Nicotine // [michael gray / peaky blinders]

Three

"This had better be good to interrupt my holiday." Polly says, walking into the family meeting.

"Where's the boy?" Arthur asks.

"In the back room. I only brought him because afterwards we're going to the museum." She says and I bite my lip to prevent myself from saying a comment about his age.

She's treating him like he's still the five year old that was taken from her.

"He wanted to come in and say hello-" John says.

"Shut up, John." Polly interrupts. "There is nothing of interest to Michael in this room." She says and John blinks a couple times and I laugh looking at him. "Tommy, get on with it."

"Last night one of our men had his throat cut in Winson Green. This morning, I had a telegram saying it was Sabini who ordered it."

"And it says here that Tommy Shelby's next." Arthur cuts in, ripping the telegram.

"If our men think we can't look after them in prison, they'll not work for us. Sabini knows that. So we need to get the Green sorted out."

"I'm keeping my nose out of it, and I already know the next part. Fill me in later." I pat John's chest and leave the room, heading towards the back room, where Michael is.

"What're they talking about in there?"

"Tommy's buying a new horse." I put the kettle on.

"What kind? Do you know?"

"A filly. Got some Arab blood. Worth a thousand guineas. He's going through Pol for the amount he can spend."

"Why does he want it?" He asks and I turn.

"Not allowed to say. At least, not allowed to say to you." I smirk.

"Why do you get to know?"

"Because at this point in my life, I'm Tommy Shelby's most trusted advisor." I shrug.

"And how old are you?"

"I'm eighteen."

"You're only eighteen?!" He asks, his voice raising a bit.

"Yes. Why do you seem so confused?"

"You called me a kid the other day."

"You are one. In these parts you may well be an infant." I say and pour the water into the teapot, quickly making myself a cup.

"Can I listen in?"

"I don't recommend it." I say, taking a sip. "Pol catches ya and she'll kill you and then go after me."

"And why is that?"

"Because there's more to talk about than horse than I know at the moment. I was just feeling ill about what they were talking about prior to the horse." I say and he pushes the door open, and I follow. "My fault." I say as Polly asks John if he locked the door or not. "He's interested."

"Look. I've been listening. I want to go with them." Michael says.

"You see?" Polly asks angrily.

"I love horses. I could even help."

"Over my dead body." Pol says.

"It'll be all right, mum. I've been to loads of horse auctions with my uncle. They're very respectable. People bring their butlers."

"Yeah, and their posh wives." Arthur says, raising a whiskey glass to his mouth, and John moves around Michael, standing between the two of us.

"And their mistresses." John bumps Michael, reaching for my teacup and drinking some. "That's shit." He whispers.