Realistic or Modern The Oath - 1940s Gangster Drama - IC (Ended)

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm
Saturday 30th September 1948
Evening – Mild, dry, clear skies
********************************

The Sullivan Home​

Sinead Sullivan

The Sullivan family had all eaten dinner together that evening, just as a family of six. Sinead finished first as she didn’t eat much at all these days, but she remained at the table until everyone had finished. Following everything that had happened a few weeks ago, Sinead gave up her apartment and brought what was left of her belongings back to the family home. She had tried to find another job, but was beginning to resign to the thought that she might have to take Conor up on his offer of working at the pub with him. She couldn’t hide away in the house forever.

Once everyone was finished eating, Sinead wasted no time in leaving the table and entering the lounge where Conor had moved the piano into. She was aware her parents had a meeting with one of their associates soon, so she would play whilst she could. Right now, playing the piano was the only thing that brought her any joy, even if she did paint on a cheerful face for show. She believed her family had bigger things to worry about than her deepening depression. One thing that secretly made her smile, but also feel guilt for, was thinking about that breakfast she’d had with Angel. Even though it was wrong to have met with one of Romanos men, that breakfast with him had been the last time she’d felt happy and normal.


James Porter

James has spent much of the day driving around the city, keeping an eye on the Sullivan businesses. Emmet still hadn’t had a proper talk with him about what had happened over three weeks ago and James wondered if their talk would ever happen. He’d spent a lot of time sat in his car parked out in the family’s driveway awaiting further orders and requests to drive one of them somewhere. It was more difficult than he remembered it to be, but unless Emmet said otherwise, it would stay this way. In a way, he missed hanging out around the house with Conor and he certainly missed seeing Lucy as much as he’d been able to in the past. He thought it would be easier than this, but he couldn’t shake off his feelings for Lucy. Things with Sinead had gone back to normal, with the girl often coming out to chat with him or taking a drink out to him. From what he’d observed, those were the only times she did step outside.

In the evening, James had been asked to pick up Margarita Cansino and bring her to the Sullivans so Emmet and Shannon could speak with her to see what she could do for them. With James’ help, they had been building their defences over the last few weeks, by seeking out new allies and strengthening the relationships with existing associates. The drive back to the house had been a relatively silent one, which James only making a little amount of small talk with Margarita.

“Here we are,” he announced to the attractive woman as he stopped the car. He got out and rushed around to open the door for her before walking her to the front door. Rather than walk straight into the house, he pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to answer…


Foxy Bellz T That_Irish_Person

The Emerald Pub​

Conor Sullivan and Kate Henderson

Conor had been working in the pub for a couple of hours already. He hadn’t intended on working all night, but things were going that way as he had nothing better to do. He’d asked James to join him for some drinks later, but his friend turned him down. They’d discussed their troubles the morning after Gianna had been killed and they’d patched things up, so he wasn’t worried he’d lost his friend. It just seemed like James didn’t want to do anything other than work, which was great for the family business but Conor thought it was unhealthy. In fact, his sisters weren’t themselves either, and that too concerned Conor. Things were never perfect, but he missed the fun his family used to have.

As he leaned against the bar, he could hear the voices of his customers shouting and cheering about something, but he barely processed it. All he could think of was the night Gianna had been killed. He didn’t hold any ill feelings towards James for killing her as he believed Vinnie had already proved himself willing to kill innocents when Lucy and Sinead were attacked by the Romanos. However, seeing how broken Alex was remained fresh in his mind. Not being able to comfort her over the last few weeks or support her at the funeral really got to him. He only hoped her family had been able to provide the support she needed. He worried that his time would come soon – not to die, but to lose someone he loved. It was easy to blame James for this, but Conor would not. He knew they would have ended up at this point whether Gianna had been killed or not. Vinnie couldn’t continue to threaten Emmet’s loved ones the way he had been without the Sullivans retaliating. Conor knows he had been on the brink of attacking Vinnie himself.

“A large glass of red wine please,” the familiar voice requested. Conor snapped out of his thoughts to see Kate. Conor smiled at her. He’d not seen the nurse for a few weeks and was wondering if she’d distanced herself from the Sullivans. The truth was, she’d attended Gianna’s funeral and afterwards, Vinnie had pulled her aside to give her an ultimatum. It was only a matter of time before he was no longer happy with her associating with both sides and Gianna’s death had pushed him. She didn’t have long left to make her decision and if she chose the Sullivans, she would become an enemy of Vinnie’s too. Despite the things he’d done for her all those years ago, she felt she had more than compensated him for it all. “Is Luca around?” she curiously asked Conor.

“He’s not been here yet,” Conor answered her, grinning as he handed the glass to her. “I bet he’s missed seeing your face around here though.”

