I was having trouble breathing as I stared at him. So many emotions were whirling around in my head, and I just couldn't seem to comprehend what they all meant. I was so relieved he was here, and yet so angry that he had been the one following us the whole time. Finally all I could manage was a squeak.
"Why?" I asked almost pathetically as Tommy's eyes looked at me with an expression I was really having a hard time reading.
"Jude…"He began as I placed my hand over his mouth gently. I was discovering that I was very good at not letting Tom Quincy finish a sentence. Looking at him with tears streaming down my face, I shook my head with finality.
"Don't! I just don't care why you're here. I don't care how all this came to be." I said with a large sweep of my hand as I indicated our surroundings. "Right now all I care about is that you're here." I said on a sob as he brushed my hair out of my face before pulling me toward him gently. I felt his hand rub my back in magic circles as a rustling at the end of the alley alerted us to the presence of more people.
"What the hell!" I heard Spied shout as Patsy and the rest of the guys joined in the yelling. Grabbing Tom by the jacket, Spied pulled him back forcefully and was just about to put a fist into his face when he realized who the supposed attacker was.
"Jesus!" Spied cried as Tommy rubbed his hands inquiringly along the material of his Ralph Lauren shirt.
"Not the last time I looked, but if you feel compelled to label me as thus I guess I can't complain." Tom said on a sardonic note as Spied raised his brows at the scathing tone. Pushing himself away from Tom disgustedly, Spied let his eyes roam over Tommy's face warily.
"Yep, it's Tom alright." He mumbled before backing slightly toward the brick wall. The drunken man at our feet stirred before glancing up at us with bloodshot eyes, and one glance at Tommy had him literally crawling out of the alley and into the dirty street before we could even blink. I shrugged at the irony of it.
"I don't guess you can tell us what's going on?" I asked Tommy quietly as the rest of the group leaned forward in anticipation beside me. Tom just sighed and ran a hand wearily over his face.
"Oh, I know alright or I wouldn't be here." He said scathily as I watched in stunned silence as he rammed his fist into the brick wall leaving a small gash on one of knuckles. It didn't even seem to faze him.
"I told him this was going to lead to trouble. Geez, Jude, you were nearly mauled." He said angrily as he paced the small walkway.
"Who, Tommy?" I asked softly even though I was beginning to get a pretty good idea of who was behind this fiasco.
"Let's just say this was the moral issue I was having with Darius." He said in a tired tone as the rest of the group gaped. I didn't even blink. How could I have been so blind? How many times had Tommy tried to tell me? God, I truly was a blonde. Tom gripped me by the shoulders before turning me toward him until our noses almost touched.
"I couldn't let you know, Jude. It was my job if I did, and Darius knows too much about my past. Hell, you all do. How hard would it be for me to get another position especially after the Felicia incident." He replied urgently as I gazed at him with the most honest expression I could manage.
"I don't blame you for this one, Tommy. I know you tried. I just didn't pay enough attention." I mumbled dejectedly as Jamie stepped up beside us.
"I don't guess you have any money, do you?" He asked hopefully as Tommy shook his head slowly.
"Only what's on me." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I was staying at a hotel near here under an assumed name, but I suppose it didn't help much because somehow Darius must have found out anyway. I found my things ransacked this morning and my belongings gone. All I can do is offer you guys the hotel room for one night since it's paid up for till then. After that we'll figure something out." Tommy said as Jamie groaned.
"This is just great. Our one hope, and its gone too!" He stated in a defeated tone as I looked at him despairingly. I had faith in Tommy. Tom quirked an eyebrow as he walked over to Jamie.
"Look, I'm not broke okay. And I have been to Europe before. At least six times to be exact. I know where we need to go and how to do it. There are places called 'hostels' we can stay at along the route. They aren't luxury hotels but they are fairly cheap and comfortable. Do yourself a favor, J man. Breathe." Tommy stated matter-of-factly before folding my fingers into his hands and leading us out of the alley. I squeezed his hand roughly, needing to feel that contact more than anything else in the world and he squeezed back as if feeling that same need. I was discovering we didn't need words anymore, and I wasn't sure if that scared the hell out of me or not because I knew one thing for sure. It meant that I had given Tommy my heart. Tommy glanced reassuringly at the group behind us.
"Besides, I do know how to make money if it becomes necessary. Even if I haven't done it since I was sixteen." He said assuredly as we all glanced at him questioningly. He just smiled down at me with a mischievous look on his face. Did I even want to know?
Author's note: Hey guys! I am so glad that you are loving the story. I'm typing furiously. We have so much more to go. I don't have access to a computer over the weekends although I'll see what I can't do. Just hang in there and keep reading. I so look forward to your reviews, and I have tried really hard to infiltrate your ideas into the story. Hope you like where I am going with this. Lots of love to ya. Please R&R.
