Heaven On Hold | Peaky Blinders

Starting A Fire

"And to marriage!"

"TO MARRIAGE!" Arthur was patted onto his shoulder, only, in his eyes I could see he thought he had screwed up.

"Well done, Arthur, beautiful speech. Really nice. Really, really nice."

"Where is he fucking going!" I narrowed my eyes and stood up, same as Tommy.

~~~

Slowly and silently, Tommy wanted me to follow him so that's what I did. Standing behind a big white pillar I kept watch to keep Tommy and Arthur whole they talked. "We talked about this, Arthur. That's why we wrote it all down. Most of Grace's side don't even know her husband killed himself. They think it was an accident."

"Oh, I know." Arthur spoke up with a harsh tone hearable in his voice.

"You know."

"Yeah-.."

"Yeah."

"What do you think I am? Hmm? What do you think I am, Tommy, eh?!" His voice began to raise to Tommy. "YOU THINK I AM A FUCKING IDIOT, DON'T YOU!!" Arthur sprinted around the beautiful big fountain as he now screamed towards Tommy, totally losing his temper. I fast fired my gun into the open air towards Tommy so he knew some family from Grace's side were approaching our way and I nonchalantly acted like I was drunk as fuck. With weird looks I was watched while I stumbled into a wall waving at the men walking past me.

"All right, boys. Come on, have a good night."

"YOU THINK I WOULD SAY IT...!"

"Come on, then. That's okay."

"YOU KEEP WALKING, YOU NOSY BASTARDS!"

"Arthur, fucking hell." Tommy crossed the road to the fountain calmly, but with strong steps and made his way to Arthur.

"All right. You stay away from me. You stay away from me. I've had enough." Now they both were running as little children fighting over a stolen lollipop.

"AH! SHIT!!" Arthur suddenly groaned in pain as he stopped running.

"Yeah... yeah." Tommy angrily and annoyed walked inside meeting me again. I smiled back while signing Arthur had followed us.

"Three shots I've had, that's it."

"I know."

"I drew the line."

"I know. I know you've turned a corner, Arthur." Tommy and I sat down next to Arthur onto the cold, made of stones, small stairs.

"Yeah."

"I know."

"I'm your best man."

"I know."

"I wasn't going to tell no one."

"It's all right. It's done. Get up. Get up." He whispered to Arthur so he would calm down some more and I just sat there, listening to the two men struggling.

"Right. The Russians have made contact. We have to get used to how these bastards operate. For them, family is a weakness and they go after them. For me, family is my strength. And there's business to be done. And I need you. Now, fuck speeches, fuck weddings. You're my best man every fucking day."

"Okay."

"Yeah." I patted Arthur on the shoulder before walking back in, stopping for a moment to hear the last words that were spoken.

"Now go and get John, get him sobered up. Find Johnny Dogs. It's the Russians through the smoke tonight."

"All right."

"Good. And Arthur? In future, it's not always right to listen to Linda. Yeah?"

"Yeah."

~~~

"Tom said no raising, no gambling."

"Yeah, he's changed his mind."

"Right, don't worry Finn, okay?"

"Right." Finn chuckled at his older brother being drunk as fuck.

"Calvary boys like a sack of stones, all right?" While Finn and John were fun wrestling a little, they were interrupted by Johnny.

"John. John, there's an awful lot of king'a shillings around here today. Now, out of loyalty to the regiment, they'll all be putting their money on this bad boy that I filled up with morphine and water." Both men were laughing like crazy while I walked beside the horse on the left side while Johnny walked on the right side with the horse. Both were still a little drunk, but they could talk and stand straight so that was a asset for the time now. "Here. Tommy's all right if I, uh, do the book, is he?"

"He said betting's okay, but all proceeds go to the Shelby Foundation Charity."

"Oh, is this charity of his for real, then?"

"He says he wants to be seen giving back to the poor of Birmingham."

"So that'll be me, John. Myself. If I can't earn a shilling here tonight. Huh?" I said down seeing Charlie light up another cigar and blew out the smoke into John's face, making me grin.

"They'll make him the fucking Lord Major next."

"Mm. That's the idea, Charlie-boy."

"Fucking hell. Meave?"

"Right. You fucking assholes, all you lot make as much noise and fuss as you can or else you have me, an assassin, coming for your head when you sleep." Laughing I shook my head.

"Especially you." I heard John call before kicking Johnny who grabbed him back.

"So we're your fucking distraction, Meave, is it? Huh?"

"Tommy is doing a lot of business tonight."

"Yeah, Tommy is doing business on a night he should be just fucking." I hit Johnny on the back of his head, making him shut his mouth before the two men were out of my sight. Walking back to Charlie who was waiting, everybody started betting.

"RIGHT, PLACE YOUR BETS WITH ME. YOUR FAVORITES, YOUR FAVORITES! COME ON BOYS! 'CAUSE I HOPE MY BOY FINN DOESN'T FALL OFF THAT FUCKING HORSE! COME ON!!"

"For charity?"

"Shut up."

Within minutes everyone was as drunk as possible some couldn't even speak and had to crawl and we had started a bonfire with one another. I was sitting down next to one, warming myself up as I was done drinking because I wasn't planning to get drunk now. The business was way to important for Tommy and Johnny was kind of right about that he should have taken the night of from this bullshit. Though, here we were, having a drunk horse race and people betting on them like crazy while Tommy finally had made his way to the bonfires and drunken crowds.