-

ISIAH STOOD BESIDE FINN, patting down three men and leading them to Arthur and John at a table. "You asked for a meeting out in the open" Arthur nodded. "Fresh air and the fine aroma of shit"

A snigger left Johns mouth at his remark.

"Neutral ground you said"

"This is hardly neutral ground" the man, Vincent, spoke. "Well, it's what you've got" Arthur argued. "So, por favor" he smiled sarcastically. "Sit down"

John pointed his head down, laughing at his brother. "Where is Thomas?" Vincent's asked. "He got called away" John said.

"He'd said he'd be here" the man shook his head.

"I just told you he got called away. What do you want" John asked.

The men remained standing, looking about.

"There has been a peace between the Peaky Blinders and the Changretta family for two years now" Vincente began.

John and Arthur looked at each other.

"Do you want some tea or not?" John interrupted. "Here, Finn, pour the Italians some English tea. Go on"

"We don't want fucking tea" he shouted, his accent strong. "We want an explanation"

"Well i'll have fucking tea" Arthur shrugged, pouring himself a cup.

"Explanation for what" John asked, "The little Venice Restaurant on Forge Street was burnt down" the man said.

"No, no, couldn't have been us, we was at a wedding" John said. "You burnt it down to stop my son from being at that same wedding"

"Yeah, he wasn't missed" Arthur whispered, staring at the tea.

John laughed slightly.

"You are such big boys now" The Italian said. "But once you borrowed clothes from us to look like men"

There was a moment of silence.

"How's the tea, Arthur? Is it-"

Arthur chucked the tea on the floor. "It's cold" he shrugged.

"Please tell Tommy, that we pay him whatever he asks us to pay. We stay out of the city and off the tracks."

"But you tell him from me, that my son will walk with any woman in this city, even if she works for the emperor Thomas Shelby"

A grin sat on Johns face as the man continued rambling.

John snorted, "Sorry, do excuse me" he pulled his hat over his face. "Carry on"

"If he wishes, he will walk with the woman he loves" he repeated. "Okay" John nodded, closing his eyes.

He leaned forward, grabbing the tea pot.

"You know, it would be hard for your son to walk anywhere with a bullet in each knee wouldnt it" John asked. The man leaned back. "Too much" the man whispered. "You said too much my friend"

Vincente smashed up a chair, "Okay, bit strong" John mocked.

"Isiah" Arthur said, "put two extra men on our pubs in Nechells"

"What are you talking about Arthur, we're not scared of fucking Eyeties anymore."

"Don't tell Tommy about the chair and get this shit cleaned up." Arthur groaned, patting Isiah on the back.

"We're not scared of fucking Wops" John shouted. "All right John" Arthur shook his head.

-

Isiah aggressively pushed the door open, joining Micheal and Cassidy in the drawing room of Cassidy's house. "What's up with you?" Cassidy remarked, taking her legs from over Micheal and putting out her cigarette.

"Johns just started a war with the Changretta's" he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What?" Micheal sat straight, a bad feeling washing over him.

"We had a..fucking meeting with Vincente Changretta and it was something about a restaurant and his son and then John threatened to shoot the boy in his knees-" Isiah rambled, picking up a whiskey bottle and pouring some into a glass.

Micheal and Cassidy looked at each other, her heart sank.

"Surely they know he was just joking," she said, watching Isiah cautiously sit opposite them.

"No, Cassidy, he wasn't fucking joking."

"Isiah." Micheal scowled, finding his tone unnecessary.

"Isiah, there's nothing any of us can do about this. It's out of our hands, it's up to John now." She told him.

"So what, we just sit around waiting for them to come and blow our heads off?" He spat.

She raised her eyebrows, kissing her teeth. "Excuse me?"

He stared down at the floor. "Isiah do not come into my house and speak to me as if this is my fault," Cassidy said, crossing her arms.

Isiah bit the inside of his cheek, avoiding her gaze.

"That's what i thought," she whispered, throwing her legs back over Micheal's and leaning back. "If it helps, there's cocaine in the draw behind you, under the book." She said, not wanting the awkward feeling to remain in the air.

He hummed and turned, rooting through the door.

Micheal moved his hand, letting it rest on Cassidy's leg.

Isiah carefully poured the substance onto the glass table and used the razor blade from his cap to cut it up.

Michael's finger drew circles on her skin as Isiah sniffed the cocaine, throwing his head back. "You got anything stronger?" Isiah questioned, lifting up his empty glass.

"Yeah, give me a minute." She pulled herself away from Micheal and made her way through the empty house.

Both her mother and father were away on business, leaving Cassidy with a free house. Well, except from the maids who she'd ordered to leave her alone.

She searched through the glass cabinet in the large kitchen, humming and picking up a bottle of gin.

"Here," she said, picking up two more glasses and filling them with pure gin.

"Just gin?" Micheal asked, "no..tonic or cordial?"

"Works quicker without," she said, falling back beside him, his arm draped over her shoulders.

"I can speak to my father about the Changretta's, see if we can spark a deal to relax the feud, even if it's only for a little while."

Isiah nodded, sucking in a breath as he swallowed the liquid, almost choking. "Cass, what the fuck?" he practically squealed, wiping his mouth.

"What? Do you not like it?"

"How the fuck can you drink that without something to mix it with?" Isiah asked, gagging.

"I don't know, Siah, maybe because i'm not a pussy." Cassidy teased.

Micheal grinned as they began bickering.

"Cassidy, i am not a pussy." He argued. "Whatever, Isiah," Cass let out a breath, crossing over her legs. "If you won't drink it, i will," She shrugged, taking his glass and chugging the remains.

"Cass you haven't even finished your own," Micheal observed, taking the empty glass from her hands.

"And?"

"Oh my god.." he whispered, shaking his head.

-

Cassidy held the table as her head spun. "Dance with me," she slurred, holding her hands out in front of Micheal. He looked at Isiah. "No way."

"Micheal." She frowned, dropping her hands. "Dance with me,"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're drunk and you'll make me fall over or something," he said, crossing his arms. She groaned and turned to Isiah. "Siah, please."

Isiah took her hands in his with no hesitation.

A strange feeling washed over Micheal as he watched the two dance around together awfully. He squinted, biting his tongue.

Cassidy laughed loudly as she almost fell over. "Stop that," Isiah said, stopping her from spinning again. "Cass stop."

"You are no fun," Cassidy insulted, huffing and throwing herself on the couch once more. "Both of you. No fun."

Isiah and Micheal looked at each other.

Micheal cleared his throat. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight." He dismissed himself without another word, leaving both Cassidy and Isiah confused. "What?" she frowned, watching him leave.

She turned to Isiah. "What?" she repeated.