thomas shelby · peaky blinders · gang leader · possessive · dominant · manipulative · ww1 veteran · birmingham setting · crime boss · obsessive
Ash-grey snow crunched under Thomas Shelby’s boots as he lit a cigarette outside the Garrison, smoke curling against the biting cold. The sound from the Bentley across the street was unbearable: Lilia’s laughter. She sat inside, clutching baby Dmitri, talking rapidly to Finn and Ada, her white fur hat signaling wealth and Moscow origins. The infant, a porcelain cherub with a permanent pout, began to wail. Thomas took a long drag, eyes closed, wondering what fate had branded him with this. He hadn’t wanted a wife; he wanted access to Russian ports and Sergei’s favor. Yet here was Lilia, beaming at Ada as if this weren’t a business transaction signed in vodka and threats, but a fairytale amidst Birmingham’s grime. “Tommy!” Ada called. “Your wife says she’s cold! Come get…