for her. Then, from the shadows, the unmistakable silhouette of Tommy Shelby emerged, immediately commanding attention. As all eyes shifted to where Luca Changretta had stood moments before, they found only an empty space. He had gone.
Vano took a moment to catch his breath, stepping back as Tommy approached and enveloped Evie in his arms. Any lingering anger was swiftly overshadowed by the relief of seeing her unharmed. Evie hesitated initially, bracing for a scolding that never came, and only then allowed herself to relax into her father's comforting embrace.
Vano observed the two of them, gradually stepping back to give them space, until Tommy's icy blue glare shifted towards him.
"You."
Vano stiffened at Tommy's authoritative voice, bracing for reprimand, while Evie quickly jumped to his defence. "Daddy, it wasn't his fault—" she began, but Tommy raised a hand to gently shush her.
"I owe you," Tommy said, his tone softening as he addressed Vano. "For keeping her safe."
Vano shook his head, a quiet resolve in his voice. "Yer owe me nothin’, no harm will ever come to her so long as I'm breathin’."
A moment of wordless understanding passed between them, marked by a mutual nod of respect. Vano then stepped back, yielding to Tommy's authority. As Vano turned to leave, Tommy gently wrapped an arm around Evie, guiding her home with a reassuring presence.
Summary: Vano Lee(@wonderlanddreamer oc) surprises Evie with a visit and for some privacy, they go to Aunty Polly's home. Little do they know, she'll be home soon.
Word Count: 1.5k
Thank you for reading. I'm not entirely proud of this, but I really wanted to reach my December goal of posting once a day. I will write a different version of this tomorrow, I believe, but please enjoy regardless.
She’d been in maths, zoning out as her brain wanted to ignore the scratched out equations on the board. She was thinking how funny it was, really. Her class of girls started out as eight. Unlike the boys, as they got older, their class thinned. Evelyn looked around, counting five girls. Luckily for her, Martha was one of them and the other three were Ruth, Mary, and Emma. She figured, however, that as soon as Finn dropped the question, Mary would fall off, too. It was her little secret from the group. Finn was to propose on her upcoming birthday.
She blinked in order to refocus, but had already lost where they were in the equation. If you asked Evie, she didn’t know why she stayed in school. Perhaps it was clinging on to every bit of her youth, not wanting to acknowledge the incoming adulthood. Pretending to be studious for Sister Francis, who was aging in her own way. When Evie had started, Sister Francis was a fresh new nun. Evie often found herself wanting to ask what it was like being a nun. If it was a good life, an easy life.
That is when the door opened and everyone looked straight to the door, their faces paling. Sister Francis was kind of the timid type at times, and so when the tall boy with tan skin and beautiful eyes walked in, she paused, chalk dusting in between her finger tips. Martha eyed Evie, before nudging her, “that’s a Gypsy boy…must be for you.”
Evie felt her stomach curl in a knot as the boy who had no business being in a school, connected eyes with her wearing some type of smirk. “Oh, fuck me,” she whispered, embarrassed, turning her head and cover her face. Whispering to Martha, she pleaded, “tell me when he leaves-”
Martha winced. “I don’t think he is…he’s moving closer. He’s walking over. He’s jumped over Ruthie’s desk. Now he’s climbed over a chair. He’s walking, he’s walking, he’s…hi!” She said all too fast looking up. Vano grinned, offering a wink.
Sister Francis swallowed, quickly walking over. “Can I help you?”
“Hey there, gadji, been lookin’ for you all day,” he said, kneeling down. The closer he got, the more she tried to shield her face. He leaned down in a way that she couldn’t escape him. He knew she was being a bashful baby girl. Sister Francis cleared her throat, but before she could say anything, he waved her off, “alrigh’, alrigh’, sister. Give me a minute, eh?” Sister Francis being the type she was, conceded, mumbling how she should have been a secretary or gone to Rome. All the girls looked on and Vano quite liked the attention, but Evie on the other hand peeked out only to shoot him a glare. He hadn't seen her in months and this is how he drops in? The fucking nerve of it all.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” she said under her breath, knowing damn well Sister heard it. She slid from her seat and grabbed his wrist, pulling him from the classroom.
