My 3rd and possibly final Peaky Blinder Story. (I was only planning on writing one story!)
I own nothing, except for Katherine Kovach.
Chapter One: Them There Eyes
Summer, 1922
"Why are we here again?" Emmet asks loudly over the music at the Eden Club.
"Because it's a new band!" She says. "Besides, I haven't seen you all week. Sabini also said he'd comp everything for us, as a congrats to our upcoming nuptials."
"Well, thank him for me, but please, ask him to do something about his clients!"
Katherine follows Emmett's gaze to see the couple sitting next to them are making out heavily. In addition, the 'lady' has her hand down the man's trousers and she's pleasuring him with her hand. She blushes and turns aside. "I wish you hadn't pointed that out!"
"Oi! Oi" a man with an accent she doesn't recognize, shouts at the couple. "Put it away!"
Katherine can't help it, she laughs into her hand. Rude, but she didn't need to see anyone giving someone a hand job right beside her. "F**k off!" his friend shouts at them.
The man happens to catch her eye and she raises her glass to him, mouthing 'thank you'. He smirks at her, winking at her before sitting down. "Don't encourage him Katherine." Emmett says. "It's a strange enough night as it is."
"I wasn't encouraging him." she exhales and turns back to the band. "I have to admit, in spite of the sketchy atmosphere; Mario always manages to employ the best bands."
The man sits down at the table next to them before yelling at a waiter. "Irish whisky. Three bottles."
"And hurry up!" His third friend yells.
Katherine arches a brow and leans forward to whisper into Emmet's ear. "There's a way to start a fight around here. Just look at everyone."
Emmett exhales. "This is a mobster's club, everyone looks unsocial."
Regardless, Katherine can see dark looks being shot at the three strangers. The jazz trumpet and drummer's beat seem to add some further tension in the room.
"That's Sabini's cousin over there!" the moustaches man says loudly, causing her to pause, mid-sip, on her gin and tonic.
"Right Arthur, its Sabini's club." Katherine sets down her glass, now intent on eavesdropping on the three strangers. She starts listening for their names.
"Everybody in here's a f**king, f*g." the younger of the two men states.
"Just the lieutenants, John." Tommy states. "Out sire the officers."
"Katherine!" Emmet's voice cause one of them to look at her, possibly Tommy. She doesn't turn her head, knowing it'll look as if she were eavesdropping. "Did you hear me?"
"No!" She says loudly. "I'm sorry, I was listening to the music!"
Emmett rolls his eyes as he takes a drink of his water, with fresh lemon in it. Emmett was a lawyer and he never really cared for alcohol, other than the occasional, celebratory glass of champagne. Today, had been a tense day for her in regards to the wedding invitations, and she had indulged her nerves. Again, there'd been another fight about the wedding with her father. He was still trying to get her to break her engagement to Emmett. But she wouldn't. She'd waited 6 years for him to become a lawyer and next month, he'd pass the bar exam. After that, they'd be married.
She inhales as she sees Mario and the bouncer arrive at the three men's table and she knows trouble's about to happen. "Gentlemen," Mario says cordially. "there has been a mistake. I am afraid you will have to leave."
"We just bought a f**king bottle." One of the men, John, states in irritation.
"Some of the men here say they recognize you," Mario explains. "from the racetracks in the north."
"Yeah." The mustached man, Arthur, says loudly. "We get that a lot."
Tommy continues to calmly drink his whiskey, but she knows that look on in his eyes well, having seen it on her own father's face before. This whole thing was a preconceived plan and none of them were going anywhere.
"They say you have no business coming south of the line without prior agreement."
Tommy sets down his drink and asks loudly. "And what line would that be, my friend?"
Mario pauses for a moment. "They say this is provocation."
"Right, you tell them," he raises his glass and actually salutes Mario with it. "we're on holiday."
Mario hesitates then shakes a finger at him, possibly a signal to the other men in the club. "You are breaking the rules." Katherine reaches for her purse, hastily leaving a tip on the table. "They say you are the Peaky Blinders."
Those words cause a fight to occur. A full red wine bottle comes flying at Thomas's head, which he easily avoids. The bottle shatters between her and Emmett, sending red wine over her gold dress! She shrieks as chaos erupts. All three men jump to their feet, taking their hats off. several men attack by throwing punches.
She jumps up and reaches for her purse. Emmett is already on his feet. "Are you alright? are you cut?"
"I'm fine, let's get out of here!"
"Should have done that hours ago!" Emmett says loudly as he grabs her coat from the back of her chair and his. "Come on!"
A man lets out a scream in pain and Katherine stares, as he's falls to the floor, choking on blood. Katherine instantly kneels to see if she can help. Emmett pulls her up by her elbow. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
"But he's hurt!" she shouts about the still loudly playing music!
