Adopted By Polly Gray

Chapter 4: The Wrath of Polly

Polly was talking with the boys about the raid that happened earlier while they were at the fair. Finn was sent off to see if Starlene was still at the school, and if they coppers had torn it up as well. She told them about how Campbell approached her in the church. The Gray woman was sending the boys out to show their faces and gain back their reputation but before the men could leave the youngest Shelby came running back into the house screeching to a halt.

"Tommy, I went to the school like you asked. She wasn't there. I asked some of the kids if they seen Starlene today and Tara said she was helping her out but they left the school hours ago. No one's seen her."

Polly's heart plummeted to her stomach. Her daughter was missing. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening. Someone has taken her child away from her again. What if the coppers got her? Or Billy Kimbler's men? She wouldn't run away. Starlene wasn't that type of girl. Something must've happened otherwise she would've been home ages ago.

Tommy saw Polly's eyes dart to him and if looks could kill, he would be 6 feet under right now.

"Thomas, I swear to God-"

"Pol, we'll find her. Boys let's head out. Finn, tell other Blinders to look for Starlene as well. Ask more kids if they seen anything. Pol, you stay here incase she turns up. Let's go."

The boys all rushed out and Polly sank down in her chair and began to pray, desperately pray. She needed her daughter back. She needed her to be safe.

"God, don't you dare take my daughter from me. Please don't take her. She's all I have left in this dark world. Let the boys find her please, let her come home to me."

While Polly was losing her mind at home the boys repaired their reputations but also we're running around all of Birmingham trying to find their cousin.

"Tommy, if the coppers when after Star because of the beef you gots with them I'll bloody beat you myself before Pol could even lay a finger on ya."

"Arth, I'm sure Starlene got scared from the raid and got lost and is hidden somewhere. The coppers are after me and not a little girl."

"Yet, they went after me first, then Polly, while going after everyone associated with us in this bloody fuckin' town. What makes you think a child related to us is off limits?"

Tommy thought for a moment and his brother was right. Campbell could target anyone in his family to get Thomas to react. Unfortunately no
one was off limits and it seemed to be looking that way. John came running up from behind to catch up with his brothers.

"The men and I have search practically everywhere, Tom. We can't find her."

"Well keep looking then, aye." He stopped and looked at his brother. "She's out here somewhere and we're not going home until she is with us, even if it takes all fuckin' night. Got it?"

John was exhausted but didn't feel like arguing. "Yea, got it. I'll come get you if we find anything." He ran off to catch up with his group of men to keep searching for the young Gray girl.

"What if we don't find her, Tom?"

"We will, Arthur, we will."

"I'll kill all those bastard cops if they hurt her at all. Every single fuckin' one."

"We all will Arthur. We all will."

They started calling out for Starlene as the sun was setting they were growing more desperate. Nights in Birmingham a far more dangerous during the day, especially for a young girl like Starlene. They needed to find her, and fast. What if she was hurt? It would only end badly for Tommy. He knows if anything happened to Starelene because of the coppers Polly will have his head the moment he walks into her house. As they continued to call out Arthur felt as though he might've heard some shuffling sounds. He called out again, "Starlene!"

As they walked closer to an alleyway both Shelby men noticed their cousins bag on the ground, covered in dirt, ripped a few places, but from the looks of it all her belongings were still there.

"Starlene! Where are ya, Star?" Arthur yelled becoming almost frantic at the sight of her bag. It was if on cue with his question, a few pieces of wood fell off a pile which lead to a tragic sight. Starlene hidden away, unconscious, bloody and badly beaten.

Tommy went over and grabbed the girl from the pile. Arthur was fuming at this point. He picked up her bookbag she had worked so hard to make and was so proud of it when it was finished now all torn up and broken. He wanted to know who did this, but first he had to get her back to Polly.

"This is all your fault, Tom. Out of everyone in the family they could've used to get to you more than they already have, they chose the only good one in this whole fuckin' family! She could be ruined because you had to seek out whatever it was to make enemies with Campbell and his men."

"We'll get this all solved Arth, right now we need to take Star home."

"Pol will have you ass when we walk in."

"I'm aware Arthur. I'm well aware."

Arthur went to phone a doctor to come check on Starlene right away as Tommy brought her back to Polly.

John saw Tommy carrying their cousin and helped him with her until Arthur returned. Once getting to the house they rushed in and put her down on the couch on the living room. Polly ran in to them setting Starlene down as she rushed downstairs. She looked over at her daughter who's face was swollen with cuts and a welted handprint on her cheek. She had bruises everywhere and was covered in blood. Before anyone had time to react, Polly charged towards her second eldest nephew and slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

"This is all your fault Thomas! Look what the consequences of your actions due to others! She's laying on the couch, unconscious, because of you and your bloody fucking gang. Is it worth all your after? Is this worth it!?"

He stayed silent for a moment as Polly's explosion quieted down as she knelt down by her daughter brushing stray hairs out of the sleeping girl's face. The older Gray woman began to cry.

"What happened to you, my girl? Who did this to you?"

She stood up and look at her nephews again.

"I want answer for this. I want to know who fucking touched my daughter and felt it was okay to use her as their own personally punching bag. Fuck all of this and find out what the hell happened to Starlene today!" All she saw was red. Her hands were clutched so tight into a fist her knuckles began to turn white.

"I called a doctor to come check her Pol, he should be here any minute. But we'll go find out who did this and I'll the fucker me self."

"No, If anyone is going to kill those responsible, it'll be me. Nobody messes with my family, but especially not my daughter."

"Don't fuck with the Peaky Blinders!" John yelled causing everyone to shush him.

"Out of my house. I need to tend to my daughter. And Thomas-" She caught her nephews attention as he began to leave. "- don't you dare come in my fucking presence again until you have answers to who did this to Starlene and why. Then, if it was those coppers and because of the guns, I will make your life more of a living hell than it already is, got that?

All Thomas did was give a quick nod before he left. Polly immediately cleaned her daughter's wounds and changed her out of the dirty clothes she was in which revealed a giant bruise on her daughter's abdomen. The protective mother was now out for blood more than she already was. Her baby was hurt and she wasn't around to protect her. Things were going to change and Starlene will never be hurt like this by anyone again, not matter the cost. Polly was determined to keep her Star safe for the rest of her life.

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