This Dark Disposition

Chapter 25 - 'Till The Danger Passes

Two Weeks Later

When Tommy walked in the front door of the house it was the middle of the night. He put his overcoat on the hook and took off his suit jacket, which he flung over the side of the sofa. That was when Danielle leaned forward from where she was sitting into the moonlight that was shining through the window so that he could see her.

"You knew and you didn't tell me," She said coldly.

"I knew you'd be upset, and this is a conversation that he needs to have with you, not me," Tommy sat on the sofa in front of her and poured himself a glass of rum from the bottle on the coffee table.

"Not you, eh? That boy is going to be your brother in law one day."

"Look, Danny, he did as you asked. He's 18 now, and he finished his courses early. He didn't tell you about it because he knew you'd be upset," he took a sip of his drink, "But, Danny, he did as you asked."

"You will find a way to keep him out of the bad business," Danielle said as she stood from where she was sitting and started walking up the steps, "Or I swear to god I'll take this ring off and leave."

As she walked into the bedroom she could hear him get up and follow her. She hung her robe on its hook and walked over to the mirror where she started taking her hair out of its updo. When he walked into the bedroom he came up behind her and put his arms around her. In the mirror she could see his jaw clench. She knew he didn't like her threat about taking his ring off. He kissed her neck and then breathed in her ear, "I will protect him the best that I can, but he's a man. And if he has half the fire that you do, he won't stay out of that side of business for long."

Danielle knew that was true, but did not yet want to admit it. She promised her mother that he would be safe. Danielle turned around and kissed him, "Keep him safe, Tommy."

Tommy kissed her back and then pulled away from her smiling, "You forgot to lock the front door again."

The Next Day

When she woke up Tommy was not in bed. She got up and tied her loose curls up into a low ponytail, letting some of the pieces fall around her face. Then she walked over to the closet and pulled out her black dress and put it on. To top it off she pulled out a black hat from the top of the closet and put that on as well.

She walked down the stairs to find Tommy standing by the open window smoking, she joined him and he passed her his smoke, "I know this is a tough day for you," she spoke softly. A week ago the couple received a phone call in the middle of the night. Danielle frantically answered it thinking it might be a call from her mother; Tommy put the phone in their house on their first anniversary of dating so that she could call home whenever she wanted. On this night, however, it was Ada calling to say that Freddie had died in the night. Four nights prior to her call, Freddie had been in the hospital, sick of consumption.

Danielle recalled how upset Ada was when Danielle told her that he needed to go to the hospital, and that she couldn't take care of him alone. When Freddie took a turn for the worst, Danielle told Tommy to go see him in the hospital one last time. She was glad she did because when Tommy returned home he was upset about his old friend, and yet satisfied that he had made amends with him after everything that had happened with Ada.

"We should go, the boys are waiting" Tommy said, snapping Danielle out of her thoughts.

They walked towards the door and Tommy grabbed her coat off the hook. It was navy, with fur lining the cuffs and neckline. He slung it over her shoulders how she likes and then opened the front door.

Immediately they were greeted by two peaky boys, one of the boys opened the car door for them and Tommy held it open so Danielle could get in first. Then he walked to the other side of the car where the other peaky boy opened his door. He's like a king with a bloody army.