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

[Enzyme]

Angel's eyes drooped in his sockets. He had officially removed his glasses, exposing his purple, black eye. Staring down at the poorly lit table; he clenched a lit, hand-wrapped cigarette between his middle and index finger. Vinnie's words dispersed before hitting Angel's ears, leaving Angel to only receive an incoherent mummer. Despite Vinnie's words being inaudible, every other noise had appeared to become hypersensitive - from the tapping of someones foot, to the falling of one's chest with every gasp of air. Angel used his free hand to vigorously scratch the table with his nail. While subtle, the etching sound could still be heard within a couple of feet. Sweat had formed on his hairline, beading down the sides of his face. As his dress shirt dampened with sweat, the cold,metal barrel of his handgun intensified. Unbeknownst to everyone else in the room, Angel was having a mental breakdown. He kept his outer appearance cool, as his eyes laid fixed on the center of the table. Conor Sullivan's name echoed in his mind on replay. His lips began to form the words, subconsciously saying his name under his breath. "Let me bludgeon the fucker," Angel resisted to blurt out. "Um...." Angel's foot began to tap, as a nerve in his left eye twitched . "I'm not sure what else we could pull off," He said, his head tilting at a sharp angle, "Even if we manage to get him locked up, he'll still be a threat. There are plenty of higher ups that still run their operations behind the walls." Angel finally looked up at Vinnie, his left eye drooping drastically into his lower eyelid. "The only way to get rid of him, is to bury him."

Misty Gray neverbackdown @ReverseWells

 

[neverbackdown]

Nicolo pulled up to hotel and checked the time on his watch, he was nearly an hour late and knew his father would properly be annoyed but then again Nicolo wasn't worried, what could his father even do. His old man had been a mess the last few weeks, well they all had but Gianna's death had seemed to hit Vinnie the hardest and Alex was a close second considering the she had become unrecognizable. To be honest, Nicolo did not like this new persona Alex had developed, she was too cold and held few similarities to his sister but Nick knew that the Alex they all knew was still in there, he just hoped she came back before it was too late. Nick snapped from his thoughts and realized that he was now standing in the hotel lobby. He looked towards the direction of the ballroom and frowned before turning his attention elsewhere, as he turned, he noticed Leo standing in the lobby and gave him a brief nod before walking off towards the meeting room. Nick hadn't seen Leo in a while and wanted to talk to him, but he was already late enough for this meeting and knew that he should probably stop stalling and get to it before he missed anything important.
Nick burst through the door of the meeting room "Sorry I'm late" He said with a grin as he looked around the room, his grin faltered slightly when he saw Alex was sitting in the room but he brushed it off and took the spare seat beside her. He sat back comfortably in the chair and pulled out his cigarettes as he listened to Angel speak, he handed a cigarette to Alex and lit both his and hers before turning his attention back to his father. "Well the last attempt to arrest Conor Sullivan went brilliantly" he stated sarcastically "Angel's right even behind bars Conor would still be a threat but then again the Cops are already surrounding us" Nick frowned in thought as he realized that he had said nothing of importance and rather had just stated all the obvious points. "We can't kill him but what if we lock him away somewhere out of the way till everything else is taken care off" he stated with a shrug.

Alex turned as the door swung open and saw her brother enter the room with a grin, from his expression you'd think that he had walked into a bar not a meeting based on torturing and getting rid of the Sullivan's. She smiled in thanks as she took the cigarette of Nicolo and let him light it for her before taking a drag and sitting back in her seat listening to her father speak. Alex's heart dropped as she heard Conor's name, she suddenly felt sick and a need to lye down however she hid this from her face and body expressions. She couldn't volunteer nor could she think of any idea's to harm him, especially since she had slept with him not even 24 hours prior to this meeting. Alex remained quiet as she listened to Angel and then her brother speak, the sick feeling only heightened as she listened to these conversations. When Angel suggested killing him, Alex resisted the urge to refuse that they do anything to Conor, how on earth could she explain that she didn't want Conor killed or hurt. She wondered for a moment if Conor would feel the same way if her name was mentioned by his father but she quickly brushed that thought away and listened to the end of Nicolo's idea. Alex didn't speak rather she kept a stern expression and watched her father as she awaited his response.

