Canary - Thomas Shelby

chapter 19

"Do you know how unfair it is that you've got four Bugattis when half the country's starving?" Ada added in. Ada had come to greatly resent the Peaky Blinders for the wealth they had amassed. She had no idea that Tommy had been saving most of it to help secure the family's future.

"So now they've made you ashamed of us, eh?" Tommy asked and Elena caught the hurt in his voice.

"Sometimes when I think how I used to be, it makes me embarrassed" Ada responded again digging the conversation into further ruins.

"I think what Tommy forgot to say is that we are here to support you in any way we can and we just want you to be safe, Isn't that right Tommy?" Elena chimed in elbowing the man on her right as she tried to salvage the conversation.

Tommy opened his mouth to respond but quickly closed it as Polly joined the group.

"Karl's with his cousins. I caught 'em trying to pinch flowers off a grave" Polly said shooting Ada a soft smile.

"Ada. Are you coming home?" Polly asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I'm going home," she said quietly and Elena knew she did not mean the Shelby family home.

"It's all right, Poll. We make Ada embarrassed" Tommy responded. The conversation had no hope at this point.

"That's not what I said!" Ada said defending herself.

"There's another reason we want you home. We're planning an expansion. I'm taking premises in London..." Tommy started to explain why they had pulled Ada aside,

"Tommy, it's a funeral, business can wait" Polly interrupted clearly wanting to protect Ada

"Polly, if Ada was weeping then I'd stop. But she's not" Tommy said his voice getting sharp.

"The expansion means it's going to be dangerous to be a Shelby in London for a while." Elena chimed in. Ada could resent them all she liked but the most important thing was that she was safe. Because London was currently Sabini's realm and there was no one crueler than her father; she had no doubt he was not below going after someone like Ada to get to Tommy.

"Yeah, well, I'm not a Shelby anymore. And I'm not a Thorne now, either. I'm free. I've got to get Karl home" Ada said pain clear in her voice as she walked away.

"Well, that went excellent," Elena remarked as she grabbed the cigarette from Tommy's hand before taking a smoke.

"I told you to let me do it," Polly said harshly

"It's all right. I'll have some men watch her house till the danger passes" Tommy said clearly stressed as he continued to watch Ada grab Karl.

Elena watched as a man on a motorcycle approached Arthur. After sharing a few words, Arthur hurriedly waved the trio over.

Today was not going to be the day that danger passed. It was only the beginning.

Tommy

Someone had blown up the Garrison, and Tommy had no clue who it could have been.

"It happened at exactly 7 am" Sergeant Moss recounted to Tommy, Polly, and Elena as they stood outside the burned-out Garrison.

"Nobody saw anything. Our patrols were not in the area. Mr. Shelby, have you got any idea who might've done it?" The Sergeant continued to Tommy as he watched Elena get closer to the building to investigate. From her face, Tommy could tell she was heartbroken at the state of the pub.

"I'd say it was something to do with the gas. It's just been fitted" Tommy said as he discreetly handed over some cash to the Sergeant. The last thing they needed was for the police to be investigating.