Lazy Taco

Mentioned: neverbackdown

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm
Saturday 30th September 1948
Evening – Mild, dry, clear skies
********************************​

The Romano Home​

Vincenzo Romano

Gianna’s funeral had been a couple of weeks ago and Vinnie was aware some of the people around him were growing restless. Most of them were just looking for some action and to have fun fucking with the Sullivans. Those, he could easily ignore and put in their places. But it was to ones closer to home who were more difficult to brush off. His kids wanted vengeance for their mother. Hell, Vinnie was itching for it too, but he did not wish to do anything out of haste. The cops were likely on standby, just waiting for something to happen from either of the gangs. There would be no public actions or elaborate messages sent to the Sullivans. The Romanos would do everything quietly and away from prying eyes. The times of firing bullets through pub windows and burning down businesses were done. It was time for psychological warfare, then suffering, and then death.

It wouldn’t seem like all of these thoughts were through Vinnie’s head. As he stood at the kitchen sink washing the plates from dinner, his face appeared blank and his head perhaps empty. He had been sleeping in one of the spare rooms since Gianna’s death. The master bedroom was filled with too many memories for him to consider sleeping there for a while.

Eventually, Vinnie walked into the lounge to find Alena and Alex. “What are you two girls up to tonight?” he asked, trying to make normal conversation. “Have you seen Leo lately?” asked them, Alena especially. That reminded him that he hadn’t been back to the hotel since that night, but he trusted Leo was managing things fine. Vinnie knew he would need to show his face there soon. People needed to know Vinnie was still the boss.

Vinnie was expecting Fortuna to arrive any time soon. After the funeral, he still hadn’t been in the right mind for business, so he left Fortuna and Monte in charge. Now, he knew he had to force himself back into the driving seat and he wanted an update on everything from his trusted right-hand woman.

neverbackdown sprouhtt Ineptitude

Valentino’s Restaurant
​

Olivia Svensson

Vinnie had recently been told of a man named Hans Kopeka, a man who could prove quite useful to the Romanos in their war with the Sullivans. Whilst he’d heard things about the man’s part in WWII, Vinnie was willing to push that aside if it was true the man would help them. In order to keep himself out of the public eye for the time-being, Vinnie had asked Monte to attend a meeting with Hans, along with a couple of ladies to make things look like a normal evening out between two couple.

A Romano driver had first picked up Eleanor Ware, before the picked Hans up. They were both then driven to Valentino’s – a fancy, respectable and expensive restaurant.

Olivia Svensson had been picked up in a separate car, with Monte already in seated in the back. Olivia had been told to dress up for the occasion, like she ever needed permission to make an effort! She’d briefly met Monte a couple of times but had never had much chance to speak with him alone. Following Gianna’s death, she was aware that things for her were about to get more intense than they had been in the past, but this is what she signed up for. “Good evening, Monte,” she pleasantly greeted the suave young man. Although she was intelligent and capable of executing plans, she had been told her role tonight was to act like nothing more than a pretty fool on a date. “Ready for our date? I heard you’re paying,” she said, with a playful wink.

Foxy ReverseTex

Chicago Police Department​

Detective Edwards

Edwards entered the building to see Sergeant Hunter leaning against one of the desk talking to Officer Lockwood. “All, I’m saying is, the last couple of weeks have been bliss. The longer they all stay off the streets, the better. You can’t tell me I’m wrong, Christian,” Lockwood stated.

“So you don’t even care that a woman was killed?” Lockwood asked.

“She was a Romano…” Hunter began.

“That’s quite enough,” Edwards interrupted. “Just because the streets are quiet, it doesn’t mean we can relax. Besides, there’s just been a break-in down at the jewellers. Think you two can handle that?” he suggested. It wasn’t related to the gangs, he was sure of that. He just wanted the two men out of the way so they wouldn’t distract him with their babbling on. He then sat at his desk and continued to go through some paperwork related to the Romanos. He wasn’t sure if Xin had finished for the evening, given how relatively quiet things had been lately.

Trignome

 

[ReverseTex]

The evening planned would surely be intresting. The Romano family his former employer had mentioned had reached out to him. To him it sounded like a major turf war was about to break, for reasons his employer didn't wish to disclose.

Currently Hans sat in a Romano car, his arm rested against the door. Wearing a simple black tie and white collared shirt, slacks and dress shoes, but the part that stood out was his gray leather trench coat. On the shoulders sat two patches, displaying his German rank. Stitch marks were visible on his right sleeve, where his armband used to be. The ghost of what was a mighty legion.

To his left sat the woman he had first encountered in Chicago, Elenaor Ware. It didn't surprise him that she had been involved with the mafia, men would be attracted to her, which made information easy to take. Deciding silence was a better environment to think in, Hans didn't engage conversation with the women, saving his fruitful self for the dinner meeting.
​

Foxy Misty Gray

 

[neverbackdown]

