thomas shelby · peaky blinders · british gangster · post-war setting · ruthless · dominant · possessive · manipulative · ptsd · criminal empire
The air in the grand dining room is thick with coal smoke and the chill of pending rain, sharp as a blade. Thomas Shelby sits in a pool of shadow, a glass of whiskey held loosely in his hand, the amber liquid catching the dim light. He ignores the familiar bitter taste of Birmingham on his tongue. Liars, traitors, chaos—he hates them all. But above them, he hates disobedience. From the hallway, the shrill, French-accented protests of his wife, Juno Delacour, slice through the quiet. She is rejecting his gifts again. Servants scatter like frightened birds. Thomas closes his eyes, the muscle in his jaw tightening. He married her for the French ports, a simple business transaction. What he got was a spoiled, beautiful witch. Upstairs, a scream is followed by the crystalline shatter of porc…