Velvet Crowbar
three.
It was Monday morning, just a little past midnight. Emma was hanging around the gym, doing some light conditioning while she waited for Tommy to finish up a meeting with Colt. As she took a step back from the bag and cracked open her bottle of water, Tommy came down back down to the main area of the gym. He walked over and grabbed her open water, pouring the clear liquid over her head before darting out the front door.
They laughed their way through the empty streets of Pittsburgh back to their apartment. Tommy felt a warm breeze brush past his neck as he tossed an arm over Emma’s shoulder. His hand dropped down to the chain around her neck. He ran the smooth metal beading through his calloused fingers, “You better be wearing that ring on your finger tomorrow.”
Emma wrapped an arm around Tommy’s waist and nearly stumbled over her feet when she saw the smile on his face. It was truly a one of a kind smile, the kind that created those wrinkles around his eyes. She stopped in the middle of the street and pulled the chain over her head, unclasping it to allow the ring to fall into the palm of Tommy’s open hand. Emma tossed the chain back over her head and held her hand out.
The feeling of the metal band around her finger and the weight of the diamond perched on top filled what felt like an empty void in her stomach. “I promise, Tommy Riordan, to wear this ring for as long as I shall live.”
The fighter grunted in approval as they continued to walk again. With just the sound of their sneakers hitting the pavement, Tommy began listing all the reasons he loved the woman under his arm. He loved that she used his mother’s maiden name despite the fact that legally they would be Conlon. He loved that she stood behind him every time he stepped into the cage with proud smile on her face. He loved the his t-shirts looked on her as she danced through the kitchen making breakfast. But most of all, he loved the light and happiness she brought to his tired soul.
Emma took out her phone and opened the camera application before pulling her fiancé into a kiss. Tommy was caught off guard by the kiss and even more so by the bright flash from the camera. He rolled his eyes knowing that photo would likely end up on her Facebook page. “That going on your Facebook?”
“Maybe..” She smiled well aware that of the fact that Tommy hated all the social media bullshit she involved herself in. “Something’s gotta keep those fan girls of yours at bay, you know.”
Tommy raised his eyebrow and laughed remembering how riled up she had gotten when she saw all those girls with their tits hanging out at Sparta. That little green eyed monster only grew when Emma had the bright idea to Google themselves. She was taken aback at how many fan sites and blogs were created in admiration and lust for her man.
As they turned the corner down the street of their apartment, the first thing the couple spotted were the tell tale flashing red and blue lights of a police car. “Maybe they’re finally picking up that guy down the hall.”
Tommy didn’t say anything as they got closer. Just as they approached the building, Emma saw a cop whom she had known from a few charity events she had been involved with through the community. He was an older man with greying hair and a lifetime of stories from his time with the forces.
“Warren, how are you?”
The cop held a grim look on his face as the couple approached him. “Ah Miss Gepner, Tommy.”
Tommy’s arm fell to his side as Emma stepped out from under his grasp to greet to office. The fighter crossed his arms and shifted slightly in his spot. Even after all the AWOL business was taken care of, Tommy never trusted a man or woman in a government issued uniform.
Emma stood beside the aged man and stared up at her apartment building, “I take it 5B’s girlfriend called you guys over again?”
Warren ran hand over his face, “Not exactly. We were actually just about to call you folks.” Tommy’s fists clenched as he waited for the officer to reveal the nature of their visit. “Miss Watson of 5B called to report a disturbance, but it was for your place.”
A wave of nausea crashed into the 5’4 brunette. Her stomach dropped at the thought of her apartment being broken into. Surely everyone in the building knew who lived in 7B; who could be stupid enough to break into Tommy Riordan’s apartment? Emma felt her legs turn to jelly. As quickly as she could, Emma pushed past the men in uniform ignoring their looks of sympathy and suggestions not to go in.
“Open the damn door, Harrison, or I’ll tell your mother about that girlfriend I’ve seen you around town with.” She threatened the young cop that stood before the door, blocking her way in.
