When Tommy returned that evening, I was beyond fuming. He knew how important meeting Alfie was and he'd buggered off and gone and got himself into a tonne of horse shit.

He thought sneaking in would make me forget that I hadn't seen him all day.

"Where have you been?" Merlin's beard, I sounded like great-nanna Molly.

I could see the exact moment when he considered lying to me. He must have seen the look on my face because as he closed the bedroom door and pulled off his cap, dropping it onto the dresser, he gave me a defeated smile.

"We may have–"

"Stolen guns," I cut him off, rubbing my head as I felt a headache brewing.

"How did you know?" I could see the fear on his face and I knew he was wondering if he'd been followed and found out.

"I had a vision. You would have known if you didn't go off and steal a crate of guns."

"I didn't plan it, Romy, the boys had been drinking when they grabbed the crate, they must have been mixed up."

"Don't give me that crap, Tommy." I knew he didn't mean for this to happen, but he could have ditched them on the side of the road. "You kept the guns. Why did you keep them?"

"I'm thinking about our future."

"We won't have a future if you keep those guns," I snapped, feeling myself grow angry because I could only imagine what would happen to us. I knew it was bad. I'd seen how things would go down. Well, I hadn't seen it completely. Just glimpses here and there but it was enough for me to go on and understand that it was going to be bad.

"If the right people are interested they'll buy them and it will set us right for a few years," he argued, the passion he felt filling his voice. I could see why he was doing this, but it wasn't right.

"This isn't the way we should be raising Thomas-J," I told him, worrying about our son and the world he'd be brought up seeing. I didn't have a problem with Tommy being his father and the betting den, but I had a problem with Tommy selling guns on the side and raising Thomas-J on that money.

"Why is this so important to you? Keeping these guns and earning big off them?"

"I want to do right by you and Thomas-J. I want to support and provide for you."

"You don't have to do this, Tommy. We're happy with what we have."

"We don't have anything, Romy. I didn't provide this house for you, it's yours. I didn't have anything to offer for Thomas-J his whole life. I have nothing for him!" He snapped, his hands running through his hair and tugging on the longer stands.

"We have you," I replied, going over to him and taking his hands in mine. "We have you, Tommy, and that's all we need. We don't need money or fancy things. We have our home and we have you here with us. That's all we need."

He was silent for a moment, and then, after having a second or two to think about it, he gave a small nod and let me tug him over to the bed. He didn't fight me as I undressed him until he was in his underwear and he allowed me to pull him in my arms as he dropped off to sleep, my fingers combing through his hair.

***

The moment I saw her I knew she would bring trouble.

She looked perfect. The loose blonde curls that framed her face and the creamy skin on her blemishless face. I knew if Tommy wasn't completely in love with me and devoted he'd no doubt fall for her just as she intended.

She entered the Garrison as if she owned the place. Her green skirt and matching jacket made me hate that they matched my eyes. She looked good in it, too good.

I shared a look with Harry, one that told him he had to go along with the plan. I knew she would be coming here for a job. It made sense. If she was here with the new copper, then she'd be trying to fit in and find a job somewhere where the Peaky Blinders frequented regularly.

It was simple. She asked for a job and Harry turned her down. She glanced at me behind the bar and frowned, her eyes taking me in curiosity.

"She's working here."

"Romy doesn't work here," Harry told her, coming to stand by my side, "she's my niece. She's just popping in for a visit."

"I can handle it," she pressed, her eyes burning with a fire I was executing from her.

Harry gave me another glance and I gave him a quick nod, before grabbing my bag and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"You coming for dinner this Sunday, Harry? Tommy's expecting you there," I muttered before slipping out from behind the bar and heading over to the Irish spy. "Andromeda Shelby," I introduced myself, holding my hand out for her to shake.

"Grace Burgess," she replied, her voice just as delicate as her touch.

"I hope you survive here, Grace. You're far too pretty to be living in this area."

"The same could be said about you Miss Shelby."

"It's actually Mrs Shleby," I said, raising my eyebrow as if daring her to tell me she already knew. She was trying to push my buttons. Trying to get me to reveal that I was married to Tommy even though she already knew it. She was trying to trap me into a false sense of friendship so she could get to Tommy through me.

I got all that from one touch of her hand.

***

Tommy didn't want to go along with the plan.

He refused at first, shaking his head and throwing his cigarette down onto the table.

"She's got a point, Tommy," Polly said, sipping on her tea as she watched her nephew as he fumed over my idea.

"It's not right, Pol," he argued, his eyes flicking to mine again as he looked between Ada and John. "Would you do it?"

"It seems like a good idea," John muttered, shifting in his seat as Tommy sharpened his glare at him. I could understand why John was almost scared of Tommy, the man looked about ready to rip anyone to shreds.

"Tommy, you know you have to do it," I muttered, reaching over and taking his hand in mine, uncurling his fingers and sliding mine between them. "I know you don't like it, but you could gain her trust and she'll be more gullible and believe everything you tell her."

"But cheating on you?"

That was the problem here.

He didn't want to be with Grace and end up cheating on me. Or cheating on me in his eyes.

"It's not cheating, Tom," Ada said, her eyes looking to Polly for reassurance. If anyone could get Tommy to agree to this plan it would be the four of us.

"You won't actually be with her," I added, leaning forward and trying to get him to look into my eyes. "You just have to give her some attention, make it look like we're going through a rough patch and you're interested in her."

"It'll be easy Tommy," Ada told him, rolling her eyes as she gave a dry chuckle. "All my friends feel for you and women love you."

"Just make her believe that you only married me because I ended up pregnant and you're only with me because of Thomas-J. That'll pull her heartstrings. Women love men that put their family above anyone else." I knew he wasn't going to do it, I could tell by the way his jaw was set.

"Think about it Tommy," Polly said, placing her teacup down and giving him a pointed look. "If you're spilling the plans to her, then this inspector will leave Romy and Thomas-J alone. He'll leave us all alone."

That's what did it for him. Knowing he'd be protecting Thomas-J and the rest of us.

"Think of it as foreplay," I whispered into his ear, letting my lips brush his earlobe and I set my hand on his thigh. "I'll always be watching you. Watching you flirting with her, thinking about all the dirty things you could be saying to her." I pressed my hand into his thigh and pulled away, smirking as his blue eyes were burning with passion.

"Let's go to the pub," Tommy said, rising from his chair, tugging me up as he pulled on his cap, avoiding the smirks his family was giving him.

As we came out into the hallway, Newt was caught red-handed letting Thomas-J and Edward climb all over him as He let Finn and Matthew play a game of wizard chess. Katie and Mary were trying to dress Voodoo up in a little dress. I wasn't even sure where they got the dress from as it was a suitable size for a baby, not a doll.

"We weren't doing anything," Newt declared, looking startled at the looks we were giving him.

"We're going to the pub," I told him, pulling on my coat and then plucking Thomas-J up and helping him into his coat. He clung to me as Tommy opened the door, his hand settling on my lower back as we stepped out into the street.

I could sense how he hesitated before leading us down to the Garrison. He knew he'd have to start giving Grace his attention, but I knew he'd wait a couple of days before making his move.

He wanted her to see him. Wanted her to see us together so she knew he was with me because giving her his attention. It would make her feel like she was winning if she thought he was chasing her instead of me.

***

Thank you for reading xx