Bancroft - Peaky Blinders Reverse Harem x Reader

Chapter 62

Tommy's pov

A gunshot.

Ada sprints through the hangar before he, Michael or Arthur can react, towards the outbuilding.

It's enough to clear the nausea — Tommy thought being a passenger in a car was bad, it was nothing compared to Michael's shaky plane flying —and spur him onward.

He has bullets ready for every man that tries to stop them. They all turn as the Shelbys approach, all shocked — clearly they hadn't been expecting to be found. Not a single bullet misses it's mark. Not even Michael's, which sends a man falling to the ground. Under any other circumstances, Tommy would have congratulated his cousin on the shot.

Every step towards the outbuilding, a grey concrete cabin the other end of the airstrip, feels like it takes an eternity. If that gunshot hit you or John... if he's too late already...

Ada bursts through the door first, and Tommy's never seen his sister so enraged. She pulls McGuffin from you and wrenches his gun free before he can react, kneeing him in the face until he yells and keels over.

But you don't move. The bruises are already red around your throat, and your body is there on the floor. Lifeless...

Ada immediately kneels by your side and begins checking for a pulse. Tommy sees her gulp, her face harden, and she begins chest compressions.

He won't think about that now. He can't think about that now. Everything in his field of vision turns red.

"Arthur, untie John," he orders.

And then he grabs McGuffin by the shoulders and pulls him up, absolute hatred burning as the man attempts a smile.

"You're smarter than I thought, Thomas Shelby."

They're the last words he ever speaks.

Tommy's fist collides with his skull, every grunt and groan music to his ears, every cracking of bone and bleeding of flesh beneath his knuckles a heaven-sent answer to a prayer. Blood sprays across Tommy's face, his clothes, his hair.

When he's had enough of punching, he pulls a blade from his hat and uses that.

The whole time, he's aware of Ada's frantic attempts to bring you back, the tears beginning to fall down her face as you remain unresponsive. He can see her beginning to tire.

Tommy releases McGuffin, and his body drops to the floor and slams against the concrete. He crosses to where you lay, and not for the first time, he's thankful that something inside his mind is damaged, that his emotions don't work the same way as other people's — if they did, the sight of you there would be enough to break him.

"Ada, rest," he orders, replacing her hands on your chest and beginning resuscitation.

He'd done it plenty in the war. He'd seen countless men working away like this, more often than not, their efforts completely futile. He doesn't even recognise the wet feeling when it comes to his eyes. No tears fall, but his vision clouds, and you shift in and out of focus beneath him.

He breathes air into you and continues.

"How's John?" He calls out, voice thicker than he's ever heard it.

"We need to get him to a doctor, Tom," Arthur shouts back. "He's alive, but I can't wake him up."

"He'll wake up," Tommy says, more to himself than anyone else in the room. His hands push against your chest. "They both will. Come on, Bancroft. Open your fucking eyes, eh? You don't get to fucking die." He shakes his head. "It wasn't in your fortune. Remember? I'd have seen this. I'd have fucking seen this. And your palm told me we'd all have a long life together. Sorry, princess. You don't get to go now. You're staying with us this time. Eh? You're fucking staying with us."

"Tom," Michael says. "We have to get John out of here."

"Go," Tommy orders. "We'll be right behind you. Both of us."

Ada presses a gloved hand to her mouth, crying. "Tom... she's, she's not—"

"Take him to the nearest hospital," Tommy interrupts. He can feel the pain in his shoulders, the sweat beginning to bead on his forehead from the exertion in the cramped room. "We'll be there as soon as she wakes up. She'll need help, too."

"Tommy," Arthur says quietly. "She's not waking up."

Tommy breathes air into you once more. "And I'm not stopping until I'm fucking dead beside her."