Normally, the cop would have just brushed off the threat but the mixture of venom and agony in her voice willed him to take a small side step out of the way. The second she stepped through the threshold, her chest tightened. Emma ignored all the wreckage as she cautiously made her way back to where the bedroom was. The sight of her closet door wide open was a bleached flesh wound; the sight of a single hanger with nothing on it was the knife that killed her.
Tommy was still outside standing beside Warren. There was one question that he knew needed to be asked, it was burning in the back of his throat, “What’s it look like?” The question left a foul taste in his mouth and a sick feeling in his stomach.
“It’s a fucking war zone in there, Tommy.” His accent was heavy as he began to go through the list of damages: smashed television ripped off the wall, picture frames smashed, mattress cut open, glass and dirt everywhere.
The fighter had heard enough, not wanting to know who the bastard was that destroyed his home. Having the identity would likely land Tommy in jail for some hard time. He started to walk away from the officer when Warren called out.
“Hey Tommy?”
Tommy looked over his shoulder with a dangerous look on his face, “What?” He barked over all the commotion.
Warren cursed to himself silently and took off his cap to run a hand through his hair, “The dress... they took her dress.”
Tommy felt his stomach churn as he stormed up to the apartment. Though the dress hung for months in his closet, just feet away from where he slept every night, Tommy never once took a peak at his fiancé's wedding dress. He respected her wishes that he not see the dress until she walked down the aisle but they agreed mutually that it would be safest in their own apartment rather than with Brendan and Tess.
With each step toward his home, Tommy could feel the brunette’s pain. His heart was pounding faster than it should have been. Tommy knew two things about the dress: it was the only one Emma had ever wanted ever since adolescents and it took two years of saving every last penny to purchase.
Much like his fiancé had done previously, Tommy pushed his way through the men in uniform trying to collect prints and rushed back to the bedroom. The fighter instantly dropped to his knees and pulled Emma into his arms. He leaned back against the wall and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close. All the background noise fell to the wayside and in that moment, it was just them- a man and his woman.
They laughed their way through the empty streets of Pittsburgh back to their apartment. Tommy felt a warm breeze brush past his neck as he tossed an arm over Emma’s shoulder. His hand dropped down to the chain around her neck. He ran the smooth metal beading through his calloused fingers, “You better be wearing that ring on your finger tomorrow.”
Emma wrapped an arm around Tommy’s waist and nearly stumbled over her feet when she saw the smile on his face. It was truly a one of a kind smile, the kind that created those wrinkles around his eyes. She stopped in the middle of the street and pulled the chain over her head, unclasping it to allow the ring to fall into the palm of Tommy’s open hand. Emma tossed the chain back over her head and held her hand out.
The feeling of the metal band around her finger and the weight of the diamond perched on top filled what felt like an empty void in her stomach. “I promise, Tommy Riordan, to wear this ring for as long as I shall live.”
The fighter grunted in approval as they continued to walk again. With just the sound of their sneakers hitting the pavement, Tommy began listing all the reasons he loved the woman under his arm. He loved that she used his mother’s maiden name despite the fact that legally they would be Conlon. He loved that she stood behind him every time he stepped into the cage with proud smile on her face. He loved the his t-shirts looked on her as she danced through the kitchen making breakfast. But most of all, he loved the light and happiness she brought to his tired soul.
Emma took out her phone and opened the camera application before pulling her fiancé into a kiss. Tommy was caught off guard by the kiss and even more so by the bright flash from the camera. He rolled his eyes knowing that photo would likely end up on her Facebook page. “That going on your Facebook?”
“Maybe..” She smiled well aware that of the fact that Tommy hated all the social media bullshit she involved herself in. “Something’s gotta keep those fan girls of yours at bay, you know.”
Tommy raised his eyebrow and laughed remembering how riled up she had gotten when she saw all those girls with their tits hanging out at Sparta. That little green eyed monster only grew when Emma had the bright idea to Google themselves. She was taken aback at how many fan sites and blogs were created in admiration and lust for her man.
