Heaven On Hold | Peaky Blinders

Don't Kill The Fun

"Where are going?" The man on the floor tried to crawl away. "Come here.... FUCKING HIT MEN, ARE YA? Huh? Is that what you are?! Arthur Shelby?" Arthur kept talking as he dragged the man over to a container now filled with paint. "That's who you wanted, yeah? What about.... what about fucking John Shelby?" Arthur placed the man's head above the pool of paint and then started to drown him in there. At first the man was struggling, but soon had given up. 2 men down, a lot more to go.

~~~

I was slumped in a large leather office chair and blew out the air I kept trapped in my lungs because of the nervousness I felt when Tommy ripped the door open. Either Arthur or I would get a ton of shit thrown our way and we both just silently stared at each other. "If you're not gonna show up for a family meeting, you let someone know." Tommy leaned over the desk, his hand palms resting flat on it. "We thought you were dead, there's fifteen fucking Italians out there."

"No, there's not." Arthur stubbornly bit back and I had the urge to slap my hand onto my forehead, but restrained myself. He was only going to anger Tommy even more. "There's thirteen. We just killed two of them. Ripper out their hearts and burnt their bones to ash. Oh, we did it." Arthur took a sip from his bottle of liquor and slowly rose to his feet. "Me and her. Your brother and niece. Not fucking Aberama Gold or his punch drunk son, but us! Your family! Even if you don't trust me no more."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Arthur?" Tommy walked around the desk to come closer to his older brother.

"I got cleaned up at Ada's. She told me you took a vote in my absence. All right. Calm down, and tell me about the men...."

"You put my job out for contract."

"Arthur...."

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna make it my fucking job anyway." Arthur stepped closer to Tommy, almost spitting in his face while raising his voice. "Because this was all my fault. It was me that shot the old man."

"Yeah, out of mercy."

"Aye. Now John's dead, he's dead because of me and I wanna make it right." Arthur calmed down a bit again and rotated his back to Tommy, trying to take his leaving.

"Arthur, wait." Tommy called after Arthur and he had put an end to his walking while I glared at the scene, wondering what Tommy wanted to ask. "How did the men get in the factory? I need to know." Tommy questioned, trying to ignore the angry tension in the room.

"Through the fucking door that was supposed to be locked and bolted." He turned around again and pointed out at Tommy with an aggressive undertone to it. "Some bastard gave me up. Somebody with keys. Yeah. Why don't you sit down, work it out for yourself? Take a fucking vote." He slammed the door shut and Tommy speechlessly glared at the closed door, watching his brother walk away through the glass. Tommy then jerked his head to the side and stared at me from over his shoulder.

"Thank you for checking in on Arthur." He talked out loud and I straightened my back. "I wanted to ask you to help me with a small task... but seeing that you already had your hands full today, I'll give you a night off."

"I appreciate that a lot, Tommy." I thanked the man ahead of me as he gave me a small nod and left himself as well. This family was a mess sometimes. You couldn't deny that fact... but this was my family and I would fight for them all equally.

~~~

With confident steps I walked up the wide staircase that lead to a beautiful bar and I entered it, walking to the dark wooded bar. I took my seat and ordered a whiskey when the man stated women weren't allowed to stand at the bar alone. "Madam... women alone are not allowed at the bar. Will someone be joining you?"

"Of course." I sweetly smiled at the bald man and he nodded, pouring my glass full of the oldest whiskey he had. I smoothed my short, cream-colored dress and slid the fur coat off my shoulders before taking the glass and waiting for my company. Jazz music was hearable in the distance and I glared over my shoulder to spot the man I was looking for. Luca Changretta. Carefully, he laid his hat on the bar I was leaning on and Luca gave the bartender a nod to indicate he wanted the same liquor as me. He grunted softly and took a sip from his glass. "You wished to talk with me, Changretta?" I stated... having wasted enough time with the nonsense. 

"I want you to think back to what happened back in Tommy's office. The bullets... the list-..."

"The list where my name was not spoken out loud." I cut him off and he smirked in response.

"So you did notice." He raised his left eyebrow and took another big swig from his whiskey.

"I'm not deaf, nor stupid." I bit back calmly. "Your dead men had spilled some information about ya wanting me alive for a reason... that reason being able to talk to me.... so say what you want and take your fucking leavin'."

"I want you to side with me."

"Against my own family?!" I spit the words out like they were venomous and he grinned before nodding.

"Sì... and I have an good proposal for you to do so." He tapped his hand full of rings onto the bar, showing he was impatient and spoke up again when I stayed silent. "I'll spare Arthur, Finn and Michael,
if you bring me Thomas Shelby." My family was strong, I've noticed that over the years, but I can't and I don't want to see them being killed by a bunch of Italians. Handing in one to save the rest sounded like a great deal to my former self, but I wasn't like that anymore. Perhaps I could play along, pass Tommy information. I had pulled that show off a thousand times before so why not now. I finished my  drink fast and emplaned the pretty glass onto the smooth wood before holding up my hand.

"Agreed." I felt his hand hold onto mine and I shook it, agreeing with the deal that would perhaps make me lose everything.