𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙮, John Shelby

- 14

- CHAPTER FOURTEEN -

- IN WHICH TOMMY WAKES HER

. . .

"RORY!"

For the second time that month, Rory awoke blurry-eyed. She'd been convinced it was part of her dream, but there was really a pounding on her door, there was really Thomas Shelby behind the walls of her little room. For the second time that month he'd been the reason she was awake.

The Miller groaned, sliding out from under her duvet. One hand rubbing her eye, other reaching for the silk gown beside her bed, she tied the silk over her nightdress and then began for the door.

"It's seven in the morning." A frown sat on her lips, ignoring the man's expression as she welcomed him into her home. "Please don't tell me it's another wedding, I like them but there's only so many decent men in the Betting Den that can find women."

"What?" Tommy stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and straightening up a little. "Today's the day, Rory. I need to know who's side you're on.. ours or his?"

"Er, well yours..." Given she hadn't been awake for longer than five minutes she wasn't sure on what they were exactly talking about, she wasn't even completely sure that she was really awake. "Can I ask for what, exactly?"

Having the confirmation he needed, Tommy began back for the door. "It's Black Star Day." He replied, "And we need to gather everyone, so hurry up!"

The door was shut, leaving a very dazed, very tired Rory to begin to get ready for the day. And considering last nights events - of which herself and John opted to sit at the bar and drink whilst Arthur sat in the office and worked through various bills and taxes, the bills and taxes they were supposed to be helping with - her alcohol induced headache wasn't helping her think too straight.

She didn't return to her bed half of the room, but instead turned to the kitchen, sprinkling crushed up mint into a teapot and then adding hot water to the mix. Only then did she realise it was probably necessary to get ready for the day and slipped into a much more day-appropriate outfit of fabric pinstripe trousers and a white blouse which was left untucked. Then she emptied the teapot into a mug and filled Sadie's bowl.

Rory was soon making her way downstairs, drinking the remanence of her mint tea with every intention of leaving it by the bar and hoping to remember to clean it whenever she would return from running around Small Heath.

Tommy stopped her, pointing towards the office and one of the booths. She peered through the office door and noticed a rather tired looking, very much in a deep sleep Arthur. And she could only imagine the state of the other brother on the booth chair.

"John.." Rory sidled up to the chair and shook the man's arm gently. "It's Black Star Day.." Her voice was soft and gently beat down his ear, awakening from his sleep in a rather peaceful manor.

"It's my day off, Ror.." John groaned, bringing his arms up to cover his eyes from the sunlight. Anything she'd just said hadn't really transmitted to him at all.

"John, get up." Thomas and Arthur came walking back through the room, the latter looking much more put together than expected after sleeping on a desk all night. "It's Black Star Day, day offs can come after we've got Kimber." He let out a breath of air. "Get home, get your kit, check your weapons.. Rory, you come with me. John, get her a knife, a blade, I don't care what.. she's going to need protection when they come."

The two brothers made for The Garrison doors, and once they'd left, Tommy recollecting his coat and cap from the hooks by the bar, him and Rory also did.

The two made their rounds through the streets, sending Charlie to fetch a few wagons, collecting Scudboat, and then eventually they could head for the Betting Den. The last counter part they were yet to find was already in the kitchen, she was already aware of everything.

"And watch Thomas." They stood in the doorway, keeping quiet whilst she prayed. "I know how he is. But he does what he does for us... I think... Amen." She turned around, only paying little mind to the fact that they'd caught her. "I used to do that everyday during the war. I'd hoped I'd done it for the last time."

"Today will be the last time, Pol." Tommy replied, Rory smiling reassuringly next to him. "After today there'll be no need for prayers. We'll be set... Family meeting, half ten."

✧

Rory was allowed a little time to get herself more ready for the day. In which she sat in the empty rooms of The Garrison, Sadie on her lap as she attempted to decipher how she really felt about today - her cousin, the man who, was admittedly horrid and treated her dreadfully, was going to die. She wanted to be sad, she really did. But all she felt was a flooding pool of guilt, because she didn't feel sad, she wasn't going to mourn him, she didn't feel anything for him other than guilt.

"Come on, Ror." John and Arthur burst through the double doors, identical smirks resting their features, eyes glinting with amusement. "We're going to be paying some people a visit." The elder brother grinned as Sadie jumped from the chair and Rory was freed to join them.

She followed them out onto the road, sliding into the back of the car which was all ready crammed with Tommy, Scudboat and two other men. There wasn't really time to ask questions, instead they were speeding through the streets, the men all shouting and laughing as they made for the darker side of Small Heath.

Eventually they came to arriving, and Rory hopped out beside John, looking up questioningly at him once she realised they'd ended up at the Brothel. And almost as if reading her mind, the Shelby brother put her mind at ease, "Tommy heard someone say Officer Campbell's around here."

"Oh.." The Miller girl nodded but said nothing else, allowing the man to drape his arm over her shoulders and lead her into the building, following Arthur and Tommy with Scudboat and the other men behind them.

Her eyes instantly began skimming the building the moment they began through it, noticing the red lanterns, flags and posters decorated with Chinese symbols and writing in a lighter, more orange colour - it was better than focusing on the men hanging around near the entrance to the dry cleaners, especially as they watched her walk by the side of John, as if she herself should've been in the similar line of work to the poor girls working there.

Arthur veered away from Tommy, the elder brother leading the group further away from Mr Zhang so that the two men could talk in private. With John's arm still resting on her shoulder's, Rory began through the pathway of drying clothes, following Arthur's every move until they were almost entirely covered in shadows and hidden away from most of the men.

They all sat down on a group of wooden boxes, Rory drawing her knees up to her chest, elbows coming to rest on them and head falling into her palms, gaze moving around the large, rundown building. She couldn't imagine the conditions the girls who worked there on a day to day basis had to live with, she couldn't imagine how terrible their lives must have been to have to lead them down this path.

"What's up, Rory, eh?" Arthur called across to her from the box he was sat on, his smile just about visible. "The sky's blue, the world's round, it's Black Star Day, and you are surrounded with handsome men."

She smiled a little, headshaking. "Nothing, Arthur, everything's perfect."

Nothing was indeed perfect, nothing ever was when the Peaky Blinders were around.

✧