love knows no bounds | thomas shelby

fixed races

"i dug out a dress like you asked," said eveline, changing the subject. "you wanted it to be red, so i found the best red dress i could find."

thomas reached into his pocket, retrieving two cigarettes from their protective casing. the rain-soaked blinder expertly lit the cigarette for eveline, his movements deliberate and practiced. the flame danced at the tip of her cigarette.

in that simple act, his gesture held a deeper meaning, one that began back to their teenage years. it was a promise made long ago. he had vowed that eveline would never have to carry a lighter around, for he would always be there to light it for her.

"the king will be there," said tommy, talking about the race.

"which king?" asked eveline. she rolled her eyes when she asked the question, "king george or king kimber?"

"king billy kimber, along with all his men."

eveline knew thomas too well - she knew he had something planned.

curious, she asked, "what do you want me to do, tom?"

"you'll do what i ask you to do."

eveline's eyes narrowed, going through a mix of anger and hurt. the words that thomas spilled left a bitter taste in eveline's mouth. 

"i'm not going to be a whore. if you need a whore, take grace. i'm sure she'd love to fucking go."

but thomas, as stubborn as he was, responded swiftly.

"no. i don't want grace. i want you, and i want you to come."

her heart was torn between the love she felt for him and the sense of betrayal that tugged at her soul.

she shook her head in protest. "y'know, i thought you wanted me to come to the races with you so we could spend time together," she said, her voiced laced with sadness. "i didn't know i was going as a whore in whatever shit you have planned with billy kimber."

the weight of her words stayed in the air. her spirit, once vibrant and full of life, now grappled with the harsh reality that the man she loved seemed to view her as a pawn in his dangerous game. 

"it will be okay," assured thomas, whispering as he took another puff of his cigarette. "i will be right there with you the whole time."

eveline thought about his words, and how she was probably just overreacting because she knew that tommy would never hurt her.

eveline was working in the garrison as a crowd of men stood around, singing. eveline had to ask tommy for permission to have grace, along with other workers, to sing at the pub. apparently harry and grace were too scared to ask thomas themselves.

as eveline was working while listening to the people sing, a vehicle pulled up.

"holy shit," said harry. "it's billy kimber."

eveline's ears perked up at the sound of harry's voice. in that instant, everything shifted, and a wave of unease washed over eveline.

slowly, her eyes lifted, locking onto the figures that entered the garrison. the sight of the men sent a shiver down her spine, for she knew all too well the implications of billy kimber's presence. he was trouble.

"is there any man here named shelby?"

eveline cringed at the grating sound of billy kimber's accent. the question hung in the air.

the absence of a response created an eerie silence, filled only by the tension that gripped the room.

kimber's gaze swept across the faces, his impatience growing by the second. in a sudden burst of aggression, he pulled out his gun and fired a shot into the air, causing everyone to recoil in fear. eveline and harry instinctively ducked their heads from behind the safety of the bar.

"i said," he repeated, "is there any man here named shelby?"

kimber was met with a calculated move on the part of the shelby brothers. eveline watched them enter, her eyes fixed on thomas, waiting for his next move.

the leader of the peaky blinders's voice cut through the tension as he instructed eveline to, "get these men a drink." 

thomas directed everyone to leave and the patrons scattered like frightened mice, scurrying to find safety in the face of danger. but amidst the commotion, grace's quiet voice reached eveline's ears, expressing her intent to stay.

"don't stay grace," eveline said with her voice filled with urgency. "you have no business here. go home."

for one, eveline knew the risks that lay ahead, and she didn't want grace to be caught in the crossfire of the escalating conflict between the shelby clan and billy kimber's men. but on the other hand, she remembered what tommy told her, which was to not get too close with grace.

as eveline set down the tray of glasses, her mind raced. she then went back to the safety of the bar as she watched the unfolding scene.

kimber's eyes traveled up and down eveline's form, his eyes filled with a twisted form of admiration.

a sly smirk formed on his lips as he spoke, "i've never approved of women in pubs, but when they look like that.." he began.

before kimber could finish his sentence, thomas cut him off, his voice firm and resolute.

"you said you wanted men named shelby.. you've got three of them."

the shelby brothers' eyes fixated on kimber, their expressions sharp and vigilant, assessing his every move.

kimber leaned back in his chair. "right, i've never heard of you," he declared, his voice laced with arrogance. "but then you fuck me over. so now you have my undivided attention."

the room seemed to hold its breath as the shelby brothers locked eyes with kimber. eveline's gaze darted between the men as she observed the power play unfolding.

kimber's eyes then darted between the three brothers. he pointed a finger at them. "so which one am i talking to? who's the boss?"

arthur, seated in the middle, spoke up with defiance in his voice.

"well, i'm the oldest," he declared, trying to assert his dominance in the face of kimber's taunting.

a fake laugh escaped kimber's lips as he scoffed at arthur's response.

"clearly."

john, sitting beside arthur, couldn't contain the smoldering anger within him. his eyes narrowed, showing the deep hatred burning within them. he addressed kimber, "are you laughing at my brother?"

kimber smirked, reveling in the rising tension.

"right, he's the oldest, he's the thickest," he mocked. "i'm told the boss is called tommy and i'm guessing that's you," he taunted.

kimber's finger then pointed towards eveline.

"and i bet that's your whore behind the counter there." he continued, "i know you're the one who gets to go home and fuck her every night, right?"

kimber's crude remark about eveline made thomas' jaw tense, but he maintained his composed demeanor, refusing to let his anger consume him. at the same time, anger flashed in the eyes of arthur and john.

"i want to know what you want," said thomas calmly while holding his cigarette.

the man seated next to kimber responded to thomas, saying, "there were suspicious betting patterns at kempton park.. a horse called monaghan bay. he won by a length twice and then finished last with three thousand pounds bet on him."

mocking kimber, tommy asked, "which one am i talking to? which one of you is the boss?"

eveline silently watched the tense interaction between the men.

"we will be at cheltenham."

"as will i."