It was the night of the gala and Tom was frantically trying to get ready. Preparing everything from his outfit to security measures for you and Haz but now you sat in the dimly lit bedroom, him throwing his outfit on in a bit of a hurry and you'd giggle every time he tripped or stumbled whilst throwing his pants on, or his fingers stumbled over a t-shirt button.
"Why can't you just not go? Stay with me" You fell onto the large bed, the comforter making you bounce up and down lightly a couple times.
"You know I'd much rather stay here with you, Pretty girl" He tugged his socks up, the jet black blazer tightening around his biceps for a moment. It was true. He'd rather stay with you, wrapped up underneath the blankets or attempting to do make some homemade cookies like you'd done for the last day and a half. But work remained.
Tom looked good, amazing even. You just wished that you could go with him, taking in the high life by his side, have a few drinks and socialize.
"It's been a while since I've dressed up." You groaned, patting the white duvet with the palms of your hands. "Put on a pretty dress, done my hair and makeup."
Tom wrapped the tie around his neck, beginning to do the thing up. You could easily remember being a kid, watching your father get ready for events like these. He always went above and beyond, pulling out the fanciest, most expensive outfit from his wardrobe and dressing to the nines. He'd come home drunk off of his feet, boasting about a new deal he'd managed to snag.
But now you were watching Tom-, your husband get ready, every aspect of the outfit complimenting him perfectly, He looked intimidating and you knew that if anyone was going to be watched closely tonight it'd be him. All eyes would be on your man. Whether or not they were good eyes, you had no idea.
Tom wasn't a fan. "You don't need all of that, you already look fucking delicious in what you're wearing now."
You laughed at his choice of words, the sweater hanging off of you and leggings that clung to your legs could say otherwise.
He spoke again. "I'd love to have you on my arm tonight, showing you off to everyone there, princess, but it's too dangerous. If anything were to happen to you, this is the type of place it'd happen. There are too many people, not enough security."
Tom would of loved to have you there, arms wrapped tightly around your waist as others gushed and stared, taking in the mafia boss and his utterly beautiful lady, but it wasn't the place. He couldn't keep you beside him for the whole night, possibly having to run off to private meeting rooms to make deals and discuss private business with clients.
And while he trusted you alone with Harrison at home, he didn't know how he felt about leaving the two of you in that big hall, surrounded by dangerous people and the odd few-, or more, that could be holding a grudge on Tom. If someone got to you and he couldn't be there, he feared that Harrison wouldn't be able to protect you as well as him.
How would he cope? Losing two of his best friends.
"I understand." You got up, making your way over to Tom, bare feet padding against the fluffy carpet. "Sure you aren't going to come home with another girl on your arm?" you joked.
Tom grinned cheekily, when your hands made there way around his tie, straightening it out since he hadn't picked up the slight angle it hung on just yet.
His hands made their way to your waist, thumbs drawing soft circles on the covered skin. "Why would I do that when my best girl is right here?"
Your smaller hands moved delicately, straightening out his blazer shirt and pushing his curls back gently. This was your man, all yours.
"I'll be waiting to hear all about it when you get back" You smiled, happy with how he looked.
"And I'll be waiting to tell you every piece of boring information, angel." He kissed you gently, one hand still gripping his tie to pull him in closer.
You felt undeniably warm and fuzzy inside and that feeling couldn't be mistaken, it was happiness and contentment. An emotion that had been coming all to frequently lately.
"I love you" you spoke the words with ease, the three little words that seemed to send Tom into a state of euphoria.
He didn't even hesitate before placing a gentle kiss on your forehead, the action was small but made your heart flutter. "I love you too, pretty girl"
A sudden knock at the door made him groan and pull his hands away as well as the familiar warmth his body brought you and in the little amount of light that was allowed from the small table lamp, you saw Tom roll his eyes.
"Yeah?" He spoke, just loud enough for the person you suspected to be Harrison to respond.
He opened the door just a crack and your assumptions were proven to be correct. "You gotta leave now mate or you'll be late, you know how it is."
Tom placed another kiss on your forehead, walking over to the door with your hand in his. In public, Tom was a big fan of affection. He wanted-, no, needed to have his hands on you in one way or another to feel content.
