weaponised - a peaky blinders story

two

Evangelines first day back in small heath was spent being surrounded by all of her family, who were all trying to understand what her life had been while she was away. It was quite obvious to everyone in the room that eve had been completely torn apart by her past and although they all longed for the sweet, innocent little Evangeline back, they somehow seemed to grow much fonder of the new one.

Word had spread extremely quick about the Peaky Princesses return, so by the time they had made it to the garrison that night, it was full with people who wanted to see her again.

"Fucking hell, Lina. You don't half know how to fill up a pub do ya?" John smiled down at her, draping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side.

"I know, I should go missing more often. The owner of this place would make thousands." She smiled up at him, before walking over to the bar and standing next to her father.

"Go on then Lina, what's your drink?" Tommy nudged her arm as the bartender leant over to listen in too.

"I'll have a whiskey please, neat." She smiled toward the barman who soon got to preparing her drink.

As she turned back to her father, he shuck his head slightly with a smile "last time you was here, you was drinking juice. Now you're all grown up and drinking whiskey."

"Yeah well, you can thank Katherine for that." She told him, knowing well that he hadn't a clue who Katherine was.

"And who the fuck is Katherine?" She heard Arthur question from next to her, she hadn't heard him get there.

"Some woman i worked for in France. Lovely but definitely slightly loopy." She smiled towards him, thanking the barman for her drink and taking a sip.

After finally escaping from her father and uncles, she found herself searching the room for a familiar face. The first person she spotted was finn, who was trying to sneak a glass of whiskey while isaiah and another boy was laughing at him.

"Ey, you're only thirteen. If your brothers or aunt poll catches you with that she's have your knackers." Eve told him, slipping into the booth next to isaiah and clearly startling poor finn who began to choke on his drink.

"Honestly Lina, it was only one drink. Please don't tell your dad." He begged her, a glint of fear coating his eyes.

Eve laughed at this, lighting a cigarette and crossing her legs. "Finn, I'm really not bothered, just don't go to heavy or else they'll figure it out themselves, least not till there too pissed to notice."

"So Angie, trusting my gut was right then." She heard isaiah say from beside her as finn and the boy she didn't know began to converse.

"Angie?" She questioned him, quirking an eyebrow at the nickname.

"Well Evangeline is too long, and everyone either calls you eve or Lina and that's a bit repetitive so angie it is." He smiled down at her, nudging her with his elbow.

"Right. So have I landed you in my dad's good books then?" She asked him, putting her cigarettes out.

"You could say that, still awaiting my bonus though." He joked.

"I'll have a word with him, not sure if he'll listen mind." She enjoyed his company, it was the only person her age that she had ever been friends with.

"As if he wouldn't do anything at a drop of a hat for you" he chuckled. "How come your so fine with Finn drinking? Any other Shelby would have had him in a chokehold."

"Yeah well, technically I'm not a Shelby." She told him, glancing over at finn who was doing a terrible job at hiding his drink.