Marie sipped her tea gently, holding onto the teacup with one hand, while the other hand was caressing the cross on the chain around her neck.
Luca Changretta was sitting before her, in the exact same spot that Tommy Shelby had been sitting earlier that day. He was watching her carefully, a toothpick dangling from his mouth.
When he finally pulled it out, Luca pointed towards her and whispered, "You surprise me, Miss. Baker. Your courage. I see no men here to protect you."
"They're right outside. I don't need a man's protection. You may choose not to believe it, Mr. Changretta but I am very capable of handling myself. I am after all, a very scorned widow." She replied in a very convincing manner, with bitterness indicating that they had finally reached the point of discussion that he was waiting for.
"Tommy Shelby, killed your husband? Tsk tsk…my father did tell me about Billy Kimber. A great man, running a legitimate business. But he made a mistake when he made a deal with the Shelbys. That family is cursed. And they will perish now that I am here."
"Unfortunately for us, Thomas Shelby is well prepared. He already has allies to fight you, and there are more of the Peaky Blinders on the streets of Small Heath."
In order to sound convincing, Marie needed to provide him with true details. She was doing Tommy a favor, but he never mentioned what she should or shouldn't tell the Italian in front of her.
"And who has Tommy Shelby…approached?" Luca asked.
Pursing her lips, Marie noticed the way Luca was suspiciously looking at her. He held back and he was trying to get more information.
Marie realized that maybe he was only here to fish for information, not to actually take her on as an ally. She had a great number of Brummies on her side. Why wouldn't he be interested, unless he didn't believe her motives?
Realizing that she had no other choice, Marie answered, "Alfie Solomons, I heard. He runs the Jewish gang in Camden Town."
Raising his eyebrow, Luca looked a little surprised but a smirk played on his lips. Finally, he stood up from the table and stated, "I have heard of this Alfie Solomons. But his location…London. I have just arrived in Birmingham. Are you advising me to get back to London and speak to this Jew?"
"You may do what you like, Mr. Changretta. I am but a woman and I am not fit for travel. However, if we join forces and you get to speak to Mr. Solomons, I am sure that we can come up with some sort of agreement, to make sure that he sides with us, not with the Shelbys."
Marie stood up as well and smiled at him. By providing information concerning Tommy's plans, she managed to convince Luca Changretta that her intentions to destroy the Shelbys were genuine.
"I must meet this Alfie Solomons then, but I can assure you, Miss. Baker, that I will not be leaving you unprotected here in Birmingham, from the Shelbys. I will send some of my men while I am gone…to handle some business here." Luca explained, nodding and then saying, "Have a good day."
…
Ada was holding the phone to her ear, waiting around in the busy hospital to get an answer. She had called the doctor back to Tatiana's room, to make sure that she was not unsupervised.
She was too eager to get rid of that baby, and Ada was worried that alone, this was exactly what she might do.
When the housekeeper, Mary, finally picked up the phone, Ada sighed in relief and asked for her brother. Tommy's voice came almost immediately from the other line.
"Ada. Where are you?"
"Tommy. At the City Hospital. And you will never believe who I found here! It's your Russian duchess. She escaped and is being treated here."
There was nothing but silence which followed and Ada was worried that the line had been cut.
"I should have known. They told me that she was not with them." Tommy finally said, and Ada frowned. "What are you talking about, Tommy? Who told you?"
"The baby?" Tommy whispered, a hint of worry in his voice.
"The baby is fine, at least that is what her doctor says. But she has been beaten by those brutes, Tommy. Tortured even."
"I am coming as soon as I can. Watch over her, Ada. Don't let her leave."
"She couldn't even if she tried. She is injured." Ada explained. The line was cut off at that moment and she rolled her eyes, whispering, "Goodbye to you too."
Putting the phone back in its place, Ada walked around the busy doctors in the hall, and headed back to Tatiana's room. The doctor was not there…and neither was she.
Panicked, Ada ran out of the room and started asking around for the pregnant woman that was just there, but no one had seen anything. Either she managed to leave on her own, or the Italians were here.
Ada rushed out of the hospital to warn Finn and Isaiah of the possible danger.
…
As soon as he left the house of Marie Baker, Luca round up his henchmen at the hotel in the outskirts of Birmingham, where they had agreed on staying.
They were still waiting on those who were sent off to search for one Tatiana Petrovna on the train railings. A number of thirteen Italians were standing firmly before Changretta, waiting for orders. Seven were expected back.
