His Love

Chapter 2

Tom laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling as the early morning sun shone through the crack in his curtains, warming up his black silk sheets where it shone. His mind raced as he thought back to the events of the night before. They had succeeded in their plan of capturing his rival mob boss, but had failed at killing most of the boss's men. His plan also did not involve his soulmate getting stuck in the crossfire, or being anywhere on the premises at all.

He sighed as he sat up, silk sheets pooling around his waist as he ran his fingers through his curls. The nudging of a wet nose against his skin drew his attention to his furry companion laying beside him, a large smile on her face as she wagged her tail.

"Morning Tess." He said softly, voice low and filled with sleep. He gently scratched under her chin, smiling as she licked at his arm. His smile faltered as he thought about the long day ahead of him, a disappointed sigh slipping past his lips. "I know I promised to take you on a walk this morning, but I have damage control to take care of."

Tessa looked up at him with those innocent brown eyes, tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth. She stared up at her owner with so much love and care, causing Tom's heart to melt on the spot. He sighed as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, running his hand along her back before sliding out from under the sheets. He lifted his arms above his head as he stretched, a satisfying series of pops coming from various joints. He let out a sigh of relief, dropping his arms by his side as he headed for the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

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Tom rolled up his sleeves as he stepped into the large warehouse, his men leading him to the cell holding his father's long time rival - whom he had been lucky enough to inherit. His dress shoes tapped against the concrete floor as they turned down a hall, a metal door coming into view. He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck back and forth as they came to a stop in front of the door. Tom took a breath, composing himself before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Sat in the middle of the room, covered in his own blood, was his biggest rival: Samuel McGregor. The white haired man looked up at Tom, an amused grin spreading across his face. His clothes were disheveled, drops of his own blood decorating the pastel pink dress shirt and white jacket he wore.

"Well look who it is. The great Tom Holland." He laughed, lifting his head up, eyes locking with Tom's. "You're not all that great in my opinion. Think your brother Sammy is more ruthless than you. He is the family assassin after all."

Tom kept his composure as he walked over to the table sat along the wall, scanning over the various devices that littered the table. Several were already covered in blood, some of it still fresh. Tom picked up his favorite instrument, rolling the brass knuckles around in his fingers before setting it back down on the table and walking over to Samuel.

"Sam has never been interested in running the mob." Tom said simply as he turned his cold gaze to the man chained up in the middle of the room. He took notice of the developing bruises along his face, the slight crookedness and swelling of his nose. "We aren't here to talk about my family."

Samuel let out a laugh as he threw his head back, eyes shut as his body shook. Tom's jaw tightened, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he watched him laugh in amusement. "Oh, I know that's not why I'm here, boy. I just want to get a rise out of you. You want to know what I'm up to."

"One of the many things I want to know." Tom stopped in front of him, turning to face the captured man. "Why don't we start with why you're on my side of London."

Samuel just laughed, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Now why would I tell you that? That would reveal my big master plan."

Tom scowled as his fist met Samuel's jaw, a satisfying crunch resounding through the room. Samuel grunted, spitting out a bloodied broken tooth, turning back to Tom with a grin.