Bella reached the bedroom first.
She was panicking on the inside, but somehow kept her cool on the out.
She knew she had to explain everything to Tommy. Cause now it wasnt just her in danger, but him too.
Tommy entered the room a couple second after her.
He wasn't sure what to think, he just kept staring at her with wide eyes.
He just watched her kill a man for the first time.
He needed to everything and wanted to know it now.
When Bella looked over, she found it hard to conjure up the words.
After a moment, she motioned towards the bed "sit down Tommy,...I'll explain" her voice barely there
Tommy didn't move at first, but soon went over to the bed. As he watched Bella go over to her bag that rested on the chair in the corner.
She moved her hand around it for a couple seconds, before she pulled something out, her back was still to him as she looked down at whatever's in her in hand.
Slowly she came over and sat down next to him, handing him a photograph.
The photo was of Bella and an Italian man.
It was the picture of them in Italy.
Tommy studied it with a blank expression, and flipped it over to read the back,
Bella,
Forever the owner of mi heart.
Mi Amore until the end of time.
~Vinny
He didn't know why she was showing him this, it wasn't important right now.
Then she started to speak.
"That's Vincent. Marco Rossi's son. The man I was in a relationship with."
Tommy looked over at her. She sat to his right, with her head low watching her fingers as she folded them in her lap.
"What does this have to do with that man Bella?" He pressed
Bella looked up at him "Marco Rossi had a business deal with the Changretta family in New York...Luca Changretta tried to undermine him so Marco sent some men over to keep up his end."
She stopped to look at Tommy, making sure he was understanding her. He nodded once telling her to continue,
"Things got mixed up and some of Luca's cousins were killed....that's when we received the black hand"
Tommy knew what this meant. He's heard of the vendetta.
So he knew how this story was going to end.
"That's how they died, the Rossi's." He confirmed,
She took a deep breath and nodded "the hand is meant for me as well"
Now Tommy didn't want to hear that.
Bella gestured towards the photograph in his hands "he's the only reason I'm still alive. The Changretta's believe I'm already dead...and-and I didn't know that man in the kitchen...but I had to kill him, he knew who I was. And that's why you all need to stay away from the Italians, before a mistake is made and the same thing happens to you."
She stopped to wipe a tear that fell. Then turned to look at Tommy, she couldn't read his face.
"When Vinny and I received our letter, he hid me away in the city. It was the only time he wouldn't allow me to be involved in the family business. Otherwise we always stuck together....I waited in some rundown hotel room for him for a week, and when he did..."
She stopped to breathe some more
"When he did come, he told me they killed his father. That Marco was dead and that he couldn't protect me anymore...so he put me on a train to Hockley and told me to wait for him there. That he was going to make sure the Changretta's thought I was dead...bu-but he never showed up. He told me not to wait for him, to leave and start a new life ... after months of waiting I had to assume that he-he was d-dead. So I left and that's how I ended up sleeping in your stable." She confessed to him through falling tears,
After a few moments of silence, and her wiping her tears, she spoke up again
"Tommy I-I can't lose you too" she whispered
He brought his hand up to wipe the tears that fell down her face.
"We'll be okay peach. I promise. We won't get involved."
Bella looked him in the eyes, biting her lips in order to keep her emotions in check.
"I really care about you Tommy."
He looked back, "I care about you too...you could've gotten hurt tonight"
Bella let out a pathetic laugh and shook her head. "I'm okay Tommy, been in worse situations"
Tommy kept his hand on her cheek for another second before letting it fall. Once it did Bella reached out and held it in her hands.
They both looked over at the photo in Toms other hand.
"Tell me 'bout him" he asked
He didn't know why he wanted to know more about this Vinny. But if what she said was true, he felt like he owed him.
Bella paused for a second. "He saved my life, twice. And I didn't even get to thank him the second time..."
Tommy looked back over at her, "twice?"
Bella nodded and leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, looking down at the photo.
"The day I met him, I was on sitting on a bridge's railing in London. A gun in hand, just trying to find the courage..."
Bella felt Tommy tense as she said this. But he before he could say anything, she continued.
"He-he uh saw me and I guess knew what I was doing there. So he came over, eventually talked me down and brought me home...that's where I met the family and well the rest is history I suppose." She spoke softly
Tommy nodded his head. Her head was still on his shoulder. So He gave her hand a squeeze.
"You remind me of me mum" he told her in his deep voice.
She thought about his statement, he's never talked about his mum before.
"How so?" She asked softly
He looked at her from the corner of her eye, "she was a very beautiful person, inside and out...but she had a broken soul. And that's what took her life"
Understanding what he meant, she gave his hand another squeeze as well, "I'm sorry Tommy" she whispered
He shook his head at this, "no. Don't be. I just-I don't want you to have the same ending."
Bella turned her head and gave his shoulder a kiss, then rested her chin on it "you don't have to worry 'bout me...I haven't felt like that in a long time...the family business, the lifestyle is what kept me grounded. And I-...and I think that's why I was meant to find you. I know it's dangerous, but it's the only thing that's given me control over me mind."
Tommy's shoulders shook a little as he let out a small laugh. Then he spoke "guess our life's were meant to cross when then did, eh peach?"
She chuckled at his statement, "yeah Tom, I guess they were"
Tommy then turned his body so he could look at her face, she backed away from his shoulder,
He looked down into her grey eyes, "I don't think you should be here alone tonight."
She agreed, "I don't think so either"
Tommy nodded and looked towards the door, "I'll stay on the sofa."
She shook her head, "no Tommy, this is your bed...you should sleep here"
"No it's okay peach, now get changed...and I'll go get our unfinished drinks" he told her as he handed her the photograph back.
She nodded.
After Tommy left, she got up making sure to put the photo back in her bag. Then moved to slip on a night gown.
Just as she was climbing onto the bed Tommy re-entered the room, with two glasses of whiskey and no suit jacket or tie.
Bella sat up with her back resting against the bed board, while Tommy sat on the edge by her legs.
After handing her a glass, Tommy held it up wanting to make a cheers, "to you peach, you're one of the better ones"
She gave him a small smile, clinking their glasses together
"Thank you, Tommy" she spoke softly
Both sat in silence for a couple minutes, digesting everything they learned tonight.
If one thing was for sure, Tommy would do anything to protect her.
He wasn't sure when these feelings started, but they were getting harder to keep to himself.
Looking over at her, she let out a tiny yawn. Tommy smirked at this, "would you like me to leave peach?"
Her eyes widen a little, and slowly shook her head, "no Tommy, I don't want you to leave"
He watched her face, really looked at her, then nodded. Understanding what she meant. He stood up taking both their glasses, placing them on the vanity and turned the light off.
He hesitated for a moment, but then crawled into bed beside her.
She was laying on her left side, watching him as he did so.
He was laying on his back, and turned his head to look at her.
Bella was the next one to speak up "what are we doing Tommy?"
He sighed but never looked away, "I'm not sure Bell."
"Let's - let's just sleep"
Tommy nodded, he wasn't sure what he would do if their conversation continued.
After a few minutes in the dark and silence, he felt her reach her hand out and gently grab his again.
Tommy held it back.
Soon he felt himself falling asleep too.
And there wasn't a single shovel.