xx
Elena
Elena was sitting at the betting tables watching Finn pace back and forth. They were waiting for Tommy to arrive so they could start the family meeting. She had resorted to throwing a pen in the air to pass the time, she really did wish Tommy could be early for once.
Elena looked over at Arthur sitting on her right. She had heard about the fights he had been in recently and how violent he had become. She was worried about him, about all of them really, but Arthur in particular was not adapting to day-to-day life. She made a mental note to talk to Tommy about Arthur tonight.
"Sit down, Finn" Arthur snapped at his brother clearly just as annoyed as she was with the teenager's anxious energy. Finn shot Arthur a glare before taking a seat across from Elena.
"Where the bloody hell is Tommy?" John asked clearly getting annoyed.
"He's on his way" Elena answered. At least she hoped she was on his way.
"All right then, while we're waiting patiently..." Arthur started getting up to grab a box
"Whisky. Left over from the explosion. It's good stuff, as well." he finished putting down the whisky.
Everyone started reaching for a glass as Curly poured the liquor. Finn tried to sneak his hand in to grab a glass but Elena slapped it away shooting the boy a pointed looked.
"When you can grow facial hair you can drink whisky," she told him. He only rolled his eyes in response.
"Right," John said clapping his hands together to get everyone's attention. Elena had a sinking feeling about what this was about, his growing annoyance at Tommy and the future plans had become quite evident to anyone paying attention.
"Before Tommy gets here, I think there's a few things we need to get straight between the rest of us" he finished.
"John maybe this should wait" Elena chimed in hoping to get him to cool off.
"I want to know... When did we all take a vote on this expansion south?" John said clearly ignoring Elena's warning.
"You have anything to say, you wait for Thomas," Polly said coldly. Elena was thankful that in the last few years, Polly and Tommy had become a unified front of the Peaky Blinders.
"Polly's fucking right" Arthur added in agreement and Elena shot him a thankful smile.
"I see all the books. Legal and off track. Sort of stuff you don't see. And in the past year, the Shelby Company Limited has been making £150 a day. Right? A fucking day! Sometimes more. So what I want to know is why are we changing things?" John started. That was the major difference between John and Tommy. John would be happy as long as he could live a comfortable life, while Tommy he would never settle not if there was more that could be done.
"Polly, look what's happened already. We haven't even set foot in London yet and they've already blown up our fucking pub" John continued.
"Who said anything about cockneys?" Elena challenged. She knew it was really the IRA who bombed the Garrison and while she wasn't willing to spill that information she wasn't going to sit back and let false accusations fly.
"Who else?" Esme chimed in from the stairs.
"I don't know, any of our other enemies?" Elena responded back staring Esme in the eyes. The girls weren't exactly close and often butted heads just as John and Tommy did.
"Do you know who did it, do you?" Polly interrupted trying to cool the tension
"No, she doesn't know who did it" John answered for Esme. At that exact moment, Tommy decided to walk in and his eyes went straight to Elena as if sensing the tension in the room. She shot him a quick wink that lit up his eyes in a way that only Elena could notice.
"I'm told only family are allowed to speak," Esme said quietly from the stairs. Elena was going to have a sharp discussion with John if that is what he had told Esme.
"Everyone's allowed to speak. On your feet, Esme, let's hear what you have to say.
"I speak for our household" John interrupted before Esme could start talking.
"For christ's sake," Elena said under her breath rolling her eyes at John's antics.
"John, this company is a modern enterprise and believes in equal rights for women" Tommy added in and Elena's heart swelled. Tommy had grown a lot in the last two years for him to say that.
"On your feet, Esme" Elena added in encouragement earning herself a glare from John.
"I'm not a blood member of this family but perhaps, indeed, because I'm not a member I can see things in a different light. So I'll get to my point" Esme said standing up and looking at the assembled group
"That would be nice," Polly said slyly and Elena had to clench her teeth to prevent a laugh from coming out.
"As my husband said, Shelby Company Limited is now very successful. But London... I have kin in Shepherd's Bush and Portobello. It's more like wars between armies down there. And the coppers fight side-by-side with them. And there are foreigners of every description and the use of bombs is the least of it. I have a child, blessed with the Shelby family good looks. I want John to see him grow up. I want us to someday live somewhere with fresh air and trees and keep chickens or something" Esme said and Elena could sympathize with the sentiments. All she wanted was for everyone's safety but as long as Sabini remained in power they were inherently unsafe. The only way for the Peaky Blinders to have true peace would be to take Sabini out.
"But London is just smoke and trouble, Thomas. And I understand that Elena's father is down there but the revenge it's not worth the destruction" Esme finished meeting Elena's eyes at the end. Esme clearly faulted Elena for the talks of London expansion.
"That was a lot of words, a lot of words. Wash them down with a nice drink" Arthur said breaking the stare-down between Elena and Esme as he handed over another drink to Elena. She gave Arthur a thankful smile before downing it. She was going to need several more drinks before she was ready to talk about her father.
"Firstly, the bang in the pub had nothing to do with London. Understood? The bang is something I'm dealing with on my own. Secondly, we've nothing to fear from the proposed business expansion so long as we stick together. And after the first few weeks, nine-tenths of what we do in London will be legal. The other tenth is in good hands. Isn't that right, Arthur?" Tommy said in response.
"That's right," Arthur answered.
"Now, some of you in this room have expressed your reservations. Fair enough. Any of you who want no part in the future of this company, walk out the door right now ... because the last thing this company or I will stand for is people throwing accusations that the only reason we are going to London is Elena. Elena is the reason we will be successful in London" Tommy said meeting Esme's and John's eyes in warning.