Around the time of her mother's funeral Alex had given into her emotions and had broken. The feelings she had trapped came over her and for about a week she was a crumbled mess, she couldn't stop crying, she wasnt eating and she wouldnt speak to anyone, she was practically a ghost or a shadow. In light of this she was given a months paid leave from work. After the funeral, the grief and anger became too much for Alex and so she shut it off, the emotional side of her brain went into lockdown and Alex became numb again, however she put on a brave face and became stronger for her family. Being the oldest sister, Alex basically took over the motherly role for Alena as she felt its what Alena needed at that time. While Alex was still warm towards Alena, she was practically a different person to everyone else, she was a lot colder, quite passive ,didnt wear a smile half as much as she used to and she was more involved in Romano business, she had been working her way into it with Monte's help.
Alex was sitting on the couch in the lounge smoking a cigarette when her father arrived into the room. When he asked his question, she shrugged in answer and took another drag of her cigarette. She knew that Fortuna was coming over at some stage that day to update her father and Alex planned to be listening in on the conversation, weither she was inside the room or outside of it.
Her mind drifted to Conor as she frowned slightly, she hadnt seen Conor since that night in the hotel. Since she wasnt in work, she had no real reason to leave the house and so she had no chance to visit him. If nothing came up, she would probably go and see if he was working, she decided before snapping out of her thoughts and looking back to her father. "Ive no plans yet anyway" she commented.
​

Misty Gray sprouhtt
Mentioned: Foxy

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano
​

Vinnie wasn't entirely sure who the young woman shrugging her shoulders at him was anymore. He had started to feel like his wife wasn't the only person he had lost that night. He didn't have it in him to tell Alex to go easy on the smoking or even pay attention to what his girls were wearing anymore. In his mind, he knew it should have been him who had died and he has no doubts his children were thinking the same. Regardless, he couldn't keep sitting back and leaving them to their own devices.

"You both have to live your lives. Your mother would not want you both to become consumed in this. We tried to protect you from this so you can grow up and be your own people. I can't just give up on that and fail this family now Gianna is gone," he explained. "When you are ready, I want you start going out again. Get drunk, do what young people do, but with caution. I haven't been thinking clearly lately, but now I realise it is wrong of me to let you get involved in this war." Vinnie lit up his own cigarette and sat down on the sofa. "This isn't going to be a few bullets and a few dead Sullivans, so I can't knowingly expose you to whatever happens to them."

neverbackdown sprouhtt

 

[neverbackdown]

Alex's eyes widened slightly , a smirk playing on her lips when her father told them to go out and get drunk. She slightly felt like it was a trap since going out and getting drunk was usually what her and her father would argue about before her mother died. However his next statement shook her slightly and Alex sat up in her seat, putting out her cigarette as she did so. She raised her eyebrows at her father, and looked at him for a moment. Normally Alex would be shouting, throwing accusations and her anger would show on her face, instead the girl sitting across from Vinnie was a calm, calculating woman who showed no emotion only a raised eyebrow.
"I don't care if its taking out all their teeth or cutting off their manhood, I am involved in this " Alex stated in an eerily calm manner. She watched her father for a moment before speaking again "I meant what I said, I work with you's or I do it on my own" this statement was a clear and very obvious threat.
Alex looked to Alena a frown playing for only a moment, she didn't want Alena involved however, but she knew that if she was fighting to be involved then Alena had every right to as well.​

Misty Gray sprouhtt

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray​

Lucy was in the lounge when her sister walked in and started to play. After that night at the hotel, a lot of things seemed to change in a small amount of time. Everyone in the house seemed to be avoiding each other for the most part. She was definitely avoiding people. James was one of them. She felt like he was upset with her for rejecting him and now that she foolishly missed her opportunity to have something with him, she just tried to stay away. The last full conversation she had with him was on the night of the shooting. Now she rarely saw him and she wouldn't admit it out loud but she became lonely pretty quickly.

"Ouch!" Lucy yelped and let out a small laugh at the large puppy sitting in her lap as she playfully nipped her hand. After the conversation she had with James, she had given it a lot of thought , whether or not it would be selfish of her to have a pet. But after much consideration and debate with herself, she finally gave in to her needs and went to the shelter. Luckily for her someone had just brought in a few stray puppies from the streets and she fell in love with the large shepherd right away naming her Lady. After a few more days in the shelter, she was finally allowed to come home and Lucy brought her home yesterday afternoon.

She really wasn't sure if anyone had actually noticed her yet, since Lucy has been keeping her in her room during meals to let the pup sleep. But she was sure her family wouldn't mind. Lucy thought of it as extra protection as well, if trained properly (which Lucy is intending on having done.) she would make a wonderful guard dog. "You silly girl." Lucy cooed and the pups ear's perked up at the sound of the doorbell. "I'll get it." She said to Sinead over the piano before setting Lady on the floor. The pup shook out her coat before clumsily following Lucy to the door. Opening it, she revealed James and whom she assumed was the woman her parents were meeting with. Despite not talking to him in a while, she still smiled warmly and nodded her head at them both. "Right on time." She said to them both. "Please come in."

Spoiler: Lady

 

[Lazy Taco]

Luca could be found outside the back of the Irish pub, speaking with two Sullivan gang members in Spanish. Once he was done speaking with them, he started to walk toward the alleyway toward the front of the pub, with his hand on his pockets while having a small frown on his face. Why the frown? Because it had been a while since he had last seen any of the Sullivan kids or James or Shannon usually coming to speak with Emmett when he was sure that they weren't around. As he went inside, he saw that the place looked the same as always, just one or two new employees. Once he was done inspecting the area, he went to the nearest empty stool before sitting down and ordering some strong alcohol, now that he could finally drink again and mostly because, he missed the alcohol from this place.

