Underneath My Feet [T. Shelby]

Unbridled

Amelia hadn't said a single word on the way home. Instead as she sat in silence, word had got back to Tommy that she was now safe and on her way to him under the protection of his men. It was a good sign, well he tried to tell himself that, but he couldn't think for the inner voice screaming over and over in his head that he shouldn't of let her go in the first place.

Arthur was the first one to break his brother away from his own thoughts "It's a good sign Tommy"

Tommy didn't believe in good signs. There was either good or evil, there was no middle man letting you know which way life was going to go. It just happened. It was shit but it was the world in which he worked well.

"I wonder what she said...."John started, the temptation to ask Tommy bubbling up in his throat. One swift look from Arthur and he shut his mouth. Tommy was far more protective over Amelia than he ever let on.

Behind him Tommy could hear a car pulling up and he knew by the sound of her heels outside that she was safe. Arthur quickly left the room to greet her.

"Hello Arthur" he heard her soft voice greet back.

"Hello love, come on we're in here" and Arthur came back into the room and sent a look Tommy's way. Tommy sat up straighter and felt his stomach drop as she walked into the room.

Amelia looked exhausted as she swept into the room and took a seat next to John. It wasn't missed by Tommy that she refused to meet his eyes as he silently willed her to look at him.

"How did it go?" Arthur asked, nursing his fifth whiskey.

Amelia closed her eyes as she rubbed the side of her temples "That man is disgusting" and then she looked up and looked at Arthur "All he wanted to do was talk about....me and Tommy"

Tommy's hand flinched under the table at the information but he reacted quickly by busying his hands with lighting a cigarette.

"I deflected the conversation. I asked that he leaves before anyone has to get hurt"

"And?" John asked eagerly.

"Changretta won't leave John. This is too personal for his family. They've been watching us for a whole year gathering up every bit of information they can" and she grimaced.

John slammed his hand down on the table and Amelia flinched. It was enough that she couldn't persuade Luca Changretta to leave but now she had to carry the guilt that she couldn't do more.

"Who in his family?" Tommy asked, cutting across the room and looking right at her.

Amelia caught his eye and he knew that this had bothered her more than she was letting show. Amelia had a tell was she was stressed, it was the way she bit her lip.

Tommy had always admired her tenacity to put her feelings away when she needed to. It was a survival tactic they had all learned in the war.

"If I was to guess? Possibly the mother. There was no reasoning which suggests he doesn't have much of a choice"

Tommy nodded at the information, it matched perfectly with his man in Boston who was seeking out enemies of Changretta.

"There was one thing I was able to persuade him to leave"

All three men looked at her then, waiting for her to make this situations somewhat better. Amelia bit her lip, took a deep breath, knowing that she had to settle on a deal that she couldn't live with.

"I asked Mr Changretta that the women and children of your family be left out of this. I have his word that no harm will come to them"

Tommy could feel Arthur staring at him and knew they where both sharing the same thought.