ONLY REQUEST | Thomas Shelby

FOUR

Sadie yawns as she tiptoes down the stairs, remembering James came in to her room early that morning to tell her him and the boys were going down to the fair.

Before she can even reach the bottom step, the front door bursts open to reveal three police officers storming into her home.

One grabs her by the wrists as another pushes her face first against the wall. The side of her face is pressed up against the wall as she watches the final police officer ransack the house.

Cups shattering and chairs falling can be heard as she starts fighting back, trying her hardest to break free from the officers grasp.

She can feel blood trickling down from her nose and onto her mouth from the impact of being full force shoved into the wall. Her body fills with undeniable rage.

Quickly she's spun around and met face to face with one of the officers. Spit falls from his mouth as he shouts inches away from her face.

"You got something to hide? We'll fucking tear this place apart bit by bit." Much to the police men's surprise all the girl does is let out a giggle.

"What's so fucking funny?" The policeman shouts while somehow managing to push her even further into the wall, Sadie ignores the stinging pain in her head, presumably from a cut that's been made there as she begins to speak.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" Sadie says through a grin, crimson red now painting her teeth.

The men send each other puzzled looks, clearly not figuring it out yet.

"I'm Sadie Ashmore. You recognise that name?" Her grin grows as she sees the cogs start turning in the man's head, realising just how big of a mistake he's made.

"That's right, my brother is James Ashmore. Oh and who am I under the protection of again?" Sadie asks in faux confusion, looking up and around the room as if she's wracking her brain for the names.

She suddenly gasps and says, "how could I forget? I'm under the protection of John, Arthur and Tommy fucking Shelby."

As soon as she says their names she spits blood in the officer's face and they finally let go on their hold of her.

She watches as they all scramble to the door, holding back her own laughter as she mutters to herself, "some people in this town really do have a death wish."

Tommy drives through the streets of Small Heath after a day out with his brothers after it's been made clear the fight they got into with members of the Lee family is not to be discussed with anyone.

They all look around at the riot that is Watery Lane.

"Now, what the bloody hell's been going on here?" Arthur asks as they drive past people picking up furniture and smashed picture frames.

"Jesus Christ." Tommy mutters to himself as they reach their home.

James is quick to get out of the car, shouting "I need to check on Sadie!" before telling them he'll be back as soon as he's done so.

"The coppers told everyone Arthur agreed to it when he was arrested." Polly explains to the men all gathered in the kitchen. "They said the Peaky Blinders had cleared out to the fair to let them do it."

"I never said nothing to that copper about smashing up bloody houses." Arthur angrily mutters.

"Alright, which pubs did they do?" Tommy sighs in question and Polly explains they done every one but the Garrison, leading it to further look like the Peaky Blinders were in on it.

"So go on, you'd better show people you are still the cocks of the walk." Polly orders them all out of the kitchen as Tommy instructs them to hand out cash to the land lords of the pubs that were ran sacked as well as to pay some veterans to fix up people's property.