NEW REIGN || Tommy Shelby

IX. FORGED RESOLUTION

"Damnit, Tommy! I thought I was going to die! Alfie betrayed us! He just about killed Arthur and you're sitting there like nothing happened!"

He was quiet for a moment.

"I want to slit their throats. I want to go to Alfie Solomons and kill his men in front of him- make him watch before I cut him a smile and then watch him hang. I want to find Sabini and do the exact fucking same."

He was so composed, she wasn't sure if she had heard him right.

"Don't you dare say I don't care."

He finally looked over at her and she could see the anger burning in his eyes.

"I tore the city apart looking for you last night. I was willing to do anything- anything- to find out where they had taken you. I called in every last favour, Rose, and when I found out what happened I broke ties with Alfie and sent him a warning that if he ever hurt you again-"

He took a deep breath and she watched as he gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white.

"That if he ever hurts you again, I'll burn his fucking city to the ground."

She was quiet for a moment, something deep and warm rising in her chest. The anger fell away for only a second as she looked over at him- his tense shoulders and shadowed eyes. She could tell he hadn't slept.

"I don't need you to fight him for me," she mumbled, cursing the childish need to get back at him for the set up that wasn't his fault. "I can handle myself."

"Ya, you can handle yourself," he huffed, shaking his head. "You'd still be in that jail cell if it weren't for me."

"I wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for you!"

"Is that what you want, Rose?" he said, his voice sharp like a blade as the car revved faster and faster. "Do you want to be at home? Alone? Wasting your days in the clinic?"

"Pull over the car, Tom," she said as they continued to pick up speed.

"What do you want, Rose?"

"I want you to pull over the car!"

They were in the countryside now, just far enough from the city that the breeze was cool and fresh and the endless noise was becoming an echo in the distance.

He pulled over, the car bumping along the gravel outskirts. The silence was eerie as he turned off the engine and they sat in silence for a minute, listening to the other breathe.

"Rose, when I thought you were...when you didn't come home last night-"

He paused and she waited for him to try again but he didn't. Instead, he just looked up at her, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"What we do is dangerous. The life we live is never going to be easy but you chose it when you chose me. If you don't want to do this anymore-"

"What are you talking about!"

"You just said that you wouldn't be here if it weren't for me! You almost died last night, Rose! You went to jail for the Peaky Blinders last night! I-"

She cut him off again, no longer able to watch the fear rising in his eyes.

"But I didn't die, Tommy! I survived- I'm here!"

"I don't just want you to just survive, Rose," he said, his voice suddenly falling quieter.

"I never want to have to go to bed wondering about your safety ever again. Never."