Kimber's Daughter - Tommy Shelby x Reader Fan Fic

Chapter 70

Tommy's POV

It was as though his own heart stopped beating while he picked up the receiver. He did not speak. He only waited.

"Shelby," said the cruel voice coming down the line. Italian. "How nice to make your acquaintance."

"Where's my wife?" Thomas asked.

The man laughed. "Do not worry. She is safe. I won't harm her. Not until you're here to watch."

"You fucking listen to me," Tommy said, his voice calm. Like a swan gliding across water, and paddling madly beneath. "You return her to me right this second, or you'll regret ever fucking with us. I'll lay a knife to every member of your fucking family. Draw blood from them slowly. And when it's finally your turn, my lovely wife will be the one calling the shots. I'll make you suffer, yeah. But she'll fuck you up. Now be a good boy, Sabini, and bring her home. Do that for me, and I'll put a good word in. Ask her to kill you quickly."

"She is at the brick warehouse west of the city. And hurry. I fear my men are getting bored. I would hate for them to mutilate her to unrecognisable before you can watch."

Tommy's jaw clenched. He stored all his anger, knew he would need it to fuel him through the next few hours. Knew he would need to hold it long enough before he could unleash it. "And how do I know she's alive?" He asked.

"You do not, Shelby. Just as I did not know your brothers and yourself would raid my pubs. Or that your bitch wife's father would shoot my men. But the fun is all in the mystery, is it not? Goodbye, Shelby."

Tommy slapped the phone down and was moving instantly, slipping his coat and hat on in one fluid motion. "Take the other car," he told his brother, throwing him the keys. "We need every blinder man we can get. Do you hear me? Every fucking one."

John had a look of grim determination on his face. "Even-?"

"Everyone," Tommy cut him off. "And our best guns."

"Tom..." John hesitated. "How do we know it's not a trap?"

Tommy stared blankly, eyebrows raised.

"Doesn't it seem a bit odd?" John continued. "He's made no demands, nothing. Kimber might not even be there."

"Mrs Shelby is in his clutches somewhere," Tommy said pointedly. "All we need is one of Sabini's men, and I'll slice him up piece by piece until he tells us where."

"And if our men get killed?"

"We don't have time for this, John," Tommy said. "I'll pick up Arthur. We'll meet you all a mile north of the location."

***

Mercifully, Arthur stayed silent most of the car drive south. His face had visibly paled, and his eyes had the blank look of someone still half-drunk. Before long, John's car appeared behind them, and a stream of others following. Tommy was trying to formulate a plan in his mind as he drove, picturing the situation like a life-size chessboard. He ran through options and strategies, ran out every variation of every possibility they could lead to.

"Tommy," Arthur warned when they were only a few miles away.

Tommy saw it, too. A blockade of cars ahead, barely visible in the first dim hours of morning light.

"We'll let them have it, Arthur," he said blankly.

But as they drew closer, Tommy's hand clenched around a gun, they saw it wasn't Sabini's men. It was coppers. Tommy drove right up to them, ready to plow through the entire blockade if he had to. He did a quick assessment of the scene — no spikes, four cars, almost a dozen armed coppers. And then, his stomach twisted with fury, enough fury he stopped the car.

Chief Inspector Campbell approached them, wearing a sadistic grin. "The lord has shone on me today," he said. "Tip-off that the Peaky Blinders would be convoying towards the city on illegal business. I've got you now, son."

The corners of Tommy's lips lifted. His eyes stayed blank. "Tell your men to move out of our way. I'd rather not waste the bullets."

Campbell's grin faltered. He clearly hadn't expected Tommy would dare lay an attack on so many policemen, risk so much bloodshed. "Now listen here, son," he growled. "This job's all on the books. These men go down, it'll be known who did it."

Tommy shrugged. "Anyone could be passing through here. So long as there's no evidence, it couldn't be traced back to us."

Campbell faltered, swinging on the spot. "I'm giving you one last chance," he finally said. "Surrender to us, or I will order these men to shoot."

Tommy did a quick scan of the coppers' faces. They were Londoners. None of them on his payroll.

That settled things. He pulled out his pistol and shot Campbell in the head.

As the man's brain exploded, Tommy got out of the car, holding his pistol up. The coppers were all aiming at him, all wearing looks of fury. He didn't have fucking time for this. But by now, the other cars had arrived, and John and the other men stepped out, all heavily armed. Tommy could see the coppers falter.

"Ten pounds," he announced. "Each. Ten pounds to go home to your wives and children, to report the truth of what happened here: a man reporting to Charles Sabini tried getting through, he panicked, shot the Chief Inspector and made off. Does anyone have a problem?"

One idiot stepped forward, gun raised threateningly. Arthur released a bullet with a bang, and the policeman fell to the floor. The other coppers' faces visibly paled. Tommy shot Arthur a look — Arthur just shrugged.

"Arthur, give these men their cash," Tommy said evenly.

One cooper stepped forward, but lowered his gun. "You're the Kimber girl's husband. Thomas Shelby."

"Actually, I'm in rather a hurry," Tommy replied, ready to get back in the car.

"Fifth division," the policeman said. "We worked for Billy Kimber while he was running things here."

Tommy nodded. "Right. Well, now you work for his daughter." He glanced across the others. All had visibly relaxed, lowered their weapons.

A new idea formed in his mind. Sabini had clearly tipped off Campbell, not realising the Chief Inspector would underestimate Tommy's nerve with his wife in danger. Not realising these men would be loyal to Kimber. Sabini had expected Tommy would bring a crew of men — but he wouldn't be expecting he'd have the law on his side, too.

"How would you like to triple your earnings tonight?" Tommy asked. "Run a job with us."