𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐

"Maeve- you getting up?" John leaned against her door, toothpick in between his teeth. She held the covers against her face and groaned, "no."

"Maeve, Tommy said you're coming with us to the race." John reminded her, checking his time piece. "Not going." She said bluntly. John looked at the curtains and wasted no time before pulling them apart.

"Tommy says you're coming."

"And Maeve says i'm not." She said. Her sentence confused him slightly but it wasn't difficult to confuse John Shelby.

"I'm getting Tommy."

"Fucking get him, i don't care!" She shouted, kicking the door closed with her foot and shoving her head into the white pillow. Maeve really didn't feel like going to the races.

Because Billy Kimber and his men would be there, as well as the Lee family. And considering she couldn't stand either. She didn't feel like running into them.

"Maeve," Tommy swung the door open, letting it clash with the wall. "Up you get, we don't have long." He demanded, opening the wardrobe and throwing some clothes onto her bed.

"Thomas I swear to god if you don't fuck off you won't be going to the races yourself." She threatened. "Is that a threat?"

"A promise." She hissed, keeping her eyes clothes.

"Maeve, we really don't have time for this. So get the fuck up-" he pulled the sheet and threw it to the floor, "and get ready because we need you today. Don't fuck this up."

"Well you fuck everything up but here we are!" Maeve shouted, taking her pillow and launching it at him. Tommy scowled and let the pillow fall to the floor and walked out.

"Bastard." She whispered, wiping her eyes and starting to get ready.

-

"Still don't know why youse dragged me out of bed for this," Maeve said as the van came to a halt.

Arthur stepped out of the van, walking round and grabbing her shoulder, taking her round the where the rest of the Peaky Blinders where. "I can walk myself," she told him, shrugging his hand away.

John walked around the corner, his arms open and grinning. Arthur jumped onto a wooden bench after pushing his daughter toward John and Finn.

"Attention!" Arthur said in a sing-song voice. "Right, this is what's known as your final briefing before going over the top, " he said. "Sixty miles down that road is the Cheltenham race track." he pointed. "Johnny, what is our mission, boy?" he asked his younger brother.

"To stick it to the Lee Family, Arthur!" he shouted, leaning back. "That's right," Arthur smiled. "The Lees are skimming money off the legal bookies. Running chalk, selling raffles, then beating them as they won't buy. But today, we're going to stop them"

"What about Kimbers men, I thought he had his own protection?" John spoke up, his hand in the air like a school boy. "Kimber has let his troops go rotten." Arthur informed. "They're on the take from the Lees to look the other way. We're gonna show Kimber how it's done. Now take what you're good at." he said pointing at the box of weapons.

Maeve quickly reached for a switch knife, a wide grin on her face. John went to take it from her but she snatched her hand away. "I was forced here, i get protection."

"You're Arthur Shelby's daughter you don't need protection." He scoffed. "Everyone needs protection, John." She rolled her eyes.

"So when do we share out the cash?" John asked. "We don't. We're not keeping the cash- you're in Tommy's army now boys" he said. "Not a boy." Maeve muttered under her breath.

"Trust only Kin." he reminded. "Let's go. You, not causing trouble. Ya only pull that knife on someone if you need to. This isn't the school yard now." Arthur told her.

-

John and Arthur had disappeared to the lavatory, leaving Finn and Maeve outside whilst the rest of the blinders went somewhere else.

"Can i have one?" Finn asked as she pulled a cigarette and lit it. Maeve looked through the frosted glass on the lavatory door and saw that the commotion had started. "Here's two, use 'em wisely but don't tell Aunt Pol." She smiled, giving him two and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Chalk, for your blackboard," a Lee boy pushed a man against a wall, "five pound a stick." he said, grabbing the money from the man's bag.

He pushed the man away and John came up behind the Lee boy, grabbing him. "Hello Raz, how's business?" Arthur appeared. Arthur punched him in the stomach causing him to scream in agony.

John did the same and pushed him up against the wall, smashing his head off the sink. Arthur pulled his cap from his head, holding it to the man's ear and slicing part of his ear off.

