As his gaze rounded the stands of Pomona Park again, this time his eyes stopped on a familiar figure standing at the edge of the crowd — this, however, was not a friendly face.
In fact, if he never saw it again, he would be happier than he could describe.
Garrick’s arms were crossed, his eyes trained on Tommy.
Tommy tried to remind himself that this was the plan they had discussed after practice the other night. Part of their plan was to raise the ire of Blackwood, to go against his wishes, to shake him out of hiding — but it still felt unnerving, to know that Blackwood’s favorite thug was here, watching him so closely, especially with Minnie in the crowd.
“Tommy!”
He swung his gaze around to find his parents and sister sitting near the edge of the rail close to him, and he ran over, taking their hands and accepting his mother’s kiss on his forehead. He was both ecstatic that they were here to watch him play and terrified that Blackwood would use them as another way to get to him.
He had no way of protecting both Minnie and his family.
“Where’s Minnie?” his mother asked.
“She’s up in the stands,” Tommy said, pointing above him, taking a second look when he couldn’t see her. “At least… she was.”
He tried not to panic but couldn’t help his desperation as he flipped his head from one side to the other. Garrick was also no longer standing where he had previously been.
“I’ll be back,” he said to his parents before he began pushing his way through the crowd. This couldn’t be happening. This would be his worst nightmare coming true. He couldn’t take this again. He?—
“Tommy!”
He whirled around again, his entire body immediately relaxing when he saw her, happy and unharmed.
“Minnie!” he called out, doing all he could besides pushing people out of the way to get to her.
He didn’t care who was watching when he reached her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him.
She returned the embrace for what felt like minutes until she finally leaned back away from him and stared up at him, her gaze narrowing when she read his expression, finding it not as celebratory as she must have imagined it was going to be upon their win.
“I’m sorry,” Tommy said before she could speak. “I probably don’t smell the best, but I… Minnie, I couldn’t find you, and Garrick was here, and then he was gone, and I just… I panicked.”
“Oh, Tommy, I’m so sorry,” she said, her smile dropping. “The ladies wanted to come down to the field, so I stayed with them, as I promised, with the men following along behind us.”
“Thank you, Min. I know this isn’t ideal. Something amiss is happening here, though. I can feel it in my bones.”
“Well, then,” she said withmore confidence than he felt, “we best face it together. You played brilliantly out there today, Tommy. You must know that.”
“Which Blackwood will not be happy about,” he muttered.
“Likely not.”
“This was the plan we set in motion. Jonny proposed it, and we all agreed. Draw Blackwood out. Make him come to us, show too many cards, and bring him down that way,” he said. “I’m going to change. Will you come with me? All of you ladies, and wait outside? Then we will continue to the tavern together.”
“Of course.”
“Good,” he said, leaning down and placing a quick kiss on her lips, loving her taste and craving more, as he always did, but knew now was not the time. Not with so much more awaiting them. “I love you, Min.”
“And I love you, Tommy,” she said.
His words warmed him through as he changed as quickly as possible.
She loved him and had given him the power to see that she was safe and well.
It was time he delivered on his promise.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
