Disclaimer: I do not own anything Peaky Blinder related, that belongs to the series creator Steven Knight.
Face Claim for Rosemary Parker: Celina Sinden.
Chapter Thirty: Home Invasion.
Folding the laundry that she had removed from the washing line, Rosemary hummed to herself thinking about the meeting that she had attended; the very idea that someone was coming to Birmingham unsettled her. It wasn't just the fact that they could be coming here to hunt down communist because of the strikes that had been happening but also the fact that Thomas had confined in her that something had happened.
Of course, her husband had spared her details arguing that it was better for her if she didn't know what he had done; she'd have deniability if things went wrong and that should protect her and Kathleen in the future. Rosemary wouldn't be surprised if Polly knew what was happening; the woman had clearly knew that something was up at the meeting even if Thomas would confess nothing.
The sound of noise outside her door made her pause and she waited for a moment to see if she would hear it again; Kathleen was in her room playing and she had no idea where Thomas had disappeared off to. He had been acting strange these past days and she wished he would tell her what was going on even if he couldn't go in to detail so that she and Kathleen were protected.
When she heard the faint noise again, Rosemary got to her feet and headed for the front door grumbling to herself; it was likely next door's cat getting trapped behind the plant pots again. She had barely opened the front door before it was given a shove from the other side and she was thrown backwards into the wall; barely having a chance to recover before men in police uniform started to storm her home. Even from her place by the door she could hear the shouting from the street, apparently whatever was happening here wasn't just a random incident.
"What in God's name are you doing? You can't just barge in here," Rosemary demanded, she couldn't believe that they thought that they could just barge in here; didn't they know who she was married to, weren't they on the Blinders payroll. Rubbing the back of her head, she made after the men who quickly spread out ransacking her home and making a mess; she moved towards the living room only to stop when Kathleen called out in freight.
Turning on her heel, she rushed towards the stairs grabbing onto her skirts so she wouldn't trip as she ran only to find herself grabbed from behind and pulled back down them. She lost her footing and tumbled backwards, tears in her eyes as she felt a searing pain in her ankle as she landed funny; the men that had grabbed her not even pausing to see if she okay before all but dragging her back to the living room and throwing her a chair.
"Mama!" Kathleen cried causing Rosemary to attempt to stand again, the pain in her ankle flaring up again as she put weight on it but she bite down on her tongue to try and stifle the cry of pain to move forward. She didn't make it far, the two men that had pulled her down the stairs shoving her back into her seat and she glared up at them wondering if they knew exactly whose house, they were in.
"Now what just a minute," Rosemary snapped glaring up at them, she could only imagine how Thomas would react when he found out about this. Even she knew that her husband wasn't likely to take kindly to what was occurring in their home, especially given that they were terrorising his daughter; she could hear Kathleen calling out for her and it was breaking her heart. Before she could make another attempt to get around the two men and go to her daughter, another man entered the room only seeming amused by the mess that was being created of her home.
"I am Chief Inspector Campbell," the man stated introducing himself, he didn't look at Rosemary instead he moved to make himself comfortable in the armchair across the room from her. He made no effort to stop his men from what they were doing, only to look around Rosemary's home and wrinkle his nose in disgust at the place.
"And I think we need to have a little chat about your husband," Campbell mused leaning back in his chair, this was certainly not what he had expected when he had made the decision to come here. The place was disgusting and he was disgusted enough with having to sit inside, he didn't even wish to consider what it was like to live in a place like this nor raise a child here.
"I am sure you are aware of his dealings," Campbell continued picking at the material of the chair with a frown upon his face, this could have been different but they had decided to make a fool of him instead. Finding out that Arthur wasn't the person running things and he hadn't spoken to the boss like he had originally been told had infuriated him; if it weren't for his contact then he still would have been chasing the wrong man.
"You think you can force your way into my home, trash it and harass me and my daughter, then ask me for anything... you are mistaken, you know where the door is," Rosemary spat glaring at Campbell. She got to her feet and moved to show the man out of her home, she didn't care what he had to say nor would she discuss anything with him when she knew nothing.
There was no mistaking that Campbell had done this to get at Thomas, the very idea that he had the power to come into her home like this and threatened her unsettled her especially since he had attacked when Thomas wasn't home. The two men that had remained in the room stopped her from moving further and her heart pounded in her chest as Kathleen's cries got louder. Pushed into the room, Kathleen made to run over to the safety of her mother tears running down her face only to find herself stopped from making it any closer than the door.
"I'd think very carefully if I was you Mrs Shelby. I'd hate to have to take action and have little Kathleen taken from you," Campbell said calmly, he leaned back in his chair and watched Rosemary closely trying to gorge how she would react. He signalled for his men to bring her daughter to him, he was pleased to find that Kathleen resembled her mother more so than her devil of a father.
"She's a very beautiful little girl, think about her future," Campbell appealed to her, his hand moving to hold Kathleen's chin making her look at him knowing that her fate lay in her mother's hands. There was no telling what would happen to a girl like this if she ended up in the system and her dear mother would not see her again; he would make sure of that if she didn't do as he asked.
