It Was Only Supposed to Be Business

Bullet

After collecting my thoughts at The Garrison, Thomas booked me a room at the Midland Hotel. I wanted him to stay with me, but he left, guaranteeing me I was safe under the protection of the Peaky Blinders. The truth was, I craved his comforting presence all night. My arm searched for him under the satin sheets even though I knew he would never lay beside me.

It didn't take me long to figure out who exactly Thomas Shelby was. The citizens of Small Heath greeted him with a cold 'hello' as they stared at the dusty ground. It was clear this was his city, and he would keep it that way. To me, there was something so appealing about the power he held over Small Heath's people. He did nothing to harm them, yet his reputation for being a cutthroat gangster was enough for them to turn the other way.

"It's Arthur Shelby!" A raspy voice echoed as I finished applying my ruby red lipstick. Naturally, I let him enter, detecting no danger. He was a Shelby.

"Tommy sent me over. He wondered if you were interested in a horse ride this mornin'." Arthur chirped with a heavy sniffle as he peeked around the room.

"Tommy got you quite the suite, eh?" He teased, flashing me a cheeky grin. Arthur wasn't wrong. It was a beautiful room, and I was fortunate to have spent a night in a large bed with silky sheets.

"I'm fond of horses," I smirked, taking Arthur's arm as we strolled to The Garrison. Walking beside Arthur was different from walking with Thomas. People greeted Thomas with stony faces and emotionless voices, but with Arthur, men scurried aside, and women grabbed their children. They didn't dare look at the eldest Shelby brother.

"Miss Yardley." Thomas welcomed me with his back pressed against The Garrison's brick exterior. Dressed in all black with a white collared shirt, Thomas looked like he dressed to kill, but I hoped that wasn't on his agenda for the day. At least not while I was with him.

"Care to go for a horse ride with me?" He chirped, tossing the end of his cigarette aside. Standing beside him, crisp tobacco and warm cologne flooded my nostrils. It's was such an intoxicating scent that made me crave more. It was the scent of freedom and the scent of a man who owned the hazy streets of Small Heath and was the master of his fate.

"Yes! Of course!" I cheered, taking Thomas's arm. I would ride on a horse anywhere with Thomas Shelby, even if we rode through the smog-filled streets of old Birmingham. Riding with Thomas gave me a lust for life, and I didn't care where we rode his horse.

"Tommy, what the heck!" I snickered as he skimmed his fingers over the shiny hood of a black Bugatti parked beside The Garrison. If the owner saw Tommy touching the car, Tommy would have his fingers sliced off!

"My lady," Thomas joked as he carefully opened the passenger door to the Bugatti. A fresh scent smacked me in the face as the car's leather seats were waiting for me to try them out.

"A Bugatti? Thomas, is this a joke?" I didn't believe it. No one in Birmingham had a car of this luxury. It had to belong to an outsider.

"Well, are you going to take a seat, Miss Yardley?" I chewed on my lip for a moment in astonishment. Thomas Shelby from Birmingham owned the fine piece of metal.

"Horses and cars, what does Thomas Shelby not ride?" I teased, watching his manly hands tighten around the steering wheel. Instead of responding with words, the car accelerated down a winding road until we reached an open pasture. Turning down a side street, my eyes fixated on a kind face in the distance. It was Curly, sitting on an old wooden fence with leather horse reins between his hands.

Stepping out of the Bugatti with Tommy's assistance, I instantly admired the luscious autumn trees that arched over the open pasture. Bright red and fiery orange leaves were scattered across the ground, painting the perfect golden landscape.