Sin - [T.Shelby]

The Deal

  "Did you want whiskey as well?" Grace asked as she brought the Shelby boys a bucket of beer. "No, just beer." Thomas told her "Why no whiskey, Tommy? Are you expecting trouble?" Arthur asked, Thomas looked to the cards in his hand.

"Jesus Christ, Tommy, what the hell made you let them sing? They sound like they're strangling cats out there." John cringed, Thomas smiled a bit at the men who drunkenly sang. "All right, 20 to play. Come on." he said putting his cards on the table and sipping his beer "What did make you change your mind though, Tommy? Mmm?" Arthur asked, the brother's watched as Tommy's gaze followed Grace form the room, only breaking when she closed the door behind her.

"Yeah, I mean, it's about time, Tommy." John said "Time for what?" Thomas asked looking back at his brothers "Time you took yourself a woman." John smiled, Thomas rolled his eyes "Just play the bloody hands." Arthur pointed to his brother "You stay the way you are, Tommy. Remember what Dad used to say 'Fast women and slow horses-" John said the last half with him "-will ruin your life!" they both laughed, Thomas smiled at them. 

"It's alright, Tommy. You keep your songbird, me, however, I prefer someone a little more dangerous." Arthur said, John chuckled "Yeah, he really think he's got a chance with Stella." John snorted, Arthur glared at his little brother. "Yeah, I do. Why wouldn't she like a Shelby man? I'm the oldest as well, means I'm the important one." John scoffed "You may be oldest but Tommy's the one running the business. If she was to go after anyone it'd be him." John shuffled the cards he held around "Doubt she would though, she's too much woman for Tommy to handle." John smiled, Thomas gave him a look and Arthur laughed. Lights flashed through the window and the boys all looked "Coppers?" Arthur asked "No." Tommy stood.

"Holy shit. It's Billy Kimber." Harry, the bartender, gasped as three men entered, all well dressed and carrying guns. "Is there any man here named Shelby?" the man in the middle asked, he had slicked down black hair and a mustache. He shot his gun at the ceiling "I said, is there any man here named Shelby?" he asked again. The door to the back room opened and the brothers stepped out "Harry, get these men a drink. Everyone else, go home." Thomas ordered, the bar cleared out and the men sat at an empty table.

Grace placed a tray of glasses on the table "You, go home." Thomas ordered her "But Mr. Fenton said-" she tried "I said go home." she knew not to argue and left quickly. Billy Kimber shamelessly watched her go "I've never approved of women in pubs but when they look like that-" Thomas cut him off "You said you wanted men called Shelby. You've got three of them." Tommy lit a cigarette as Arthur poured drinks.

"Right, I'd never heard of you, then I did hear of you, some little Didicoy razor gang. I thought to myself, so what? But then you fuck me over so now you have my undivided attention. By the way, which one am I talking to? Who's the boss?" he asked looking over the three men "Well, I'm the oldest." Arthur said "Ha clearly." Kimber smiled "Are you laughing at my brother?" John asked "Right, he's the oldest, you're the thickest. I'm told the boss is called Tommy and I'm guessing that's you cos you're looking me up and down like I'm a fucking tart." Kimber snapped. Tommy didn't like him at all.

"I want to know what you want." the man with the glasses next to Kimber spoke up "There were suspicious betting patterns at Kempton Park. A horse called Monaghan Boy. He won by a length twice and then finished last with £3,000 bet on him." Tommy looked between the two men "Which one am I talking to? Which one of you is the boss?" Kimber clenched his fists.

"I am Mr. Kimber's advisor and accountant." the man spoke, Kimber stood "And I'm the fucking boss, OK? Right, end of parley, you fixed a race without my permission." he said looking them over "You fucking Gypsy scum! What live off the war pensions of these poor old Garrison Lane widows! That's your level! I am Billy Kimber, I run the races and you fixed one of them so I'm going to have you shot against a post." he yelled. He turned to walk out and his men pulled their guns.