-

POLLY SMILED AS CASSIDY WALKED THROUGH the den. "Hello Polly," She greeted, placing the large books on the table. "Cassidy," she nodded.

"Does John ever finish the count by himself?" The girl sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

"He's ridiculous that boy," Polly agreed, pouring a cup of tea. "You haven't seen Micheal anywhere have you?" Polly questioned.

Cassidy sucked in a breath, shaking her head. "Nope."

The older woman frowned at Cassidy's strange behaviour.

Polly raised an eyebrow at her. "Cassidy, i've known you since you were a girl. I can't tell when something is off."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Polly pursed her lips into a straight line. "Well then. If you see him, tell him i'm looking for him."

Cassidy let out a breath once Polly left the room. "That's it," she finally gave in, grabbing her jacket and beginning to walk to the Shelby Office building.

Micheal and Cassidy hadn't spoke since they argued at her house. Three days ago. Three days of no talking. Something they never did, considering the struggled to stay away from each other.

She quickly climbed the stairs and pushed open the door to his office.

"You don't knock?"

"No, i don't knock." She said bluntly, standing beside the desk. "This is ridiculous. We have not spoken in days over something so stupid." She reminded him.

His eyes searched her face.

"Right then." She hummed, realising he wasn't going to say anything. "Polly told me that she was looking for you, i'd suggest you call her." Cassidy sat down.

"You're not going to leave, are you?" He asked. "Nope." She grinned, placing her feet up on the other chair.

Micheal shrugged, picking up the phone and calling his mother.

Cassidy waited patiently for him to finish with the phone call. "What is it you actually want that brought you here, Cass?"

"An apology?" she suggested.

"What for?"

"Listen, Micheal." She leaned forward, placing her arms on the desk. "I don't know how many times we have gone over..that. But to be honest, i'm sick of talking about it." She said quietly, her pinky finger grazing over his own. "I think i understand what goes through your head, Micheal. But god is it tiring," she joked, waiting for him to laugh or smile. And this time, he did.

He shook his head, looking down.

Micheal used his hand to push her hair away from her face. "Are you going to apologise?" she teased as he inched closer. "Probably not," he grinned, kissing her quickly.

It was soon interrupted when they heard the door to the office floor slam. She quickly stood, walking to the other side of the door. Footsteps passed then stopped, coming back toward the room.

"You going to introduce me Micheal?" Tommy appeared and Micheal looked at Cassidy with an expression that told her there was nothing they could do.

"Oh, er..Cassidy." Tommy observed. "Hello Thomas," she said awkwardly.

Tommy looked between the two, unsure of what to say. "Polly says you should call her, there's been some trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I'm guessing the stuff she doesn't like to tell me about."

Tommy hummed, looking back to Cassidy. "Your secret is safe with me," he sighed, walking out.

Cassidy let out a laugh as Micheal stood, a grin on his face as he slightly leaned outside the office before closing the door.

-

Polly walked through the betting den and into the office where John sat  staring at a newspaper.

Polly glared at him.

"Did we run Kempton yesterday or not?" he asked. "Danny Lee got drunk" she said. "Instead of injecting the horses with cocaine, he decided to share it with his cousins."

"Jesus Christ" John sighed.

"He's your brother in law, get Esme to talk to him" she nodded, leaning onto the desk. "Look, Before I start.."

"I don't want you to do anything about this" Polly continued. "About what" John asked. Polly closed the door, facing him.

"Vincente Changretta's son" she informed him.

John stifled a laugh. "What, Angel?"

"He's no bigger than two pence worth of change" he joked. "Well he heard you threatened him directly to shoot him in the knees" Polly reminded them.

"And now he's going round Nechells telling everybody he's going to kill you"

John scribbled on a piece of paper, grinning.

"This is Lizzie fault to start with, Tommys for leaving it up to you"

"What are you talking about. We run London. We run the north, we run the whole fucking country"

"What do we care about some fucking Nechells Green Eyeties"

"We don't need to be getting involved in all these little piss pots" Polly said.

"What does Arthur say?"

"That's why i'm here and not him. He said if there'd be a fight, he says apologise"

"He fucking said what"

"We own the city" Polly said. "But we don't need to rub everybody's noses in it"

"If the old man decided to make a stand, he might get Sabini feeling sentimental"

"Sabini's done" John looked up. "They're all done" Polly whispered. "They all pay up"

"But we don't want rebellions" Polly bit her lip, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I think we need to compromise"

"Tommy is busy, leaving me in charge, there's no other option. Especially if apologising is out of the picture"

John stood up, pushing everything off the table.

"For fucks sake" he shouted.

"You know what this is, this is Arthur's fucking Missus. Turn the fucking cheek? We'll be handing out Bibles in the fucking bullring with her cousins"

"John you don't have to do anything" Polly said. "Lizzie will do it for you then it'll all calm down and nobody will lose face"

"I'll take his fucking face how about that" he said slamming the door.

-

John stood with a smug grin on his face as the line of suits that hung in front of him got pulled apart, revealing Vincente Changretta. He smiled at him before lunging forward, letting his face collide with his face, hitting him again and again.

He pushed Vincente beside the stairs before walking to Angel, falling backward onto the floor. "Are you going to kill me?" he stuttered. "Get fucking up" John laughed at him, dragging the boy to his feet.

"Stay away from Lizzie" he shouted, taking his cap from his head and pushing the razor blade in to Angel's eye, Screams erupted from his mouth as blood poured down his face.

"By order of the peaky fucking blinders" he hissed, hitting him once more and dissapearing up the stairs.

-

Arthur paced the room, Polly sat in the chair in front of him. "All right Finn, thanks for coming, fuck off" Arthur said as the younger boy brought John to the room.

"Finn you can stay" Tommy said, entering through the den. "Sit down John. Sit down"

John hesitantly took a seat, "John you cut Angel Changretta. Even though Arthur told you to apologise and Polly told you to compromise. You chose not to listen to Mr Apologise or Miss Compromise. And now ive got an Italian walking around my backyard saying hes going to kill my brother." he shouted. "So what are we going to do, John, apologise or compromise" he asked. They all looked at John, waiting for him to respond.

"Oh it was just something John said as a joke" Arthur said. "Yeah but hes your brother as well Arthur"

Arthur nodded. "I didnt want to start a war over something John said without meaning it"

"So should we apologise in Italian or English? Or should we ask them which fucking language they prefer?"

"We take two of the Changretta pubs and we take them tonight, thats it" Tommy said, walking away. Arthur stood, shaking his head.

"Oh, right, for christ sake why?"

He stopped. "Eh? he asked. "Why?" Polly repeated. "Because we fucking can, and if we can, we do. And if we lift our heel of their necks now, they'll just come at us. Remember these are the bastards that wanted Danny Whizz Bang dead" he reminded them "You're getting soft brother, soft and weak, save the bibles for sundays eh?"