Peaky Blinders

Chapter 2: Scarlett

Scarlett took a few long drinks from the flask Thomas had just given her.

She was coming to the realization that she was in a cold dirty truck alone with Thomas Shelby, and she had never been more nervous in her life.

Scarlett knew she was putting up a good front though. She wouldn't let Thomas know she was scared, but how could she not be?

She had always prided herself on her fearlessness. Scarlett had always been ready for action, answered to no one and danced to her own song; but now she wondered if her confidence only came from having her seven brothers at her side.

No one had ever came after her, or tried to harm her on fear of the BBG, and if they had her brothers would of taken care of it quickly. She could normally of had whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted but now she was alone in the world with her life in the hands of a Birmingham gangster she knew hardly anything about.

Scarlett opened her purse and pulled out a small blue corked container and opened it. She put it to her nose and snorted some coke, to take the edge off. She was tired, and anxious and nervous.

No one knows where I am, or who I am with. It's the early hours of the morning. The roads are clear, and the world thinks I'm hiding away in the BBG house.

Scarlett was trying to put herself at ease, and Thomas' awkward silence wasn't helping. They had been in the truck for over an hour, and she was getting bored, and starting to feel uneasy. She decided to break the silence.

"I heard Small Heath is a shit hole," she decided to spark conversation.

"It has it's charm," Thomas rebuttaled, "but I'll warn you now; it's not London, nor the country side,"

"I couldn't stay in the God forsaken home any longer," she said as she took another swig of the almost gone whiskey, "it has bad blood," she murmured.

She did another bumb.

"You're nervous," he told her, not asked.

"I'm fine," she shivered.

It was cold, and the whiskey or coke wasn't doing the job when her fear kept sobering her right up.

"It's a long journey, you could put the snow down and rest," he said.

She let out a small, sarcastic laugh.

"By now, we should almost be out of Sabini territory-"

Thomas barely finished his sentence before the truck came to a stop.

"What's happening?" Scarlett asked frantically.

They heard car doors and Scarlett went to speak but Thomas put his hand to her mouth. She eased her body, showing him she wasn't going to speak. He slowly pulled his hand away and inched over and lifted up the flap.

Scarlett recognized the area. They were less than a mile from one of Sabini's brothels.

Suddenly, they heard voices.

"Where ye headed?" They heard them ask Arthur.

"My brother and I had some fuel we delivered in London, headed back to Birmingham," they heard Arthur say.

"Coppers," Scarlett whispered, "Sabini relies heavily on the law. They will kill me,"

Her heart was beating out of her chest.

Thomas pulled out his gun, and went to exit the truck but Scarlett grabbed his arm.

"To where?" They asked Arthur.