"Capo!" Five of the seven expected yelled out as they ran towards them. Luca was surprised to the expected two missing.
One of the few who had just arrived were holding their guns in their hands, and started to explain how they had been ambushed on their search for the Russian duchess.
The perpetrators were none other than the Brum Boys themselves.
Luca broke his toothpick and hissed, "Tradimento! Find that woman. Kill her!"
Marie Baker was now a confirmed enemy to him and needed to be eliminated. Five of the remaining eighteen henchmen were sent to complete the task.
The Birmingham Boys would put up a fight, but they had the element of surprise and Marie Baker, determined to show that she could handle herself alone as a woman, would have no protection waiting for her.
Little did Changretta know that spies were everywhere in Birmingham now. Spies working for the "emperor" Thomas Shelby. One of the spies happened to be near the hotel at that exact moment, running away, undetected, to make a very important phone call.
…
Marie was on the phone herself, trying to reach Thomas Shelby, to inform him that her part of the deal was now complete. Unable to reach him, she decided to calm her nerves with another cup of tea. It had been a truly exhausting day for her.
Having to face both a potential ally and an enemy in one day was a true challenge. She touched her cross with one hand and with the other, her white pearls. She didn't think it to be ostentatious to wear both. After all, she was both a woman of class and a woman of faith.
Someone was suddenly knocking on her front door. Taking a hidden gun from her drawer, she approached the door with caution. She did learn a thing or two about vigilance while she was still the wife of Billy Kimber.
Opening the door, she pointed the gun at the men a little too late, before her wrists were grabbed by the Italians and the gun landed on the floor.
Five Italians marched inside her home and the Brum Boys were nowhere to be seen. She was punched in the face and landed on the floor.
Marie coughed up some blood, seeing how two of the Italians were staring down at her while the other three were making a mess of her living room. "Five men against one woman…how brave." She whispered.
But she was still willing to put up a fight and as soon as one of the Italians grabbed her, she kneed him directly in the balls.
The man fell to the floor, just as the second Italian grabbed hold of her by the shirt. She took advantage of this man's idiocy and used her hands in order to grab a hold of his ears and punch him directly in the mouth, many of his teeth breaking at the contact.
As a final blow, she kicked the second one right in the balls and had him fall to the ground. But this was not over.
The three others who had been ruining her place were now back in action. The woman had managed to severely wound two professional killers and they wouldn't leave the house with their reputations intact if this Marie Baker was still alive.
Marie coughed and her breath was cut off when one Italian grabbed a hold of her neck and pushed her against the wall, while another was looking her over, thinking about something else that he could do to her, something that could demean her further.
He ripped her shirt open and then violently ripped the pearls from her neck.
Only one pearl managed to fall on the floor before the door burst open once more. Arthur, John, Michael and four newly recruited Peaky Blinders entered the home, their guns pointed forward.
The two Italians which Marie managed to attack got up from the floor and were ready for what was to come. A bloodbath.
Marie closed her eyes, hearing the gunshots, as the man who had been holding onto her neck let her go.
She collapsed on the floor, holding onto her neck with one hand and her eyes were blurry from the shock. She could only stand down, hear the gunshots and the hustle and gaze at her beautiful pearls, sprawled all over the floor.
Her cross remained intact around her neck. Perhaps the only thing in her life that she could still count on. Faith.
Finally, the gunshots had stopped and she was able to look up once again when she felt warm hands on her shoulders, trying to pull her up gently.
"Where're ya men, Miss?" Arthur Shelby's face became visible to Marie. She gulped and wiped away the tears that had been forming in her eyes.
"I made the mistake of sending them away. I think they managed to kill two of these mobsters. Perhaps this is how Luca Changretta learned of my betrayal."
She looked around and gasped to see the many men who were dead in her house. All five Italians were dead, but then so were the four newly recruited Peaky Blinders.
And Michael Gray was wounded, with John holding onto him.
"Arthur! We gotta get 'im to Polly's, and call a doctor." John told him, urgently.
Marie frowned in confusion, "He should be going to a hospital." She insisted in a rational way, but Arthur shook his head. "Can't do that, Miss."
"With those wops hanging around our city, the hospital ain't for us! Let's go, Arthur!" John responded and carried Michael out of the house. They were unsure if more Italians would drop by now that Marie Baker had been targeted.