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter

As James waited for someone to answer the door, he could hear the piano being played inside the lounge. He'd often sat with his car window wound down listening closely to the faint sound of Sinead playing her music. It was the nearest thing to when he would hang around the Jazz Club waiting to drive her home safely. He hoped the poor girl would get to play in clubs again someday.

When the door was pulled open, James faced forward to see Lucy standing there. "Lucy..." he said, his voice neutral, but his smile just as warm as hers was. He'd missed seeing her smile and being this close to her. His feelings were perhaps even stronger now than the last time they'd properly spoken. Just being in her presence made him feel more human.

"Thank you, James," Shannon's voice suddenly called out as she came out of the lounge. "Come join us inside for a bit and stop letting the cold air in!" Shannon then turned to greet Margarita. "I'm Shannon Sullivan," she introduced herself and shook the newcomer's hand, before walking Margarita into the lounge to meet Emmet. "Would you like a drink?" she offered the woman.

James was still barely on the inside of the doorway when Shannon and Margarita had walked away. After a slight hesitation, he stepped into the house and closed the door behind himself. It was then that he noticed the puppy on the floor beside Lucy. "Wait, you...?" he began. As he looked back up at Lucy it was clear he was surprised. There was also a kind of childlike grin on his face. He then crouched down to pet the dog. "You got a dog. Fuck, I love dogs." James' features had softened considerably and he looked up to Lucy with a caring smile. The last few weeks had been Hell, so his happiness right now was amplified.
​

Bellz T That_Irish_Person Foxy

​

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray
Sometimes, when she first looked at James, it felt like her heart would stop beating. And this was definitely one of those time. She was relieved to see the same warm smile on his face and watched as her mother came to the door to greet their guest. She stepped to the side and Lady clumsily followed behind her legs. She plopped down beside her and Lucy watched as her mother and the guest walk into the other room. Her mother invited James inside, to which he looked very hesitant. But he shut the door and that's when his face lit up like the fourth of July.

Lucy laughed softly and smiled down at Lady as she wagged her tail happily and leaned into the hand that was petting her, loving the attention. "Lady, meet James, and James meet little Lady. Our family guard dog." She said light before staying quiet and just watching the scene. When she made the decision to get the dog, she had kept in mind that James loved dogs, but it wasn't the main reason for her. It was a lovely perk though, to see him smile like that.

"Picked her up from the shelter yesterday, the biggest pup out of the whole litter." She said and she could have sworn Lady could tell they were talking about her, and she seemed to puff her little chest out proudly.​

 

[That_Irish_Person]

Margarita was rather confused with the relationships in this organisation, she proceeded to walk into the house and couldn't help but to look around the entry way she was in. "Pleasure to meet you Shannon, I am Margarita Cansino." She followed her into the lounge room where another person awaited, Rita was quite impressed with Shannon's manners, "I'm sorry but I am afraid that I have to decline. Thank you though." She gave a smile to support her apology and stood there and marvelled at the spacious room and the artwork hanging from the walls. Rita looked back to see if James was still with her, but rather trying to mingle with a girl that she was clueless about although knew that there was some sort of drama or complication between the two. She was quite clever at observing people, the took note of their tone and actions and facial expression. "Wait, you. You got a dog. Fuck I love dogs." she heard James talk and she knew that there defiantly was something between them but was rather annoyed at the unnecessary swearing from the man.
_____________________________________________________________________
Misty Gray ​

 

[Ineptitude]

It was at this time that Fortuna had finally arrived outside of the Romano home. The hitwoman stood in a tight, rigid manner that hinted at her stern and unyeilding personality, though the warm and pleasant smile that often crossed her lips might distract a person from such a fact. It had been several weeks since the funeral, since Vinnie had left her and Monte in charge of business, and now it seemed that the boss was ready to take the wheel once more. Despite this, however, she knew well that he will never truly recover from such a blow. He was only human, after all.

Lightly shaking her head in order to clear her mind from such obstructive thoughts, Fortuna raised a hand to ring the doorbell. Now, more than ever, she had to become strong in order to support Vinnie and the others, as the trusted right-hand woman of the Romano family. She'll even put on the face of the devil of she had to.

Mentioned: Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

"Lady..." he repeated. He rubbed the back of the dogs ears a little and let her chew on his hand for a short time before eventually snapping back to reality and standing back up in front of Lucy. "I love her. She'll make a fine guard dog, I'm sure of it," he assured her.

He looked over his shoulder to see Emmet hadn't joined the others in the lounge yet, so there was a little more time before he had to stand in on their meeting. "Are you doing okay?" he asked her. He hoped she was managing to cope following her part in Gianna's death. "I've spoken with Conor and Sinead, but I've missed talking with you," he admitted, his face back to its usual serious expression.