"I'm ready, is the car out?" Harrison nodded, not missing the small crinkles on Toms blazer where it looked like your hand had previously been and he smirked to himself, happy that the two of you were back on good terms. Though he was aware previous to that night, you'd rambled to him on the phone about your first 'I love you's' after they happened.
The three of you headed to the door, considering you weren't prepared to stay up until early hours to see him come back home, you even opened the front door for him to which he responded with a quick "it's meant to be the other way around sweetheart"
You scoffed and let go of his hand.
"How do I look?" He asked the two of you.
Haz put two thumbs up and you gave him a wink, taking in just how great he looked all done up for the gala.
"Wonderful, pretty boy" The nickname was said as a mere joke but Tom found himself smiling.
All jokes aside, Tom wanted you with him more than anything. But that was simply something that couldn't happen and the reality of the situation was that the two of you would never be safe together. There was always going to be people that'd restrict your time together.
Tom didn't know what came over him but before he could walk out he turned to the two of you, taking in every feature of yours from head to toe feeling a sense of pride and happiness before turning to Harrison, the one he'd always trusted with everything from simple school crushes to his life, and now his best girl.
Whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not, you two were his family. The two people that the mobster had a soft spot for.
"You take care of her, alright?" He looked towards Harrisons, who wore a small smile.
"Don't I always?" Harrison's smile dropped slightly when he noticed the look on Tom's face, something he couldn't quite make out yet. "I've got her, mate. Go make some deals, yeah?"
Tom left, walking right out of those double doors without another look back. A part of him was practically begging him to stay, to screw the gala and throw on a pair of sweats but he had to make the deals.
-
The gala was beautiful. Bright chandeliers hung from the ceiling and small, food tables sat around the room dressed with white and gold tablecloths and if Tom didn't have one goal in mind then he would've been able to marvel at it longer.
But his eyes were quickly taken off of the small, bite sized sandwiches and snacks and instead drawn to all of the rich businessmen. He recognised a lot of them, knew their dirty little secrets and would have taken them down, but milking them dry was much more fun.
People were scattered everywhere in fancy dresses and suits, makeup and hair done to the nines as if this were the Oscars and he almost snickered at being a part of it.
One girl was standing beside him, practically clinging to his side as Tom discussed business with her father who so far, was drinking up everything Tom was saying, on the outside at least. On the inside, he was practically shitting himself. Tom's men stood around the place watching with close eyes. If someone stepped out of line, they'd quickly regret it.
He had no interest in the girl, none at all.
"Holland! Funny seeing you here"
Tom internally groaned, recognising the voice instantly and turning around to face the one and only Tony, the man he grew to hate so early on.
"Is it really a pity though?" Tom sighed, turning away from the lady he was speaking too and picking up a drink of whatever alcohol was being handed around.
The man stayed put, waiting for Tom to turn around and continue their conversation.
Tony laughed, but his voice held something else-, nerves maybe. "How've you been? How's the lady?"
"I'm fine. She's good, this isn't any of your business. Now if you'll excuse me-," Tom went to continue his conversation, wanting nothing more to do with Tony but he was stopped when Tony grabbed his wrist dangerously hard, squeezing it.
Toms hand immediately went to where his gun was, putting a hand over it so that if he had to pull it out suddenly, he was ready and the man behind him noticed, backing away from the two men slowly. It was obvious that he didn't want any part in what was about to happen. "I suggest you let go of me, right fucking now"
"Listen-," Tony practically spat, the words rolling off of his tongue like venom.
Toms' hand tightened around the gun, his men were closer now, their eyes trained on the two mobsters. "Whatever you're up to, I don't want any part of it" Tony had always been trouble, nothing more, nothing less.
Tony looked around the room as if he was looking for someone and dropped Toms' wrist. Tom's hand loosened around the gun and he eyed his men, telling them to back off.
With one last glance around the room, Tony spoke up. "It's about Y/N" The words weren't loud, only loud enough for Tom to hear and the second they passed Tony's lips-, he had a firm grasp on Tony's arms, tugging him to the corner of the room where they were the furthest away from anyone else.
"You have thirty seconds" He snarled, placing the wine glass down.
