Twisted Perfection - Tommy Shelby/Peaky Blinders

2.

Ruby was satisfied. She hadn't heard from Tommy for a while - but she knew he was gagging for it. She assumed he was just using Lizzie Stark, the prostitute but also mother of one of his children.

"What's got you so chipper?" Ruby's mother asked her. Her mother, Mary, had once been the apple of her father's eye, he had adored her. That was until he got involved with the Peaky Blinders and left them. "Tell me, have you got yourself a nice man?" Mary hoped, men hadn't been on Ruby's mind. She was approaching the age of 26, Mary wanted her happily married soon.

Ruby smirked, "there is no man, Mum. I've just found some work. In Small Heath. In fact," Ruby glanced at her watch, "I'm late." She pecked her mother on the cheek, lunged at her handbag and left the house.

Mary watched Ruby out the window, getting into a red car. She immediately recognised the man driving - Thomas Shelby.

"I've got to drop in to the garrison first, see how the refurbishments coming on. Can't have my men slacking." Tommy cleared his throat.

"Sure." Ruby slouched back in her seat, staring at Tommy's perfectly chiselled cheekbones.

Arriving at the garrison, Arthur Shelby stood outside, screaming at the workers. Tommy launched himself out of the car, sprinting to hold his brother back. "THEY'VE FUCKED IT!" Arthur slurred, incorrectly pointing his finger at the builders, he was seeing double of everything. "It doesn't say Arthur Shelby and Son - the Garrison at the top anymore!"

"No, I changed it. Tommy and John Shelby Ltd - the Garrison." Tommy proudly looked up at his first stead.

"Don't you like it, Arthur?" John appeared behind them, winking at their eldest brother to wind him up. "It's been Arthur Shelby for years, we thought it was time for a change, eh Tom?"

Arthur turned to face Tommy. Rage grew on his face. His cheeks were hotting up, taking in the information. In a flash, he was on Tommy. He beat him to the ground. Punch after punch pounded into Tommy's face.

John was fast into action, pulling Arthur off Tommy as Ruby watched on in horror. She helped Tommy up, taking him inside the garrison. "Everyone OUT." Tommy ordered, the builders scuttled away, taking it as a sign of an early dart. "First aid kits on the second shelf." Tommy pointed, guiding Ruby.

"Are you ok?!" Ruby's hands were shaking as she took antiseptic and cotton wool out the box, gently dabbing it on Tommy's face.

"Fat bruises I'll have in the morning, but not the first time I've had an Arthur beating." Tommy shrugged. "You'll see, Ruby, there's a reason I'm head of the Peaky Blinders even though I'm not the eldest brother. Yes the reason we have the name is because Arthur's go to is to blind people, literally, but he's too much of a hot head. Would cause way too many problems if he was head."

"Why'd you wind him up?"

Tommy chuckled half-heartedly. "John and me, after John barely survived the shooting, we thought it's time to try and dissociate ourselves from Arthur."

"Why?"

He pulled Ruby's hands away from dabbing his face, sighing. "John has a passionate hate for our Dad, and Arthur's turning into him. Well, the name fits."

"And what about you? You're violent too."

"Nah." Tommy was offended. "I get other people to do it for me. I'm not stupid."

Ruby mulled it over. "So, if I were to 'disrespect' you, you'd have someone blind me?" She was unimpressed.

"Exactly. Plus John needs a distraction for his wife, Esme. Keep her off he cocaine until the baby's born. So she's organising this whole thing, the new garrison. Her idea to change the title." Tommy explained.

He wasn't always heartless, he did care for his family. He'd let Ada marry Freddie Thorne - eventually. There was still blood trickling down Tommy's cheek, he grappled with Ruby's hand.

"I need to get home." Ruby whispered, tranced in the moment.

Tommy nodded, annoyed. "Of course." He stood up, he was much taller than her. He cupped his hands around his neck, smacking his lips against her. Tommy lifted Ruby so she was sitting on the bar, planting kisses on her neck and lips. "You don't need to go home." He whispered in her ear.

Ruby pushed him off of her. "I do, Tommy." She rushed off. Not even letting him say goodbye. She was sure she'd see him again soon.

As Ruby walked through her front door, she was shocked to see her mother and Jane sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for her.

"Just what is going on with Tommy Shelby?! Mary demanded to know. "You know full well that man killed your father! How can you be going on dates with him?! Jane has told me everything!" Ruby knew from the stifled giggles that Jane certainly hadn't told her Mum about her revenge plan.

She decided to go along with it. "Yeah, he's alright, Mum. We judged him. But I've been out with him a few times. Today I cleaned up his wounds." She knew it would wind her mother up.

"I-I-I can't even look at you right now!" Mary shouted in disbelief at her daughter.

"What's going on in here?"

"Your sister is dating Tommy Shelby!" Mary told her youngest daughter. Ruby's sister, Pamela, knew about Ruby's revenge plan. She was happy to go along with it.

Pam rolled her eyes, "leave it, Mum. Ruby's 25 now."

"He killed your father."

"Dad got himself killed. He was the one the joined the Peaky Blinders. Or at least associated with them." Pamela gave their mother a cold stare.

She had just proved Mary's point. "Exactly. Ruby's going to get herself killed. Just like your father. I do not want either of my daughters dead. You stay well away from all the Peaky Blinders from now on, Ruby." Mary gave her final warning.

A few miles away, in Small Heath. John had started digging. He needed to know exactly who Ruby Reilly was. His brother was clearly too besotted with her to watch his own back.