*****​

Sinead glanced over her shoulder to see Shannon and Margarita enter the lounge. She stopped playing the music and closed the piano lid, before standing up from the stool. She too heard James swear, but she was used to such language by now even if she avoided saying those words herself. "I'm Sinead Sullivan," she said, putting on her brightest smile for their visitor. The lady looked very glamorous and perhaps confident too.

Sinead was curious to see if she would be allowed to remain in the lounge or if things would go back to normal with her and Lucy being left out of the business.

Bellz
T That_Irish_Person

Vincenzo Romano
​

Even though it was to be expected of the girl, Vinnie wasn't sure if he liked this cold side of his daughter. There were enough cold people in his business for his daughters to go the same way. When she mentioned examples of torture, he raised an eyebrow. "Interesting..." he remarked, deciding to let that part slide. But when she mentioned doing it on her own, his face turned hard. "Listen to me, Alexandra. If you do anything behind my back, there will he Hell to pay. I will find out, so don't even try it," he ordered, the irritation evident in his voice. "You will be in on it, okay? But it will be on my terms. I'm not having you turn into some cold-hearted bitch," he firmly told her.

Before Vinnie had chance to soften his tone, he was saved by the doorbell. He got up and approached the door. "Right on time," he noted. When he pulled the door open, he saw Fortuna standing there and stepped aside for her to enter the house. "Fortuna, it's good to see you," he said, his voice genuine. "Take a seat," he offered her. He glanced to his daughters. They were permitted to stay for as long he wanted them to, but if he wanted them gone he would make sure they were out of the way. After offering her a drink, he took a seat opposite. "Now, what have I missed?" he asked her. He was eager to fill his mind with business now. Business made him happy.

neverbackdown Ineptitude sprouhtt

 

[Ineptitude]

"Business has been running smoothly as usual while you've been away, sir. There haven't been any major problems on that front." Fortuna sat opposite of her boss, speaking in a clear and crisp voice as she did. "Though, I have to admit, the atmosphere has been unusually heavy at the workplace." She nearly grimaced as she said this, though she accepted the offered drink with a grateful smile. "Tension has been rising to new heights since the 'incident', and it's already beginning to affect our employees morale." She stated, taking a sip from her cup. "Everyone's waiting for something to happen. It'll only be a matter of time before that becomes reality." Sighing, she placed her cup down, turning her gaze back towards her boss.

Mentioned: Misty Gray

 

[That_Irish_Person]

Margarita didn't notice there was any piano playing until someone had stopped playing, her face fell a little, she usually noticed music when she walked into places but guess she grew used to it. Rita noticed her walk towards her with a bright face which was rather confronting for the woman, "Pleasure meeting you Sinead, I'm Margarita Cansino." She took notice that they must have been relatives of some sort, Sinead and Shannon. Margarita found it rather rude on waiting for the appearance of someone that she could only assume is coming to meet her. She decided to make a little bit of small talk to relieve the tension that she carried, "You play the piano beautifully Sinead Sullivan." She smiled a little at the young lady that she thought was quite beautiful and young a little upset that she has to go through what she could infer to as the family business.
_________________________________________________________________
Misty Gray ​

 

[neverbackdown]

Alex was a little bit shocked that her father had called her a bitch, she knew he wasn't calling her that as she was now and instead he was saying it more as a warning but she was still a little startled by it. But in saying that she was pleased that he had changed his minf and was now allowing her to participate even if it was on his own terms.
Alex didn't have time to speak before she heard the doorbell and her father walked off to answer it.
"Evening Fortuna" Alex greeted her fathers right hand woman before sitting back into her seat as she listened to the conversation. While Alex had rarely spoken to Fortuna, she always admired her strength and bravery, even if her methods did scare Alex slightly. Alex decided to not speak during their conversation, afraid that she would be kicked out if she brought any attention onto herself​

Misty Gray Ineptitude

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray
Lucy smiled as Lady happily wagged her tail and nibbled lightly on James' hand. His words brought an even bigger smile to her lips as he stood up and Lady happily came back to stand beside Lucy. But it was a brief smile, for when he asked if she was okay, there really was no way around hiding her feelings. James was good at hiding them and reading them so she knew there would be no use in lying to him.

"I've missed talking to you as well..I am starting to realize that you are one of the only people I can actually open up to and trust with my life." She murmured softly and watched as Lady scampered off towards the backyard. Sighing, she debated on whether or not she should tell him about her brief encounter with Monte. He was threatening to hurt her and her entire family, that wasn't empty. She was scared, really really scared. And she wasn't sure of what to do. She felt like no matter what they could try and do, they were all doomed. It had been weeks since that night but the words he spoke to her were still fresh and cut deep.

"I don't like how quiet the Romano family has been since the shooting...I have a feeling something is going to happen." She told him honestly.​

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano
​

Vinnie nodded as Fortuna told him business had been running smoothly. "That is good to hear, though I never doubted you would have things under control."