Marie needed to get in contact with her Brummies, but she couldn't stay here for the time being. This is what she got for getting herself involved in this vendetta.
Had it been really worth it? Just to get the best bookkeeper on her side? As she looked at Arthur, she realized more and more that she should have just refused Thomas Shelby's offer.
"Ya need to come with us, Miss. Can't stay here. There might be more comin'." Arthur told her.
"I shouldn't have made any deal with your brother! Now my home is destroyed and I am involved in a vendetta that doesn't concern me at all!" Marie exclaimed in anger.
Arthur grabbed her hand gently, his eyes looking over the cross that was around his neck, before saying, "Ya really don't have a choice. And don't blame, Tom. He is just tryin' to protect us all."
"And I am trying to protect myself, my men and the business I constructed here. I don't need your brother or the Italian mob wrecking everything."
"Come with us. You'll be safe at my aunt Polly's place." Arthur insisted and pulled her forward. Marie decided to follow him, realizing that she didn't have any other options.
But she still took a moment to look back at her pearls. They had meant a lot to her. Arthur took notice of that as well, as he placed his revolver back in his jacket pocket.
…
The hospital was now aware that they were missing a patient as Ada Thorne made the report. Finn, Isaiah and the five newly recruited Peaky Blinders were on guard and searching the streets for the pregnant Russian woman. But little did they know that Tatiana Petrovna was still in the hospital.
Wearing a white robe which had been given to her by a nurse when she was checked-in, Tatiana stayed hidden behind several walls, as the doctors frantically searched for her.
She needed to think of something. She would not let them find her. Neither of them.
She would find a woman who deals with matters of unwanted pregnancies and deal with the problem once and for all.
And if she couldn't get one, she would find a quiet zone, and put the child out of its misery. She was not fit to mother a child, Tatiana knew.
By allowing her child to enter this world, it would be faced with nothing but misery. No child deserved such a life. And that is why she needed to run, to hide.
If this Ada woman called her brother, then it might have been even a little too late for her. If Tommy found her…Tatiana didn't even know what she would say.
Speak of the devil…as soon as she turned the corner in the hospital she bumped into the man himself, wearing the same suit she remembered from their first official discussion in his office that day. The expression on his face was the same as that day as he caught her in his arms.
He looked tired…too tired to handle this mess. But he was still as handsome as ever, Tatiana noticed.
His razor-bladed peaky was resting in his coat pocket. His hands were grasping her arms in a firm but protective way and his icy blue eyes roamed all over her, from the expressive hazel eyes down to her wobbly knees and then back up.
"Come on, love. I'm taking you somewhere safe." Tommy finally told her in a whisper, starting to pull on her arm forward. No doubt others were waiting outside of the hospital. Tommy Shelby wouldn't have come alone, without any protection. Not now.
Tatiana decided to be defiant, as usual, and pull back, hissing, "I do not need your help. I got away on my own. I can take care of myself."
Tommy was not impressed by her reaction. It was as if this was exactly what he was expecting. A great performance in a city hospital.
His grip on her arm tightened the moment she started pulling away from him. He got her now. He would not let go…not for anything.
He settled on telling her, "You are visibly injured, your bruises attract attention, your clothes are a mess and the child you carry, my child, will lead you right into Luca Changretta's arms. Is that what you want?"
"I can get away." Tatiana insisted.
"Go where, love? You're thinking of Russia, eh? You will be killed before you have a chance to take a whiff of their fresh winter air. London? Changretta will be there, waitin' for you. Either way, you have no money, you no longer have a title."
Tommy stopped speaking when he saw that for the first time since they've known each other, Tatiana had no answer prepared. She had been energetic, cunning and her status had earned her a proper respect. But now she was broken.
The only visible value was the child she was carrying. If everyone in the city knew that this was the unborn child of Thomas Shelby, anyone could come for her and hold her at ransom, not only the Italians.
Tatiana finally relaxed her arm under his grip but her eyes still showed defiance, as she locked them with his. "I will not have this baby."
Looking down at her belly, Tommy remembered to what decision he had come to these past few days. He wanted the baby. He had Charlie, the son given to him by Grace. But for some reason, he also had a desire to expand his own family, and having another child would cover that.
Another child by the name of Shelby. Another child to carry on the name into the future. Finn, Isaiah and Michael were the junior Peakys, trained to take over after the known trio Tommy, Arthur and John would be no more. But only Finn carried the name Shelby.
