"Unhinged"

Part Two

The plan was perfect. The plan was simply beautiful. He had planned it so well he almost laughed in giddy false humor. Finally he would be in control, for once he would know what it was like to have the upper hand. She would no longer be able to drag him around like she had been doing for years. When he was younger all she would have to do is say jump and he would jump. If she even looked at him a certain way he was right there doing as she needed. Sometimes he did it without her even having to ask. He loved her so much he would gladly cut off any limb if she was in need.

What would she do for him in return? She led him around by the short leash she attached around his neck. Strangling him from having any kind of life that didn't revolve around her. She owed him. She was in debt and he wanted his rightful payment. He wanted her to see how badly she had wounded him. He loved her…yet he hated her more. Or was it the other way around? He was so confused.

So lost. So set on his plan anything that got in the way would be knocked down and kicked to ashes. The girl who stole his heart when they were kids. The woman who broke it when she turned eighteen. The woman whose face haunted his dreams. The woman who kissed someone else. The woman who had no idea what he was planning.

Sweet revenge. His nectar of misery.

People of all races wandered the run down alleyway of downtown Toronto. Some cloaked in heavy coats, others wrapped in thick sweaters with scarves. Winter was slowly changing season, leaving behind ice coated tress and a chill that bit into anyone's skin who dared to step outside. Water covered the littered sidewalk as snow from another day began to melt.

Trash left behind lie snuggled within the mud filled potholes lining the old street that was in dire need of new paving. Something the province always neglected. Any area that was ran by the local drug dealers was not on the priority list. Most people who wound up in this neighborhood had one thought. Get in and get out. The later the days became the scarier the surroundings developed. The bushes turned into hiding places for thugs. Vacant buildings housed the homeless and became the office space to any person who needed a quick drug fix.

Wounded souls continued to pass by, each with their heads hung low. One had to wonder if they were so defeated the thought of looking up was too much, or were they afraid to look in the eye of the wrong person? No one dared to cross the line of the forbidden. Each person passing by the once popular corner apartments that held the biggest club of years ago. No one of this century knew it existed. No one took the time to preserve the history of a major turning point in modern music in Canada. Their heads were always lowered, opting to stare at the trash than notice the historical sight that had become a drug dealers paradise.

The homeless man who took residence outside the run down building had become a welcome sight after another long grueling day at work. No matter how many times he relentlessly offered to count the hair on her arms to make a measly dollar she always felt safer with him guarding the wood split doors. Days in which she was barely awake she knew the older gentlemen outside would always keep an ear and an eye on her. An understanding they had silently reached since the studio was undergoing major changes.

With Darius Mills still under investigation Liam Fenway was asked to step in as head of G Major records in order to keep Canada's top artists on top of the music charts. Jude Harrison being the biggest money maker of all of them combined had been working herself into the ground to please not only Liam but herself. After returning from her trip around Asia with Tommy Jude's life had taken a turn for the better… and worst.

Her footsteps echoed throughout the dimly lit hallway as she made her way towards the run down green doors she had become so familiar with over the years. Her spirits high and they showed as her steps bounced within her dark brown boots. No matter how tired she was she couldn't wait to get inside. Tommy would be waiting for her.

Ever since she went with her heart and had chosen Tommy, Jude knew she made the right decision. Their relationship was far from perfect, but it was perfect enough for her. She loved him more with each passing day and she knew Tommy loved her just as much. Backpacking through Asia had forced the pair to rely on one another. Relying on Tommy for his strength and his guidance was more romantic than any candlelit dinner.

His breath quickened as her footsteps drew closer and closer. With every passing second that brought her closer to him…his sweet revenge tasted even more bitter. Silence spread throughout the apartment and he knew she had stopped just outside the heavy doors. A wicked grin raised his lips as he stepped silently into the shaded part of the room near the stairs. As soon as she entered he would be giving her the surprise of her life. He was so excited he rubbed his sweaty hands together in giddy anticipation.

The key turned within the lock providing the only noise to sound within the quiet hallway. Twisting the key back Jude used her right shoulder to open the door. Tommy kept telling her and the boys to have the door fixed, or at least oil up the hinges to keep the creepy creaking noises from scaring the crap out of everyone when they were alone. Obviously she had yet to fix the door. Shuddering as the door opened revealing the pitch black space that awaited her.

"Tommy?" Jude called as she stepped into the rehearsal space. Dropping her bag on the ground she closed the door behind her. "Tommy?" Knowing the space inside and out Jude felt her way blindly into the room until she reached the light-switch. "Tom? I know you enjoy sending me on goose chases…" her voice trailed off as she turned the light on.

"Tommy?" Jude called again as she made her way towards the stairs where she knew the other light was. She couldn't imagine why he would hide out here without turning on at least one light. He had left before her so he had plenty of time to leave the note and arrive before she did. "Come on this isn't funny. You know how much I hate being alone in the dark." Laughing nervously she ran her hand through her newly shortened blond locks. "One of those fears I never grew out of. I told you this and now you're making a joke out of it, right?" When she received no answer she shook her head and continued to walk slowly towards the stairs. "Come on babe just come out already!"

The scent of her perfume carried into the air. Surrounding him in a blanket of everything he knew and loved about her. For the briefest of moments he regretted all of his wicked thoughts, then he remembered everything she had done… inhaling the smell of vanilla and roses he closed his eyes in bliss.

"Tommy" Jude's voice sounded near. Opening his eyes just in time to make out her approaching shadow on the opposite wall he stepped away from the stairs; directly into her path.

Movement caught Jude's attention from the stairwell. Jumping back with a shriek she grabbed her chest before calling out. "Tommy?"

Now or never. Now or never, repeated in his head as he buried his hands in his pant pockets and stepped into the light. Revealing who he was. "Not Tommy," his voice sounded rough even to his ears.

Jude's eyes widened in shock as her lips curled into a nervous grin. "Jamie?"

To be continued...