- a woman who dares to challenge the cruelty of the very man who ran the city - and a man who realises that Polly Gray isn't his biggest challenger- beautiful cover by @swannluvr

𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟎𝐬 was ruled by the Shelby family - or more so their gang. The Peaky Blinders were the infamous gang who earned their respect through the fear of the people. With the blades sewn into their flat caps and the weapons tucked into their jackets, people bowed their heads when passing them in the streets. You were considered lucky to have not had a run in with any of the three elder Shelby brothers. Arthur was the eldest. He was known for his fighting. You would often find him in the ring against somebody who was not his size. He went mad during the war and his return was nothing hit a relief for his mind. But when thinking he had finally escaped the war, one had started in his head. Arthur Shelby was his own enemy. Thomas was the second eldest - the most feared. He had a head for business and more common sense than his older brother. He had icy eyes which very rarely softened at the sight of anything. He was known for his trait of being unmerciful and careless. Despite being the second eldest, he was the brother who held the power. The brother who controlled the rest of them. John was the youngest of the three and arguably the softest. With his wonky smile and cheeky remarks, many of the girls in Small Heath found themselves falling at his feet. He would often find himself in trouble for acting childish. He didn't care too much for the business of the gang. He cared for the respect it brought their name. He enjoyed the thrill. And then you had John's twin sister - Francesca. Known for being one of the only Shelby siblings who seemed to laugh at Thomas. Her sister, Ada, being exactly the same. Francesca found that her brothers were ridiculous - too big for their boots as she'd say. Though she liked to use their name to get herself out of trouble. Francesca was often reckless and lacked the awareness one needed for the streets they lived in. She was her mother's daug

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊 - the years before Headlock takes place. 𝟏𝟖𝟗𝟓 - Twins had never been a part of the Shelby family tree. Nobody had ever considered that twins could've came along in that family. Except now - during the early hours of a rather sunny morning, Martha found herself cradling not one child but two. A boy and a girl. Their cries echoed across the canal, The January steadying them as they drifted across the water. Polly Gray looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "Twins, Martha." She whispered, pushing down the blanket to get a good look at their faces. Martha looked up at the woman and began laughing. "Twins." She repeated. Her eyes returned to her new babies, the sun falling upon their faces. "John. ." She confirmed, having already had a name picked out after Polly had predicted she'd give birth to a boy. "And a darling girl-" Martha had always wanted a girl. Always. But after Arthur and Thomas, she wasn't sure if a girl would be on the cards for her. But there she was, a complete and utter miracle. "Francesca Shelby." A breath of satisfaction was let out into the air. "John and Francesca."

After escaping a life led by her mother, Valerie Black finds herself in Small Heath where her only way to survive is working in an unfortunate employment. But then she meets John Shelby and feels her world has been flipped upside down.