The Peaky Blinders were created by the Shelbys and the Shelbys would carry the gang's success into the future. Shelby men like John's three boys, Arthur's little Billy and Tommy's Charlie would become.
Deciding not to tell Tatiana of any of his plans, Tommy tried a different approach.
While one hand was gripping her arm in a forceful and protective manner, the other hand grazed itself gently over her cheek. The reaction was unexpected. Tatiana closed her eyes instantly and bit her lip at the affection shown to her.
She had made it a habit not to show her weakness in front of any man. But after all she has been through, and seeing Tommy again…this caress made her feel alive, and cared for. It was different from the caresses she got from the Italian mongrel.
It almost felt like he cared for her. But Tatiana knew enough not to be this stupid. It was a tactic.
She locked eyes with him again, noticing that he had stepped closer and he had a seductive expression on his face. Usually, she had been the one making all the moves but this time, it was him. When did he get so confident?
Tatiana covered his hand on her cheek with her own palm and decided to get back in control. But Tommy expected that too, and he had his back-up plan in case she refused him again.
Using her own seductive Russian accent, she told him softly, "I will go with you, Tommy. But only because I am in need of rest and in need of time to plan. I am not staying."
With a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth, Tommy nodded once and leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Perhaps. Perhaps not.", before pulling back and leading her out of the hospital in a rush.
…
Camden Town in London was Luca Changretta's destination. He had gathered his remaining thirteen men after sending five to deal with Marie Baker, or rather Marie Kimber. Even though he had gone through a lot of trouble to reach Birmingham, Tommy Shelby's precious city, he needed to deal with Alfie Solomons as well.
He needed to make sure that the Jews didn't side with Tommy Shelby in this vendetta, and Alfie Solomons was the key to keeping the gang in line.
It came to a surprise for the Italians to find out that they were already on the list to see Alfie Solomons that day. The sneaky bastard…Luca heard of his intelligence. The Jewish leader was shrew, and tended to give off a very friendly and clueless personality, so as to confuse his opponents.
Luca made his way in the dark rum distillery with the rest of his henchmen, on high alert, nonetheless. The men were trained and ready to fire, the guns pressed neatly inside all their pockets.
Alfie Solomons was sitting in a chair at the end of the darkness. A few candles were lit and some of the sun's light shone through upper windows. Weirdly enough, he had his eyes closed and his bushy beard moved as he chewed something in his mouth.
Once the footsteps approached, Alfie spit whatever he had in his mouth and licked his lips clean, as the Italians' footsteps stopped, and they looked at each other, amused, because Alfie still hadn't opened his eyes.
"Mr. Solomons." Luca began, hoping that by saying his name, it would get his attention. Wrong. Confusion was also present in his voice, not undetected by the Jew.
Alfie just kept sitting in that chair with his eyes closed, and started explaining whatever it was he was doing.
"My little cousin was born blind. As a result, I now donate a considerable sum of money to a charity which gives dogs with eyes to blind Jews. The chairman of the board recommends that those of us who were blessed with the gift of sight…we umm…spend, you know, at least half an hour a day with our eyes closed so that we may…that we may better understand the…"
Alfie gesticulated, to seem as convincing as possible, "That we may better understand…well, the darkness and um, also to increase our donations and that."
Luca turned to look at Frederico, almost willing to ask him if the guy was serious. "I see." Was all he responded after enough time had passed.
"What time is it?" Alfie asked, finally standing up from his chair, but his eyes still closed.
Luca glanced at Frederico, who responded, "Twenty-nine minutes past eight."
"Right. Well, then I…I have another minute to go, actually but you uh…you can begin, go on." Alfie responded and sat back down on his chair, his hands indicating that they could proceed with whatever they wanted.
"I'm Luca Changretta."
Alfie smiled at hearing the Italian accent and responded, "Oh yeah, I know who you are. You are a bit of a failure, aren't you? You come all the way over here to this country, in order to kill Tommy Shelby, but…uh…I mean, he is not dead, is he? So…" His voice showed how unimpressed he was with his presence, without any fear.
"How much time have I got left, mate?" Alfie asked Frederico.
The henchman looked down at his pocket-watch and started counting down, "Ten seconds, nine seconds, eight seconds…five, four, three, two, one!"
