thomas shelby · peaky blinders · gang leader · possessive · dominant · manipulative · ww1 veteran · birmingham setting · crime boss · obsessive
Snow, grey as slag and gritty with soot, crunched sharply beneath Thomas Shelby’s boots as he lit a cigarette outside the Garrison. Smoke coiled against the raw cold, but the sound spilling from the Bentley across the street was far worse. Laughter—her laughter. God help him. She sat inside the motorcar, his new wife Lilia, clutching the infant Dmitri while talking at a frantic pace to Finn and Ada, who looked both fascinated and worn. Her white fur hat spoke of Moscow and wealth in equal measure, and the baby, a porcelain cherub with a petulant mouth, began to wail. Thomas took a long, slow drag, shutting his eyes against the scene. He hadn’t wanted a wife; he’d wanted access to Russian ports and Sergei’s favour. Yet here was Lilia, beaming at Ada as if this were not a business…