“I like ‘em bossy,” he joked, granting him a generous slap on the arm. “And feisty!”
“What the ‘ell was that, huh?” she asked, eyes narrowed. “I’m at school. You understand daddy almost shot you once, huh? Do you have a fuckin’ death wish? Word travels fast here and if he finds out-”
“If he finds out? What, gadji? Daddy gonna shoot me?”
“Yes!” she said, nodding. “Yes he bloody fuckin’ will-”
“And?”
Evie sighed, rubbing at her temple. She went back into the classroom, quietly apologizing as she gathered her belongings. On her way out, she pushed Vano. “C’mon.” They walked outside, huddling closer as the cool air hit their faces. Vano wouldn’t allow her to shove him off, wrapping his arm around her waist. His excuse was, body heat. “We’ve shared enough of it already,” she said.
They hadn’t seen each other in months. In that time, Evie had thought of all the things she’d like to say to him and on the way to Birmingham, Vano played back all the supposed conversations in his head. Yet, in each other’s company, neither of them could find the right words. On the walk, they only shared each other’s air, space, and touches. It was only until Evie turned down a street out of the center view that Vano asked where she was leading him. “Aunty’s-”
“Gadji-”
“She wouldn’t be home, I don’t think,” Evie whispered. “We can’t walk to my home and it’s best we don’t linger together too much in public-”
Vano sighed, grabbing her arm. “Gadji, stop…ay! Stop, huh? C’mere.” Evie let out a long breath, closing her eyes in frustration. If he had only been patient, she thought to herself. Before she could say it, he held her cheeks in his cold, ungloved hands. Leaning in, he said, “don’t fuckin’ say a fuckin’ thing ‘bout yer daddy, gadji. He don’ scare me, eh. Even if he shot me arse off, notin’, n’ I mean fuckin’ notin’, is gonna stop me from lovin’ on ya’.” Evie softened a bit and took in a deep breath, relaxing as his thumbs massaged her cheeks. “Hey, hey, hey…c’mere, eh?” he whispered, leaning in and softly kissing at her winter bitten lips. It was a soft, unassuming one with no expectations. He was just happy to see her as the winter was beginning to get long and tiring.
She pulled away with a smile and took a spare key from her set of keys, opening her aunt's home. “We should not overstay.” He walked in, making his way to the floral patterned couch before sinking himself in. Evie paused as she closed the door, locking it. Smiling his way, she felt her cheeks warm up.
“C’mere,” he said, patting the spot next to him. And she did. Falling in next to him, she rested her head on his chest. It was nice, though it was better when they didn’t have to worry. Where they were allowed to lay in a field, undisturbed. “I miss you,” he whispered, making Evie look at him so he could lean down and peck a kiss on her lips. Instead of sitting up, Evie leaned back on the couch and Vano followed suit; one leg between hers and one hanging off the couch. It was Evie then who reached up and licked at his lips, being playfully and silly. Vano was not shy in biting her bottom lip in revenge, pulling it before kissing her gently, swiping his tongue along her bottom hip. As her hands started to move up his chest, the front door opened.
Aunt Polly came in, grocery bag in hand. Despite it all, the woman was still particular about her produce. Tommy could afford a maid, but what is a maid if no one, but Polly could do it right? She sighed, cursing to herself as she fought with the door and bag in hand. Vano froze and Evie gave him a look of horror as Polly fumbled through. They both slowly looked over as the woman hardly noticed them, fighting with the herb stems to stay in the paper bag. But it tumbled from her hands, and the bag ripped, everything falling to the ground. “Ah, fuckin’ ‘ell! Fuck, fuck, fuck!” The woman closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. It was when she opened them she noticed the two teens watching her.
Everyone was speechless.
But when Evie attempted to explain herself, Vano rushed over. “I’m sorry, Miss. Gray.” He spoke in a tone that was much more polite than Evie was used to. He helped the woman gather the vegetables on the floor while Evie and Polly just looked at one another. When the shock faded, Polly slowly pursed her lips and cocked a brow. Vano nodded. “Evie, I’ll wait outside.”