"Right! Hello!" Alfie exclaimed in a cherry way, his eyes opening, finally getting the chance to look his enemy in the eye. "How can I help you?"
"I have a proposition for you." Luca stated, taking the toothpick from his mouth.
"Hmm…Well, no…it's…I already know what you want, mate. Yeah? I just want to hear you say it out loud so that I can check how ridiculous it is."
Unaffected by the Jew's constant insults, Luca spoke softly, gesticulating with his hands, "I hear that Tommy Shelby came to see you, with his brothers, a couple of days ago. And that you accepted to take his side in this personal vendetta."
"I don't know where you get your fuckin' sources, mate, but uh…I want nothing to do with your vendetta." Alfie stood up and went over to the back to pick up a bottle of his rum, handing it over to Luca.
"I'll tell you what, all right? Here's a gift. It's free. A souvenir of your visit here. Goodbye. Trot on. Down there is Bonny Street." Alfie instructed, insisting that Luca take the rum bottle.
Luca didn't take the bottle. He just continued to look at Alfie, and said, "You know, they say you're a smart guy. I mean, you already know what we want before we say it. That's funny cause now I believe I know what you want…even before you say it."
"Is that right? Well, you won't accept my rum then? You ain't gonna taste it?" Alfie asked, staring at his own bottle in appeared confusion.
"How much?" Luca asked.
"I have two hundred barrels a month. With your influence, cleared by your people…distributed in your fine New York area…the thing is that people around here want gin nowadays." Alfie responded, but when he got no reaction from the Italians, he added shooing them away, "No? Well, the exit is still out there, all right? On Bonny Street."
Luca chuckled, exchanging looks with Frederico, before turning to the Jew, "You're fucking crazy, you know that?"
Alfie ignored his remark and continued with, "What do you think, huh? And also, I want some cash. I've broken it down here. The, uh, list of costs pertaining to the assassination of a dear friend."
Pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket, Alfie made himself more comfortable on his chair before examining it, with his glasses put on right.
"All right. Now your normal dispatch is, um…well you know, five hundred pounds. But you're gonna have to add another hundred to that, because Tommy Shelby, like me, is from an oppressed people. Then, I need you to put another ton on top of that, because his brother is a fucking animal and he will come after me."
Luca rolled his eyes, listening to the entire speech but his temper reached new limits when Alfie continued saying, "Yeah. And then you will need to put another hundred on top of that, because, well…you're a fucking wop, mate."
The Italians remained silent and Luca had to stop Frederico from pulling out his gun. They had not come here to make new enemies. They needed to convince the Jew not to give the Shelbys any help.
"I'll need another five hundred pounds because like I stated, Tommy Shelby is a very, very good friend of mine. Take all this down there in black and white. All right? Crack on." Alfie handed the piece of paper with all the prepared calculations over to Frederico.
Taking the paper from Frederico, Luca pretended to think it over. Eventually, he nodded and said, "Mr. Solomons. I'm gonna be very fucking clear with you. I don't need you to kill anybody. I have people that I trust, okay? So, if you want me to make this happen…" He pointed to the paper while speaking, "…then you are going to have to do nothing."
"I'm sorry…wha'? You're fucking with me?" Alfie asked, clearly amused.
"The only one fucking around here is you, Mr. Solomons. I am planning on paying you every single pound you wrote down on this piece of paper and ensure the importation in my city of two hundred bottles of your rum a month…if you pull out of your deal with Tommy Shelby when he'll need you the most."
Thinking it over and rubbing his hand over his beard, Alfie replied, "Ah. Doin' nothing? See, that there's a problem. I usually like to do somethin'. So, add another hundred to that."
"You Jews think that you have the upper hand. But you know, back in the old country…a lot of you mmm…are having to pass yourselves off as Italian."
"Right, well, you…whatever the fuck your name is…" Alfie said, pointing at Frederico. "Have your boss add another ton onto the bill for being a cunt, mate."
Closing his eyes, Luca took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sarcasm and the insults. "I give you this…and your friendship with Tommy Shelby will be overlooked?"
"Now you're getting it, mate. Everything has a price. Especially in our business."
…
"John boy, we ain't supposed to be here this late. Tommy wants us back at Polly's." Arthur insisted, but John was way ahead of him, his natural walk leading him straight to the Garrison.
