To death do us apart.

Nancy slowly walked through the narrow, gas-lit streets of Small Heath, cradling a stack of books in her arms. The evening air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of coal smoke and the distant hum of life from the neighborhood. It was around 8 p.m., and she knew the pub would be teeming with the usual crowd, meaning the peaky blinders.

Nancy wasn't particularly fond of pubs, especially not when they were filled with drunken, desperate men. The noise, the slurred words, and the haze of smoke in the air always made her uneasy.

She mostly went into the pub to fetch her brother, who seemed to spend most of his time there. It had become a routine.

"Hi, have you seen my brother, johnny?"
She asked the bartender, her eyes scanning the room with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

The bartender glanced around nervously, his eyes darting toward the door before lowering his voice to a hushed whisper.

"You shouldn't be in here," he muttered, wiping his hands on his apron. "Didn't you read the sign?"

"Look, have you seen my brother or not?!" she snapped, her voice sharp with frustration, eyes narrowing as she leaned closer to the bar.

The bartender froze, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for a response, but before he could speak, the snug door creaked open.

it was Ada who stepped out, She wore bold red lipstick that accentuated her sharp features, her brown hair e pinned up with a few loose strands framing her face.

"Oh. Sorry i- I really didn't know-"
The fifteen year old girl frowned and then grabbed her books off the pub counter.

Ada watched intently as the young girl made her way toward the exit, she then moved quickly, grabbing a few whiskeys from Harry and the bartender with a swift, practiced motion. Without a word, she turned on her heel and made her way back into the snug.

Arthur's eyes flicked toward the snug door just as Ada entered, holding a tray of drinks. He gave her a wide grin, his voice slurring slightly from the alcohol as he leaned back in his chair.

"Ah, thanks, Ada," he said, his tone teasing as he reached out and took the glass of whiskey from her hand.

"There was a girl out there," Ada said but none of her brother heard her, or maybe just didn't care.

Finn, sitting at the table, casually put out his cigarette in the ashtray and groaned as he lost the card game he was playing with John.

"I never fuckin' win," Finn muttered.

John let out a sharp laugh, his grin wide as he playfully shoved Finn's head with the heel of his hand, Finn shot him a scowl.

Arthur glanced down at the empty cigarette box in his hand, turning it over with a frown before tossing it onto the table.

"Finn, fetch us some smokes," he said, his voice gruff as he leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.

"Do I have to?" Finn grumbled, his voice laced with annoyance as he tossed his cards back into the box with a flick of his wrist.

"Just bugger off, Finn," John muttered, his words slurred slightly as he gave Finn a shove, knocking him out of his chair.

The shop wasn't too far from the pub—just a quick five-minute walk down the cobbled street, just past the cut.

As the lanky boy stumbled out of the pub, the evening air hit him sharply. He adjusted his overcoat, when his eyes landed on something unusual. There, on the curb, sat a girl around his age. She was hunched slightly, her hands resting in her lap.

She had a stack of books next to her.

Nancy turned around at the sound of the pub door creaking open, a faint flutter of hope rising in her chest. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, she found herself wishing it was her brother stepping through the threshold.

"Oh."

The word slipped from Nancy's lips before she could stop it, soft but tinged with disappointment. She quickly bit her lower lip.

Finn Shelby scrunched his eyebrows together, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face as he glanced at the girl sitting on the curb. He wasn't one to stop for anyone, especially not some girl on a cold street, With a slight shake of his head, he brushed past her, his boots clicking sharply against the cobblestones.

"Wait!"

Hearing the girl yell, Finn stopped in his tracks, his shoulders tensing as he turned to face her.

Nancy couldn't help but smile, a flicker of relief passing through her as Finn stopped and turned to face her. It was a small victory.

She straightened up, her heart pounding in her chest as she took a small breath before speaking. "Have you seen my brother?" she asked, her voice steady but urgent. "He's eighteen, brown hair, brown eyes—his name's Johnny. Have you seen him?" She searched his face, her eyes pleading for any sign that he might know where Johnny was, or at least have heard something.

"No."

@" To death do us apart."

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This book is based off the series- Peaky blinders