Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Sweat dripped into Jonny's eyes as he sprinted down the pitch, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. This was it – the first match in Manchester Central's bid for the FA Cup, and he'd be damned if he let his team down. Not again. Not after missing the season opener.
His boots pounded the grass, the roar of the crowd filling his ears. He could feel the eyes of his teammates on his back, and he knew he wasn’t just imagining their skepticism. But he would show them. He'd play his heart out today and prove he belonged on this pitch as much as any of them.
The ball came flying at him, and he trapped it deftly with his chest before whipping around a Sheffield midfielder.
One touch, two touches, a quick pass to Tommy.
The game flowed through him, muscle memory taking over.
This was where he was meant to be, and he would not let Sharpe or Will or anyone who worked for them take this away from him.
As he ran to the backfield, returning to his position, he caught a flash of red hair in the stands and his gaze flicked up for the briefest moment.
Ada.
Watching him intently, her brow furrowed slightly. Minnie and the rest of the wives sat beside her, along with a woman he didn't recognize – must be Minnie's sister, visiting from Sheffield.
While the rest of them chatted amongst themselves, Ada — and Emmaline of course — had their eyes trained on the field.
Jonny wrenched his attention back to the match just as a meaty Sheffield opposing half-back came clattering into him at full speed, taking advantage of his wandering attention.
The breath rushed out of his lungs as he went sprawling, his face mashing into the turf. Dazed, he heard the ref's whistle and the outraged shouts of his teammates.
"That's a bloody foul!" Colin yelled as Jonny staggered to his feet, spitting mud. The half-back smirked at him.
"What's wrong, Tate? Heard you were a tough bloke from the docks. Can't handle a little knock?"
Jonny wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his temper flaring hot. But before he could snap back a retort, Rhys grabbed his arm.
"Let it go, Jonny. He's trying to rile you up, throw you off your game. Don't give him the satisfaction."
Jonny nodded tightly, his jaw clenched. Rhys was right. He had to keep his head for the team. The last thing they needed after his missed first game was for him to be thrown from this one.
Shaking off the hit, he ran back into position.
The match wore on, a gritty, physical battle in the midfield, where Jonny played, the bridge between the full-backs who stayed near the goal, and the forwards, who played ahead of him.
Jonny's lungs burned and his legs felt like lead, but he never let up, harrying the Sheffield players relentlessly.
As time began to wind down, he spotted an opening. Rhys sent a long ball arcing across the pitch. Jonny anticipated the bounce, leapt, and smashed a header, landing the ball at Colin’s feet before he sent it flying toward the goal. The ball bulleted past the diving keeper and into the net.
"Yes!" he roared as his teammates mobbed him and Colin, all distrust forgotten in the elation of a goal that should, hopefully, secure their first victory. Sheffield was a tough opponent this early in the season, but Manchester Central had been playing together long enough that they didn’t need a great deal of time to get their rhythm back.
The final whistle blew, and Jonny bent over, hands on his knees, catching his breath. They'd done it – a hard-fought 2-1 victory. Not pretty, but a win was a win. He felt a clap on his back and looked up to see Tommy grinning at him.
"Well played, mate. Knew you had it in you."
Jonny returned the grin wearily. "Thanks. Felt good to be out there again."
As they made their way off the pitch, Jonny couldn't help but glance up into the stands again.
Ada was on her feet, applauding with the others, but her eyes seemed to bore into him, filled with unspoken questions.
He quickly looked away before she read into anything she might see there and guess at his intentions.
In the changing room, the mood was boisterous as the team celebrated the win. But Rhys called for quiet, his expression serious.
"Good result today, but we can't get complacent. Sheffield exposed some weaknesses we need to address before the next round. And Jonny..."
Jonny met the captain's gaze, bracing himself.
"Glad to have you back. But miss another match without explanation and you're done. Clear?"
Jonny nodded curtly. "Clear."
He didn’t feel that he needed the additional chastisement in front of the entire team, but Rhys was the captain. He could do as he pleased.
As the team dispersed, Jonny changed quickly, his mind already racing ahead to the task awaiting him that night. Breaking into the station house to retrieve Blackwood's ledger wouldn't be easy. And the risk if he was caught...
He shook his head. Best not to dwell on that.
He had to do this, for his own sake and the team's. Shouldering his kitbag, he hoped to keep out of anyone’s notice tonight.
The last thing he needed was to get cornered by Ada or anyone else who might question where he was off to.
He would stop by The King’s Head, have a drink, and then slip out before anyone noticed.
To miss drinks with the team completely would only garner more questions than would be worth it.
He wondered if Ada would join them, uncertain what he wanted the answer to be. As much as a big part of him was longing for the chance to see her again, he knew that if anyone would read into his intentions, it would be her — she knew far too much, and, apparently, could read him far too well.
He walked into The King’s Head with some hesitation, and for a moment was both relieved and disappointed when Emmaline walked in on Rhys’s arm without her friend — until the door opened again, and Ada walked through. Alone.
Jonny felt a shove against his shoulder and turned, fist already clocked, until he realized it was just Felix, who was staring at him with concern.
“Easy now, Jon. I was just trying to get your attention. Milton’s asked you three times now what you want to drink. I told him you’ll have ale — you always have ale — but he’s still waiting.”
“Sorry,” Jonny muttered, slowly lowering his fist, hoping that no one had read into his intention, although his teammates were looking at him with some uncertainty. “Was startled, is all. I’ll have an ale, Milton.”