"We had a mad fuckin' day. I wanna drink, Arthur. Miss. Baker will be safe with Polly. And Michael's fine. When I was his age, I had taken tens of those fuckin' bullets and survived." John responded, way ahead of him, and opening the door to the pub, to reveal the joyous atmosphere on the inside.
It was as if the people of Birmingham hardly knew about the vendetta, or more like they didn't care. The vendetta was not about them. Arthur knew they were risking a lot being there, in a pub owned by them…and the Italians might have already known by then. But he knew why his brother wanted to be there. It was about that barmaid again. The barmaid Tommy didn't want him anywhere near…but now that the Lees were no longer their allies, Arthur didn't think he would care.
Three of the newly recruited Peaky Blinders joined them, a little suspicious and wary of their surroundings, since they heard that four of their new colleagues were killed that day.
Sure enough, Emily was serving that night. She caught John's eye the moment he entered. He took off his hat with a small smile. Emily broke eye contact, put down the final drinks she was supposed to serve, and then went to the back room.
She wasn't normally supposed to be there. That was where the manager of the pub stayed and checked the inventory. The books were on the table and Emily decided to look them over, since Jeremiah was not there.
John made his way back there with no problem. The pub belonged to his brother. He could do whatever the fuck he wanted. And he saw her standing over the table, her hair loose and beautiful. She had not turned around, even she knew he was there.
So, he went over, slowly put his hands on her hips and leaned forward to kiss her neck. He felt her stiffen. It was not the response he was looking for, so he pressed her closer to him, murmuring her name in her ear. Emily stayed unmoving before finally whispering, "Six children?"
His lips stilled at her neck. He heard her very well. When he pulled back, gulping, his lips feeling drier than usual, and his eyes showed concern, he gripped her tighter, refusing to let her go. Emily turned around in his arms and asked, "You're married?"
"Um…yeah." John responded, realizing that he couldn't think of a way to get out of the mess. And he wasn't sure that he wanted to continue to lie to her.
"Um, yeah? That's all you have to say?" Emily crossed her hands over her chest and frowned at him, "What did you think was going to happen here? I would eventually find out and then just accept to be mistress to a Peaky Blinder? Accept that you can't be faithful to a woman who has given you six beautiful children? Please let go of me, John."
She struggled some more in his grasp but John wouldn't let her. "Just listen to me. Please." He told her, taking both his hands and cupping her cheeks gently. He decided to tell her the whole truth. Out with it.
"I was married to a woman named Martha. I chose her. She gave me four kids, but she died, years ago. Left me alone to deal with all my fucked up shit. And then Tommy…my brother Tommy made me part of his deals. Gave me off to marry a gypsy girl, Esme, to get in good with the Lee family. I agreed to it 'cause I liked her. We have two boys. But I ain't in love. We had some good times but…she ain't what I want. I didn't realize how fucked up my marriage is…until I met you."
Emily furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "Your brother forced you to marry for a business alliance?"
"Yeah. All business." John replied.
"Doesn't change the fact that you lied to me." She took his hands from her face in anger and turned away, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to his chest.
"There's a bloody war going on, Em. The fuckin' Sicilian Mafia, all the way from New York. They're here to kill us. If they know of ya, if they know how I feel…they might use you to get to me."
He noticed the shock forming on her face. "Oh my God." She whispered, using a hand to cover her mouth.
"Stay mad if you want, but after this whole shit is over, I'm coming back for ya. I want you. I will deal with Esme. I have kids, yes. A whole bloody lot of 'em and maybe I'll have more. But I want 'em to be yours." John said, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.
Emily's heart warmed at his words. He truly cared for her, and whatever they had…it was growing. They hadn't known each other for long, but she wanted to know him. And she was desperately in need of someone to protect her. When she heard about the Sicilian Mafia, her heart stopped. It couldn't be true. They couldn't be here.
When she felt his lips on her forehead, she closed her eyes, leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck gingerly.
"I don't want to be the reason you want to split with your wife." She whispered.
"You're not. Not really."
A bang brought them both out of their trance. The doors to the Garrison had been violently opened. Screams followed, and John heard the Sicilians talking loudly…looking for the Peaky Blinders. They were here. Pushing Emily to the back of the room, John pulled out his revolver, ignoring her pleas, and was prepared for action.
…
A/N: What do you think of Emily's reaction to hearing about the Italians? Is there something more to her shock? Next chapter: A bloodbath & Tatiana meets Polly.
Leave a review and let me know what you think will happen next.