The Queen Of Small Heath

Billy Kimber.

"Well I'm the oldest." Arthur announces as Aurora picks up her whiskey glass and chugs it back as I put my hand on the inside of her thigh, trailing her dress up a bit. Billy let's out a small snigger at Arthur. "Clearly." He says sarcastically and Johns eyes darken as he stares at Billy. "Are you laughing at my brother?" He asks as Billy looks around, taken aback by the question before he points at Arthur. "Right. You're the oldest."

His finger moves to John. "You're the thickest." He insults before he moves to me. "I'm told the boss is called Tommy and I'm guessing that's you because you're looking me up and down like I'm a fucking tart!" He growls. "I want to know what you want." I say calmly. "There was a suspicious betting pattern at Kempton Park. A horse called Monaghan Boy. He won by a length twice and then finished last, with 3,000 pounds bet on him." The man beside Billy speaks up.

"Which one are we talking to?" Aurora speaks up making Arthur, John, Scudboat and Lovelock smirk. Kimber glares as he leans over the table but Aurora isn't intimated in the slightest. "You must be Tommy's girl. Pretty one at that. Can tell by the way he looks at you, like a kid in a candy shop. You know you can do much better than him? A lot better than hanging around with a razor gang. Bet you'd look lovely with my dick inside you." He says, smiling smugly to himself as he leans back in his chair making rage fill up inside of me.

Johns and Arthur's glare deepens at him as Aurora laughs. "You're funny. But see, I would never let a typical wannabe gangster who thinks he's gods gift to women, when he's not, put their hands on me. I prefer real gangsters, real men. Like Tommy is. And yes, I am his girl." She says firmly as Billy's smile drops at her words.

The room falls into raging silence as Aurora and Billy stare each other down, Aurora barely blinking. John and Arthur long forget about the deal and John stands up and Arthur cracks his knuckles, an inhuman growl leaving his lips. "Easy, my boys. He's nothing I can't handle." Aurora tells them calmly.

My cold demeanour covers the rage I feel inside as I continue to speak calmly, dragging on my cigarette. "Which one's the boss?" I ask and the man with glasses cringes as he speaks up. "I am Mr Kimber's adviser and accountant." He says as Billy jumps up from his seat, his eyes glaring down at me.

"And I'm the fucking boss. Okay, right, end of parley. You fixed a race without my permission. You fucking gypsy scum. What, live off the war pensions, or these poor Garrison Lane widows! That's you level. I am Billy Kimber, I run the races! You fixed one of them so I'm going to have you and your little brunette bitch shot against a post!" He finishes shouting, turning round to strut out of the room.

"Kimber." Aurora calls as she throws him a carved bullet I handed to her. "Look at it." I tell him, standing up. "That's my name on it. It's from the Lee family. You're also at war with the Lee's, Mr Kimber. Am I right?" I question as I stand up. "The Lee's are attacking your bookies and taking your money. Your men can't control them, you need help." I continue as his advisor keeps his eyes on us.

"Perhaps we should listen to what Mr Shelby has to say. Before we make our decisions." He says. "Right, the Lees are doing a lot of taking at the fairs. They're doing a lot of kin. They're saying the race tracks are easy meat, because the police are busy with strikes. Now, we have connections. We know how they operate. You have muscle." I say before I pause.

"Together, we can stop them. Divided, maybe not." I finish. "Mr Kimber, perhaps we should take some time for reflection. Possibly make arrangements for another meeting." His advisor mutters. My eyes never leaves Billy Kimber's. "I admire you, Mr Kimber. You started with nothing and you built a legitimate business. It would be an honour to work with you, Mr Kimber." I finish, refraining from winking at Aurora who watches me.

"Nobody works with me. People work for me." Billy corrects. "Explains why you don't have a lot of men then." Aurora says sarcastically as John and Arthur smirk at her. Kimber glances at her before he looks back at me. He takes a coin from his pocket and throws it on the floor. "Pick it up, pikey." He says as the room falls silent. A few seconds past when John shoots up from his seat as I hold my hand out. I reach down and pick up the coin. "It's for your ceiling." Kimber grumbles before walking out of the pub.

His advisor stands up, walking around the table to stand in front of me. "We will be in Cheltenham." He informs. "As will I." I grin, puffing out smoke. The man simply nods and walks out to the pub followed by their two security.

"So you picked a fight with the Lees on purpose. Tommy, we can't mess with Billy fucking Kimber." Arthur rambles. "Don't tell me you're scared of him, Arthur." Aurora says as Arthur looks at her. "You know who he is, doll." He says. "Yeah, a nobody. Anybody can bring him down a peg or two." Aurora says smirking.

"Get yourself a decent haircut men, we're going to the races." I declare, chugging a glass a whiskey back. "You know, sometimes I could strangle you three." Aurora says looking between us as we all smirk at her. "I hope you mean that in a good way, Rory." Arthur teases. "Wouldn't you like to know, Art." She says back, making us chuckle.