Another Shelby

A Gentleman

Days Ago—

    They were sitting at the table, discussing there next move when Tommy had swept into the room. All the swagger she remembered from when she was a young, now mixed with all the pride of a man who had built an empire.
    But that was not what had caught her eye.
    She'd cut off mid sentence, eyes widening at the sight of a massive newly healing gash along Tommy's temple. The edge's were rough, raised, and raw.
    "Tommy, my god," she whispered, reaching quickly across the table towards the offending area.
    She shook her head, the slice was surrounded in a purpling welt. Less than a day old if she had to guess.
    She stared up at him, searching his careful stoic eyes. He was watching her too.. the room around them having fallen silent at her exclamation.
    "I'm fine." He rumbled out, those blue eyes trained on her own, flickering between hers now as if seeing something he hadn't before.
    She supposed he was right, when they'd known each other, when she was young, she'd have been too shy to press on at being shut down by those blue eyes and that straight unwavering face.
    She wasn't young anymore.
    "I know you're fine. You're always fine." She said, in quick dismissal, "I asked what happened."
    She didn't notice he was moving until his hand covered hers, where it had been hovering just over the skin; pressing her palm against his cheek. Stubbly and taught, the sharp curve of his cheekbone against her fingertips heaven and sin.
     His eyes slipped shut for a moment, and she could only stare. Stunned into silence by the sheer intimacy of it.
    Heat speared up her arms from the tingling live wire of her hand against the rough shadow of his stubble and the smooth warmth of his skin below. Her stomach flopped, and her ears felt as if someone had lit a match beneath them.
    He held her hand there against him. The moment ending as he stared up at her once more.
    "I'm fine."
    She swallowed. And swallowed again.
    "It'll scar."
    His mouth quirked a small smile as he finally released her. Her hand felt cold the instant he did.
    "I'm fine." He only repeated again. 
    And it then became clear, that in his eyes, whatever had happened was none of her concern, and her own gaze grew hard at the realization.
    She scoffed, shaking her head
    "Am I so untrustworthy?" Her voice held more venom than she'd intended, and She thought about laughing to ease the delivery, but the damage was already done.
    And as quickly as it came his smile was gone, replaced momentarily by shock at said venom, before slipping into the blank emptiness she'd grown so accustom to.
    Even then, his next words shocked her to her core.
    "I don't know; are you?"
    "Tommy!" Polly snapped, clearly affronted for her. But she could not shift her gaze from his own.
    Her chest clenched, like someone had reached a hand inside of her squeezing her heart in a white-knuckled fist, breaking her ribs to get there.
    "You would really ask me that?" Her voice held strong.
    "You showed up at the perfect time-"
    Her heart pounded in her ears as he spoke, though she kept her expression stoic.
    "I have always been there for you."
    "Who knows how much Changretta would pay for a hit this important."
    "I don't need or want his money."
    She shook her head in disbelief, but he merely continued.
    "You've been gone for five years and everyone knows we trust you."
    "You think I would betray my family?"
    He pauses at that, and stared up at her from where his eyes had fallen to the table as if reading this interrogation from an invisible script.
    There was nothing there in those eyes, as he said, "Family—maybe; but not blood."
    Her body retreated as if struck, and chaos erupted around her.
    Arthur shot up from the chair next to her, a furious look in his eyes. John quick behind him.
    Polly too was already shouting, curses shooting from her lips like gunshots in a language she just barely understood enough to recognize as Romani.
    But Tommy's eyes didn't leave her.
    And they only stared at one another.
Quiet and Solemn.