Both Of Us

War

*When they attempt to fxck with your squad

~
Tommy heard sobs coming from behind the doorway; his body tensed.

Then a man appeared, roughly holding Toni and holding a knife to her neck as he dragged her along, into the room.

Bruises and cuts adorned her face and she had a split lip. Her wrists were bruised and bleeding and her tears had ran the mascara down her face.

In an outrage, Thomas stormed over to Glasgow.

"What the fuck is this? I told you not to touch her!" He pulled his gun and pointed it straight at Glasgow's head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Glasgow said calmly. As soon as the words left his mouth, Toni screamed in pain.

Stephen firmly gripped Toni's hair and had punctured her skin with the knife.

"He can go deeper," Glasgow threatened.

"Trust me," Stephen said along Toni's skin, "I already have."

It was then that Tommy noticed the rips in Toni's dress and the tear in her stockings.  He saw the bite marks along her neck and the cusp of her cleavage.

Tommy's eyes connected with Toni's and she had never looked so afraid. A single tear ran down her cheek.

"He raped her," he whispered. "He fucking raped her!" He roared.

In that moment, he forgot about everything but her. He took his cap from his head and launched himself at the man holding his wife.

After pushing him away from Toni, Tommy slashed his face with the blade of his cap. A long cut ran down from the middle of Stephen's left eye down to his left ear.

Toni lost her balance and began to fall but John ran and caught her.

Stephen's hands covered his eye as he rolled around on the floor in agony.

Removing his gun from its holster and pulling Stephen up by his collar, Tommy pointed his weapon at Stephen's head.

Arthur aimed his gun at Glasgow just to make sure he did not try to make a move.

Glasgow merely rolled his eyes. "Are you boys finished?" he asked.

Stephen continued to cuss and convulse on the floor.

"We have business to attend to," Glasgow said.

"You're pretty calm for a bloke with a gun to his head," Arthur said.

Glasgow looked between the three of them and smirked. "You underestimate me."

Just then, torches lit up around the warehouse's inner perimeter. There were at least thirty torches; and there was a man for each of them.

They all stood beside barrels; Tommy did not want to guess what the barrels contained.

Thomas let go of Stephen's collar and stood. They were completely surrounded.

"Mr. Shelby," Glasgow began, "lets talk numbers. There are forty men in this warehouse each with a torch and a shit load of black powder. Sort of like that mentally challenged kid a while back....But this time, its much more serious. It's all going to blow," he said.

"Or what?" Thomas asked.

"You sign the necessary papers. And I get your business," Glasgow said.

Tommy stood still, looking around him. He assessed the situation.

While he was thinking, even more men entered the room. There where enough of them to hold a gun to Arthur's, John's, Toni's, and his head.

All of the Shelbys slowly raised their hands in concession.

Toni was roughly transferred into the hands of Glasgow who pressed a gun directly onto her temple. She was trembling and tears fell down her face.

"Tommy," Glasgow said, "I need an answer. Now,"

Thomas stood with his hands behind his head and racked his brain. He needed a solution.

Glasgow cocked the safety back and Toni shrieked in panic.

"Alright, stop!" Tommy yelled.

Glasgow looked at him.

"I'll sign the paperwork," Tommy caught his breath.

"Excellent," Glasgow said.

"But," Tommy continued, "not today."

"What?" Glasgow asked, infuriated.

"You declared war. By trespassing into my house. And by holding a Peaky Blinder hostage," he motioned to Toni.

"And?" Glasgow asked.

"There are rules to war," Thomas said.

"Which are?" asked Glasgow.

Thomas caught his breath and stood up straighter. "Let her go," he said. "No fighting between my men and yours until ...black star day."

"What the fuck is that?" Glasgow asked, annoyed.

"We meet," Tommy said, "and we fight."

Glasgow paused, as if to think this offer through.

"If you kill me," Thomas continued, "the company is yours. All of it."

John and Arthur shot Tommy a concerned look.

"But," Thomas continued, "if I kill you, my brother here will piss on your grave." He pointed to Arthur who let out a pleased chuckle.

Glasgow rolled his eyes, such pikeys, he thought. "Fine," Glasgow said.

"One more thing," said Thomas.

"What?" Glasgow asked.

"We take him," Thomas pointed to Stephen who was still crying on the floor.

"Fine, I don't care," Glasgow said.

"Alright," Tommy looked at Toni. "Let her go," he said.

Glasgow pushed Toni from his grasp and she stumbled forward before falling right into Tommy's arms.

Sinking into his chest, Toni sobbed, uncontrollably.  Tommy held onto her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, wanting to ease her suffering.

He whispered reassurance softly into her ear and let her cry into his chest.

"It's okay, Toni," he whispered. "It's alright... I'm here now." Even as he comforted her, her body continued to tremble.

Glasgow called his men to stand down and they lowered their weapons.

"Mr. Shelby," Glasgow said, "I'll see you on black star day."

Thomas nodded, still holding Toni.

Followed by all his men except for Stephen, Glasgow left.

Thomas watched them leave and then turned his attention back to Toni.

He dug his fingers through her hair and gently kissed her forehead, relieved.

"Tommy," John said, "Let's go."

Thomas nodded before turning around to Arthur. "Pick him up," he motioned to Stephen.

Slowly and gently, Thomas lifted Toni from the ground, favoring any injuries she had. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He carried her from the building and John followed. Trailing behind them, Arthur dragged a resistant Stephen along the floor.

~

Okaay, so I hope you're not hurt too bad.😣

I used to see Glasgow as Billy Kimber but now he's more like Chester Campbell to me.

Thank you for over 660 reads and thank you for sticking with this story even through its darkest parts. I really really appreciate it.

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