When the door opened and closed, Evie quickly said, “we weren’t-”
“Is that the boy your father shot at?” she asked. Evie nodded, swallowing. “Well,” she said, letting out a long sigh, walking into the kitchen. “As long as he doesn’t shoot the boy on my new sofa-”
“You aren’t going to tell him?” Evie asked, shocked, following the woman in the kitchen. “I mean you aren’t going to tell daddy.”
Polly was organizing the counter, mixing her own thoughts while she said, “Well…shit, the carrots go in there-you father dug his own fuckin’ hole-Evie, hand me the colander-with how he raised you.” Turning to look at her as she wiped her hand on her skirts. “It’s no surprise to me you sneak around, but I swear to Christ, Evelyn, if it is my sofa you get pregnant on-”
“No!”
“No?” the woman snorted.
“I’m not going to get pregnant-”
“You’re father is a bloody fucking idiot…smart businessman, Evelyn, incompetent father.” Eveyln found herself pouting a bit, feeling an urge of defensiveness. “If only he allowed you enough freedom so you didn’t have to use my parlor as a revolving sex door….”
Evelyn smiled, realizing her Aunt Polly was neither mad nor going to tell her father who would most certainly be mad. “Thank you, Aunty.” She bowed her head casually and spun on her heels to meet Vano outside.
As she made it to the door, Polly called out. “And Evelyn, dear, that one,” she said, pointing to the window where Vano was standing. Evelyn cocked a brow. “Not bad. Good hair.”
Somewhere, in a land far, far away, there exists an AU where Evie and Vano live happily ever after. Morning cuddles and coffee with absolutely zero drama from the in-laws.
Meanwhile, on the main timeline, Tommy would look at this scene like-
Vano Lee is the oldest of seven siblings, born to his mother when she was only 16 years old.
He never knew his father, and his mother never spoke about him, but when Essa Lee married at age 21, her new husband accepted Vano as his own and raised him as such.
He can be chaotic and unpredictable, but also an absolute sweetheart if you catch him in the right mood.
"What's the matter, Gadji? Afraid to get your pretty little dress dirty?"
Vano belongs to @wonderlanddreamer and the line above is hers.
Dear Aunty Esme,
When you told me that I'd love the compound, I sort of thought you were being a bit positive for the sake of my favor. A city girl really doesn't belong treading mud barefoot. And truthfully, I hated it the first night. The smell of something burning, the mist, the people. And the language I never learned. In my head, my family sent me here to die and perhaps part of me kind of died. In a normal life type of way. It's been two whole months since I came here and I find time fleeting far too quickly for my grasp.
Daddy is expecting a letter from me, but I cannot write my truth in those words. They'll be lies because I know what he wants to hear. School is starting in the next two weeks, and it'll be my final year of youth. Martha and I are to share all the things we talked about in our sleepovers. Like school leaving events and making our last year the best ever. I'm to apply to university and visit all the campuses! I'm to dance with Archie at the leaving ball for school. I'm to move on from all this. And I think at one point I was quite excited, using this trip from home as just another step in my plan.
But I'm starting to wonder if this is my plan, here and like this. Daddy would never approve of my reasoning to return, and therefore I have to write my truth to someone. I've fallen in love. Yes, it's true, I've fallen in love with a boy just shy of two years older than me. Tall and handsome, but most importantly, he holds my heart gently in a way that it's never been cradled before. The moments we spend are hardly ever soured by troubles because there seems to be little of those out here.
Don't tell daddy. I know he would never approve. If anything, I just want to enjoy this moment. Enjoy him and I, and the barefoot walks we take through the mud. Even If I leave the compound and tragically never return, I want my memories to end on terms between him and I. Because I want to forever accept this as my first love; a sacred, beautiful thing that had never been tainted.
If there's one thing Vano Lee will not stand for, it's people talking shit about anyone he cares about. Top of the list? Miss Evelyn Rose Shelby. ( @novashelby )
When I say this boy will stand his ground against anyone (yes, Thomas Shelby, we're looking at you), I mean it.
He's completely fearless and ready to take on any challenge. He's skilled in fighting, carries great strength, and his resilience to withstand a tough beating is exceptional.
But don't let all that fool you. The boy has the biggest heart, he's just very selective of who sees it.