"I can pay you very handsomely make sure that no harm comes to you or her if you cooperate with me," Campbell offered her, his eyes moving away from Kathleen to Rosemary as he let go of the little girl and allowed her to run over to her mother. If need be then he would even give her enough money to start a new life away from Birmingham, away from Thomas so that he might never ruin their lives again with his actions and they would be able to live in peace.
Moving to comfort Kathleen, Rosemary held her close already knowing without a doubt that Campbell would go through with his threat and take her daughter; she brushed her fingers through Kathleen's hair and kissed the top of her head. If the man was stupid enough to come into her home and trash her home then he was stupid enough to take Kathleen from her if he didn't get what he wanted.
"Go to hell," Rosemary told him, she wasn't going to live her life in fear of him or on a hook; she knew that if she gave into his threats now then he'd hold them against her till she had nothing left. There was no way that she would betray her family, they would have her back and she would have theirs; they would take on this Chief Inspector from Belfast who knew nothing of them or their streets.
Sighing Campbell shook his head, disappointed that she couldn't see what he was offering her; he needed someone close to the Shelby's to report their every move to him. Thomas was the only Shelby left that was married and he had as much to lose, his wife and daughter would surely prove to be his weak spot and if that didn't work then there was always his contact.
"I'll give you some time to think on my offer... be warned Mrs Shelby, my patience and kindness will eventually run out," Campbell warned her before signalling for his men to leave, he didn't spare a look back at Rosemary and Kathleen as he made his way out of the house. His men following him and Rosemary didn't dare breath as she waited to see if they were truly done; she held Kathleen close and looked around at the mess that had been made.
It was only when she was completely sure that they weren't coming back that she allowed the tears to fall, she clung to Kathleen knowing that this could not be allowed to happen again. Campbell had crossed a line and she feared what else he might try to do to get what he wanted, she feared that the cost would be high for them all.
Rushing into his house, he ignored the looks from his brothers knowing that they should have expected such a move from Campbell after how he had attacked Arthur only days earlier; he had beat the eldest Shelby in hopes of gaining knowledge that Arthur didn't have. The very idea that the man had forced his way into his home and had done what he had, that his men had attacked homes in Small Heath as a way to get at them was something Thomas would not forget.
He pushed his way into the living room ignoring the looks on the men's faces knowing that they would make Campbell regret crossing them like he had. Polly was tending to Rosemary when he entered the room, his eyes taking in the scene before him and his heart breaking at the sight of Kathleen clinging to her mother.
"Daddy," Kathleen cried pulling herself from her mother's hold and throwing herself at her father, she clung to him as he picked her up and held her close while Polly shot a look at him. He ignored her already knowing what she would say, Thomas was more focused on the distress that this Campbell had caused his family; he would make it clear that such actions wouldn't be tolerated.
It was one thing to seek out his attention, it was another to target his family like this and come into their home to attack them; he was already planning how he would make the man pay. Campbell's attack hadn't just been on the Shelby home and his actions were a clear sign that only he had power and he wasn't afraid to use it to get what he wanted nor did he care who he hurt while doing so.
"I'll take Kathleen to get some dinner," Polly offered sure that Thomas would want to speak with Rosemary about what had transpired that day, she didn't blame the young woman for being shaken by such an attack. There had been no warning and Polly doubted that this would be the last time that Campbell crossed them; he was here for a reason and only Thomas could put this right.
Closing the door behind her as she went, Rosemary was thankful that Polly had picked up when she had called her; her hands had been shaking and nothing she could do had calmed a terrified Kathleen down. The two of them were silent as Thomas moved to take a seat, his eyes taken in part of the destruction that Campbell's men had caused that hadn't been cleared up yet. His plan had been to scare them and Thomas wouldn't allow Campbell to do that, he had targeted his family and he wasn't going to stand for people thinking they could do that to get at him.
"He threatened to take Kathleen, Tommy... even offered me money to betray you," Rosemary whispered softly, tears in her eyes and she wished that she was stronger; cursing herself as her hands shook knowing that this should not have happened. The very idea that he had walked into her home and threatened her like this, the fact that he knew he could do as he pleased because he was police scared her.
Breathing out of his nose, Thomas didn't say a word for a moment as he stared at her; his blue eyes taking her in and knowing that he would never allow anything like that to happen. If Campbell thought he could threaten his wife and get away with it then he had another thing coming, if the man wanted his attention so bad well now he had it and Thomas knew that his next move would have to be played carefully.
"Tommy?" Rosemary called staring at him, she didn't know what her husband was thinking but she prayed he wasn't about to do something that would make the situation worse. He moved forward and pressed a kiss to her hands without saying a word, a plan forming in his mind and he knew that if this was done right then perhaps Campbell would realise just who run the streets here.
With everything that was going on with Billy Kimber and the Lee family, this was the last thing that he needed right now; he needed to deal with this Chief Inspector if he wanted him off his back. He could only imagine what Robert would have said to him if he was alive right now, he would have been furious at the mere notion that someone had done this to Rosemary.
Thomas wasn't about to break his promise to the man, he would make sure that Campbell would know just who he was messing with and there would be no more distractions. Rosemary and Kathleen would not become targets that his enemies could use against him, he wouldn't allow them to walk around with targets on their backs for the rest of their lives.
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