𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
-𝟎𝟎𝟏-
𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟗

Valerie lay in her bed staring at the same spot on the wall that she always did when working. She squeezed her eyes closed when the man that was on top of her began panting like a dog.

Time seemed to move far too slow for her liking but eventually, he climbed from on top of her and gathered his clothes, grinning whilst buttoning up his shirt. "How much this time, Florence?" He asked.

She sat up and held the sheets to her chest. "The same as always." She said.

Anthony dug into his pockets and pulled out a five pound note which was slightly more than he usually payed her. "Keep the change." Anthony assured her, taking his coat from the edge of the bed and leaving the money on her desk.

Anthony was one of the nicer men she had to deal with. He wasn't a new customer. He'd been coming to her since she began working there.

Valerie held her head in her hands and closed her eyes. A knock on the door caught her attention. "Val." A soft voice came from the other side. "Come in." She responded. The door cracked open and the welcoming face of Valerie's friend, Maria, appeared. "How was he?"

Valerie groaned and leaned back against the headboard. "Same as always. Payed me a bit more this time though." She said.

Maria raised her eyebrows in surprise and joined the girl on the bed. Maria too was a prostitute but had been in the game a lot longer than Valerie. She was also one of the only people who knew Florence's real name.

"You can have some of it to put toward getting that leak fixed." Valerie offered. Maria shook her head. "I couldn't take money from you— not with how you earned it."

"Please." Valerie said sympathetically, "if i'm offering, just take it. You need it more than I do at the moment." she said.

Maria lay on her stomach and leaned her chin on her hand. "I worry about you sometimes, Val. I feel you don't take any of this seriously." She said. Valerie looked away and avoided her friends eyes. "I try to just get it over and done with." She admitted.

"I know, I know." Maria grabbed her hand. "Just remember what happened to Margot." She lowered her voice. Valeria shot her head toward Maria and her eyes widened. "Nobody knows what happened to Margot." Valerie hissed, knowing full well that the rumours about the woman were true.

"Valerie." Maria said sternly. "Just please be more careful."

"I know." Valerie sighed in defeat and removed her hand from the blonde's to reach into the bedside drawer. "Last week, Mr Gordon accidentally payed me too much." She pulled out money.

Maria's eyes lit up.

"Do you know what that means?" She asked. Maria's lips turned upward and she leaned back onto her knees. "The Garrison?"

"The Garrison." Valerie nodded in agreement.

-

The two girls walked into the known pub with their arms linked around each other. Their laughs echoed slightly and some heads turned when they entered the busy pub.

"Ladies." Harry greeted them with a smile. "Hello, Harry!" Valerie said eagerly. "Can we have two gin and tonic's please?" She requested, placing the money on the counter.

"Sure thing." He nodded and went to retrieve the drinks for them. Valerie scanned the room and jumped when Maria grabbed her arm, nodding toward the doors.

"What— oh.." she trailed off when noticing the one group of men she tended to avoid. The Shelby's. The Shelby family were the organised crime family who ran the Peaky Blinders: the gang that made the people in Small Heath feel scared and protected at the same time.

Valerie was quick to look away from the group before they could notice her staring. In the months Valerie had been living in Small Heath, never once did she have to speak to one of the Shelby men. And she hoped to keep it that way. Arthur and Tommy Shelby were known for their love for whores and prostitutes. Thankfully for her, she was yet to become one of their whores.

"Just drink your gin, Maria." Valerie said through gritted teeth.

"A bottle of whiskey, Harry!" Thomas called out with a whistle. Harry didn't say anything, he just passed the whole bottle of whiskey to Tommy and refused to take any money from him.

Tommy glanced at her before going into the snug where they'd stay — away from everybody else.

Before she knew it, Maria had been swept away by somebody. But she was gone too quick for Valerie to see a face. Sighing, she threw back the rest of her drink and swallowed hard. "Another please, Harry." She lifted the glass.

Harry came away from the window attached to the snug and looked at her awkwardly. "Er..Florence— Mr Shelby is asking about you." He whispered.

"Which one?" Valerie rolled her eyes.

"Thomas." Harry told her. Her face dropped as well as her heart. "He's asking if you're a whore." Harry repeated Tommy's words in the same tone he had spoken them.

"Tell him that I am for the right price." She said plainly, knowing the Shelby's had good money compared to the rest of the people in Small Heath.

The night went on slowly and she didn't hear another word about Thomas or his brothers which made her wonder why exactly had he brought her up to Harry? If he didn't want her, why did he ask if she was a whore?

Maria hadn't turned up again which left Valerie to return back to the apartments alone. She hugged her arms to her chest and began regretting the decision of not taking her coat.

The only people roaming the streets were the drunken men who were hopefully returning home to their wives and children — if they had them.

Valerie hated walking alone at night. Usually she wasn't afraid of much — not since coming to Birmingham and starting the job she had. Valerie had learnt to hold a front that made her seem unafraid in hopes that if she ever found herself in a situation she didn't want to be in, she didn't seem vulnerable. But deep down, walking alone in the dark petrified her. It wasn't guaranteed that Valerie would return home safe and she knew that more than anything.

Valerie began feeling like there was a pair of eyes watching her which made her walk quickly toward the apartments. Without turning back to see if somebody was indeed following her, she forced open the door and slammed it behind her, leaning against it.

Upon entering her room that she had been in only hours before, dread filled her when seeing her bedside drawer had been tipped over and all her money was no where to be found. Her heart pounded like crazy and she searched the contents of the drawer just to find nothing.

"No— no..where is it all?!" Valerie panicked, searching the whole room for it. Tears began forming in her eyes when realising the money was no where to be found.

It had been stolen. But by who?

Valerie was sure she'd closed her door before leaving with Maria. But the doors didn't lock. Anybody could've gotten inside. After slamming the drawer closed, Valerie leaned against the wall and pulled at her hair.

"What am I going to do?" She asked herself, a hand clamped over her mouth whilst breathing heavily. That money was what kept a roof over her head. She never worried too much about food as it was never a main priority for her but the bed she slept in certainly was.

And if Valerie didn't get her hands on money soon...it wouldn't end too well.

©-shelbysecret-

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Authors Note:
My apologies for the shortish chapters. I hope to make them longer in the future.

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