Misty Gray Enzyme Ineptitude @ReverseWells

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano

Vinnie looked to Angel as the man took his glasses off. The only reaction the black eye caused Vinnie to have was one of optimism. It wasn't that he wanted the Sullivans laying a finger on his gang members, but he took it as a positive - the injuries were motivation and drive for Angel to attack the Romanos' enemies at this crucial time. When the man suggested the best course of action would be to kill Conor, Vinnie slowly nodded his head. It had crossed his mind many times before to just kill the young man, but the wounds of Gianna's death were still present and he deemed death, at this point in time, too easy a way out for any of the Sullivans. "Believe me, Giovanni, I want him buried too. But he hasn't suffered enough yet. I won't gift him with an easy way out."

When Nick burst into the room with a grin on his face, Vinnie sat back and folded his arms. There was no evidence of a smile on the man's face. He expected everyone was now present for the meeting, but if anyone else did show up late he was certain he'd snap and lay down the law to everyone about arriving when told to. People were getting sloppy and in this business that led to failure - or deaths of loved ones. Luckily, as Nick spoke, he seemed to redeem himself with his suggestion. "I'm inclined to agree, Nicolo. There are plenty of places we can hold Conor and it would bring a big smile to my face to watch him suffer." He looked to Alex for a time, trying to gauge her reaction, but he read nothing from her. He'd made sure she was present during this conversation as he'd heard a whisper about his daughter and Conor, but he hadn't believed a word of it. Thankfully, her lack of reaction right now had confirmed that to him. He then pointed respectively to Angel and Nick. "Can you work together to oversee Conor's capture?" he asked them. "It can't be too hard to get hold of a guy who spends his life in pubs and drunk out of his mind."

Another matter also came to his mind. One he wasn't precious about but needed resolving nonetheless. "I should also inform you all that Kate Henderson is no longer to be trusted and is to be treated like any other Sullivan. She was given a choice and I've been informed she's now shacked up with Luca D'Angelo who will no doubt try to protect her. But she's a traitor and as such I want her silenced for good. I don't care who does it - I'll even do it myself if I see her first," he told them. After everything he'd done for that woman, he took her wrong decision very personally.
​

neverbackdown Enzyme
Mentioned/Present: Lazy Taco Ineptitude Thatoneflawedhero @ReverseWells

 

[Enzyme]

Angel leaned back now, his nerves cooling with the taste of the tobacco. He allowed the darkness to surround him, appearing as a silhouette to his companions. His eye twitch was still present, however, as he thought of a solution. "You want 'em to suffer?" Angel took a drag of his cigarette, expelling the smoke out of his nostrils. "Take away his pride." He tapped the butt of the cigarette to rid of the ash. "I'd rather you gun me down; than maim me. I'm sure he feels the same way." He let his tongue ride the edges of his lips, not focusing on anyone in particular as he pondered his thoughts. He then shrugged, moving into the light again, "Take off an arm, put 'em in wheelchair, cut his boys off and dangle it in his face. There are endless ways to destroy a man." His eyes slid to the right, examining Alex's reaction. Not that he knew anything... Or did he?

