A Twist In Time

A Plan of Seduction

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.