Screams erupted from his mouth.

"Stay still Raz, or i'll take the whole ear off." he shouted. "And your gonna need your ears to listen. No more chalking on Billy Kimber's boys!" he instructed. "Right? We are the protection now. I commander this stolen money by order of the peaky blinders!" he held up the bag, grinning. John let go of him, letting him fall to the floor.

They continued going round, taking money from the Lee boys, trying not to get caught.

Arthur rushed through the building and opened a fire exit, Maeve at his side and struggling to keep up as she held the extremely heavy bag.

"Dad why didn't you get John to do this- i can't fucking breath!" She groaned, sighing when he finally
stopped.

Arthur pushed opens the door, finding Tommy as expected, throwing the bags of money at his feet. "We chased the Lees across the track and down to Devon road." he panted.

"We got every penny back," he looked at Grace. "Nice dress, you can wear that to my pub." he referred to the Garrison that had recently been made his own. Maeve's pushed her tongue to the side of her mouth and looked Grace up and down.

"Buy the boys a drink, anyone hurt?" tommy asked. He shook his head. "Few cuts and bruises," he pointed to his own face. "And you, Maeve?"

"Nothing but a burning feeling of betrayal," she said, being overly dramatic. Tommy rolled his eyes and placed a hand on Grace's back, leading her away.

"Off we go lady Sarah," Tommy smiled, departing from his brother.

"You still annoyed about that?" Arthur asked, shoving his cap into his pocket. "Of course i am, been replaced with some barmaid who cleans counters for a living."

Arthur laughed at her behaviour but shook his head. "Where's that knife?" he asked.

"In my pocket."

"You can give that back now, trouble for today is over," Arthur held his hand out and sat upon a stool at the bar. She shook her head, "i'm keeping it. Say it's a souvenir." She cocked up an eyebrow.

"Go on then," he gave in, sliding a glass of gin toward her.

"Gin?" She asked.

"We're not in Small Heath now, Maeve. Any you're not supposed to be drinking anyway, you're only-"

"You're only fourteen." She cut him off, "you've said."

-

Maeve and Theadosia were gathered around the table in the Montgomery house, multiple bottles of alcohol scattered about. Cameron sat in the corner beside the brunette girl they weren't familiar with, smoking a cigarette.

"What's she looking at me like that for?" Maeve whispered to Max. Max looked over and frowned, "i'm not sure..but Maeve, no trouble tonight." He asked quietly.

"I can't promise anything." Maeve shrugged, tapping her cigarette onto the ashtray. Then it hit Maeve about what she'd found out the day previous and she aggressively tapped Max's arm.

"Fucking hell, Maeve what is it?" He hissed, pushing her hand away. "Okay, if i tell you something, you have to swear not to say anything to anyone." She whispered, her hand on the table.

Max looked about and nodded, "swear."

"Okay..so yesterday i was in the church looking for my dad and I heard him and Tom talking about something. And the whole reason that copper is here is because there's been a robbery- a gun robbery. Tens of guns, all because Tommy's factory robbery went wrong-"

Max listened carefully, completely invested. Theadosia on the other hand tried her best to make it look like she had her attention on something else whilst she listened in. She was shocked, but knew this was something valuable for Grace to know.

"And they're on the search for the guns, and Tommy is trying to throw them off the scent- but he does have them. The Peaky Blinders have them." Maeve grinned. Max's mouth fell open and he was unsure what to say.

Theadosia cleared her throat. "Sorry, is that the time? I've got to go, mum wants me home." She quickly stood.

"Oh," Maeve looked over, "want me to walk you home?"

"No- no it's alright." She quickly refused, confusing both Maeve and Max considering the time. Thea said nothing else and went straight to the door.

"Weird." Cameron muttered. "Yeah, very weird." The girl beside him agreed. Maeve rolled her eyes, "shut your mouth." She said quiet enough so that she didn't hear.

But what neither of them knew was that Theadosia would run straight to the Garrison and tell Grace everything's she'd heard. Completely breaking the trust of her best friend.

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