Primed for sin // Peaky Blinders

Part 33

The moon light her a pathway, directly into the Garrison where a group of rowdy men sat, drinking till their livers could no longer take it, celebrating the joy of rebirth. John had been married, starting a new chapter to his life, Ada pushing out a baby as they spoke. She was freezing as she walked, the heat from alcohol leaving her bloodstream as the sight of blood and gore woke her more than she expected.

She was in the pubs eye line,moving to hurry up when a hand grasped her wrist, pulling her into a face of darkness. She went to scream, but the body laughed. So she spun, and whacked them on the head.

"Ow! Rose!?" The voice squealed, higher in octave with a pinched face. The natural light highlighted his features and her eyes widened.

"Zane? What the fuck are you doing here?" She whisper shouted at him, eyebrows raised.

He winced before shrugging "was gonna crash the wedding, hoping you'd save me a dance"

She just stared at him blankly, shaking her head in silent disbelief.

"Stop looking at me like that" he wined.

She seriously couldn't believe him. She hadn't seen him in weeks, and he shows up out of the blue- hoping the crash her brothers wedding.

She scoffed, moving by him and walking down the alley way. She couldn't go in front of the pub, just incase her brothers saw, so she would go the longer way round. The boy followed her, calling her name, hands deep in his pockets.

"Wait wait wait, Rosella please" he spoke so softly that she almost missed it-the plead. She stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes, preparing herself. She turned around and stood before him.

His eyes littered over her body, moving from her feet up to her head until his eyes locked onto hers. Her face was set into a small frown but he looked somewhat intrigued. He had never seen her in a dress before, he thought it suited her.

"You look beautiful" he whispered.

She scoffed again "yeah right. Enough with the niceties, Zane, what do you want?"

"Why are you being so standoffish?" He questioned.

"I don't have time for this" she sighed.

"Then make time, why are you being weird?"

She walked forward, pushing his shoulder with her pointed finger "why am I being weird? What about you? Where the fuck have you been lately? You just disappeared and now you just show back up?"

His face stiffened so slightly it was nearly missable, a slight tick in his jaw and the furrow of his brows...she shook her head. She shouldn't be focused on him. Ada was in labour. She was supposed to be in the garrison. Not here. Not in an alley with a boy. Not with Zane.

"I need to go, I can't be here- not right now. Ada has gone into labour, I'm supposed to be with my brothers. Come and find me when I'm not busy" she spoke before walking towards the garrison, and finally through the doors. Leaving Zane to stand in the alley all on his lonesome, head bent downwards.

He sighed, his head banging against the bricks as he swore to himself.

Rose put on a smile as she walked though the doors, smirking as her brothers turned towards her.

"Has she had the babe already?" Arthur slurred.

Rose scoffed "nope. Pol sent me here"

John laughed loudly, throwing his arm around her shoulder and rubbing a closed fist over her hair.

"Little baby Rosie couldn't handle the blood, could you?" He teased.

She shoved him "fuck off would you"

Tommy smirked towards her "should've ran when you had the time"

Her eyes pinched in on him, a screwed face as she snatched up a bottle of whiskey and gulped some down before one of them had the chance to take it off her.

"I tried to leave, you stood in my way"

"Ey, I'll always stand in your way Rose. It's what big brothers are for, eh?"

She simply shrugged, taking a seat next to Arthur by the bar as they waited for news on their dear sister.