A Devils Embrace : a Peaky Blinders fan fic (OC x Peaky blinders

Prologue/Chapter 1: Shaking hands with your Devils

Thomas Shelby sat in his office at Shelby Company Limited trawling through paperwork and information on their competition. It was a grey, cold Tuesday in Birmingham, but then again when wasn't the weather awful around there.

Thomas Shelby had poured himself his third glass of Irish whiskey, and lit his third cigarette. As he tried to focus his mind, he muttered under his breath ,"Ah Fuck". He hated that his mind was in a state of disarray. But, he knew, even though he would never admit to anyone, that he blamed himself forward his wife's death.

On top of that burden, the War had left a lasting tattoo on his psyche. If he was alone for to long or even attempted to
rest or take a break, all of his grief and trauma would encroach upon him and swallow him down in to a dark pit.

The only one who seemed to understand his condition was Polly Grey, his aunt - she had come over to his house for a drink and told him gently but firmly that he needed to get it together. But Polly had said something, something that spoke to reckless gypsy spirit within him. Polly had said that "Shelby's can never rest, we hover between life and death, us Shelby's we shake hands with the Devil and then walk past him". And that is exactly what he did, Thomas Shelby shook hands with his Devils and walked past them.

***
Knocking back his whiskey, he rose from his seat and strode around his desk. He needed to call a family meeting. He opened the door to his office and barked into the main area of the betting shop, "family meeting! Right fucking now. In the Garrison!".

A few minutes later Thomas leant against the bar of The Garrison pub, sipping his whiskey, waiting for the rest of the Shelby's.

Finally the door swung open and Aunt Polly, her son Michael, Ada, Finn and John walked into the Garrison, with Arthur and his wife Linda bring up the rear. When they were all settled and had been supplied with whiskey, Polly fixed Thomas with an expectant look. Polly was a proud and elegant woman, anywhere she went she carried herself with confidence. She was just as calculating as Thomas and always seemed to have a keen glint in her deep brown eyes. Beside her sat her son Michael.

Polly had had two children Michael snd Anna but they were wrongfully taken from her, later she found out through Thomas that her daughter Anna had died of Spring fever in Australia. Michael went to live uwith his adopted mum in the countryside. Eventually, after Thomas tried to get Pollys son back, Polly had found Michael standing outside her door in Birmingham.

Michael was a carbon copy of Tommy, he adopted the same attitude and mannerisms as his cousin.  Polly wasn't happy about this fact because she didn't want her don caught up in any dangerous situations with the rest of the gang.

"What's going on Tommy," Arthur growled while his god fearing wife Linda glared at Tommy in disgust. Linda, sat beside her husband watching him intently, underneath her gaze Arthur seemed to make himself smaller. Linda, as a Catholic, when she fell in love with Arthur and she took it upon herself to "help him reach salvation" as she called it. However, no matter how good her intentions were she still strutted around like she was better than anyone else. Tommy thought it was because of his family's gypsy traditions that she didn't like them. But Tommy, frankly, didn't care that much these days.

"Well if everyone could stop treating this meeting like a fucking meet and greet, you'll find out" Tommy snapped a muscle ticking in his angular jaw.

"Right, I've called you all here today, to say that I've just closed a deal." He took a deep breath,"a deal that I made with Alfie Solomons. I offered him five percent of whatever winnings we earn at the races this week, in exchange for more men on the factory floor and in our offices."

Polly, raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, "and what exactly does this solve Thomas? What's the fucking point if that?"

"It solves our problem of unknown threats from other gangs. You see Alfie Solomons men know more about the dangerous London gangs then any one else. By having his men in our establishments we can have around the clock intel on those gangs. This way we won't have another repeat of Sabani or the Russians and no one else will fucking die".

The Shelby's went quiet for a few moments, knowing exactly why Tommy said this last part. He would never admit this, but he needed to this for Grace at least, so he could make sure no one else in the family would be murdered.

"Well I closed the deal, so I'd like to raise a toast to "family"!, Tommy spoke loudly smiling

Everyone raised their glasses and said "to family"!

Tommy grippedFinn his youngest brother by the shoulders then said playfully "You're a Peaky Blinder now Finn it time you were initiated", Tommy grinned as Arthur chuckled his voice gravelly.
Arthur interjected "Guess how we initiate you, Finn?"

"How?", Finn asked his youthful face aglow with curiosity.
Arthur chuckled clapping Finn on the back drunkenly, "We're gonna get ye some girls and a lot of whiskey and we'll make a night of it", Arthur laughed hoarsely.

Polly scowled,"Arthur, you can get pissed all you want but no cocaine or ladies of the night".

Arthur nodded,"Don't worry Pol, we'll be careful with him", Arthur replied jovially winking at Finn, who grinned.

"I mean it Arthur", Polly said warningly.

Suddenly Linda got out of her chair, and stalked out of the Garrison.

"What was all that about", Polly said watching Linda leave.

Ada spoke up with a grimace on her face,"Linda, probably thinks that the initiation thing with girls is sinful. Now I don't believe in god but I do believe that if you don't stop destroying your bodies like this with drink and drugs, you won't live to see 80", Ada snapped at Tommy and Arthur.

"You're just so fucking stupid the pair of you! If both of you don't get it together this whole family is fucked!", Ada stalked out of the  Garrison at those words as well.
Polly turned to the three brothers with a piecing glare before stalking after Ada.

Tommy rubbed his temples, waiting for the women to go, when he was sure they were gone, he sighed then said to Arthur and John, "Come on then Arthur, John, let's celebrate our younger brother!", he said clapping Finn on the back smiling. But that smile was just another mask Thomas Shelby wore, hiding, the battlefield of his mind.