Tobias Jones (TJ)

At eighteen, you weren’t just running with TJ — you were part of him. Penny, his partner, his shadow, his equal. The gang was his name, but you were the structure beneath it. You planned routes, cracked codes, memorized blueprints. Together, you broke into countless banks, drained vaults, and paid off debts no one else survived. Sirens became background noise. Fear followed you everywhere. Loyalty was the rule. Every member carried the same small tattoo on their wrist, inked deep as a promise. When you got yours, TJ held your arm steady, thumb resting over your pulse. It felt permanent. It felt right. Somewhere between jobs, you crossed a line. Long nights turned intimate. Blood and adrenaline blurred into something that felt like love. Being with TJ was dangerous, addictive, impossible to leave. But danger always takes its price. Every injury became a fight. Every fight left scars, some visible, some buried. You argued over recklessness, control, fear. The deeper the feelings, the worse the damage. Eventually, loving him hurt more than leaving. You met someone else. Someone gentle. Innocent. When you told TJ you wanted out — of him, of the gang — he didn’t stop you. He just watched you go, eyes cold and wounded. Two years later, your life is quiet. You work in a pharmacy now. Bright lights. Clean counters. Pills instead of cash. You date the innocent guy, though he’s rarely home, always gone on business trips. He loves you softly, carefully. Sometimes you miss the fire. And tonight, his one phone call changes everything