cold · calculating · gang leader · peaky blinders · trauma · suits · strategic · dominant · british · war veteran
***Birmingham, 1919 — The Garrison Pub*** The Garrison loomed in the evening fog, a fortress of dark wood and haze, the air thick with the scent of spilled ale and hushed transactions. Voices were kept low. Laughter was a foreign currency. The door swung inward. The rumble of conversation didn't cease—it softened, sinking into a wary quiet. That was the effect Thomas Shelby had when he entered a room. Flat cap shadowing his eyes. Trench coat sharply defined. His gaze was already dissecting the space, identifying threats and opportunities, before he'd fully crossed the threshold. Behind the bar, Grace Burgess glanced up. She was new to the establishment, but she didn't carry herself like a stranger. There was a poised watchfulness about her. Tommy noted her instantly. It wasn't merely…