“See, I told you!” Felix called after the barkeep as he walked away, and Jonny only shook his head sheepishly at him.
While he was turned toward the table and the rest of his teammates, he knew instinctively the moment she sat down.
Beside him, of course. She had a distinctive scent he couldn’t quite place, but it was almost as if someone had bottled up sunshine and suffused it into a bar of soap that she covered her body with.
When he had held her in his arms the other night, it had been so hard to let her go.
She had filled him with not just a heady desire for more, but with a peace that he hadn’t even known he’d needed.
With other women, he felt like he was putting on an act, being the person they wanted him to be, but Ada saw him for who he was.
Which was the very reason he knew she would never be anything more than an acquaintance, for she was too smart to allow herself close enough to get hurt.
Felix elbowed him, and Jonny grunted as he rubbed at his side.
“Jon. Jonny.”
“Yes, Felix,” he grunted as he turned to him.
“You know Ada, Emmaline’s friend?”
“Yes, I know Ada,” he said out of the corner of his mouth. “She’s sitting beside me.”
“Yes, I know,” Felix said, his voice dropping down to a whisper. “Do you think you could put in a good word?”
Jonny stared at him, blinking.
“For you?”
“Yeah,” Felix said with a shrug. “Why not? I’m one of the few single men on the team, and she’s a good-looking woman. Has that,” he waved his hand in the air, “allure to her.”
“Didn’t even know you knew a word like ‘allure,’” Jonny couldn’t help but mutter, even though he recognized he wasn’t being fair.
He wanted to tell Felix that he had no business saying anything about Ada, that she was her own woman, one who, if she was going to choose a man, would choose him — but then quickly realized he was in no place to say so.
For he had no claim on her, as much as he’d like to.
She was not his, nor did she have any intention of being his.
He had to stay far away from her, for the very same reasons she wanted him away from her friends.
And that was that. That didn’t mean Felix had to keep his distance, though.
“Sure, Felix,” he said with a tight smile. “I’ll put in a good word. But no promises, understood?”
“Of course, Jon,” Felix said, clapping him on the back. “Thank you.” He pushed back his chair and stood, ale in hand.
“Where are you going?” Jonny asked.
“There’s a blonde over there I like the look of,” he said with a grin, and Jonny nearly spit out his first sip of ale.
“Felix,” he managed. “Did you not just ask me to spread some interest in you?”
“Might as well keep my options open,” he said with a shrug and a wink, and Jonny could only roll his eyes.
Well, so much for that. He wasn’t going to lead Ada into something with a man who would prefer many treasures to just one. Ada wasn’t that kind of woman.
“Are you going to say good evening?”
He finally turned to her stoically. “‘Evening, Ada. Emmaline.”
Emmaline, from her place beside Ada, eyed him with interest. “Where’s your smile tonight, Jonny?”
“He’s focused,” Rhys answered for him, for once on his side. “As he should be.”
“Don’t listen to Captain Grumpy over here,” Tommy said as he and Minnie joined them. “He just likes having company.”
Jonny managed to join them in a chuckle for that, although he remained somewhat silent as the rest of them conversed.
He was too busy lost in the ramifications of what his actions tonight would be.
Best case, no one would notice a thing. Worst case…
well, his entire life as he knew it could be completely destroyed.
He sat through their chatter, finished his ale, and then decided now was as good of a time as any. That, and he had scouted the police office for a few days. This was the time when the fewest men would be on duty.
“It’s been a long day, so I think I’m going to head out early. Goodnight,” he said, hoping his yawn was convincing as he rose and made his farewells before heading to the men’s room and then slipping out the back door, not wanting to catch anyone’s attention.
No such luck. There she was, waiting for him in the alleyway, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on her face. Jonny sighed.
"What are you doing out here, Ada?"
"I think you know," she said evenly. "You're going after that ledger tonight, aren't you?"
He glanced around furtively. "Keep your voice down! I don't know what you're talking about."
She stepped closer, her voice lowering to an urgent whisper. "Don't play games with me, Jonny Tate. I saw the look on your face in there. You're planning something reckless and stupid, and I'm not about to let you endanger everything you've built here."
Anger flared in his chest. "It's not your concern, all right? I'm handling it."
"Like hell you are," she hissed. "You'll get yourself arrested or worse. Let me help you."
"No!" The word came out harsher than he intended. He took a breath, trying to gentle his tone. "No. I appreciate the offer, but I need to do this alone. The less you're involved, the better. You cannot be caught having any part of this. Your life would be ruined.”
“As opposed to yours?”
“I’ll be fine.”
She let out a wry laugh. “Jonny. My life is already ruined if it follows its current trajectory. At least let me help you. You stole this to help our friends. I’ll steal it back with you.”
He reached out, placing his hands on her shoulders. As much as he didn’t want to deny her of anything she asked, there was no way he could ever live with himself if something happened to her while she was helping him.
“You cannot come with me, Ada,” he said. “I’m sorry, but you just can’t. If you were ever caught, I would never forgive myself.”
She held his gaze long enough to nearly wear him down.
“Fine,” she finally said. “Do what you want. But when you are caught without backup, just know it could have been different.”
She made to step around him, and he reached out and gently cupped her arm. “Thank you for offering, Ada. I mean that. Truly.”
She nodded curtly before stepping to the side and out of his grasp.
He hated letting her walk away.
But it was the only thing that made sense.
For both of them.