Chapter Text
READER'S POV
I tucked my long, (H/T) hair behind my ears once more as I stood next to Bonnie and Dad at the fire.
Thomas Shelby had just passed a coin to Dad to toss for the yard. I knew damn well he wouldn't toss the coin when the price of losing was Tommy Shelby fucking my older sister. He adored her too much, not to mention how that would affect the family's image.
"Tommy Shelby, OBE, no wager today," Dad announced as he decided not to flip the coin, holding it high, "But with this penny I will buy a flower to put on your grave,"
Dad put the penny into his breast pocket, "When the time comes."
Tommy nodded, his blue eyes piercing us with their gaze, "And before that time, please don't again disrespect my friends or their valued property."
I nearly shivered from his icy gaze.
He placed a cigarette into his mouth, "We missed Christmas, let's have it now. Peace on Earth, goodwill to all men."
•••
I was now helping Bonnie brush my horse, Dad lighting his pipe behind us. Tommy Shelby entered the barn and put some bottles on the table, making Bonnie stop.
"She's a fine beast, this one." Tommy stated as he sat next to Dad at the table.
I felt pride swell throughout my chest as my lips curled up at the ends - yes, of course my horse was a fine beast. She was gorgeous, you'd have to be blind to not see it.
"Nothing you see is for sale, Mr. Shelby." Dad said, making Tommy open a bottle of whatever he brought.
"You know your grandfather camped with mine for a while?" Dad asked the man sitting next to him.
Bonnie kept on half heartedly brushing Charlotte, attempting to listen to Dad and Tommy's conversation, so I poked him, making him focus on how he brushed my horse.
"Yep, and it didn't last," Tommy answered, taking the cigarette out of his mouth.
"No, it ended badly in a pub called the Wenlock. We were owed money, still are." Dad replied.
"Is that why Dad doesn't like the Wenlock?" I whispered to my older brother, who hushed me with an elbow nudge as he stood up.
Tommy looked at my Dad with an unreadable expression, then spoke once more, "Other than money, and this scrapyard that's clearly not for sale, what is it that you want from me, Mr. Gold?"
"How do you know I want anything from you?" Dad shot back in reply, nearly making me snort.
Dad never did anything if it didn't benefit him.
"Well, because my company treasurer is a certified accountant and also apparently, a witch." Tommy answered, making me cock my head in confusion.
"You're a sporting man." Dad stated, making me look up at Bonnie, who grinned in reply.
"Yes I am," Tommy answered after a brief pause, clearly not knowing where Dad was going with this.
"And a gambling man." Dad added, then his eyes flicked over to us, "Bonnie, take off your shirt."
Bonnie did as Dad asked, walking up to the pair and started shadow boxing.
Dad looked at Bonnie, "What I want from you, Mr. Shelby, is for you to take a gamble on him. I want you to help my son achieve his ambition."
This statement made Tommy look at Bonnie too, who quickly finished shadow boxing.
"What ambition might that be?" Tommy asked sarcastically, making me snort.
•••
"Now (Y/N)," Dad started as we sat on the steps of his vardo, watching Bonnie shadow box, "I've made a business proposition with Tommy. It involves you."
I hummed as I brought my hair over my shoulder and brushed the knots out, not even minding that it hurt. My bare feet tapped on the wooden steps to no particular beat. Esmeralda laughed at my behaviour, but I didn't mind.
Bonnie had just been taken on by the Shelby brothers due to knocking out the Billy Mills, the former heavyweight champion of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Warwickshire.
"What do you think of getting married to Finn Shelby?" Dad asked, making me stop and freeze mid-brush, turning to look at him.
"What?" I asked incredulously, feeling sure I couldn't have heard him properly.
"Do you need to wash out your ears? You're marrying the youngest Shelby brother." Dad said, making me drop my brush, the wooden object clattering on the steps before hitting the grass with a soft thud.
"Can't I choose who I'm going to marry?" I asked softly, looking at Dad for any chance of him crumbling.
"Can't she grow up first?" Esmeralda asked angrily, pulling me so my back was flush with her chest.
Dad shook his head. Of course. He'd benefit from this, so of course he'd go through with it. He really didn't do anything unless it was for his business. He didn't care about any of us.
"You can't be serious — she's sixteen!" Bonnie said as I stormed over to my vardo, locking myself inside.
Dad couldn't be serious, surely. I was only sixteen, I deserved to live my life. A sudden burst of anger overcame me and I picked up a pillow and launched it to the other side of the van with a shriek.
This wouldn't do. I pulled on my boots, threading yellow ribbon through the laces, then grabbed my rifle, unlocking the door and walking down the steps, calling out to Tuck, my English Springer Spaniel, before setting off on Charlotte, ignoring my Dad's calls for me to come back, along with Bonnie and Esmeralda yelling at him for his deal.
•••
FINN'S POV
I stared down at my shoes, now dirty, wondering whether to clean them or not. Probably not. It's Small Heath, they'd be dirty again once I left the house.
I had just gotten back from burying the bodies with Curly, now sitting with Polly, Ada, Lizzie, and Linda at Polly's waiting for Tommy's next orders.
I heard the front door open, then came an, "Oi! Finn!"
"In here!" Polly called as she put out a cigarette.
"Tommy said you're to be married to that Gold girl!" Arthur said as he entered the room, making my heart drop and my mouth go dry, regardless of the tea I just drank.
"Who, the one Tommy wanted to fuck?" Lizzie shot back, making Arthur shake his head as he sat sext next to me on the couch.
"The youngest one, the one who had her hair down, (Y/N)." Arthur informed me, making me go pale.
"You can't be serious, Arthur, she's not yet eighteen, she's just a child!" Polly protested as I stood up, stumbling over my own feet as I went and stood on the other side of the room.
"So is Finn!" Ada added, coming over and putting an arm around me.
"I'm serious, all right — Tommy wants to strengthen the ties between us," Arthur explained, making Ada protest again.
"Don't I get a choice?" I asked, taking my eyes off of the floor and meeting those of my eldest brother.
He shook his head. What Tommy says, goes.
I pushed off of Ada and walked out of the room, Arthur calling after me, Polly telling him to leave me be.
I stumbled out of Polly's house, feeling numb, and staggered across the way to mine and locked the door behind me, grabbing whatever was nearest and throwing it as hard as I could at the ground. Bad decision.
Some of the shards of the vase came back and nicked the skin of my cheek, making me hiss. I could feel blood drip down. I walked into the dining room, pulling a chair out to sit on. I ended up pulling it too far, sending it flying across the room.
"Fuck!" I yelled, slamming a fist down on the dining table, then walking to the sitting room and dropping myself into an armchair.
I put my head into my hands. I didn't want to get married yet. And if I was going to get married now, she'd be my last choice.
I growled and jerked my leg, kicking the coffee table, then putting my hand under it and standing, flipping the damn thing.
"Crap table anyway," I muttered to no one in particular as I stalked to the kitchen to pour myself some whiskey.