The Salt and Shelby kids all grew up together on the mean streets of Small Heath, raising hell since 1897. Their fathers founded the infamous Peaky Blinders gang, but as the next generation is geared up to overtake the business, they will face chal...
The day had finally arrived. It was Friday morning, and Iris had less than twenty minutes until Ed Blythe would be picking her up and driving her to Birmingham. Her nerves were off the wall; her palms were sweating so much she could hardly light the eight cigarettes she'd burned through. She was running off pure adrenaline, given the fact she'd had less than 9 hours sleep since the night Ed told her the plan.
She'd managed to blag a car from some man who had crossed her father years ago. She lied to him and said that she'd been sent to collect the debt, and if he didn't give her the car that one of the Shelby's would come for him. Iris had been handed the keys within 5 minutes.
Her and Aaron had agreed that he would wait by the pub near Charlie's yard, and at 11:10 they would drive to London. She hadn't discolsed why she had to make such a fast and precise getaway, but she told him enough. He understood the urgency and would be ready for her.
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Two sharp beeps from outside her window jolted Iris to her senses. It was time. Ed had arrived. With a deep inhale, she grabbed her purse, her gun, her savings and left her flat for the last time.
"Alright?" Ed asked as he wrapped an arm around Iris's waist and pressed his lips against her own.
Reluctantly, she kissed him back and ignored the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I am indeed."
Ed opened her car door for her before swanning over to his side and hopping in with ease. He had the confidence of a God, she had to give him that. "You ready for today?"
"Yep. You?"
"Born ready. Today marks the last time those Brummy scums fuck us over."
"What did they do, remind me?" She inquired with false interest.
"They cut our bookies at the derby. Adam Laycock almost bled out in the back of this very car."
Iris' nose wrinkled in disgust as she glanced at the back seat where lo and behold there was a huge, black stain all over the seat. "Is he alright?"
"He won't see out of his left eye again, but yeah."
Iris didn't know quite what to say. She was too nervous to try and make conversation. The same question was flying around her head that had been for the past few days: what if the boys didn't show up? In her letter Iris had made it blatantly clear that if they didn't she would be shot. But what if her mother hadn't passed on the letter? Or if they didn't bother to show? Or didn't get there on time? That being said, Iris was far from prepared to go down without a fight if they didn't arrive, hence the two pistols she had with her. Billy had given them to her in secret the night before.
"Bet you're excited to see your family." Ed commented, a smirk playing on his lips.
Rage filled her body and she considered filling him with bullets there and then. He didn't know they weren't actually going to the christening. For all he knew, they were going to a shoot-out where there would be innocent women and children. Instead, she swallowed the tirade of insults that teetered on her tongue and forced a smile. "Oh, yeah. Can't wait." —— After the most insufferable car journey, they reached Small Heath. Iris glanced at her watch. 10:05. In just over an hour she would be driving far away from this toxic city in which she had just arrived.
