Kimber's Daughter - Tommy Shelby x Reader Fan Fic

Chapter 19

I couldn't help the wide grin that spread across my face at the sight of John and Arthur.

It was a chilly morning on the race grounds, the sun casting a pale yellow glow across the sky. Mercifully, neither Tommy or I had spoken about the night before. It must have been all the travelling, I'd decided. It interferes with brain function.

John picked me up and spun me round while I shrieked with laughter. Arthur was a little more reserved, but still clapped an arm round my shoulders, wide grin across his face.

"Your first race, eh Kimber?" He said.

"Do you think we'll win?" I asked.

"Of course we'll win," Tommy said. He greeted his brothers. "Glad you made it."

"Listen Tom," Arthur said quietly. "That Inspector was sniffing round again last night. Said that—"

"Tell me later, alright?" Tommy said. "We'd best go wish our horses luck and find our seats."

"Horses?" I asked as we made our way across the course. "You have more than one racing?"

"I've diversified our business," Tommy said.

"That's putting it mildly," said John. "Gone fucking rampant, more like."

"Easy, John. There's a method to the madness."

"Have you fixed this race, then?" I asked.

The others went silent. Tommy turned to eye me as he walked. "No. Not this one."

He introduced us to the horses, two chestnuts. I ran my hand along their gleaming coats, down their noses, feeling a peace in the presence of horses I hadn't felt in weeks. It was as though all my worries, all the trivial bullshit, simply melted away and stopped mattering. I wondered if Tommy would let me be around the horses more back in Small Heath. I could clean them, and the tack, and tidy the stables, just like I'd done back home.

Tommy's softened voice came from behind me, close to my ear. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

I lowered my hand from the second horse. "When do they race?"

"Soon," he said. "Let's go."

Tommy's hand once again rested at the small of my back as we headed across the racecourse. The grounds were beginning to fill up now, people spilling out across the stands.

"Are you ready?" Tommy murmured into my ear.

"For?" I whispered, though the clench in my stomach suggested I already knew.

"To convince Arthur and John we're love birds," he replied drily.

I nodded. "I'm ready." I raised my voice a little louder, so Arthur and John could hear. "Where are we going to sit?"

"Private box," Arthur answered. "Come on."

We made our way up to the box, wind whipping at my face and nerves churning in my stomach. The viewing area was a balcony with large seats, shielded from the worst of the wind, with a clear view of the entire course from start to finish at this height. A set of doors behind it led to a private dining area inside, with covered platters of food on a table and decanters of drink and ashtrays around.

"Pour us a drink, John, be a good lad," Tommy said.

"Make mine a double," Arthur added.

John groaned, but did as they asked. Tommy loosened his tie and slowly lowered himself to sit in a chair on the balcony. He turned to me, eyebrows raised. "Sit with me."

I made for the seat beside him, but his arm shot out, hand tightening around my thigh. "Not beside me, Kimber. With me."

A flush of heat seared upward from where his hand rested. He moved it to my waist, guiding me to him, guiding me to sit across his lap as he'd intended. I suddenly wished for the unshielded wind once more, certain my cheeks would turn pink.

And maddeningly, John and Arthur scarcely seemed to notice. Arthur took the seat beside us without so much as a second glance, while John brought the drinks and handed them out before taking a seat of his own. I held my whiskey carefully — no matter what we were trying to achieve, if I spilled it all over Tommy, I doubted he'd be happy.

Tommy must have realised we weren't getting a reaction, too. He wrapped an arm around me — close, protective. I could feel the heat radiating from his skin beneath his shirt. His other hand moved gently to my outer thigh, where it rested. Caressed.

I wondered how I'd make it through the races without hyperventilating.

"It's starting," Tommy murmured. "There's our girl."

I could see the chestnut at the starting gate. I held a breath at the full of my lungs, captivated.

"You sure our best bookies got this one, Arthur?" Tommy asked.

"I'm telling you, Tommy. Today's going to make us very, very rich men."

The sound rang out and the horses were off, flying around the tracks like bullets and leaving only hoof-prints in the dirt. I tensed, vaguely aware I was clutching Tommy's arm but totally fixated on the chestnut. She thundered through the ranks, hovering at second.

"Come on, girl!" John shouted.

Just when I feared she wouldn't pull through, after the last corner she had new speed behind her as though soaring on wings. Easily, she soared to first place, and crossed the finish line.

Arthur and John leapt to their feet, shouting and cheering, Arthur so enthusiastic he smashed his glass on the floor. A wide grin spread across my face, relief following the tension and adrenaline, and I turned to Tommy to see a rare smile on his face, too.

"Seems you're my good luck charm, Kimber," he said, fingers trailing across the satin draping my thigh.

We need to be convincing. I brought my hand to caress Tommy's face, noting with a flicker of glee that his eyes flickered shut for a moment as I did so. "Or maybe you're mine," I whispered.

I was fuelled on the high of the race, the win. I leaned in closer and Tommy responded by resting his hand at the base of my neck, pulling me to him. Our foreheads pressed together, we stayed for a moment, breathing the same air. This was crossing a line. This was breaking a rule. I could see it in his gaze, eyelids flickering like mine, he knew it too.

I could finally taste the whiskey emanating from his lips, barely an inch from my own. It was dizzying, intoxicating in ways that had nothing to do with spirits. To appease the part of me that keened in reaction, I brought my thumb to run across his lower lip. Impossibly soft beneath the pad of my thumb. I'd almost made up my mind to break our resistance, to break our agreement. I really fucking wanted to kiss him.

"Tom, what do you..."

We pulled apart, interrupted by Arthur who stared at us with his jaw dropped slightly. John's eyebrows were raised, and he smirked, turning away and trying to hide it with another sip of his drink.

Tommy cleared his throat. "I'll go," he said to Arthur. "Need to sort business for the other one while I'm down there."

Tommy's eyes fell back to me. Any risk of embarrassment faded under his gaze, still intense and striking as it had been moments before. His fingers curled around my hand and he brought it to his lips, brushing them softly across.

"I won't be long," he said. "Wait for me here. And you two," he addressed his brothers as we stood to our feet, "look after her while I'm gone."

A/N: two chapters in one day, I hope you guys don't mind! I'm sick with covid at the moment (first time catching it in August 2022, how embarrassing for me lmao) so more time on my hands to write! Let me know how long you'd like me to wait between updates, I'd hate to annoy anyone with constant updates if I write a whole lot at once. I'm so excited we've reached this point in the story where it starts getting real ahhhhh. Thanks for every vote and comment, I fricken love you all so much ❤️❤️