Chapter Text
FINN'S POV
I answered the phone and Tommy immediately started speaking.
"They say they haven't even heard of us. So tell Aberama and Isiah to introduce themselves. And Finn, you stay out of it." He instructed, then hung the phone up.
I turned around in the booth and nodded to Isiah and Aberama, who immediately got into the car and got ready to go.
I thought about Tommy's orders, and quickly dismissed them, running out and jumping into the car with them. If he could go around wielding a gun, then so could I.
"Decided to step up in the family business, aye boy?" Aberama asked, smirking, making Isiah scoff and roll his eyes.
"Step down more like it," He muttered, making me frown.
He had his turn in the streets. He's still having his turn in the streets. Now it was time for me to have mine. We drive through the streets of London until we got to where we needed to be, somewhere in Limehouse. As soon as the car screeched to a stop, I opened the door and got out, my heart pumping.
I followed Isiah through the alleyways, pulling out my pistol as he approached a door and tried it. It didn't open, so he shoulder barged it, hitting the door with a grunt, but effectively opening it. I followed him through the building, turning to look over my shoulder at Aberama but finding him gone.
We turned a corner in a corridor, and I ended up in front of Isiah. I made my way down the corridor, pistol at the ready, looking in every doorway for a threat.
"Psst, Finn! This door," Isiah whispered, nodding to the white one with worn down paint in front of us.
I stood in front of it, opening it slightly, only to get stopped by a bullet coming through the door a bit above my head. I swiftly moved to the side of the door, jerking my head. Isiah followed my silent instruction and went and stood on the other side of the door frame, in the corner.
We waited for a few second, then I moved to open the door and enter the room. Another gunshot sounded, and I felt the bullet hit me in the arm, making me shout in surprise and slide down to the ground. I looked down, and my coat arm was already soaked through with blood. If I wasn't in so much pain I would've laughed. It was in the same spot that you put the temporary tattoo of a gun on when we first went to the fair together.
"Oh, fuck," I sighed breathily, looking up then over at Isiah.
(Y/N)'s going to kill me.
•••
Aberama helped me hobble through Ada's house, to the sitting room. I had lost a lot of blood, lots more than I thought I would. I huffed as I stumbled a long.
"Come on," Aberama muttered as we entered the sitting room.
"Couch. Couch!" Aberama told Isiah, who started clearing the cushions from it.
"Put something down for the blood. My sister will fucking kill me," I instructed Isiah, and he carelessly grabbed a throw blanket from an armchair next to the couch.
The blanket knocked a statue off of a table, making me wince.
"Be fucking careful! She spends thousands of pounds on this shit," I exclaimed, then Aberama helped me flop onto the blanket covered couch.
"Get me some booze," He commanded Isiah, peeling off my coat, making me yelp.
I started huffing, readying myself for what was to come as he ripped open my shirt sleeve. He squeezed my arm, making me scream.
"Just fucking get the thing out of me and sew me up. Just do it," I begged, and Isiah handed me a bottle of whatever.
I had a swig of it, wanting to be drunk enough that I wouldn't be able to properly feel what Aberama was about to do to me.
"Peaky boy, give me your blade," Aberama demanded, and Isiah removed his hat and grabbed the blade from the brim, giving it to Aberama who poured the booze on it, then handed the bottle back to me.
I took another swig and he grabbed it off of me.
"That's enough. Don't want you throwing up on your sister's furniture," He said, putting it on the coffee table behind him.
Isiah came and put his arm around me, holding me down. I chuckled nervously, bouncing on the spot in anticipation and patted his arm, silently reassuring him that I was fine.
"You know what you're doing?" Isiah asked Aberama, sounding a bit nervous.
"I've done this a dozen times. I once took a bullet from between two ribs, one inch from the heart. Mind you, it was a horse," He replied, chuckling, "And the horse did die."
I started chuckling, and so did Isiah. I reckon we wouldn't even have known what we were laughing for.
"Hold him. Hold him," Aberama commanded, and I clapped Isiah's arm twice, heaving as I waited for Aberama to make a move.
He sliced into my arm, making me scream. It was a white hot pain, which only got worse as he dug his fingers into the hole, then plucked the bullet out.
"Here you go," He said, showing us the bullet, "Just a little one."
Isiah patted my chest, hugging me a bit tighter, but not so tight as to hurt me. Aberama turned and dropped the bullet into a glass ashtray sat on the coffee table.
"What the fuck is going on?" A voice questioned angrily.
"Oh, fuck," I murmured, then turned my head to look at my sister, "Hello Ada."
"Get out. Both of you," She ordered, making me mumble another 'oh, fuck'.
"Ada? What's up?" I heard you question, then enter the room, our daughter on your hip and our sons trailing behind you.
"Daddy!" Finley cheered, toddling over to me, Isaac following close behind.
"Finn Theo Shelby!" You exclaimed, looking at my arm.
Isiah scooped up Finley before he had a chance to run over to me, then picked up Isaac, both of them waving bye to me.
"You're in for it now," Isiah snickered, making you snap your head in his direction.
"Don't for one second think that I'm not going to tell Polly and Ezzie how you've let Finn traipse around in the streets with a gun," You warned, making Isiah stop snickering, then gave me one last look and left the room, trailing after your father.
Your father gathered his coat and a towel before leaving the room, "Push this on the wound. Keep up the pressure."
"Get out," Ada snapped at him, snatching the towel out of his grip and skittering over to me.
