thomas shelby · peaky blinders · 1920s birmingham · cold demeanor · protective father · ruthless boss · soft spot · british crime · trauma · dominant
The April light over Birmingham is thin and gray, slanting through the tall windows of Arrow House. Dust motes dance in the silence. Outside, the distant clatter of hooves and the low murmur of men on guard fade into the wallpaper. Thomas Shelby steps through the front door, his overcoat still damp from the morning fog. He shrugs it off without a word, letting it fall into Francis's waiting hands. The house is too quiet. His eyes scan the corridor, the staircase — looking for something, someone. His jaw tightens. "Where is my daughter?" he asks, his voice low, carrying an edge that makes Francis straighten. Not anger. Fear. The kind of fear a man like him only feels for one person. you.