-
After not even thirty minutes of Tom being gone, the two of you became bored and too restless to sit around and watch movies. So that's how you found yourselves sitting on the living room floor, a game of Monopoly sitting in front of the two of you as well as a pile of fake money. Tessa was fast asleep in her bed in the laundry, far away from either of you.
Harrison was leading, smirking to himself every time he got further and further ahead and laughing to himself harder than ever before the fourth time you got sent to jail. He was all too amused by the situation.
"If this game was realistic I'd be way ahead of you." You grumble, humour lacing your words as well as frustration. You coughed suddenly, trying to rid the wave of fatigue that suddenly hit but you quickly dismissed it, relating it back to your nausea earlier on.
You felt bad in more ways than one, both mentally and physically. The anxiety you were feeling was penetrating and you couldn't explain why, not even relaxing in front of a game of monopoly was helping.
Harrison grinned, rolling the dice. "Let's be thankful it's just a game then" He moved six spaces. "Are you alright, you're looking a little pail?"
"I'm just really tired." You lied right through your teeth-, although, you were extremely tired, it was only one of the things you were feeling at that moment. "Hey, what time do you think Tom will be home?" You questioned, taking your turn.
"Around one"
You nodded, fiddling with your fingers. There was a question sitting on the tip of your tongue, one you'd been dying to ask and now that it was just you and Harrison, you were ready to ask it. "Have you guys found anything? About my mother's death."
Harrison sighed, placing the dice down and putting his head in his hands for a moment. "We haven't, but Tom's doing everything he can. He's practically going out of his mind trying to find out." You nodded. "We do know for sure that whoever it is connected with the threats, which is pretty obvious at this point but besides from that... I'm sorry"
"Hey, it's okay. You guys are trying your best to find whoever it is."
"But you're sick of the captivity?" Harrison practically finished your sentence, the words you'd been trying to say fell from his lips before they could fall from yours and you smiled lightly, nodding in agreement. "I think it hurts Tom to see you stuck in this situation too but the two of you are in it together, you know?"
"Yeah" You nodded in understanding. "What was he like before all of this? Before he ran the mob?"
Harrison grinned at the memories, remembering when the two of them were carefree. When they didn't have a mafia to run.
"Tom was a little shit when he was younger, always ditching school, never followed the rules." Harrison laughed, remembering all the times they'd ditch at lunch only to sit behind the class rooms with a cigarette in between their teeth. "He was hated by all of the teachers, the arrogant prick never stood a chance in school, never gave the teachers a moment's rest."
You found yourself grinning from ear to ear.
"He was always so involved in his father's business that school wasn't on his priority list anyone so once he-, and I was old enough we dropped straight out. Boy did we party. Tom definitely made the most of his freedom before Dom got ill and gave up his position."
"That sounds like him." you laughed, imagining a young Tom hell bent and breaking lose. "What happened the day he found out about me?"
"The day he found out, he was pissed." Harrison continued. "He came straight to me, started hitting things, yelling about how he wasn't in control anymore. He was mad, of course, but not at you, at his father. " Harrison noticed your eyes drift down to your fingers. "I told him to give you a chance and I think that's one of the best thing I've ever done."
"For fuck's sake, Haz! He's taken everything away from me and I-I don't even get to fall in love" Tom clenched his fists, bruises knuckles aching with every hit to the door. "I hate him, I fucking hate him."
Harrison was shocked, reading a copy of the contract over and over. "They signed this when you were a kid, I don't-, Can't you find a way out? This has to be illegal."
"Everything's illegal we're apart of the fucking mafia." Tom was seeing red. "There's no getting out of it, not unless I want to lose my position. I'm going to marry a total stranger, a girl I don't even know and spend my life acting like a damn guard dog."
Harrison looked over the folder that came with the contract, her photos adorning the folder as well as a brief description of who her family were. "Does she know about this?" he asked.
Tom shook his head. "I don't think so"
He sighed. "You guys are in this together." His eyes scanned the bottom half. "It says she lost her mum."
Tom stopped, turning to look at the paper.
"Look, the two of you are stuck and as much as I hate to say it, we need to wait before we take action. The best thing you can do is give her a chance... you've still got four years anyway"
You snapped Harrison out of his thoughts with a question, one that you were afraid of hearing the answer too. "Did he learn to accept it?"
