Gray and Green // Michael Gray

Backhanded Deal

"Nonono, Michael, she was such a badass when she was younger"

"I think she's a badass now, Nora." Michael.

"I remember back in 1916, when she was 14 and I was 7, she snuck out of the house to go off with a boy. I was the craziest thing, Michael. She jumped out of a two story window and still got in when morning came."

I remember that. It was Oswald Mosely who I went to see. He was a couple classes higher than me, but it didn't stop me from taking a liking to him. I was quite the whore when I was a kid. Especially with the Italians.

"How'd she get in?"

"Magic. I was waiting for her in her room when she came back because our father had to leave on business. She had hickies all over her neck and her hair was all messed up. It was quite the sight. Hell, i think she fucked with that mo-" i covered my sisters mouth as i made my way into the kitchen.

"It was nobody." I smiled towards Michael who had a finished breakfast plate in front of him. Michael lifted his eyebrows as he looked up at me.

"She's already told me about Costa and Hill." He said. My face became red as I looked over to my sister.

"You sleep too much. I've been talking to your husband for hours-" I cut her off.

"Friend." Michael said. He said it calmer than I would have. It kind of hurts to have him say it like that. It's like I meant nothing to him.

"And I do not sleep too much." I rolled my eyes at her statement. She hardly knows anything.

I walked into the small kitchen in the house. I had a few houses. I had my home, which was about twenty kilometers from here. It's where I had all my gatherings. This was my warehouse with all my shit in it. It was my current residence.

"Big day today, Anna?" Michael stood up and straightened out his suit. I nodded. This is one of the few times I've actually put on a robe and stayed in it.

"I've always got a big day, Michael." I told him, leaning against the counter.

"I could help with that," his hands rested against my hips, leaning in closer to me.

The feeling going from his hands to my body almost made me break down and cry. I've never felt something that made me feel so safe.

I pulled his hands off me, going down the hallway and into my room.

"You can see yourself out, Michael." I told him.

He laughed as he walked out my door, leaving my sister and I ready for the day.

She came into my room as I was changing. I had decided to have Enda have my coat ready at the front rather than in my room.

"He is so cute, Anna. Why don't you get with him?" She looked in my closet, feeling the different fabrics as I put on the usual purple silk attire. "Is he Michael Gray?"

"Son of Polly Gray," I fasted the clasps of my earrings, turning back towards her as I put my heels on. "Peaky Blinder."

Nora stepped away from my closet as the doors closed. She followed me out onto the street, her footsteps unison with mine.

"What are we doing today?" Nora asked with a smile, beaming up at me.

"Casino's." I looked towards her as James opened the car door for us, Nora getting in before me. Pacino was driving as James told him directions.

The casino we were going to was all the way on the West side of England, about a kilometer or two away from the border of Ireland. Of course I had business in that country, I didn't need to check up on it as much.

It obviously wasn't busy as this time of day, just a few of less-known Gangsters having a drink and taking a hand in a game of poker.

"Gentlemen," I nodded towards them, giving them a small smile. The men in fedoras gave me a nod, then returned back to their cigars and cards.

"Oh my god, Anna." Nora grabbed at my shoulder, looking over to one of the workers. He was a card dealer. "He's cute,"

"Why don't you go over and talk to him?" I looked over to the table where Luca Changretta sat with his fedora on the table. We made eye contact, acknowledging we were both here.

"You serious? Think I could have a drink?" She asked, hopeful.

I laughed. "Not a chance," I pushed her on, seeing her smile at me, then walked up to the brown haired boy with a smile.

Changretta got up from his seat, kissing me on the side of the cheek as Italians do. He kissed my knuckles as we sat across from each other, two empty glasses.

"I took the liberty of getting a bottle of Whiskey. We both like the drink." He poured me a glass and I removed my coat from my body, draping it over the back of my chair.

"You're a fine man, Mr. Changretta." I sipped the drink once it was poured. "You can read a woman well."

Changretta laughed slowly as he took a gulp from his glass. "I came here to talk business, Doc. Not about women, although," he sipped his drink. "There's a woman I wouldn't mind talking about."

"Business, of course," with the snap of my fingers, a small bowl of cherries were placed at the table. I needed something sweet to contrast the taste of the whiskey. "About what, Mr. Changretta."

"Please call me Luca," he fiddled with his hat. "As you know, The eldest Shelby brother killed my father. I wish to start a Vendetta with him."

My heart pounded in my ears as his words. Surely Polly and Michael were considered Shelby's, regardless of their last names.

"I'm very fond of Tommy Shelby, Luca. I'm not sure about one of his own fondling in his enemy business." I bit the stem off the cherry, containing eye contact as I did. If I slept with the man, I'd have leverage to hold over his head.

"You didn't deal with Tommy Shelby until four months ago, Doc." He chewed the toothpick in his mouth, his tongue fondling with the wood. "Michael Gray on the other hand, your story goes way back."

I chewed the inside of my lip, remembering the war and how I helped the three of the Shelby brothers. I remember Arthur having a broken arm and John having crushed ribs. Tommy just stayed in the medic tent and swooned off the medication.

I've known Michael since I was 14 years old. He was Henry Johnson.

"Michael Gray and I are nothing." I said, lying through my teeth.

Luca nodded, shifting his gaze to the poker tables, then back to me. He looked at my sister.

"Tommy got your sister," Luca invested, seeing my sister laugh with the dealer as they sat across from each other. "Such a shame. I wouldn't want you to lose any people."

I shook my head as I smiled, pouring more whiskey into my glass. "What do I have to do to keep my people safe?"

"We need machine guns from Germany. You have connections." He spit the end of the toothpick on the ground. "I'll offer you any jewelry of your choice." He looked me up and down. "You have a liking for it."

"As much as I'd like that, Luca," I finished off my second drink, popping a nothing cherry in my mouth. "Tommy Shelby has been more than helpful to me. I don't want to betray his trust."

"Ms. Green, I'd hate for the Gray's or," he tilted his head towards my sister. "Miss Lenora over there to get hurt."

I held in my laugh as I got up, slipping my coat on. "I'd like to see you try and hurt her, Luca." I liked him up and down, judging him.

His face changed to anger as I picked up his hat, inspected it, then threw it on the floor, a look of disapproval on my face.

"Pick it up, pikey."