What About Us | John Shelby

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

January 1919

Small Heath, Birmingham

"Meeting and more fuckin meetings, that's all we seem to be doing lately" Tessa gave out walking across the street to the betting shop with John to her side.

"Calm down ... there's nothing we can do about these meetings, but just turn up to them" He said, playing with the toothpick in his mouth hanging from his lips.

Tessa turned around swiftly, shoving a finger into his face "Do not fuckin tell me to calm down"

John just raised both his hands in the air in defense. Following along with her into the betting shop to see some of the family sat around waiting.

"Here John ... pour that whiskey down ya" Arthur said as he passed over the whiskey towards him.

Tessa sat down next to Polly around the table "Where the kids at?"

"Outside the street there, with Finn playing around" Tessa said looking at the women and smiling.

"Right, I've called this family meeting because things are beginning to change for us. The business is starting to become much bigger with more men coming in and wanting to spend their filthy money" Tommy spoke leaning against one of the walls in the betting shop.

"These family meetings are changing, to family only and any peaky blinders when only it gets past me" Tommy spoke proud and clear to them all.

"It was always family anyway" Ada said from her chair.

"No Ada, family only. Shelby's only. There is to be no more brothers or fathers from a Shelby to attend meetings in the future or even partners that have not become a Shelby yet. You all get that?"

Tessa scoffed, looking over in Tommy's direction "Your talking about me family, just say there fuckin names. Will and Edward, even my da can't come to these meetings anymore, after everything they did for you over the past couple of years. This is what you think of them"

"There not a Shelby, only you are Tessa and don't you forget that"

"Whatever you say Tommy Shelby" She said as she took a smoke from her cigarette and looked away from him.

After everything her brothers and father had done for Tommy, this is how he is going to treat them. It was and will always be Tommy fucking Shelby's way or no way. The three of them, even Anna, would always attend the family meetings in the past but now everything is changing.

Will is a Peaky blinder, but like Tommy said Will is not a Shelby and only certain members of the gang can now attend the family meetings, there was nothing Tessa could do about it. Her other brother Edward had a hard time in the war, even though he was only making and serving food for the soldiers, it had all become too much for the man. He left Small Heath, did not want to be part of any dangerous activities and moved in with the Lee family along with his father. The two spend their days traveling and camping out with the Lee family.

Everything has changed since they all came back from war. They all left as boys, but came back as men. Their mindset had changed, their vision with it also. Tommy wanted the business to expand as far as it could, with the help of the family.

Now with the Peaky Blinders, Tommy had a handful of men working very close for him with Arthur and John alongside the Peaky Blinders too. Between the whole gang they must have killed about 200 - 300 men already since coming back from war.

Everything was and is going to change, it became a lot more darker and dangerous around Small Heath. With a lot of places that have paid the Peaky Blinders for protection, most people in Small Heath fear Tommy Shelby now. Most pubs, some coppers, even small shops all have protection from the Peaky Blinders which will serve good for them.

Things were changing for the Shelby family and changing fast.

-CHAPYER THIRTY-SEVEN-

-PEAKY BLINDERS-