Misty Gray neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

Alex began to feel extremely self conscious and guilty as her father stared at her, she sensed he knew something but there was no way he could know about her and Conor. Or at least he would have already said something to her if that was the case, however she couldn't get the paranoia to subside and so she focused her full attention on keeping it hidden, keeping the blank yet almost bored expression as she held her fathers gaze until he eventually looked away and began speaking to Angel and Nicolo. Alex knew that this faith for Conor was going to be worse than death, especially by the look on her father's face. She didn't know if she should warn Conor to watch his back or if she would even have a chance to speak to him before he was grabbed. Could she release him once he was taken? but if she released him then Alex would get found out and would be betraying her family. Alex felt helpless, she had no control over what was going to happen to conor and she had never felt so lost and confused as she did now. However she kept this emotion of her face and instead tried to focus on the taste of the cigarette as she kept taking casual drags. When Angel spoke up, Alex's eyes darted towards him but she quickly focused back on the table as she listened to what he said. The forms of torture affected Alex deeply and it took everything she had in her to keep a blank expression on her face. As he talked, her throat felt to be closing up, her heart began to palpitate and she was sure she was having a panic attack. She bit her lip and looked down at the table doing her best not to scream or confess everything in the hopes to save Conor, however she knew that if she did confess it would do nothing for Conor and would end up very badly for her. She peaked a look up at her dad and saw that he wasn't paying any attention to her instead he was looking at Angel and so she looked down again at her lap and she tried to stop her heart beating so fast and her hands from shaking "Fuck" She mumbled almost inaudibly as a flicker of fear flashed on her face for a mere second before she hid it under a mask of emptiness. When she looked up again, her face would hold no sign or clues of any emotional turmoil she was going through, rather she looked unaffected by the conversation almost indifferent to it. She believed no-one would have saw that fear or heard her mumble but she was unaware that Angel had been looking at her while it happened. Alex just wanted to get of this topic as quick as possible and so she spoke up "and what about James?" She asked her voice coming across a lot stronger then she had expected it to.

Nicolo looked to his sister as he noticed his father staring at her intently. He couldn't help but wonder if there was something between Alex and Conor that he didn't know about, however he quickly brushed this thought off as he knew Alex would not be stupid enough to have any kind of relations with a Sullivan especially after what Conor's family had done to their mother. He turned his attention back to his father "Yeah I can do it" He said casually as he took a drag of his cigarette. When Angel began to name ways to torture Conor, Nicolo couldn't help but smirk at the idea of doing those things, "Well someone's in a dark mood today" he said with a slight laugh but he became serious again when he realized now was not the time for jokes. "Yeah do you want that kind of stuff done to him"He asked his father "That shit would destroy him, especially if his junk is cut off" Nick agreed with Angel's method. Taking away Conor's pride would definitely affect him more than getting him locked up. He raised an eyebrow when his father said that Kate was now seen as a traitor, however he knew himself not to question that now and instead just nodded at what he said. So Conor to take and Kate to silence, Luca too if he got in the way, this was definitely an eventful meeting. When Alex spoke up asking about James, Nick's eyes darted towards his sister, her voice came out as a monotone and her expression showed her to be indifferent to the whole situation. He hadn't expected Alex to care what happened to Sullivan's but he had expected at least a bit of a reaction about torturing them especially after her reactions to Sinead getting targeted a while ago, this indifferent Alex sitting beside him, just made Nicolo realize how far gone she really was.

Misty Gray Enzyme Ineptitude @ReverseWells Thatoneflawedhero

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray
Once introductions were out of the way, the meeting started as planned. Lucy was nervous, especially since she heard that her mother would be running the meeting instead of her father. Her father was always easier to talk down from anger, while her mother...well, they were both very similar women and it was difficult to try and get her to calm as easily. And she certainly didn't waste any time getting started. The things that came from her lips were harsh and unforgiving, and pointed towards the wrong person. She watched almost helplessly as James took the brunt of what should have been her punishing speech. She swallowed hard and listed to James explain himself. It just didn't make any sense for him to miss...maybe they knew he was lying to them. That he was just taking the blame...

"Mother!" Lucy gasped at her mothers extremist ways. She was willing to send James, a man who had grown up with this family and has protected and stood by their side since the beginning, away to the Romanos. They want the killer. He wasn't it. She looked to James and was equally as shocked that he would agree with her words. "Now wait just a damn minute!" Lucy finally spoke up and stepped to stand beside James. "Are you seriously going to get rid of him over one mistake?! We need all the protection we can get right now and you want to get ride of him? Mother, that is going way to far. This family has been in danger since you decided that you wanted to bring children into this world.​