"For those of you with ambition, the expansion process begins tomorrow" Tommy finished and Elena watched as Polly looked surprised. Classic Tommy to forget to fill Polly in after their conversation last night.
"I for one can't wait to punch Sabini in the face" Arthur whispered to Elena shooting her a knowing smile.
Elena let out a laugh as the tension in the room dissipated. The Peaky Blinders were officially expanding to London.
Elena watched as Polly and Tommy walked off to the back offices. She knew she was welcome to join but decided it best to give them some distance to work out their troubles.
Tommy
"Tomorrow?" Polly asked as they walked into the back room. Tommy knew that Polly was upset about not learning of the plans until now but he and Elena had not solidified the date until last night.
"I'm the company treasurer, you should speak to me first. It's Newmarket tomorrow, third busiest day of the year." Polly continued clearly annoyed
"We have 18 staff" Tommy answered as he began opening the safe. They needed at least some cash on them for tomorrow. Tommy pulled against the handle yet the door was not opening, the combination was not working.
"Who you trust with 200 quid takings? Oh, I changed the combination. So what's going on, Thomas?" Polly said finally making Tommy stop and look at her. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve so it seemed.
"Who'd you meet at the Black Lion?" Polly asked knowing she now had leverage to get information.
"Give me the combination, Polly" Tommy tried again not liking being held hostage by his aunt.
After a few seconds of silence, Tommy tried again "Polly, give me the combination" as his voice raised in volume.
"What happened to the pub is Irish business. We're in a situation where, for everyone's safety, it's best if some things remain undisclosed" Tommy answered not wanting to inform her of the IRA plans for him.
"So why tomorrow?" She asked.
"Like you say, tomorrow's Newmarket. All the London bosses will be at the races" Tommy answered. He wanted to get in and out of London with a message to Sabini without worrying if Sabini was there.
"What say you just roll up and take the city?" Polly questioned again.
"No, we take the opportunity to show our hand. The Italian gangs and the Jewish gangs have been at war in London for six months" Tommy said starting to explain their plan.
"It's not our war" Polly piped in.
"The Jews have been having the worst of it. They need allies" Tommy continued
"Yeah, but we don't" she added again.
"We need a foothold at the southern end of the Grand Union. The Jews control Camden Town" Tommy said finishing the general plan.
A few seconds of silence passed between them.
"Your mother said, 'It's his cleverness that'll kill him.'" Polly said finally. It was a low blow to bring up his mother.
"No one gets killed, Polly. We go down tomorrow when it's quiet and we leave our message. If Alfie Solomon and his Camden boys come to us, we'll negotiate the use of a secure bonded warehouse and then our legal activities in London can begin. Now please, open the fucking safe" Tommy finished. Polly wordlessly got up and unlocked the safe for him.
"This revenge is going to get you killed Tommy," Polly said more softly.
"What revenge?" Tommy asked as he grabbed the money he needed.
"Do you think I'm stupid Tommy? I know that all this talk of expanding business is all just so you can go down and destroy Sabini. For Elena." Polly whispered harshly.
"He beat her Polly!" Tommy roared as all of his self-controlled rage erupted. Taken by the look of surprise on Polly's face Elena had not shared all the details with Polly.
"She spent years living in fear under him. Her life was a living hell. And now even with hundreds of miles between them, he still controls her. If he were to find out she was alive, I don't know If I could keep her safe" Tommy said his voice nearly at a yell. He hated to admit the last part but it was true. The Italian gang was a force to be reckoned with and if Sabini were to ever learn of Elena's survival he would bring hell upon Small Heath to find her.
"So yes this is about Elena. This is about her future, our future. I will destroy Sabini not just so we can expand the Peaky Blinders but so that El can be free. And if you can't support that then you don't support me" Tommy finished nearly out of breath from how angry he had become.
"Are you going to London now?" Polly answered her voice softer. The question would be the only apology she offered for questioning his motives.
"No, in the morning. I promised El I would stay the night first" Tommy said his voice returning to a normal volume.
xx
Tommy stared at Elena who was currently resting her head on his chest. It was a few hours until morning and the pair were enjoying all the time they had before daylight when Tommy would officially be leaving.
"And did I tell you about the stage area?" Elena asked anxiously breaking the silence.
"Yes twice already. I'm pretty sure I could paint the Eden Club in my sleep" Tommy answered as he began to stroke her bare back in comfort. Elena was anxious about him and his brothers leaving tomorrow and in an effort to cope had re-told him all the details she remembered of the club they planned to visit.
"We are going to be fine" Tommy reassured her.
"How can you know that?" Elena asked sitting up so she could look him in the eyes. He felt like he could drown in her eyes.
"I'm Thomas Shelby I know things" He answered a smirk coming to his face.
"Are you sure I shouldn't come?" She asked.
"Elena you know why you can't come. Keeping you safe is my top priority and that involves keeping your identity a secret" Tommy said gently grabbing her face.
"I know. I just don't like the idea of you even in that club" she said softly her eyes exploring his face as if trying to commit it to memory.
"We will all be fine El and I'll be back before you could even miss me" he answered before pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. As a smile came to her face he pressed another kiss, this time closer to her mouth.
"Are you trying to distract me, Tommy?" Elena laughed.
"I can think of a few things to distract you," Tommy said flipping her on her back as Elena laughed in glee. Tommy made sure they enjoyed the last few hours before London because once tomorrow came there would be no turning back.