LIKE STEEL || Tommy Shelby

VIII. PATIENCE RENEWED

Rose's eyes flicked from John and then to Arthur. As they shut the doors and gathered the money off the table, the pieces began to fall in to place. She remembered somebody saying that the gang was run by brothers, but they had not said which ones.

It had to be them- the Shelby brothers.

They had been so kind. And it was all a facade.

Finally, John looked towards the door where Rose stood and his eyes widened.

"Hello, Rosie," Arthur said, following his brother's gaze.

"It's you," she said. It was not a question. "You're the Peaky Blinders."

A crimson blush spread on to John's cheeks.

"Well- um, we-"

"Save your breath," Rose hissed, folding her arms against her chest.

"You were bound to find out eventually, love," Arthur said, his voice gentle as he looked at her from under the brim of his cap.

"It's fine," she lied, her anger threatening to boil over. "Where's Tommy?"

"He's-" Arthur stuttered.

She groaned. "I'll find him myself."

Practically shoving past them, Rose pushed through a door at the far end of the Shop.

Tommy did not look up as Rose stormed in to what must have been his office. It was simple and dark, only a few candles and a gas lamp illuminating the small room. Shutting the door behind herself, Rose sat in the chair on the opposite side. Tommy's chin rested in his hand as he poured over what looked like records and receipts. He did not even bother to look at her when he finally spoke.

"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here?"

Rose took a deep breath before speaking.

"Why did Ada think that you were going to kill her husband?"

Finally, he turned his eyes away from his papers and on to Rose.

"Because I was," he said, lifting a match to light the cigarette that was dangling from his lips.

Rose opened her mouth to say something, but shut it quickly, looking up at the ceiling and taking another deep breath.

"I'm having trouble," he drawled, his voice low as he stood up and walked around the desk, "understanding how you have yourself so wrapped up in my family's business."

Suddenly Rose was standing, too. Tommy's face was void of expression as Rose searched for anything in it that might calm her.

"Because, Mr. Shelby, I was just brought to your sister's house under the impression that she was about to miscarry her child. The stress you caused her almost made her lose the baby!"

Finally, his mask cracked; his eyes widened as he slowly leaned back, sitting on his desk.

"So I don't know what you thought was going to happen, but-"

"But what? She's fine, Rose," he sighed, bringing his hand to his forehead. "So before you-"

"Don't you tell me what to do, Mr. Shelby," she hissed. "The last thing I need is to take orders from a man who has no idea what goes on outside of his own bloody world."

He was silent for a moment. He stared, his eyes piercing in to her's- as sharp as the anger she felt boiling in her veins.

"Tommy," he said quietly.

"What?" she breathed, her brows furrowing.

"My name. It's Tommy. You don't need to call me Mr.-"

"Oh for God's sake!" she yelled, the anger that had been bubbling under the surface now finally exploding out of her and dancing red in her vision.

"That is all you have to say to me? You almost killed your brother-in-law and gave your pregnant sister enough stress miscarry and that is all you have to say to me?"

He only continued to stare, everything about him perfectly still.

"What is going on?" she asked, silently begging him to speak. He only continued to stare.

"I had just started to trust you, too!" she laughed, letting her arms fall to her sides. "And then I find out that you're the head of Birmingham's biggest gang and run an illegal betting shop!"

"And the races."

"What?" she asked again.

"Don't forget that we also fix the horse races."

"Bloody hell, Tommy" she sighed, her anger only falling to disappointment.

There was another long silence.

"This is all I have to offer you," he said, finally.

"I'm not asking for anything, Thomas! I just want honesty. I want-"

She paused, thinking for a moment. It had been a long time since she had thought about what she wanted; there had been no time for wanting during the war.

"I just want something real, Tommy."

"I have been nothing but real with you, Rose," he said, his voice frustratingly calm and level.

She knew he was telling the truth. That night at the Garrison, he had shed that outer layer of himself. She had seen a glimpse of the man behind his well-performed act. Her anger slowly melted away and she shook her head slowly.

"I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Just promise me one thing."

"I don't make prom-" he began.

"Promise me one thing," she insisted, taking another step closer to him.

He nodded, bracing his hands in his pockets.

"That you will not keep things like this from me again."

He didn't speak, but Rose's heart was beating so loudly that she swore he was listening for it over the din of the city noise.

"If I'm going to stay here," she said, "then I can't be kept in the dark. You once asked if I would help you and I said yes; but I will not do it behind closed doors, Thomas."

"But you can't have both, Rose!" he said, rubbing his eyes. "You said you wouldn't work me, and now you can't seem to say no!"

"I don't want both, don't you get it? Why can't they be the same thing! Why can't you being honest with me and me helping you happen at the same time?"

Suddenly, Rose had the urge to step closer- to touch him. Tommy watched her hand with an unreadable expression as she raised it up to his face. She could feel the warmth of his skin as her fingers brushed his rough cheek. Gently, she ran a finger across his jaw, back and forth.

"Just let me in, Tommy," she whispered, her breath hitching as he leaned his head in to her hand.

"Then help me, Rose."

The candles flickered in his eyes, dancing across the expanse of blue.

"Help me."

"Okay," she whispered, looking up at him, more sure of than she had been in years. She had no reason to trust him- no reason to believe anything he said; but there they were, masks off and hearts bared.

"Okay."