The Poisoned Rose

Chapter Forty-Four

Driving down the numerous roads, Rose gently rested her head upon John's shoulder, they had been driving for hours, and still hadn't arrived at their destination. Tommy and Arthur were in the front of the car, talking quietly and occasionally. It was as though a wedge was slowly being pushed in between the brothers, in between the gang.

"When are we going to get there?" John asked, he was tired and irritated, none of the men had wanted to go on this venture. "Because I need a piss."

Rose sighed as she straightened her back and looked at Tommy's reflection in the mirror, Tommy stared back at her before replying to his brother, "We are nearly there, another ten minutes or so."

"Good." John said gruffly as he grabbed his wife's hand, "The men aren't going to be too happy Tom."

"I don't care if they are happy or not, as long as they do what they are instructed to do then I shall be happy."

John glanced over at Rose before asking, "What if they don't do as they are instructed?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Tommy glared at his brother, "What do you know?"

"Nothing Tommy, nothing, it was just a question."

Wanting to help her husband, Rose changed the subject completely, "What is the plan for when we get there?"

"We got to their building, ransack it, kill some of their men and then we take over their business and leave." Tommy replied, "It is very simple."

"Too simple." Rose muttered to John who nodded his head.

They all stood opposite the shop window, all of them staring in, watching for a face to appear. Unlike previous businesses who made their shops look abandoned, it was recently painted, the sign pristine and a long stream of people entering and exiting with a loaf of bread in their hands.

But then it stopped.

The door was slammed shut so no one else could buy their weekly bread, the Peaky Blinders had been noticed so now it was time for the fighting to begin.

Rose was stood slightly away from them, pretending to be sorting through her bag so no one could tell she was with the Blinders. She was playing a character, a unnoticeable character. They would think she was just lost, not there to hurt them.

"Right, it's time." Tommy told his men, "Lads, you shall be going in first." He motioned towards Michael, Finn and the younger generation of the Peaky Blinders, "You shall need your guns out at the ready and remember to stay smart."

Shaking their heads, the boys looked away from him, keeping their feet glued to the floor. All of them refusing to move.

"We are not going in there Tommy." Michael told him, "We'll die as soon as we go in there, they shall fucking kill us!"

Tommy scoffed as he stalked towards his men, "I am the leader of the Peaky Blinders, you have to do what I tell you to do!"

Michael laughed as he lit himself a cigarette and began to slowly smoke and then his friends followed his act, none of them managing to look him in the eye.

Checking the window, Rose joined the group, "Tommy stop that! Do you not remember how everyone hated the generals during the Great War, sending all their men into the war, knowing they wouldn't survive!" She shook her head, "You are doing exactly the same but this time you are doing it to your family."

Tommy glared at her before turning back to his men, "You all need to show me the respect that I deserve, I am Thomas fucking Shelby. If you don't show me the respect then you are no longer part of the Peaky Blinders."

Rose stepped back and walked away from the group, knowing exactly what he had done, knowing exactly what would follow.

A sadistic laugh slipped out of Michael's lips, he walked towards his cousin, putting his cigarette out and shaking his head, "The days of the Peaky Blinders you knew are over. Things are changing Tommy. And I would much rather be part of the change than the past."

All Tommy could do was watch as the younger men of the group, joined Michael, opposing him confidently. It had been planned, all of it. They had come knowing they weren't going to follow him, they had come for one thing and one thing only. To take him down.

"We won't respect you Tommy when you've done nothing to earn that respect."

And that was when some of the elder gentlemen joined them, the men Tommy had fought beside for years, the men he trusted, "We're sorry Tom, we have to."

Lines were being drawn, men choosing sides, the war beginning.

Rose's stare rested upon her husband, waiting to see who he would join - remain loyal to his brother or be part of the change he so desired? John glanced over at Arthur, the two silently arguing, debating about where to go. But then they stopped and looked over at Tommy. They did not move, they had chosen to stay with their brother.

He would need them, need them more than anything. Rose scoffed, of course they would, no matter how much they disliked what their brother did they would never go against him. They would forever remain loyal to their leader.

Rolling her eyes, she watched as the men began to fight with each other, "Stupid, stupid men."

Nothing remarkable happened, no one was hurt, only a few bruises would appear. And then quietly, Michael and his men walked away, with him nodding curtly at Rose, knowing she would remain with her husband.

"So what do we do know?" Arthur asked his brother.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rose called out to him, "You do what you came here to do or else you'll seem weak."