𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 ♛ thomas shelby

xxxɪ | ᴄɪᴠɪʟ ᴡᴀʀ

     "They took all our whiskey," John reported. "So no doubt they'll be sipping that for Christmas. They've impounded all our vans, put their own locks on our warehouses. The Eden club and all our pubs have been raided by the coppers and handed back to Sabini and Solomons. The Black Country boys think it was Arthur that killed Billy 'cause that's what the coppers told them. So there'll be no more free passes for our whiskey boats."

"Cat?"

The brunette kicked herself off the pillar with a sigh. "Liverpool and Manchester are down, and there's been shooting in the Nechells, but I still don't know on what scale," she rubbed a hand over her face. "Coppers closed down all the pubs and restaurants, the company's liquor license was burned and all our barkeepers jailed."

     Her life's hard work up in flames in one night, all because of one vengeful Irish copper determined to destroy their lives.

"I don't give a fuck about whiskey. I don't give a fuck about Nechells," Polly sneered, joining the rest in the centre of the room. "I don't give a fuck about Billy Kitchen. I want my son out of prison, now."

"Thomas, I spoke to Johnny Dogs," Esme piped up, immediately stopped by Polly's cold glare.

     "This meeting should just be family, " Polly spat. "It's family only."

     Caterina had had enough by then. "D'you want me to leave, then?" she demanded, walking over to Polly with her arms open. "She can help," she defended Esme.

     But Polly would not be swayed. "She is not blood, Tommy."

"Let her speak," Tommy demanded, but it fell to deaf ears. Polly continued to speak over him, the spiteful jabs coming from all the attendants until Tommy slammed his palms against the table John was sitting at, rattling all the lamps in the betting shop.

     "Enough! Enough, Polly. Esme?"

"I spoke to Johnny Dogs," Esme began, trying not to glance warily at the woman shooting daggers into the back of her head, "The Lees are kin."

Another unconcealed scoff left Polly's mouth. "The bloody Lees?"

"They can give us more men," Esme defended her family. The rift between the Lee bride and the Shelby matriarch had become most unnerving over the past year, created over Polly's sheer distaste of Esme asking blunt, clear-headed questions and influencing decisions made for the family. She felt threatened.

"We don't need more fucking men! It's men that have done the fucking damage. It's-" she paused to take another breath of air, "It's men fighting like cockerels that have put us here in the first place."

     Caterina was very close to tearing both her and Polly's hair off. "For Christ's sake Polly, we just need time! There's a plan in motion, we just need to follow it properly and both Arthur and Michael will be out of prison," "You don't have to trust us, but trust the plan."

     "You can take your plan and shove it down your throat," Polly replied with same venomous fervour.

     "Esme, we'll take up their offer. We need men," Tommy firmly ignored his aunt.

"If Michael ever gets out of prison, I am taking him away from this family. For good. This life is bad," she marched over to Finn, grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the meeting, despite his protests. "This life is all bad."

Somewhat annoyed, Finn asked, "Aunt Pol, what're you doing?"

"Shut up," Polly snapped, tugging him more firmly. "And walk."