꧁꧂

ᴛᴏ ɴᴏ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇ, ᴠᴀʟᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇ's ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏsᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʀsᴇ ᴘᴜʀᴄʜᴀsɪɴɢ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ sᴍᴀʟʟᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ sʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ.

As soon as she had stepped into the busy building, she had known why her father had wanted her there. She had worn a pretty dress like her father had asked her to, although she deemed it far too extravagant for a simple event as such, given that the rooms smelled of the manure and hay that she was probably stepping through. It was surprising however, as she stepped through to the main balcony behind her brother, to see plenty dressed just like her. It was her father and his company that were far underdressed and understaffed.

It wasn't until she caught a glimpse of Tommy Shelby from across the room, that she entirely understood why even her father had come to such an event. He was useless at horses, her brother too, and they had no reason to want to get better with them either- not with Sabini and Solomon running the tracks.

It seemed that the day was full of surprises, as behind Tommy, Michael stood, his hands slumped into the pockets of a smart suit that made him look far older than his seventeen years. Then again, she was sure she looked much older than her age too. Valentine hadn't expected to see him, considering that she had learned he had only been in Birmingham for the best part of three months, most of which she had known him quite intimately.

Valentine had been left to stand beside Lucas next to the railing that over looked the ring in which the horses were brought out for viewing. Their father had disappeared along with the rest of his accomplices a while ago, and Valentine found her eyes drifting.

The peaky blinders had arrived late, their heavy footsteps ringing out above the announcement that only just reached her ears. Tommy was staring down at a white horse that stroked smoothly through the gates and into the square. They knew what they want.

"I don't understand why father is here." Valentine said to her brother, her eyes trailing the group opposite. "He hates horses."

"You know what he is like. Anything to show his enemies that he isn't getting old."

If Valentine could see a hint of bitterness in his clenched jaw and stone-like eyes, it had vanished in seconds. Lucas was right, though. Her father was one for doing the unnecessary in spite of others and the detriment of his own.

But maybe they could have some fun with this, after all.

The first bet was placed and Valentine smiled to herself, nudging for her brother to pay attention. An older woman along the railing betted next, her eyes zoning in on the Shelby boys too.

The action went back and forth, with Valentine raising her own bets despite the jabs of warning to her side by Lucas. She had caught Michael's attention, smiling smugly as his eyes widened and mouth was held slightly agape. She nodded subtly, acknowledging his gaze with a smirk and a thin, raised eyebrow.

"2500!" The man with the horse called out and Thomas Shelby raised his hand.

Neither of the women went any further, and Tommy Shelby received the shout of winning with a sigh as he leaned over the rail. Valentine spared Michael one last glance as he turned to his family as they made their way down the stairs and out of the building. She made her own way down to her father, who was now positioned on the outside of the square where the horses had been shown.

Her eyes widened, noticing the group of Peaky Boys crossing the very space her father watched, Arthur Shelby arrogantly leading the way. A man sat, her father's friend, hand in pocket in the middle. Michael hung to the back of the group, catching a set of keys as Thomas shouted time him to drive. The gang walked passed, stopping as a name was called firmly.

"Thomas Shelby."

A fair reaction was not allowed as the man in the middle of the square, she didn't know his name, sprinted forward, his gun now fully outstretched. With horror, Valentine watched chaos erupt into shouts, flinching as a gun shot rang through her ears. Arthur had attacked the man, snapping his arm backwards forcefully, sending the bullet skidding to the ceiling with a pang.

Screams of anger flooded her ears as she ran to stop her brother from pulling his own gun out and stepping into the light of the square, but she was pulled back by her father who kept a harsh grip on her arm. She screamed as John Shelby pulled out his gun, pointing it to Lucas as he shouted aggressively for his brother. The bullet seemed to move in slow motion as it zipped through the air, passing her shoulder as she ripped herself from her fathers grip and ran to pull Lucas out of the guns aim. Another shot was released from John's gun, and another bullet was planted deep in another one of her father's trusted men.

Lucas didn't bother with going back to fight the Peaky Blinders and instead chose to pull his sister away from the scene, trying desperately to block her view of Arthur Shelby's violent outburst. This block was failed and Valentine brought her hand to her face in disgust as the older man rage-fully beat the man's face , his brothers pulling him off the body, his nails already savagely sunken into his skin like an animal. Michael stood back from the fighting in shock, his hands clutching the keys tightly as he turned to see Valentine, who shook her head at him before turning.

She ran along side Lucas as he pushed her forward, making her ankles clip against each other. Stumbling forward, she only just made it to the waiting car and piled into the back, her brother shortly behind her and her father facing to clutch the wheel as he drove himself. A gruff growl left his lips, both in violent disappointment of his failure and disgust at having to drive himself. The car stuttered out of the small drive way as the Shelby brothers spilled out in the fading daylight, their threatening voices and gestures disappearing as they managed to round the corner.

Valentine settled back with a sigh. Her hands shook from the sudden panic that she had been thrown into within mere minutes. She hadn't been told of any of it, perhaps because they didn't trust her or maybe because they didn't feel as if she would ever need to know. Valentine scowled. She knew now, more than ever, that one thing was constant and true: she'd have to die and go to the next life before she could ever be with Michael Gray.