The Blood War, Peaky Blinders

𝟎𝟒𝟎 I'm not picking a side

The blood war
chapter forty, I'm not picking a side
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-1925
Birmingham, England

Khloé left the kids with Paige and went straight to the hospital. She sprinted down the corridor, holding up her dress so she wouldn't trip and when she burst through the doors, she gripped it. Khloé looked at Tommy, desperate for answers and Polly who towered over Michael. Two boys came in behind Khloé, slightly older than her but she's never seen them before. "No, no I want them out" Khloé ordered, "I don't want men in here who joined us for the sport, I want fucking soldiers in here!" She yells, her nerves getting the best of her.

Tommy shoved them out the door and tried to calm Khloé down. "Khlo... breathe..." Tommy said slowly as he took her in his arms. The sight of Michael's blood over the sheets and his hand only made her breathing faster. "I should've went with him, he told me he'd be careful" Khloé said, holding Tommy as tears left her eyes. "Shh, he's gonna be alright" Tommy said, swaying her from side to side. "You stay here with Polly, I'll get soldiers, proper soldiers" Tommy said, letting her go and walking to the door. Khloé stared in horror, tears streaming down her face.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

-1926
Everyone was back in Birmingham, even if they didn't want to particularly want to be back, they were here. Everyone was wearing black, waiting for Tommy to enter the clubhouse and get the meeting started. "There's Tommy" Finn said. Tommy walked in, Khloé behind him but she wasn't in black, she was in red. Paige shot a look at Milly, her eyes widened and Milly gave her the same look back. "John is dead..." Tommy said as a feeling of pain washed over everybody. "Esme's gone on the road with the Lee's... she's taken the kids... Michael's badly wounded, they say it's sixty forty in his favour." Polly scoffs and all eyes turn to her. "There's no number's, there's no percentages, there's no odds. My husband'll live" Khloé said and no one dared to fight her on that whenever she was in a mood like this. "Michael and John were shot because we killed someone... Vincente Changretta-" Tommy said. 

"And do you wanna remind everyone who that is?" Khloé asked. "Khloé's grandfather..." Tommy sighed, "Her uncle, his son Luca has come to take revenge... Men from New York and Sicily here in Birmingham. These men will not leave our city until our whole family is dead..." Tommy said. "That's how it works... an eye for an eye... it's called vendetta" Khloé said. "Yeah well..." Arthur said, unhooking his arm from Paige's, "The bullet's been written..." He holds up the small gold bullet, "It says Luca... and when the time comes, and it will come... me as the oldest brother, will put this bullet straight into his fucking head" Arthur said, gripping it tight between his pointer and middle finger along with his thumb. Paige looks at Tommy, it was obvious she didn't know about the plan and she didn't want Arthur with a gun in his hand after him barely being out of jail for a year.

He sets the bullet down and Polly begins to giggle quietly to herself. "There's been some back blood between us..." Tommy said. "No shit, Sherlock" Khloé said, crossing her arms. Polly starts to laugh as if that statement wasn't already in question. "Until this business is settled, we stay together... and we stay here... Small Heath, Bordesley, Haymills, down to Geet." Tommy said. "No" Khloé said, shaking her head. "Tommy, are you forgetting? She is one of them Italian bastards" Polly said. "I'm not denying that I am... Luca may have ordered John's death... god rest him, right Jerimiah... but it was Tommy who ordered the death of my grandfather. That, bastard..! had it coming..." Khloé said. Everyone knew they were supposed to back up Tommy, but in a way Khloé was right.

"We know every face and every man is a soldier in this army..." Tommy said, carrying on. "Paige, what did your brother say?" "He says he's trying to get here as soon as he can." Paige said. "Better than nothing" Tommy said, "These men are professionals, they're good at what they do so we're going to need more than we have. Obviously the Canavan's are coming, me and Apollo have an understanding and an alliance with one another..." Tommy said. "A whore alliance..." Paige muttered under her breath as she held her top lip. "I sent a message to Aberama Gold" Tommy said suddenly. Everyone's faces dropped, bar Khloé's. "No." Milly and Johnny said, shaking their heads. "No Tom." Johnny said, "I'll get you fifty lee boys, good men, Tom."