Love and Lies • 𝑇𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑦 𝑆ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑏𝑦

Chapter One

In the heart of the Peaky Blinders Gang territory, time was both fast and slow. Workers hurried through the streets, beggars shook tins for coin, prostitutes made business with drunk men. Ann cupped her hands and blew warm air into them. It was a temporary solution, Birmingham weather was brutal. The city could almost be home in the winter if she closed her eyes to disappear the grey milk fog that coated the city and covered her ears to shut out the constant chatter of English speaking Brits.

The Peaky Blinders centred around the Shelby family. The gang was the pulsing heart of Small Heath Birmingham. They ran through the territory as hired protection for different businesses and controlled an illegal horse race betting shop. Earlier, she watched Thomas Shelby from the shadows at the shipment yard with Charlie Strong and a white horse. First, the Blinders used fortunes to fix a horse race, now they were at war with the Gypsy Lee family apparently. She had decided to finally find living lodging in the area.

To avoid drawing attention, she wore men's clothing - sized for her frame - and kept her hat low on her brow as she moved through the city, just as fast as the other residents.

Ann saw the lodging house, it was small and dark bricked like every other building in Small Heath. Its only other discernible feature were half scratched off words that identified it as a lodging house. When she found no segregation signs demanding she keep out, she pushed open the door. It was warm, well at least warmer than the flesh nipping cold of outside. Floral designed wall paper covered the walls with peeling patches here and there, stairs led to the second floor. The front desk was empty, but a woman came bounding in from a separate back room.

"I need a room please-."

"You'll find one a couple minutes down the road." The woman interrupted, folding her arms over her bust. Her Birmingham accent was thick.

"Why not here?" Ann asked. "I didn't see any signs outside."

"No signs, because the bloody blinders won't let me put them up if I want their protection." The woman said. "This is a respectable establishment." Ann looked around again and doubted her words. She'd seen worse, but also far better, but it was the only lodging house in Small Heath with a phone. "People like you tend to bring unwanted company."

Ann smiled with distaste. She didn't have to do a single thing in offence. Even in a place like Small Heath, where debauchery sang through the streets, there would always be people like this woman. People who believed themselves better than others based on nothing but the factor of their race. But Gangsters who refused to protect racists, those were a rarity.

"I'll only be here a few months, I promise you won't have to worry about visitors." Ann said. She took three pounds from the pouch in her pocket and extended her hand, offering the women the money. "I'll even pay the months in advance."

The woman's eyebrows rose at the money, and then she moved to the front desk. She did not say a word, but Ann followed anyway. The woman opened a book on the table. "What name do I put down for the room?"

After checking in, the woman she learned was named Edith, took her to a vacant room and left. Ann locked the room door and put her suitcase on the floor. She took off her coat and pulled a knife out of her waist sheath. She pulled up her pant leg and took the knives out of her boot sheath.

 Finally, she took off her hat and pulled the knives out of the bun of her hair.

It was time to get work done.