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano

Vinnie fixed his eyes solely on Angel as the man suggested ways to take away Conor's pride. He slowly nodded his head as he silently thought over the suggestions.He knew Gianna would have never agreed with such drastic measures against Emmet's kids, but she was dead now. The family needed revenge and Gianna wasn't there to drill any sense of reason into Vinnie's head now. Vinnie glanced to Alex, still not comfortable with his daughter sitting in on this kind of meeting but she was determined to be a part of it so it was better she was invited rather than went sneaking behind his back. He was glad Alena had made the decision not to join them and it cemented his decision to have her accompany Giorgio back to Italy to stay with their grandmother. Alena was not strong enough for what else was to come and Giorgio simply wanted to distance himself from this business.​

"Good," Vinnie flatly replied when Nicolo said he could see to Conor's abduction. "I want you and Angel to work together to arrange it. The sooner the better. The basement underneath the old butcher's shop should do the trick," he confirmed. The place had closed down a year earlier and had been used on numerous occasions to torture other low-lives. "Do I look like I care if we destroy Conor?" he rhetorically asked Nicolo. "But we build up to it. When you have him, see to it he's given a good old-fashioned beating first. I want to see him severely beaten unconscious and when he wakes up in his own blood I will take great pleasure in telling him what else is to come. It really is a shame Kate is no longer with us - she was quite good at patching men back up enough so we could repeat their punishment. We'll just have to exercise caution and good sense. We can't go killing him so soon," he noted.

It hadn't gone unnoticed that Alex mentioned James. Vinnie had decided to address her question in his own time. "Oh, Mr. Porter is an interesting one, as dear Fortuna already knows. He's been tortured numerous times in the past and always gets back up again. So we can be very creative with James as he doesn't seem to react much to physical pain. The man is difficult to crack, but all the more fun for us, yes?" he asked. "But not just yet. I'm holding out on him at the moment - we need to time it right. For now, the focus is on Conor, Kate and Sergeant Hunter." He glanced to Angel. "And any other duties you have been tasked with," he added, thinking of his plans for Sinead.
​

neverbackdown Enzyme
Mentioned: Ineptitude

 

[Misty Gray]

Shannon Sullivan

Shannon looked straight to Lucy as she inevitably spoke up to defend James. She quickly lit a cigarette as she continued to watch and listen to her eldest daughter speak up. Whilst she didn't appreciate being spoken to in such a way, she was willing to let the girl say what she needed to say. "One mistake, Lucy?" she asked, taking a drag for the cigarette. "You need to watch how you speak to me, Lucy! It was a pretty damn huge mistake."

"Lucy's right, though. How can you even suggest such a thing?" Sinead spoke up, the worry and upset for James evident in her sweet voice. "I can play the piano at an expert level, but that doesn't stop me from making a mistake once in a while. And one wrong key can ruin the entire song..."

"Seriously Sinead? You think playing the bloody piano is important right now?" Shannon asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's because of your naive comments like that one, Sinead, that make me even more determined to protect you. I'm sorry, but if I can do something to ensure Sinead and Carrick are safe and have a chance at a life, then I'm going to do it." She took another drag of her cigarette. Though she hid it extremely well, she was a wreck on the inside and smoking was keeping it all at bay. "Do you think it's easy for me to suggest this?" Shannon quickly shook her head. "James can't protect us all. I don't want to see any of you; Lucy, Conor, Sinead or Garrick, harmed. I'm sorry, but if I have to hand over Gianna's killer to protect my children, I have to do it." Shannon felt sick by her own words, but she had no choice but to do what she was doing.