When she then went on to mention the atmosphere, his jaw tightened. "Morale?" he scoffed. "Send those employees to me and I'll tell them what it feels like to lose their damn morale." He briefly looked away and let out a deep breath. "I don't like to think my employees are using Gianna's death as an excuse, when all they want is a reason to play with their guns."

After getting the frustration off his chest he relaxed a little. "My employees will be permitted to take out Sullivan soldiers and move in on their businesses. I don't care about that, but I understand our restless men can't get enough of it." He sat forward. "The rest is personal and will be dealt with as such. Death would be the easy way out for the Sullivans. We're going to make them suffer. What I felt when I held my dying wife in my arms and the guilt I will carry until my last breath... that's what I want the Sullivans to have, but tenfold."

He then looked to Alex. "Which brings me to pose an hypothetical but highly possible question, to my supposedly tough daughter." He turned to look Alex in the eyes. "Imagine I have poor innocent little Sinead tied to a chair in the cellar. What would you be willing do to make her suffer for the crimes of her family?"

Ineptitude neverbackdown

James Porter
​

James sighed as Lucy mentioned being able to open up to him. "I'm glad you feel you can talk to me. I'm sorry for pushing you away and then hiding out in my car for so long. I realise now that was the worst thing to do after what happened. I just thought your family needed time together without me messing things up," he apologised. He then smirked. "Clearly you're the only one I can open up to. You've got me standing here right now talking like a big girl," he remarked.

His expression turned grave as Lucy mentioned the Romanos. "They're waiting, Lucy. I can't have my own eyes and ears everywhere, but I have others paying attention. Vinnie hasn't been to his hotel since that night. I know his mad bitch Fortuna and arrogant son Monte have been holding the fort." He paused as he realised there was no way of sugar coating things. "I believe they are waiting for Vinnie to come back to the living and say the word. Once he's back stamping his feet..." he couldn't finish his sentence. "He's already marked my card, but he's a dramatic man so I fear he'll be aiming for Emmet's heart," he said, referring to the man's loved ones.

Bellz

 

[neverbackdown]

Alex could understand the mens restlessness in regards to the Sullivans, she herself felt it. She chose not to say anything though and instead listening intently to the conversation between her father and Fortuna, that was until she was brought into it.
Alex raised an eyebrow and bit her lip as she thought about it. Alex knew that Sinead was innocent, she knew that Sinead had nothing to do with it, however Alex knew she had to remain tough if she wanted to be involved and so she kept her face blank as she spoke, showing no remorse, guilt or ill feelings as she sat up straight and leaned her arms on her knees.
"I wouldn't kill her straight of the bat, Id get information about her family, such as weaknesses, secret places they hang out or store their contraband, stuff like that. I'd get that off her by any means necessary, for example water boarding or cutting but not cut too deep, enough to hurt her and scar but not enough so that she'd bleed out. Allowing her to just die would be pointless" she stopped for a second as she bit her lip again, her face was cold and hard and her eyes showed no emotion as she calculated the best options to say. "But youd want her family to suffer and panic, start by sending them innocent stuff like a lock of hair for example, then move onto harder stuff like a finger or a tooth. When they receive them items they wont think or plan, they'll panic and impulsively act and fall straight into our trap" Alex finished with a shrug "but thats just an idea"
Alex knew that she could probably never hurt Sinead, She was sure that Sinead had no involvement in her mothers death and unlike her family Alex did not view someone a certain way due to their name. However she knew this was a test and so she remained cold and unreadable as she spoke, her voice was eerily calm and gave nothing away.​

Misty Gray Ineptitude

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray
Lucy listened to his words and didn't even know how to react. With her parents and their guest so close in the other room she didn't want to make a scene. But clearly, Vinnie knew that James was involved. She shook her head sadly. This was all her fault. She had put her family in danger for foolishly running back into that hotel.

"I guess we are all on borrowed time then huh?" She asked softly. "Monte...he uh knows...that I was involved, while trying to get back inside the building...I ran into him." She admitted. Lady suddenly ran back into the room and sat down by her feet. Lucy then crouched down and stroked her fur. "He's going to kill them all James. Because I couldn't just fucking listen to you." Her voice was low so no one else but him could hear. "I don't regret coming back for you, and if I had to do it again I would. But when Vinnie gives him the okay.." she couldn't even finish the sentence.​

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano
​

Vinnie listened as Alex described what she would do with Sinead. He wasn't convinced Alex would do any of what she had said, but the fact she had said those things and had those ideas struck him. He glanced to Fortuna and smirked. "Do you hear that? I think you might have an apprentice here," he sarcastically remarked.

Although he had dragged Sinead into the feud weeks ago, it was never his intention to have a hair on the girl's body harmed, even asking Angel to ensure she was safe when the Jazz Club was attacked the second time. But it seemed Gianna's death had made a massive impact on him and made him cross the line. Having Alex and Alena had always made Vinnie consider Emmet's daughters off limits. But it seemed another piece of his humanity had been stripped from him. Evidently, a part of Alex had been taken away too.

