Peaky Blinders. One shot and imagines

What a Shelby wants - Arthur x Reader

I have included the lyrics from the Gershwin classic 'The Man I Love'. Hope that you all enjoy.

"What do you mean he wants me?" (Y/n) asked nervously, as she stared at Mac, the manager of the club at which she sang. A club that had been recently taken over by the order of the Peaky Blinders. A takeover that had come about thanks to a rather vicious punch up and much broken glassware. The singer suddenly getting a feeling that she should have stayed in London and not been talked into the move north by her old friend.

"Exactly what I said (Y/n). Arthur Shelby is the one that is controlling the club now, for the Peakys, and he's demanded that you perform for him. What the hell was I supposed ta fuckin say?" Mac told her, appearing no less anxious at the prospect of having the Brimingham gangsters taking over his small, yet rather lucrative club. Its success, in part, due to the woman in front of him; and it was obvious that the Shelby's knew that. Yet he had the feeling that this was nothing to do with (Y/n)'s voice, and the money she brought in; but more to do with her appearance. The songstress, in his opinion, one of the most beautiful women that he had ever seen.

"So, you are telling me that Arthur Shelby, possibly the craziest member of that family, asked for me, by name, himself?" (Y/n) asked, now pacing the dressing room apprehensively, as she contemplated coming face to face with one of the men, who's numerous, and varied crimes, she had only heard about in hushed tones. It as if people feared that were they to speak the Shelby name too loud, one of them would pop up and drag them to hell. (Y/n) gulping at the large lump that had just formed in her throat, as her friend, and once boss, nodded his head.

"Not only that, but he wants you to wear this." Mac continued, giving her another apologetic smile before pulling out a large box from behind the dressing room door, and handing it to her. The singer opening it to find a rather beautiful black dress covered in the finest lace and diamond like embellishments.

Slowly (Y/n) took the gown from the box. She had to admit it was beautiful, that the gems caught the light perfectly when it moved. And she couldn't help but be a little surprised that a man that had come from such humble beginnings, appeared to have such exceptional taste in women's clothes, which she also had to admit seemed a little strange.

"Oh great, black; this colour should cover the blood stains nicely when he either shoots me or slashes me with one of the razor blades those boys keep in their caps." (Y/n) said, dropping into the chair behind her, and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Don't be so melodramatic (Y/n), he's not gonna shoot you. You don't shoot the golden goose. The Shelby's are businessmen, and you bring in business. He just wants to see what you can do." Mac tried to reassure, as he gave her a soft smile.

"Melodramatic? MELODRAMATIC!? Have you been living under a rock since we have been here? That man, hell, all of the family, kill people, Mac. No one so much as daring to sneeze in this city without Thomas Shelby's permission. And now, Arthur Shelby has not only asked for me by name; but also stipulated what I should wear, and even the song I have to sing, and you think telling me that he just wants to see what I can do, is gonna make me feel any better about it." (Y/n) said sarcastically, as the tall, dark-haired man crouched down in front of her, and took her hands in his.

"Sweetheart, you know I wouldn't ask you to do this if I had any other option; but as it is, I don't. The Shelby's are now my boss as much as they are yours. So, what a Shelby wants around here, a Shelby gets." Mac explained, squeezing her hands in a vain attempt to comfort his friend.

(Y/n) sighed, she knew that Mac was right, he really did have no choice, and nor did she. What a Shelby wants, the Shelby gets, and if you didn't believe that, then you probably wouldn't be alive too long. The songstress trying to comfort herself with the fact that from what she knew, the family only killed other gangsters and people that had done them wrong. That, or those that they saw as a threat to one of their many so-called "business" dealings. So, she just had to hope that this Arthur Shelby was in a good mood and didn't get the idea to change that.