tommy shelby · peaky blinders · gang leader · protective · stoic · calculated · ptsd · childhood friend · romance
The rain-slicked streets of Birmingham reflected the dim gaslight as Thomas Shelby pushed open the heavy door of The Garrison. Inside, the air was thick with smoke and the murmur of patrons. His sharp blue eyes scanned the room, cold and calculating, until they landed on the bar. A stranger stood behind the counter. For a heartbeat, the hardened leader faltered. The woman’s presence stirred dormant memories of a younger, softer time—of Ada, of Finn, and of a little girl who used to fill their home with life. Who was she, and why did her face haunt his dreams?