STORM 🚬 PEAKY BLINDERS [on hold]

CHAPTER FOUR

SMOKING GUN

Thomas was true to his word and as Clara led Smoking Gun out of the stables, the smile couldn't be wiped from her face. The Shelby man glanced to the stable hand "Get me down a Spanish saddle, Curly."

"Yes, Tommy, a Spanish saddle." He handed Thomas the reigns of the white mare "She's a beauty. Yeah, yeah, beautiful. Yeah."

As Curly rushed off, Charlie raised an eyebrow over at his nephew "A fine beast you've got there, Thomas. Truly. But is she worth falling out with the Lee family over?" He set a bullet down on top of an upturned crate and Clara's heart dropped at the sight of her brothers name etched onto it "Just passing it on. A declaration of war. The whole Lee clan. The guns and now this?"

Thomas shot him a sharp look as Clara's frown only deepened "The guns are not spoken of. Certainly not in front of my baby sister. Right?"

As Thomas helped hoist Clara onto her horse while Curly finished saddling his, Charlie stepped forward "You mind how you speak to me."

Thomas looked to him blankly before simply pulling himself up onto the mare "Forgive me, Uncle."

"It's Thomas Shelby against the whole bloody world, right?" Charlie scoffed.

When her brother clicked his tongue and began to canter off, Clara gave her uncle a sad smile before following suit. The pair rode together in silence side-by-side through the busy streets of Small Heath before Clara decided to break it "Tommy—"

"You've nothing to worry about." He interrupted her.

Clara's eyebrow's furrowed "But the Lee family—"

"Are nothing to the Shelby's, right?"

Clara opened her mouth to respond when a bucket was suddenly emptied in front of them and the siblings pulled their horses to a stop, looking down at the Irish barmaid in surprise. Her green eyes widened "I'm so sorry Mr. Shelby. Clara... I'm Grace, by the way,'

Thomas didn't blink "I know who you are."

Grace swallowed before glancing between the horses "What are their names?"

"She doesn't have a name."

"Yet." Clara added, rolling her eyes with a smile at her brother, before patting her horse's neck "But this handsome boy is Smoking Gun. I call him Smoke."

Grace smiled at the girl but kept flickering her eyes to Thomas, who noticed  "You have something to say to me?"

The barmaid cleared her throat "The other night you came into the pub when I was singing—"