The Thorne To His Rose

Fourty Six

Lili stood behind the bar, her paper in her hand as she sighed. She looked up to see Tommy rushing in. She frowned when Tommy grabbed her arm. "Where we going?" She asked.

"We got a family meeting love". He answered as they left the Garrison. She frowned and picked up an apple from a fruit stand. She took a bite into it and frowned. "Has something happened?" She asked.

"Yes. Something has fucking happened". He snapped.

She decided to stay quiet. Tommy opened the doors to the Shelby home and walked in.

Lili sat down beside John at the table and frowned. Polly was sitting across from Lili, reading a book. Finn sat the other side of her. Arthur was standing up, his arms crossed.

"John, you cut Angel Changretta. Even though Arthur told you to apologise". Tommy muttered.

"Mm-hm". John hummed.

Lili licked her bottom lip and looked at John.

"Polly told you to compromise". Tommy said.

"Mm-hm". John hummed again.

"You chose not to listen to Mr Apologise or Mrs Compromise. And now I've got an Italian walking around my back yard saying he's going to kill my brother. So, what do we do, John? Do we apologise, or do we compromise?". Tommy asked.

Lili slipped her hand into John's, giving it a small squeeze.

"Oh, it was just something John and Lili said as a joke". Arthur muttered.

"Yeah, but he's your brother as well, Arthur". Tommy said pointing at Arthur.

"Yeah I know. And I didn't want to start a war over something John said without meaning it". Arthur muttered.

"So, should he apologise in Italian or in English? Or should we ask them which fucking language they'd prefer? I'm not clear". Tommy muttered.

Lili licked her bottom lip and looked down at the table. She hated family meetings like this.

"You said while this business was going on in London you wanted peace at home". Polly said, tapping her nail on the table.

"And the only way to guarantee peace is by making the prospect of war seem hopeless. If you apologise once, you do it again and again and again. Like taking bricks out of the wall of your fucking house. Do you want to bring the house down, Arthur?" Tommy asked.

Lili looked over at Arthur.

"If you're soft on rebellion, it'll grow". Tommy muttered.

"Bloody "soft on rebellion"". Arthur scoffed as he stood up.

Lili turned her head back to John, giving his hand another squeeze.

"You did the right thing, John. Now we go on the offensive. We take two of the Changretta pubs. We take 'em tonight. That's it". Tommy muttered.

"Oh, right. For Christ sake why?" Polly asked.

"Eh?" Tommy asked as he turned around.

"I asked why?" Polly shouted.

"Why? Because we fucking can. Because we fucking can. And if we can we do. And if we lift our heel of there necks now they'll just come at us. Remember these are the bastards that wanted Danny Wizzbang dead. They wanted Lili dead too remember? They gave her the fucking scar so she can remember to never disrespect an Italian again. And because she chose to insult Changretta they want her dead too". Tom shouted.

He looked at Arthur and shook his head. "Your getting soft brother. Soft and weak. Save the Bible for Sundays, eh?" He asked.

"Finn, I need to get to Hockley, then home. It's been a long day". He muttered. Finn tapped both Lili's and John's shoulders as he walked out.

"You take the Wrexham, you take the Five Bells. You get them signed over to us in the morning. You make sure the coppers stay away. Don't use the fucking phones, all right? There's someone listening. Lili, I want you to go with them". He said. He walked away leaving them all in a very tense room.

"Well done". Arthur muttered at John and Lili.

"Oh leave him along Arthur". Lili snapped as she rubbed John's arm.

"I won't. He fucking got us into this mess. And so did you. If you didn't fucking say the wheelbarrow comment you wouldn't have a fucking angry Italian after you would you?l He shouted, getting right into Lili's face.

Lili stood up, not afraid of Arthur. She got into his face, her head shaking. "He made a fucking joke Arthur. A fucking joke. Like I did. I'm not sorry. Do you think I care if I pissed him off? He's the one that allowed his son to give me that scar or have you suddenly forgotten that. An eye for an eye right? I got cut, his son got cut. We will get ourselves out of this like we always do. Alright?" She asked.

He shook his head and walked away. "You better be there tonight Arthur. If not, me and John will take over the pubs". She shouted.

She sighed and placed her hands on John's shoulders. She pulled him in for a hug and turned to look at Polly.

Both women knew they where fucked.

It had been a few hours later. Lili and John both made there way to the pub they where going to take over. She smiled as Arthur walked up to herself and John. They where currently standing outside The Five Bells. They had a bunch of Peaky Blinders with them.

"You ready brother?" John asked.

"I'm ready brother". He answered.

They all barged into the pub, beating up the men.

Lili smiled as she walked in, a bat in her hand. She ducked down and hit a man hard in the chest. When he doubled over in pain she brought the bat down on his head.

She smiled and climbed up on a table.

"Don't fuck with the Peaky Blinders". She shouted as she hit another man.

They rounded up all the men outside.

She watched as all the Peaky Blinders beat the men. She frowned when she watched Arthur walking away. She knew it was hard for him. He had to do this, after trying so hard to be good.

She watched as he washed away the blood on his hands.

She frowned when John walked forwards him.

"Arthur we're going to the Garrison". John said.

"No. No I'm going to go home". He said.

"Go fuck yourself Arthur. Yeah. Fuck off". John shouted as Arthur walked away.

Lili placed her hands on John's chest.

"Don't fucking speak to him like that John". She shouted.

Arthur kept walking. He could hear Lili and John arguing, he knew he should go back there and defend her, after all she was defending him. He had to get away, and quick.