Vinnie wondered what was going through Emmet's mind at a time like this. It was always interesting to him how the two of them could be so against each other, yet had very rarely exchanged words in person. He was curious as to when they would next come face to face. There were things he would like to say to that man.


Ineptitude neverbackdown

James Porter
​

James looked down to Lucy and sighed. "You ran into Monte? What did he say to you?" he asked. The eldest Romano son wasn't known for being warm and friendly, especially not to his enemies. It seemed to piss him off to think Monte had threatened Lucy, more so than if it had been any other Romano who had done so. He hated that guy. "You can't blame yourself for the threats on this family. Vinnie knows I was there and he knows Sinead was there. For all we know, they've realised by now that Conor and Luca were also present in the hotel that night. You, me and Conor were all there to attack them. Emmet and Shannon knew of the plan. A dozen other men were there. It's not your fault, Lucy," he tried to convince her. He managed a smile when she told him she didn't regret going back for him. "We need to stop acting like sitting ducks, Lucy. We have to be proactive in this and keep building up defences. Make plans to ensure we're never out alone. But we can't become prisoners and live in fear, because that's exactly what Vinnie, Monte and the rest of those assholes want." James would gladly make steps to get at the Romanos first, but he'd had his turn at making plans and now he was going to follow his boss' orders.

Bellz

 

[Foxy]

Monte Romano

​

Monte raised an eyebrow as Olivia spoke, cracking a smile for the briefest of moments before his expression turned back to stone.​

“I always pay, darling.” He teased. Despite being friendly with Olivia, Monte stayed quiet much of the car ride, lost in his own thoughts. The last couple weeks had been chaotic. He and Fortuna had been working together while his father mourned. He appreciated the woman’s work ethic and ruthlessness, but he could never shake the unease he felt about her. The last few weeks had been alright though, and the two had been productive. As the weeks dragged on, Monte had involved Alex more in plans, though he wasn’t too keen on it. He knew his father would likely be upset, but he wasn’t about to let his younger sister do something stupid that he wasn’t a part of too. Monte jerked out of his thoughts when the car stopped, climbing out and opening the door for Olivia, offering an arm to her.
“M'lady.” Monte wasn’t much one for formality, and he couldn’t help but smile again to himself. An odd situation indeed, when Monte Romano was a gentleman to a lady. As he and Olivia walked in, the waiters and waitresses parted for them as they worked their way to the back, where a table was reserved for the meeting. Monte stepped aside, gesturing for Olivia to sit before he sat next to her. Instantly, a young, flustered looking waitress rushed to the table. ​

Monte flashed her a smile, and the girl went pale, like she was going to pass out. ​

“I’d like a scotch, a margarita, and whatever my lady would like to drink.” Monte wrapped an arm around Olivia’s waist, drawing her in closer. “What would you like, dearest?”​

Monte found this almost comedic, as now the waitress turned red. Olivia ordered something, and stumbling over her words, the waitress repeated what Monte asked for before shuffling away. The poor girl had probably been sent to wait on their table simply because of her personality. Monte felt the briefest twinge of guilt before deciding it wasn’t worth caring about. Minutes later, the waitress returned, setting down their drinks with shaky hands before bolting off. As Monte took the first sip of his drink, he spotted Eleanor weaving through the crowd, a man Monte presumed to be Hans in tow. She was quite a beautiful woman, and while she and Monte had some brief… interactions… in the past, neither felt anything for the other, and actually had quite a good business relationship.​

“Eleanor.” Monte said curtly, nodding at her. As Hans sat, he focused his attention on the older man, sticking out a hand.​

“Monte Romano.” He introduced himself.
ReverseTex Misty Gray
Mentioned: Ineptitude neverbackdown
​

Eleanor Ware

​

When Hans entered the car, Eleanor couldn’t help but let out a soft snort.​

“Fancy seeing you here.” She said loftily, one arm clutching her bag, the other out the window, cigarette in hand. She flicked it with one long finger, turning to look out the window and watch the ashes scatter to the ground. She took a long drag, blowing smoke between bright red lips and watching it rise towards the Chicago skyline. ​

When Hans said nothing, Eleanor feigned an upset pout, though she couldn’t care less. He didn’t seem the sort to be easily drawn in by her charms. Upon arriving at the restaurant, Eleanor slid out, standing before Hans’s door as he climbed out.​

“We should already have a table.” Eleanor explained, walking in without a second thought, oozing confidence as she wove through the tables to where Monte and Olivia sat in the back. Eleanor sat, immediately taking a sip of the drink before her, sending an appreciative nod at Monte. He was good about making sure she had something to drink whenever they had meet-ups.
ReverseTex
​

Emmet Sullivan

​

Emmet hadn’t planned to be out late, but pulled in to the driveway to spot James’s car. He felt bad for being late, but business in the city had taken far longer than usual, as everything was these days. Caution cost him time, which ultimately cost him money.​

Parking the car, Emmet clambered out, examining himself in the mirror before deciding he looked presentable. He’d been doing some dirty business in town, and was quite pleased that his attire had remained clean and wrinkle-free. ​

