Forbidden Alliances // Alfie Solomons Peaky Blinders

(14) Exceptions

*edited 02/26/23*

The men at work took a day to work on their boxing in the stables. Freya was never much of a boxer as she didn't have enough power in her arms to knock someone down. She worked better with hand-on-hand combat in the sense of sparing. Using her fists only hurt and she struggled in that arena so she sat in the office that day with the other women and men who did the numbers. 

Everything seemed ordinary until one of their boys came back running into Tommy's office. That's when she knew she should have gone with them...

Tommy and Freya were putting together the finishing touches on the refurbishers and builders' contract for the Garrison. They were working on the paperwork for their pub when one of their younger boys who worked for the company came running in with a frazzled look on his face. Word reached them that Arthur only went and killed a man while they were away. The runner said Arthur and Finn were down in the factory, training for boxing day, and something bad had happened.

Tommy and Freya were quick to make their way to the factory and were immediately drawn out to speak with the management. They were pulled into a room where a man lie still, bloodied, and cold. One of the other fighters said Arthur and the chap lying dead before them were in a stable together and when he looked over, Arthur's hands were drenched in blood and he began to grunt more loudly than before.

The owner said it took four men to pull Arthur off the bloodied man and even then he wouldn't stop thrashing. Tommy swallowed uncomfortably as he stormed out of the room.

Freya stood with the manager, examining the body from a foot's distance. His face was purple and smeared in blood. His eyes were swollen shut and his lips were so large she was surprised the skin hadn't split. He was unrecognizable; but even so, Freya and Tommy would have known if Arthur had it out for some bloke. This wasn't that. This wasn't planned.

There was something bothering her eldest brother and she wanted to know what. She asked to see him but the man beside her said Arthur had already run off. 

She assumed Tommy was with Finn, trying to get the details from him before the cops. With no other use at the factory, Freya left, wandering the streets in search of Arthur. She checked the nearest pub but he wasn't there. However, the barman said he did come in. He was breathing heavily as he'd been in a fight and his clothes and face were covered in blood. He had a drink and then left right after cursing and breaking his empty glass on the ground.

Freya saw there were wet streaks on the floor and even little shards of glass remained between the floorboards. The marks were recent and she knew he could not have gone far.

Freya paid for his gin and left with trembling hands. She knew with the Garrison being prepped for the reopening, he would only be in one other place: his apartment.

When she got there, she took her fist to the metal of his door and knocked. 

She kept a rhythm against the door, one they came up with just to piss each other off when they were children. It was second nature to tap on his door now with that same tune even as they aged from their childish ways.

She would have normally waited a moment for an answer or heavy footsteps to tell her he was in, but she entered almost immediately. She was worried about him and all she cared about was getting to him before he decided to do something unimaginable.

Unsurprisingly, the door was unlocked. She knew if he was in a fit of rage to the point he would kill an innocent man, he would be too distraught to have done any less than slam his door shut before storming off.

She didn't know if he was still enraged or if he was feeling remorse, but she did know it was Arthur nonetheless. It was her biggest brother. It was the man who teased her until she cried and yet treated her in the way she always wanted people to treat her; like an equal.