As they turned the corner down the street of their apartment, the first thing the couple spotted were the tell tale flashing red and blue lights of a police car. “Maybe they’re finally picking up that guy down the hall.”
Tommy didn’t say anything as they got closer. Just as they approached the building, Emma saw a cop whom she had known from a few charity events she had been involved with through the community. He was an older man with greying hair and a lifetime of stories from his time with the forces.
“Warren, how are you?”
The cop held a grim look on his face as the couple approached him. “Ah Miss Gepner, Tommy.”
Tommy’s arm fell to his side as Emma stepped out from under his grasp to greet to office. The fighter crossed his arms and shifted slightly in his spot. Even after all the AWOL business was taken care of, Tommy never trusted a man or woman in a government issued uniform.
Emma stood beside the aged man and stared up at her apartment building, “I take it 5B’s girlfriend called you guys over again?”
Warren ran hand over his face, “Not exactly. We were actually just about to call you folks.” Tommy’s fists clenched as he waited for the officer to reveal the nature of their visit. “Miss Watson of 5B called to report a disturbance, but it was for your place.”
A wave of nausea crashed into the 5’4 brunette. Her stomach dropped at the thought of her apartment being broken into. Surely everyone in the building knew who lived in 7B; who could be stupid enough to break into Tommy Riordan’s apartment? Emma felt her legs turn to jelly. As quickly as she could, Emma pushed past the men in uniform ignoring their looks of sympathy and suggestions not to go in.
“Open the damn door, Harrison, or I’ll tell your mother about that girlfriend I’ve seen you around town with.” She threatened the young cop that stood before the door, blocking her way in.
Normally, the cop would have just brushed off the threat but the mixture of venom and agony in her voice willed him to take a small side step out of the way. The second she stepped through the threshold, her chest tightened. Emma ignored all the wreckage as she cautiously made her way back to where the bedroom was. The sight of her closet door wide open was a bleached flesh wound; the sight of a single hanger with nothing on it was the knife that killed her.
Tommy was still outside standing beside Warren. There was one question that he knew needed to be asked, it was burning in the back of his throat, “What’s it look like?” The question left a foul taste in his mouth and a sick feeling in his stomach.
“It’s a fucking war zone in there, Tommy.” His accent was heavy as he began to go through the list of damages: smashed television ripped off the wall, picture frames smashed, mattress cut open, glass and dirt everywhere.
The fighter had heard enough, not wanting to know who the bastard was that destroyed his home. Having the identity would likely land Tommy in jail for some hard time. He started to walk away from the officer when Warren called out.
“Hey Tommy?”
Tommy looked over his shoulder with a dangerous look on his face, “What?” He barked over all the commotion.
Warren cursed to himself silently and took off his cap to run a hand through his hair, “The dress... they took her dress.”
Tommy felt his stomach churn as he stormed up to the apartment. Though the dress hung for months in his closet, just feet away from where he slept every night, Tommy never once took a peak at his fiancé's wedding dress. He respected her wishes that he not see the dress until she walked down the aisle but they agreed mutually that it would be safest in their own apartment rather than with Brendan and Tess.
With each step toward his home, Tommy could feel the brunette’s pain. His heart was pounding faster than it should have been. Tommy knew two things about the dress: it was the only one Emma had ever wanted ever since adolescents and it took two years of saving every last penny to purchase.
Much like his fiancé had done previously, Tommy pushed his way through the men in uniform trying to collect prints and rushed back to the bedroom. The fighter instantly dropped to his knees and pulled Emma into his arms. He leaned back against the wall and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close. All the background noise fell to the wayside and in that moment, it was just them- a man and his woman.
♠ ♠ ♠
this is is a lot longer than i usually write but its whatever :)i worked really hard on this chapter so i'd really love some input/thoughts.
as usual, thanks to everyone who comments, recommends, and subscribes; you guys rock!