"Where have you been?" Tommy questioned as soon as Ivy was back home.
"Doing business" she replied nonchalantly. Sitting next to Tommy on his bed. Ivy always slept in one of the boys rooms now - usually Tommy's- to help them sleep. When they did wake up with nightmares, which was almost every night, she was there to help them. It often meant she wouldn't sleep much but anything for her brothers. Tommy was struggling the most, then Arthur who struggled more with his emotions and then John who was managing pretty well.
"What business?" Tommy asked.
"Business that doesn't concern you" Ivy replied stubbornly.
"Family business does concern me..." Tommy started but was cut off by Ivy.
"Well it's not family business so you don't need to be concerned and before you say anything, you have Billy Kimber to deal with. You can't be fixing races without his permission Tom so you worry about him and I'll worry about my own business alright?"
Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose and grunted before climbing into bed.
"And I know you've been using Tom."Tommy glanced up at Ivy as she spoke. He was worried about her reaction, he wasn't scared of anyone except for his sister, because when she got mad, she got mad. Plus she and Aunt Polly were the only ones who would dare to even think about getting angry at him.
Ivy could see her brothers worry, "I'm not mad. I understand, you don't have to worry about telling me anything Tom"
"Yeah cos you probably already know it" Tommy laughed half heartedly. "You want to go to the Garrison?" Tommy asked sitting up and rubbing his face.
"As much as I would love to go and get drunk with you, it's midnight Tom, you gotta sleep"
"I don't wanna sleep" Tommy whined like a little child causing a small giggle to escape Ivy's lips. "Arthur and John are already there, we can join them, come on v" Tommy persuaded. Ivy stood up reluctantly with a small smile playing on her lips at her twins childish antics.
The twins headed over to the Garrison, when they entered the snug they saw Arthur and John drinking away but still partially sober which was good for what was about to happen.
Tommy and Ivy lit a cigarette each, everyone was in high spirits as they drank and smoked. Suddenly lights started flashing outside the Garrison.
"Police?"
"Nah" Tommy answered.
"For fuck sake Tommy!" Ivy groaned realising what was happening.
"What, whats going on?" Arthur questioned confused.
Ivy ignored her older brother, talking to her twin, "now he's in the fucking Garrison."
"Is there any man in here named Shelby?" Billy Kimber shouted after shooting the roof.
Tommy stepped out of the snug followed by Ivy, Arthur and John. "Go home, all of you" Tommy commanded; everyone scrambled away leaving the Shelbys (and 2 of their men) and Kimber (with 3 of his men). Grace poured everyone a drink before Tommy told her to leave, which she did. Tommy, Arthur, John and Ivy sat at one side of the table with their 2 men (scudboat and lovelock) standing behind them whilst Kimber and a man sat on the other side with 2 of his men standing behind them.
"You asked for a man named Shelby, well you got 3"
"I've never heard of you, then I did hear of you, some small town razor gang and I thought so what. And then you fucked me over, you fixed a race without my permission, I am Billy Kimber, you don't fuck me over and get away with it." Kimber said getting increasingly angry. "Anyway which one of you am i talking to who's the boss?" Kimber asked calming down.
"Well I'm the oldest" Arthur stated.
Kimber snorted his tone laced with mockery, "clearly".
"Are you laughing at my brother?" John started getting annoyed. Ivy rolled her eyes at her brothers insolence.
"Right your the oldest" Kimber pointed at Arthur before turning to John, "You're the thickest", he then turned to Tommy "And I'm told the boss is called Tommy and I'm guessing that's you 'cos you're looking me up and down like I'm a fucking tart!"
Ivy snorted out a laugh at Kimber's description of Tommy. All eyes turned to her as she continued to smile absentmindedly.
"What the fuck is that?" Billy sneered his nose up looking at the smiling woman who was wearing men's clothes and just generally looked like shit. Ivy's smile fazed into a full on grin. "What the fuck is that?" Billy repeated causing Ivy to laugh, she looked up at Billy Kimber's confused and disgusted face making her laugh even harder. "What the fuck?" Kimber muttered. Tommy looked unimpressed as his sister doubled over with hysterical laughter.
"Ivy" Tommy warned. She swiftly stopped laughing, whipped out her gun and pointed it at the gap between Billy Kimber's eyes. Billy's Kimber's men pointed there guns at her immediately.
Ivy was temperamental to say the least.
"I'm sorry for my outbreak, I hope it doesn't interrupt your business" Ivy said monotonous before leaning over the table to Kimber's ear, "I just don't appreciate dickhead's, bye bye Mr.Kimber. Maybe I'll see you again one day. Or maybe I won't", and with that said Ivy left the pub leaving the boys to the business she couldn't be bothered to be involved with.
She went back to the house and flopped onto the couch falling asleep almost immediately.