"I'm so sorry, Ada. They broke a statue of some thin woman," I explained, hoping that she wouldn't growl at me.
"Fucking statues," She growled as she walked over and picked the ashtray up, looking at the bullet inside of it.
"What has Tommy told you?" She asked as she sat down next to me, looking me dead in the eye, "Shelbys stay out of the sporting stuff."
"What? To maintain your fucking reputation?" I threw back, earning a soft slap on the cheek.
"Oi!" She started, "You listen to me. We've got a chance. Tommy has given us that chance. He's got power, we've got money, and our past is left behind us."
"And you've got a precious young life, Finn you fucking idiot! What would (Y/N) do if Isiah and Aberama came home and told her that her husband was dead? That Finley, Isaac, and Rosalie wouldn't have a dad anymore?" She questioned, making me feel terribly guilty.
"Three inches to the left and that would've been gone," She informed me, pressing the towel down, making me groan in pain.
"You've got nothing to prove, Finn. You have got nothing to prove." She declared, and all I could do was nod, even if I didn't agree with her.
I had everything to prove, to everyone.
•••
I walked in the door, and immediately heard a call of 'Dadda!' I looked down, and the boys were toddling over, followed by Rosalie speedily crawling, squealing behind her dummy as she did so.
"Hey, Finn," Saoirse greeted from her spot on the couch, Daisy painting her nails a shimmery blue, and repeating the greeting.
I leaned down and picked up Rosalie with my good arm, going and sitting on the couch across from the girls, greeting them.
"Is it true you got shot?" Saoirse inquired, making Daisy perk up.
I helped the boys up onto the couch, then looked back over at them.
"Maybe," I replied, then winked, confirming that I had, making them giggle.
I helped Rosalie up into a stand as the boys made themselves comfortable, Finley babbling as he did so, Isaac quite content driving his toy car all over the couch.
"Don't make them think getting shot is alright," You snapped, and I turned my head to look at you as you came into the room, coming and sitting down next to me, pulling Isaac into your lap and giving him a kiss on the cheek, then leaning over and giving Finley a kiss, making him squeal.
"I'm not, am I, girls?" I questioned, then grunted as Rosalie's chubby hand found it's way up to my curls and pulled.
"No," The girls chorused as I reached up and tickled my daughter, making her squeal in delight, her dummy falling out of her mouth to reveal her two little teeth down the bottom.
"Girls, can you take the babies for a walk?" You asked abruptly, making the two eleven year olds look at each other, then at you.
"Come on, Finley, let's go get your gum boots!" Daisy cheered, leaning over and picking up my son.
He placed an open mouth kiss on her cheek, making her giggle. Isaac slipped down from your lap and followed them. Saoirse came and grabbed Rosalie off of me. I chuckled as Rosalie did her little open and close of the hand goodbye. Like how you never got a look in with the boys, I didn't even get a look in with Rosalie. The only thing of mine she had was my freckles.
You watched through the window as the girls headed down the garden path, and around the side of the house, heading for the orchard, the dogs and cat following them.
Once they were out of sight, you looked at me.
"Why the fuck did you follow Dad and Isiah to London? Finn, you've got direct fucking orders to stay in the legal stuff, we both do. That's why you run racecourses and I fuck around with jewellery, and we both do our bit in the company when needed," You stated, bringing your hands to rest in your lap and clasping them together tightly.
"I just wanted to see what it was like," I admitted, making you purse your lips but nod.
You knew how everyone treated me. How I felt about it.
You took a deep breath in, "Finn, fuck what they all think. You're doing fine. You don't need to prove yourself-"
"-But if I don't then I'll never step up in the company," I interjected, making your eyebrow twitch.
I had you proper cross with me now. You'd probably make me sleep on the couch. I hope the cat would sleep on my feet to keep me warm.
"Finn, you don't need to step up. We're fine where we are. We can take care of us, the kids, and the animals." You stated calmly, "They all take us seriously, they don't think we're stupid."
"They don't think you're stupid," I threw back in reply, then set my jaw.
Tommy and Arthur never took me seriously. The only one who ever did was John. They went to France, I stayed home. They built the company up, I didn't help. They moved away, I stayed in Small Heath. I was always getting left behind. The youngest. The weakest.
You reached over and grabbed my knee, stopping me from bouncing it. I didn't even realise I was doing it. Your eyes were full of worry.
"Finn, I love you, the kids love you, the animals love you. My family love you, and your family loves you. And that's why I worry about you. The only thing you need to prove right now is that you're sensible, and you won't do that running around the streets with a gun in hand," You advised, "If you keep on disobeying Tommy you won't get anywhere. You need to prove you're sensible so they know they can trust you. You need to prove you're sensible so you can stay safe."
I didn't miss the way your voice wobbled at the end. You looked to the side, blinking rapidly, withdrawing your hand from my knee. I grabbed it, and brought it up to my mouth, kissing it softly.
"Does it hurt?" You asked, looked back at me, then turning your gaze down to my bandage wrapped arm.
"Yeah, but it's fine. I didn't die," I joked, making you scoff and roll your eyes.
"Well you could've!" You snapped, and I squeezed your hand thrice, a silent reassurance that I was fine.
"I'll do better," I promised, making you nod and take a shaky breath.
I would. I'd try my best to. I wouldn't run around with a gun for a while now, having my first proper bullet hit me. The adrenaline rush when we were chasing the pimp was like no other, but I felt better when I was home with you and our family.