"He did and I think-, I think that not a day goes by when he doesn't regret the way he acted that day."
It was the truth, Tom did regret acting out the way he had when he found out about the contract. He felt that you deserved better, someone that appreciated you from the start.
Your heart was practically beating out of your chest and you were sure that you looked like a mad man with the smile that graced your features but Harrison didn't care, not in any way.
You were suddenly craving that familiar touch, the warmth and love his arms bought and all you wanted was him home. Tom's business sent him off a lot, at least when he was working from home you could sit beside him in his office. You always felt a sense of dread when he was out, never knowing if he'd come back or not.
"I'm just going to text Tom and check up on him" You went to reach for your phone, patting around for a moment before finding that it wasn't there.
Harrison joked. "So Tom's the one that needs to be checked up on now, huh?"
You smacked his arm lightly. "I think I left it in Tom's office" You mentally face palmed, remembering that the last time you had your phone was this afternoon in Toms office. The device was most likely still sitting on his desk.
"Will Tom mind you popping in while he's not there?" Harrison already knew the answer.
You shrugged your shoulders and jumped up. "Shouldn't care less" Harrison nodded. "I'll be back in a moment, don't cheat!" You warned him, pointing a finger and narrowing your eyes and trying to memories the board game roughly before leaving.
"Wouldn't dream of it"
You were grateful for the freedom they'd given you since the incident. Maybe it was because of the harsh training Harrison had been doing with you or maybe it was just because Tom was afraid that if he had too much control if he suffocated you too much, you'd leave.
Believe it or not-, he was vulnerable and once he opened up to you he became an open book and your relationship was filled with honestly. When one wasn't feeling okay, the other was aware.
You smiled softly when you thought about Tom.
Speed walking down the hallway, you barely even noticed anything was different-, in fact, if it weren't for what happened next you wouldn't have noticed a thing. The closer you came to Tom's office, the more you felt that you were being watched. It was haunting and you felt almost five times more vulnerable without your phone by your side.
Your steps slowed. Rough, fast footsteps turned into light, slow pads through the halls and you weren't sure if it was because it was almost completely dark in the hall or because you were alone but you could swear someone was watching and it sent shivers down your spine, the hair on the back of your neck standing up.
Then you realised Tom never turned off the lights outside his office. They were always on, guiding the way to the room he spent most of his time in. Tom hated the dark, despised it. Darkness made room for threats and that was a big no.
Every fibre in your body was telling you to get out of there, to warn someone and make an escape but you kept walking, your phone being the ultimate destination but you didn't even make it near the office door before the air was taken out of you.
You should've followed your instincts and turned around, run back to Haz or at least got in a defence stance because the second an unfamiliar handmade it's way around your mouth, you became defenceless and alone with whoever was behind you and if he had other goons-, those too.
You tried to scream, kick him from behind and fight him off but you were powerless and everything Haz had taught you seemed to go out the window and you felt nothing but ill and dread. This was simply the situation you'd been prepared for, but now it seemed so much worse.
The arm that was wrapped around your waist to keep you still wasn't Toms, no way. It was much too tight and the hand that was around your mouth was applying too much pressure to the point where you were starting to feel light headed.
"We've got you now, Princess. What're you going to do about it?"
That wasn't Tom.
The nickname, usually so sweet and full of love when coming from Tom, suddenly made you feel sick. Your skin tingled in all the wrong ways and it made you shut your eyes, as though if you tried hard enough you'd wake up from the horrible nightmare you found yourself living.
*Princess*
it made you sick hearing that name on this strangers mouth, hearing the sneer encased in his lips.
*Princess*
You tried to picture Tom, tried to hear his sweet voice instead, but as the hand wrapped tighter around your mouth, you couldn't calm down or convince yourself anything would be normal ever again.
"Now, princess. Are you going to be good for us and help us finish our plan or will we have to roughen you up a little bit?"
You tried to shake your head, hands clambering to get out of his grip when you felt the world spinning. You wanted to do the thing Tom had told you not to do, to plead for your life, beg him to let you leave.
"Strike a nerve with that little name did I, princess?"
Harrison was here somewhere, he was going to come. All you had to do was wait. But Tom, you wanted Tom.