Bought by a Shelby

Mountain Meeting

"Why are we here freezing our arses off ?" Finn asked, clearly annoyed at being drug up the snow-covered mountains. It was fall in Birmingham, no snow had fallen yet and with all the smog and hot industry, winter usually came a bit late in the section Finn lived in.

He should have been happy to breathe some fresh air and get out of that frigid little apartment Tommy and Arthur had given him after the whole vendetta fiasco.

Tommy had rudely woken everyone up and told them a plan that he'd known about for weeks. Apparently, he needed a new expansion and with Esme Lee, Boswells and Gold families refusing to be drugged into any more of his schemes, they needed to extend to gypsy camps outside of their family for help.

"We already told you Finn, we're here to do business and you are a part of that business." Tommy said flatly as he tugged his gloves over his hands hoping to keep some heat from escaping his body. Even he would admit it was a bone chilling day with the wind whipping and biting into any exposed flesh it could touch.

Arthur and Tommy had built a fire which was raging at this point yet no one was warm. Ada had brought thermos filled with hot Cocoa. The cold was freezing the outside of the metal just leaving chocolate flavored water. Finn was ready to go. Expanding the gypsy hand of influence was silly as far as he was concerned. There were plenty of ambitious young lads in Birmingham who'd be happy to be paid to do whatever Blinders business they needed to do.

"Aren't you the one complaining that you wanted to be a legitimate business partner? You need to go outside the office once and get some fresh air." Ada chastised him, gently poking him in the ribs. He glared at her and she rolled her eyes while the elder brothers chuckled. He hated feeling that he was taking in all their teasing, he was, but he didn't want to be.

"I think I've breathed enough cold air to last me a lifetime Arthur." He cocked off his mouth earning a finger waving from Tom warning him to be respectful.

"Maybe Tommy will find you a little gypsy wife to form an alliance with her family Finn, follow in John's footsteps. Form an alliance through a family and then we can all go home after the wedding." Ada chirped and earned grins from her brother, all except Finn.

"Yeah, that worked out great didn't it." He sneered. He hadn't meant for it to come out as scalding and scathing as it had. All three turned to look at him, clearly surprised by his attitude. He knew he should be grateful for the opportunity and he was. John was still a sore spot for him. Out of all the siblings, Finn, Ada and John were the ones most full of life. They constantly teased and ribbed playfully at one another. Arthur and Tommy were too serious after the war.

"I can still hear you Finn." Tommy glared at him. His cold steely gaze did not leave the younger man's face. Finn refused to look away. He'd been dealt with or dismissed too much in the past to be intimidated by any of it anymore.

"Boys, here we go. We're a united unit, remember" Ada said smiling at the approaching clan that were emerging from the tree line.

Finn scoffed and rolled his eyes, they were never a united unit. Wouldn't be until this generation retired.

"Gentlemen welcome, we build a fire, please, gather around and hear our proposition.

" Hatman, Temple, Nithercott, Loughty, are we all accounted for?" Tommy asked, clasping his hands as the Shelby's stood across from the fire waiting for all the members to nod or speak.

Finn was exhausted, this was going to be a very long and very cold day.

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Three hours, three tedious and semi productive hours of sitting on frost covered logs, the cold seeping in through his arse while they went in circles reaffirming the offer or rejecting offers only to end up agreeing on the first propositions mentioned twenty minutes in. Finn hated the delegations. He didn't have the patience for it much, preferring to be in on the action.

He saw Ada rubbing her temples, she was even over it. He smiled at her sympathetically.

" I gotta go piss." He stood as she shook her head at his gruffness. He turned heading to the stream away from all the eyes at camp.

He'd just finished on a tree and turned to rinse his hands not looking forward to the icy cold water in front of him. A wide open slow moving river stretched out in front of him winding through the mountains. He bet it looked beautiful in the summer when it was warm and teaming with life and color.

Finn didn't hate nature like his brothers assumed. He just enjoyed the comforts he'd grown accustomed to like insulated walls, coal burning fires and houses.

He froze watching several ladies approaching to dip wooden buckets into the stream. Old and young gathered scattered throughout.

One caught his attention though, she wasn't as beautiful as the others in a common sense. She was striking to him however. Long bone white bleached hair hung mostly loose around her face. Two black cords tied tightly to show her red chapped lips and her dark brown eyes, warm like the tree bark promising spring. She blushed and turned away from him gathering water and whispering to the other two champagne blondes near her. They all bore a resemblance and seemed close in age, sister perhaps. Finn smiled at her hoping to catch her eye again. He hoped she didn't have brothers. He wouldn't mind ferret her out and striking up a conversation.

He had a fiancé back home, the back of his mind was trying to compare the two. There wasn't a comparison to be found.

Myra wasn't a particularly tall, fashionable thing with short red hair and piercing green eyes. She was spunky, mischievous and eager to live with Finn because of his gangster lifestyle. They always had a good time together whether causing trouble or messing around in his apartment

This mountain girl was of average height and built as far as he could tell with all the blankets she had draped over her. Nothing but her eyes and hair were of a particular draw. She stood away from him by the other women, a good gypsy girl, probably a virgin. Whatever she knew of sex came from animal husbandry, he didn't see any animals though. Probably too cold he thought bitterly. He lifted a cigarette to his mouth and lit it, placing his freezing cold lighter back in his pocket. At least this was a comfort.

"See something you like?" Finn looked around trying to find the reedy thin old voice that had just intruded his thoughts.

He tried not to back away as a hunched over old woman placed her hand on his. She squeezed his arms and his bicep. He smiled warmly at her. Even for a handsy old woman she had some irresistible charm. He shook his head and smiled down at her, mindful to not blow smoke in her face.

"Just looking around." He replied, turning his head back to the young woman. The one he'd been watching was gone. He didn't realize it but he was scanning around to see if he could spot her.

"You should look again. I'm sure she's closer than you think." She patted his arm after cryptically speaking and hobbled off rather quickly to Finn's surprise. 

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part 1 end