Forbidden Alliances // Alfie Solomons Peaky Blinders

(24) Family Meeting

*edited 02/28/23*

The next morning, Freya found herself being met with one of the company's runners who was breathing heavily on her mat. He was a boy slightly smaller than Finn, maybe eleven years of age. He came knocking on Freya's door, meeting her in her robe which earned her a ghastly and sudden expression of surprise before the kid turned away out of respect. Even though she had her body covered, he must have felt seeing his female employer in her sleepwear was improper.

After laughing, Freya found that Tommy was calling for a meeting at seven. That meant the shop would be closed for the day, or at least delayed opening by a few hours, and that irritated her further with demands. She didn't lay it out on the kid, but she would have if Tommy had been the one delivering the message at the crack of dawn.

Freya hurried to get dressed and made herself look presentable before driving the kid back, then walked through the back entrance of the building to find the front room to be preoccupied with two of her brothers, their wives, the seven other working men in the Peaky Blinders, and Charlie. She found it most odd for Tommy to be stationary at the front of everything and so on time. It was beginning to be a trademark of his to be late for the occasions he assigned.

But he was there, standing pressed against a desk as he smoked from his tobacco liner.

"What the fuck happened this time?" was the first thing to leave her lips as she joined the rest of them around her brother.

"Good morning, Freya. Lovely to see you too." He stared back at her with tired, half-lidded eyes that looked too similar to her own. "We're waiting for Polly and John to get in, then we'll talk," was all he said before the room fell eerily silent.

Freya shot him a concerned look but didn't dare speak up when none of the other men were even softly chatting with one another. The silence unnerved her and it worried her to think something serious happened that would concern the family and their gang members all at once.

Only a few minutes later, John walked in and moved aside to let Polly come striding in after him.

"This had better be good to interrupt my holiday before it's even begun," she was quick to join everyone else as John closed the door. Immediately, Freya wondered where Michael was as he had no family in town and Polly wasn't being followed by their cousin.

And apparently, she wasn't the only one because Arthur verbalized her thoughts. "Where's the boy?"

"In the backroom," Polly replied disinterestedly. "I only brought him because afterward, we're going to the museum."

"He wanted to come in and say 'Hello'-," John added as he was at the end of the crowd of people.

"Shut up, John," Polly said coldly.

"Pol..." Freya spoke softly, pulling her aunt's attention away from the boys. She was looking back at the admirable woman curiously, not used to seeing her so quick and rude while not directing the boys in any way of use. She was strictly being mean for her own sake.

"There is nothing of interest to Michael in this room," Polly defended, seeing as people were beginning to judge her on her decision to keep Michael out of Blinder Business.

Freya looked past Polly and saw the offended and slightly ailed look on John's face after being reprimanded by Polly. Her heart went out to him but he wasn't her biggest concern at the moment.

"Tommy," Freya sighed, looking down at the ground nervously. "Please just start the meeting," she begged, continuing to avoid his eye contact as she turned and met John's again.

"Right." The movement from Tommy caused her to look over and see he was putting his cigarette down in the ashtray before clasping his hands over one another. "Last night, one of our men had his throat cut in Winson Green."