Striding into the house, Emmet made no effort to conceal himself, loudly hanging his coat – As if that was a thing he could do, before clearing his throat, ignoring everyone and making a beeline for the one person he didn’t know.​

He stood in front of Margarita, offering a hand.​

“Emmet Sullivan.” He said, offering a smile. “Sorry for being late. Business ran late”​

Emmet gestured to his office before looking back at her.​

“Care to join me in the office?”​

While it was merely a suggestion, Emmet’s voice had an undertone that hinted it was more than that. He wasn’t a man of manipulation, but Emmet wasn’t too keen on speaking about family matters with everyone assembled.​

He still hadn’t talked to much of his family about the incident, and had been keeping his distance from James for fear of exploding on the young man. He was wary of him, and had a feeling in his chest that no matter what happened, James wouldn’t fully disclose all the details of weeks before.
Misty Gray Bellz T That_Irish_Person ​

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray

Lucy sighed as she recalled what Monte said. "Well in his words, 'He was going to rip the life from every member in my family and will force me to watch it all.'" Her voice quivered slightly and she shiver at the words that came from her lips. Lucy had been having nightmares about what he would do to her family. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life. And if she hadn't missed the shot Vinnie would be dead. And with Fortunata and Monte fighting for the top spot she was sure they would ruin themselves without her family having to try. But, she missed.

Vinnie and his family were out for blood and James was definitely right. They couldn't just sit around and wait for them to attack. They would have to take precautions. "You know what. You're right." She said and a small smile formed on her lips, one that clearly stated that she was up to no good.

Looking towards the hallway leading to the lounge. She saw that they were out of sight. Before he could speak, she moved in and pressed her lips against his. The kiss lasted a few moments before she pulled herself away, her cheeks flushed and she grinned. "See what happens when you stop hiding in your car." Winking at him, she stepped out of his way before heading to the lounge, seeing if her sister was staying for this meeting.

Luckily for her, her father walked in moments after she parted from James and she was now watching him greet his guest. Lucy made a beeline for Sinead and touched her arm lightly before leaning in. "Not sure if this is a meeting for us to be involved in, Sin."​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Sinead Sullivan​

James' jaw tightened as Lucy told him what Monte had said to her. He didn't even try to hide the anger from his face. If only he'd taken that shot at Monte that night, before he'd been distracted by Sinead. "He's not going to get anywhere near you or your family. I'll rip his head off."

He looked curiously to her as a smile formed on her lips. This was soon after followed by a surprise kiss. In that moment, he didn't even care if anyone was watching, it was worth the fallout just to kiss her then. She always reminded him that he wasn't just an empty shell of a man. He placed a hand on her hip before they both pulled away from the embrace. "Oh yeah, I need to step out of my car more often, love," he remarked, his own cheeks turning red too.

Emmet ignoring him hadn't escaped James' attention. It had been weeks and it never escaped his attention. But both men were stubborn and shared similar alpha male traits. Regardless, James wasn't too stubborn to know they would have to have a discussion at some point, otherwise the tension would become too distracting for them to focus on business. James remained in the hallway as Lucy rushed over to her sister.

"Of course we're not involved," Sinead remarked and allowed Lucy to lead her out of the lounge. She was aware James was standing there, but it didn't stop her from speaking. "I'm only involved when I'm being targeted because of daddy's business," she observed. She saw the concerned look in James' eyes, as the man had noticed the recent changes to the girl's personality. "Oh yeah, I'll be involved alright. Vinnie told me himself that he's going to kill me and make daddy watch. I just wish he'd hurry up and get it done with."



Bellz
Mentioned: Foxy

 

[ReverseTex]

Hans watched as Eleanor began to pout, even though the two knew he wouldn't fall for it. Flicking his cigarette out the window as the car began its crawl to the restaurant, he quickly gave himself a once over in the window. Running a hand through his hair, the pair stepped out of the car, and into the battlefield.

Following Eleanor as she bobbed and weaved her way through the restaurant, Hans's eyes were quickly and carefully studying the building. It's dark features made it quite seceptiable for shady buisness to be dealt, which obviously occurred due to the fact Eleanor and himself were getting many glances. But he could see the table in sight, and the young man who headed it.

He appeared to be a typical attractive Italian man, in his twenties he'd presume, and dressed in his best. The vile churned within him thinking of Italians, he despised them slightly less than Americans. But stomaching his disgust, Hans smiled and extended his hand. "Colonel Hans Kopeka, but no need for the baggage, Hans will suit me just fine." Shaking the Romano's hand, he extended his to the young woman also at the table. Taking his seat beside Eleanor, his eyes flashed to the waitress returning with the drinks. "Scotch for me as well, but European if it's not much trouble." Turning his attention back to Monte, he spoke in his usual fruitful German tone. "I must say it does appear to be a nice operation your running, Dominic was not lying about your buisness." Hans wasn't sure if the younger man knew of the boss in New York, he'd bet money Monte's father would though. "But I must say before we start, have you heard of me?"​

Foxy Misty Gray