"You can't be in here, it's not safe!"
On cue, someone knocks Tommy into Emmett, who in turn shoves Tommy, or at least he attempts to. He winds up being grabbed by Tommy and knocked to the ground with a single punch! Emmett hits the ground with a grunt, then a yell as Tommy kicks him in the stomach!
Katherine grabs a hold of him Tommy's shoulder and pulls him away from Emmett. "Don't you touch him!" she shouts as he spins around, hand raised as if to strike her, then he realizes it's a woman and he lowers his hand.
He stares at her, a wild look in his blue eyes and his breathing ragged. Before either of them can say a word, a gun goes off causing everyone to freeze. Well, apart from them, they're already frozen and staring each other down. She observes how he doesn't blink at the sound of a gunshot and quickly deduces that he was a soldier in the war.
They turn to the source of the gunshot. Mario is on the bandstand, pointing a shotgun at them. he stares at Tommy, having correctly deduced him as the leader. "Get out." He orders, pointing his gun at him.
Tommy, however, is like no man she's ever seen before. He doesn't even blink as he saunters up to Mario, breathing heavily and still holding his bottle of Irish whiskey. "Eh, you gonna use that?" Mario is stunned and so is she. She can't believe the man is that foolish to test Mario. For a moment, both the men are staring at each other, deciding who will back down first. It's not Tommy. He shakes his head at Mario. "Didn't think so."
Katherine helps Emmett up from the ground. "Are you alright?"
"I think," he exhales. "I broke a finger."
"I'm sorry, let's go." They hurry towards the door. "I'll take a look at it back home."
"We came here," against her will, she finds herself listening to this man. he's either incredibly bold or stupid. "not to make enemies. No. We came here to make new friends." In the hall, they pause long enough to put on their coats. She happens to see his friend, John, stealing a kiss from a woman in the background, causing her to roll her eyes. Well, his other friend, Arthur, kicks an injured man. "Those of you who are last," he says loudly as he raises his hand, holding his bottle of Irish whiskey and points to several people in the crowd. "will soon be first. Those who are downtrodden will rise up. You know where to find us." Everyone scurries out of their way, including Emmett, for some reason, she'll never know why, she just stands there. Tommy puts his hat and glowers at her. "Out of my way." He growls.
"You're a 'gentleman,' you go around me." She states firmly.
One of the two men steps towards her, but he holds up a hand. "I'll handle this one John." The second he puts a hand on her, she hauls off and slaps him, hard. His reaction is to grab her wrists, slam her against the wall and kiss her! She lets out an outraged shriek as he slips his tongue inside her mouth! His friends chuckle as Emmett immediately starts to protest. Katherine is so shocked that she is without words as he suddenly breaks the kiss and sends her spinning back into Emmett's arms!
"Take her home," he says raggedly. "and tell your sister's fiancée to give her a good f**k." Her mouth drops open in shock as he smirks at her. "She needs one."
Katherine's face heats in anger as she stands upright. "You-
"Katherine, don't." Emmett says firmly as she spits in the direction the man and his company has gone. "are you alright?"
"God! That was gross." She spits again. She wipes her mouth vigorously, vexed that her mouth is tingling and her heart is pounding in her stomach. "I hate the taste of whiskey!" she then shouts in fury. "Who the Hell was that Mario?"
"Mr. Thomas Shelby," Mario states. "of the Peaky Blinders. I am so sorry that happened Miss Kovach."
"Tell Sabini to hold off, Dad'll want a piece of him!" she wiped her mouth again. "And I want a piece of him as well!" That peaky blinder bastard had stolen her first kiss, in front of her fiancée and there would repercussions!
"I think I've lost a tooth!" Arthur proclaims loudly. "I'll have none left at this rate! Some f**king holiday!"
"Yeah, now you can take your f**king medicine Arthur." Tommy says with a grin as he hands him his bottle of whiskey. "Here, this'll fix you."
Arthur takes the whiskey and takes a deep drink. Thomas exhaled deeply, his eyes rooted forwards. He kept clenching and unclenching his fist. Try as he might, he can't shake the emotions that filled his body at the taste of that woman's mouth. She was different, she sparked a deep burn inside of him. She had beautiful shoulder length, mahogany hair. Emerald green eyes that held a spark of fire in them. Her creamy skin was soft, smooth and unblemished
He reached for the bottle of whiskey from Arthur and took a drink. The alcohol did nothing to stop the burn, it increased it. Hell, he hadn't felt a pull like that since Grace had left him and gone to America. Once they got back to Birmingham, he'd call Lizzie, bend her over his desk and take her hard. The lust would be sated and he could resume concentrating on his work. He couldn't afford any distractions and he wouldn't allow this mystery woman to invade his thoughts.
Note: I am still nursing an injured hand, so, my updates won't be as fast until it's properly healed.