medicine (finn shelby.)

one.

♤

The patch of mould on the ceiling had grown. Penny had been measuring its size each night as she lay underneath a man whilst he had sex with her. It has turned from a bright yellow colour to a sort of green, similar to a bruise. She debated what was causing the stain, so much so that she didn't even notice that the man was putting his clothes back on and had left her lying there.

"How much?" The man breathed heavily and did up his tie.

"Ask Julian." She sighed and sat up.

"Okay. Cheers love." He winked at her disturbingly before disappearing out the door.

In the very few days she'd been doing the job, she realised that she knew many of the men that would come to her. She knew them from the pub or down the shops, and she knew that they had wives and families. It simultaneously churned her stomach and hurt her heart to think that it wasn't her place to say anything to their wives either. It was her job to fuck their husbands.

Her room was as bare as she was. A large duffel bag sat in the corner that was filled with her life's belongings. Her mother had kicked Penny out of the house after finding out how she was making her money. All she could do was thank every god in the sky that she knew Ivy Davis, otherwise she'd be homeless.

"Pen, it's me." The devil herself spoke as she knocked on the door.

"Come in." Penny shouted in reply.

Ivy came in and shut the door behind her, creeping slowly and on her tiptoes.

"What are you doing?" Penny asked in confusement.

"Julian's downstairs working out the wages for the day." Ivy explained as she failed to take her eyes off Penny's naked chest. "They're so perky."

"I am convinced you're a closeted lesbian." Penny pulled her nightdress over her body.

"Only for you baby girl." Ivy winked and blew Penny a kiss.

Julian came in at the exact moment it all played out. A confused look arose for a moment before he sighed and shook it off. He was getting ever used to their close relationship.

"Penny, you got £1, 5 shillings and 10 pence." Julian chucked an envelope at her before walking out of the room.

Julian had a bizarre relationship with his employees. On the one hand, he was only their boss and there was no need to invest in their lives. But on the other, he felt fiercely protective over the girls and made sure that they were always safe, housed and fed. He once beat the living daylights out of a man that attempted to rape Ivy's sister. The girls respected him and he respected them.

"Hey, did you hear the news?" Ivy sat down on the bed next to Penny, her face adorned with mischief.

"No but I bet you're about to tell me, aren't you?" Penny smiled cheekily.

"Vera's back." Ivy said.

Vera was Ivy's sister, a true tear away. She was the first girl that ever worked for Julian but had run off with a man a few years ago. Of course Small Heath pulled her back, and she was now working again to make ends meet.

"Also, apparently these two drunks turned up and Jules had to kick them out because they threatened to stab him if he didn't let them fuck us." Ivy carried on.

"I'm going to rename you 'Birmingham Herald Davis'." Penny sighed.

"Why?" Ivy asked innocently.

"Because all you do is spread fucking gossip." She rolled her eyes.

"You love me though." Ivy batted her eyelids. "Me and my very tiny boobies."

Penny pounced on her and started tickling her, the sure fire way to shut her up. Ivy screamed and laughed as Penny tickled her to death. Laughter from both of them filled the room, so much so that Julian was on his way back up the stairs to tell them to shut up.

"You do my head in but I love you to pieces." Penny pecked Ivy's forehead before getting off her. "And your boobs are fine."

Julian shoved the door open and leant against the doorway.

"It was such a mistake hiring you both at the same time." He shook his head and chuckled.

"Face it Jules, we make you smile even when you don't want to." Ivy pointed at him as she lay out of breath on the bed.

"Penny can we talk?" He smiled and invited her into the hallway.

She shut the door behind herself and wrapped her arms around her body for extra warmth.

"We've had a call for a booking tomorrow, and you're the only one free at that spot." He explained with a look of guilt in his eyes.

"Okay?" She shrugged. "Can I go back in now? Ivy will start causing shit in an empty room."

"In a second. Look, you've had a booking from one of the Peaky Blinders." He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.

"Fuck." She whispered under her breath.

"I know. I don't know how genuine it is, seeing as the call was made by a drunk woman called Elizabeth. If you're shit, it doesn't matter because he's a virgin so he won't even know the difference." Julian shrugged.

"I can't take his virginity! That's a big thing."
She whined. "I'm guessing it's Finn then, he's the only one young enough to be a virgin."

"Take it up with Elizabeth if you've got a problem." Julian threw his arms up in the air. "You're going to his house on Watery-"

"I know where his damn house is, they're the most notorious family in the city." She snapped.

"You'll be okay." Julian placed his hands on her shoulders in a poor attempt at comfort.

Penny held back her giggles as he tried to make her feel better.

"I'm not very good at this, am I?" He did his best not to laugh.

"Let me go you twat." She smiled and pushed his arms off her.

Julian patted her head before trotting down the staircase.

"Tell Ivy she's got a man waiting for her in her room. He's a high payer as well." Julian shouted.

Penny took a deep breath before shoving her bedroom door open.

"Ivy help." She rushed out.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Ivy was instantly serious and full of concern.

"I've got to shag a Shelby."

♤

a/n: welcome to the new book! finn will appear very soon don't worry x