•••
Ivy woke up at 6 in the morning. She went straight to Tommy's room. She knocked gently on the door and he opened it almost immediately.
"You're up. Good. We're going to the Lee's, get ready" Ivy commanded.
"If we go there they men there will be a fucking war, what the fuck are you thinking?"
"Do you trust me?" Ivy asked producing a hesitant nod from Tommy. Ivy turned on her heel to go and get changed whilst Tommy did the same.
Ivy changed into her classic men's attire of the time, finishing it off with her peaky blinders cap. She checked her pocket watch before muttering "shit". She rushed off to find Tommy who was sitting in the small kitchen dining room with Polly and Ada who were also dressed. "C'mon we gotta get John and Arthur." Ivy spoke whilst walking towards the door.
"I hope you know what your doing V" Polly stated.
Ivy turned around quickly annoyed at her aunt's lack of faith in her, " I said I'd sort it and I sorted it alright. Now we all need to go to where the Lee's currently are and you need to do what I say, alright." Ivy slammed her fist on the table, startling everyone and shouting, "when will you all start bloody believing me when I say I will sort it out. Don't push my fucking buttons, alright, if I say ill sort something ill fucking sort it." Ivy turned on her heel and got in the driver seat of the wagon.
"She needs to sort out her fucking temper Tommy." Polly said to him.
"I know she fucking does, yesterday she pulled a fucking gun on Billy fucking Kimber."
"Don't fucking swear at me Tommy I could still beat your ass any day, so watch it, but you need to talk to her. She won't listen to any of us" Polly warned.
"She's fu- she's messing everything up round here; starting wars, pulling guns on people, it's getting out of hand. She can't stay in Birmingham Pol." Tommy spoke looking at his feet.
"Well what are you suggesting!" Ada joined in the conversation, shocked and confused about what his brother was implying.
"Hurry the fuck up!" Ivy shouted from the waggon.
Tommy gave a final glance to Ada and she walked out before looking at his aunt who gave him a confirming nod.
•••
Ivy, Tommy, Arthur, John, Polly, Ada, Curly and a few other people arrived at the Lee's current camp. Everyone except for Ivy was on edge, not knowing what to expect. Ivy had told everyone not to be armed which just unhinged everyone even more. Scudboat had started to protest but immediately stopped when Ivy got pissed off and started shouting at him. Something was very off and everyone could feel it.
They all got out of the waggon and walked over to one of the Lee's. Ivy started quietly talking to her whilst everyone else hung back. "Tommy what the fuck is going on? Whats she thinking we're in shooting range she's gonna get herself and all of us killed?" John shouted quietly.
"I don't bloody know" Tommy sighed.
Ivy walked back over and stood straight in front of John before putting a flower in his pocket. Everyone looked at her as if she'd gone crazy. "Johnny boy. You my darling are getting married." John's jaw dropped to the floor at Ivy's words. She took the chance to take the tooth pick out of his mouth and throw it on the floor, she slapped his cheek lightly whilst grinning like the Cheshire Cat before walking over. Everyone stood there in shook until Ivy waved them over.
John knelt down on the wedding mats and the ceremony began. John was going to protest against the marriage but his sister was not in the mood for any resistance today. Whilst the ceremony proceeded Tommy spoke with Ivy, "You're out of control Ive. You know it's bad for business and you know we have to do something. I'm telling you this now because we're at a wedding and you won't throw a fucking fit and cut my fingers off."
Tommy was smart. If he had of told her this any other time at any other place, the probability of him coming out of the talk without a scar was very small.
"We need to move you out of Birmingham before you do more damage. I know you fix your problems but it's damaging and it's damaging everything, even the things you manage to fix, alright? D'you understand?"
"Ok but just because I understand doesn't mean i'm happy about it. I'll be gone by tomorrow, I know how much damage I'm doing ok so it's best if I just leave. You want to expand to London correct?" Tommy looked at his sister and nodded before she continued, "Right then i will go to London, I have some business I need to do there anyway. But because we are at a wedding and because you can't throw a fit and cut my fingers off I need to tell you some things."
Ivy was smart. If she had of told him this any other time at any other place, the probability of her coming out of the talk without a scar was very small.
"Freddie Thorne is how this truce with the Lee's managed to happen. I needed to talk to one of the Lee's without getting shot so I used Freddie to do that. He needed someone out of his way so that his communist revolution could continue. And before you ask no I will not be telling you who it was because that is not any of your concern. Therefore Freddie Thorne is our ally and he can be useful. So if you can put your differences aside and get along that could be very beneficial for both of you."
Tommy grunted and held his head up higher, letting the information sink in.
His sister was leaving after they promised they wouldn't leave each other when he got back from the war.
His best mate - now enemy - Freddie Thorne is now an ally.
And his sister has business in London. There was no point asking what it was because she wouldn't tell him but the fact remains Ivy Shelby has business in London.