It's always been you- Tommy Shelby

16 - occupied

The private room belonging to the Shelby's was clouded by smoke and the pungent smell of whiskey pervaded throughout. They had been playing cards for the past forty-five minutes since Lydia had left to use the ladies room. The brothers had been oblivious to the time that had passed due to their inebriation. 

"Eh lads, why hasn't our Lyds come back yet. She's been gone a while now, right?" Tommy questioned his brothers after the thought of his girl crossed his mind as he placed the queen of hearts card down on the table.

"I dunno mate? Maybe she's just gone home, it is getting pretty late." John suggested the whereabouts of his best friend. 

Subtle worry developed in Tommy's mind, he knew she could handle herself but that didn't stop the protective side of him fret about if she got home. He stands to leave the room and opens the door to the rest of the pub. 

Tommy scans the room for the sight of her navy dress, she certainly was not anywhere to be seen. He turns to his side to see Grace at the bar, she was already looking at him.

"Eh Grace, have you erm seen Lydia anywhere?" Tommy asks hoping she can give him information. 

"Yes, she left not that long ago, told me to tell you she was just tired and not to worry as she was walking home with Madison." Grace explained as she lied to Thomas, who simply nodded understanding. "And as you can see Madison is back here and Lydia is home." She added pointing to the blonde at the other end of the bar. 

"Anyway, how is that beautiful horse of yours?" Grace asks flirtatiously in an attempt to distract him from his thoughts of Lydia.

Before he could answer the sound of his brothers entering the pub abruptly laughing interrupted the conversation. John and Arthur were laughing loudly as they sauntered over to the bar. Madison took this as her opportunity to talk and flirt with John as Lydia was not there to intervene with her scheming. 

Grace did the same with Tommy and instigated conversation by handing him a glass of Irish whiskey. 

"Bollocks! Why isn't she awake yet?" The man fretted as stared at Lydia's unconscious body tied to a chair. 

"Well, clearly you hit her too hard then didn't ya?" Another man replied.

"Well, Grace never specified how hard to hit the girl, she only said that this was important for the mission... oh and not to let her see our faces." The man argued. 

Lydia's body lay limp, blood from her head wound had dripped down the side of her face and dried. Her hands were tied behind her by a thick piece of rope that would eventually cut and bruise her wrists. 

Lydia could faintly hear the men's voices as she fought her way back to consciousness. It soon became apparent to her that they were not the familiar masculine voices of the Shelby brothers or Freddie. She soon became aware of a sharp pain on her head and a heavy concussion. In an attempt to move the ropes around her wrists further tightened. At this moment she was vulnerable and nobody was not there to save her. 

Lydia could faintly comprehend words being spoken around her, however a single phrase stood out in her mind. 'A message from Campbell'.

Grace and Madison weren't the only ones taking advantage of the situation with Lydia. Inspector Campbell had seen the opportunity to use the Shelby's girl as leverage, he knew they would do anything for her, especially Thomas. 

Tommy had eventually arrived home at the early hours of the morning. He, his brothers, Madison and Grace were the last to leave. Tommy slightly stumbled as he attempted to unlock the door to his house that Lydia had been an occupant of for over the past month. Although they argued he loved having her around, it gave him comfort that she wasn't living in her brother's house which was always being searched by nosy coppers who would have easily taken advantage of her, and that she was under his protection. 

At last, Tommy stepped into his house, he assumed Lydia would be asleep at this hour. As quietly as he could Tommy crept up the stairs; avoiding the floorboards he knew that creaked. Upon approaching Lydia's room he nudged open her door slightly, hoping to see her peacefully asleep. 

When the bed did not have a Lydia shaped figure in it Tom instantly panicked. He rushed across the hall to his own bedroom. No Lydia. Tommy charged around the house quickly in a state of trepidation. 

After a frantic search of his house, Tommy came to the conclusive decision that she was not home nor was she at the Garrison. It wasn't long before he had left the house and woken each of his family members by banging on their own doors. They were equally as dumbfounded about Lydia's whereabouts; John, in particular, was in a tremulous state- she was all he had. 

Tommy then did what he did best: giving orders. It was now Arthur's responsibility to round up all the Peaky Blinders before the sun even had the chance to rise. Soon enough the entire Shelby family were devising a plan to find her. 

As Polly, John and Thomas sat in  Tommy's office the phone rang. They all stared at the source of the sound for a moment before reacting, Pol and Tommy had the same train of thought. 'Who would be calling at this hour?