𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑-𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 || Peaky Blinders

III.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ
ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪꜱᴛ ꜰᴜᴄᴋᴇʀ

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   BY THE TIME she showed her face in The Garrison, it must have been five o'clock. Spending her time staring at the ceiling in her apartment, she'd barely got a wink of sleep as she was too scared to give in to the devil that lurked in the darkness. A few people were there, Martha presumed they were regulars. Silence ensued throughout the pub upon her entrance as she heard mumbled chuckles of men behind the closed doors of the snug. Typical.

   Flaunting her way into the back, the lively atmosphere was once provoked again. Subtle whispers were all Martha could hear as she put her stuff on a hook. Her eyes landed on the bottle of whiskey smeared in her peach lipstick and she was tempted to finish it off before her shift got going. Anything to keep her going through this shift. No, she couldn't do it. Walking head down, as soon as she lifted her head, Martha was faced with angry stares. How she wished she drank the liquor now. 

   "Where the fuckin' hell have you been?" An enraged Flynn spat out. She stepped back slightly, not wanting to deal with him right now. Never had she been met with such hostility for minding her own business.

   "Just at the market..." She lied to him, trying to diffuse his wrath. 

   "Why would you be at that shit hole for 5 hours?" Jack questioned and Martha just shrugged in return - causing both men to roll their eyes.

   "Look I'm fine ain't I. Go fucking sit down and enjoy your drinks." She spat back, annoyed at her cousins constant questioning. Flynn stood there glaring at her whereas Jack stood back shocked, at what he believed to be an out of character response. They really didn't know her at all. The frown on her face was rather menacing, it only deepened when she noticed the whole pub watching them. She slammed the tea towel down, storming off into the back she was soon followed by her two cousins. She stood there, arms folded and her death glare ready.

   "What was that all 'bout?" Jack asked sternly.

   "Don't what you mean," Martha replied, matching her cousin's tone.

   "What's gotten into ye'? Before we left you with Tommy last night, you were so fuckin' happy, dancing around with Julia!" Jack reminded her as if she had amnesia. 

  "Did Tom-" Flynn started but was abruptly interrupted by his cousin.

   "Thomas did nothing." She replied, not wanting that scenario to escalate. "Alright," She said, taking a brief pause "I'm not going to be around for your every book and fucking call." Martha started on them, already fed up with this whole 'family' spirit. "I don't know if this is what you do for Elizabeth but I don't need looking after, I've been protecting myself for the past twelve years and I don't intend for that to change."

   "We're trying to help you, it ain't safe here." Flynn tried to argue, folding his arms across his chest. But it seemed like Jack had understood what she was saying to some extent, based on the saddened look he offered.

   "It's not safe anywhere." She countered, raising a brow at him.

   "Ye' don't understand." He huffed, looking towards Jack who nodded. "Do you know what type of business we're in? We're Peaky fuckin' Blinders, Martha." Flynn stated, only growing concerned when she didn't react. "You know what we do?"