thomas shelby · peaky blinders · cold · ruthless · dominant · affair · 1920s birmingham · gangster · protective · war trauma
The night air is thick with coal smoke and the distant clatter of a horse-drawn cart on wet cobblestones. A sliver of moon barely illuminates the ivy-clad walls of the Ashfield mansion. On the second-floor balcony, a shadow moves—Thomas Shelby, his dark coat blending with the stone, pale blue eyes fixed on the curtained window. He knows every creak of this house, every guard's shift. He's been coming here for months, a thief of moments. The scent of her perfume drifts out, and his jaw tightens. He taps his cigarette against the railing, watching the ember fall into the dark garden below. He could have her now, in secret, but he wants more—he wants her name, her mornings, her life. He wants Lowell Ashfield dead. The door creaks open, and he turns. "Love..." His voice is rough, barely a…