​

Bellz

 

[That_Irish_Person]

Margarita tried to make sense of what was happening, James missed a shot so Shannon was chewing his ass off because he killed the wrong person, now they want the killer. What are they going to do with him? "Well instead of giving them James why not send someone else? Send someone in so they can get the job done and get a few secrets along the way?" She was rather for the idea that she had hatched, it was much better than handing James to what seemed to be another Mafia family. It would be interesting to see how she would react, as it was she was a little tense, but it saved her children and everyone else. Rite stood there a little shook at the amount of power in Shannon's voice, it was rather scary as she remained poise and calm but her tone was bitter and to the point. "An inside man if you wish to call it, they don't act on anything, only report until otherwise instructed. It's better than giving someone up, god knows what they would do to him and god knows if they will keep their word on keeping their hands off of your children Shannon."
Misty Gray ​

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray

Lucy felt helpless she wasn't sure if she could say what she desperately wanted to and her mouth went dry as she thought of a way to stop her from turning in James. She wanted to try and get some extra time, turn herself in before anyone could know. But it seemed as if her mother had made up her mind. She listened to Sinead and winced as her mother snapped at her. She was done with this. Listening to her mothers words, she shook her head and clenched her fists in anger. Reaching a hand out, she lightly grabbed James' hand and squeezed it before letting go and stepping forward. "You do this and you can consider me as good as dead too....I can't let him take the blame for what wasn't his mistake." Lucy's voice was just as powerful as her mothers. She had put sometime into the story that she was about to tell, making sure that James would be out of the woods. It would be easy for her mother to turn James in, but her own daughter...well, she would have to see.

"I shot Gianna. I wanted revenge for all the times that they had hurt our family, especially after seeing Sinead hurt.." She said, her chin was held tall and she didn't cower away as she looked her mother in the eyes. "I was tipped off by a few friends that the Romano's party was to be at their hotel and so I followed James and the others there....Once I got inside it was easy to get up on the second floor and just shoot. I didn't want to kill her....I-...I...You can't send him away mother, please...I am her killer and I should be the one handed over, I endangered the family on an uncharacteristic impulsive decision and for that I am truly and terribly sorry." Her eyes stayed staring at her mother, tears spilling over as she shook. She felt too vulnerable in that moment, having pushed the fact that she had murdered an innocent life under the rug for weeks.

"James..."She let out a breath. "Took the blame for me after Conor and I found him...to get rid of someone who wants nothing more than to see this family happy would be a foolish thing to do."​

 

[Enzyme]

"Sounds like a plan." Angel said, discarding the bud of the cigarette on the table. He let out a loud sigh, slapping his knees abruptly. "I hate to break up the meeting, but i'd like a moment with Alex." He tucked in his shirt as he stood. He then looked over to Alex, motioning her with his fingers. He held the smirk as he moved for the hallway door. He relinquished the fake smile the moment he walked through the door, leaving it open for Alex.

neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

As the conversation moved on to James, Alex focused on relaxing her breathing as well as trying to slow down her heart. She needed a clear head and a quiet space to try and figure out what to do, so she tried to put all thoughts of Conor to the back of her mind until she was walking home. She listened as the meeting seemed to be coming to an end, she should have been annoyed that she had been given nothing to do but she was too wound up about Conor to care about that for now. Alex finished her cigarette and dropped the butt into an ashtray as she looked around the room. She looked a little confused when Angel said he wanted to speak to her and raised an eyebrow but followed him out regardless. Her head was a mess and she didnt for a second consider that he might know about her and Conor. Once outside and away from the meeting room Alex turned to him, guessing that her father had put Angel up to this "If you think that your going to talk me out of working with yous and get me to go to Italy as well then" .... Alex stopped talking rather abruptly when she realized from his facial expression that this was not why he had summonded her. She bit her lip in slight confusion as she gave him the chance to speak.

Enzyme

 

[Lazy Taco]

Carrick had been quiet the whole time as the meeting took place. Sure he normally wouldn't be here but he was involved either way now. You could see that he was holding himself from bursting out in rage at his mom, someone that he loved but now, now he didn't know what to think of what she was doing. "Mother, would you not speak words like that around us." He told her while closing his eyes. "We aren't people who would give up our people just because you want to sat the others..." He stopped before continuing. "He is our family also, and it infuriates me when you speak about giving him up just for Sinead and my safety.... But I want to ask you mother, when have all of been safe at all, we can't just live a normal life anymore, sure Lucy and James brought this problem among all of us but we never give up our own." He spoke before whispering the last bit quietly. Even if James was giving up, he knew that he wasn't safe, he knew that sooner or later it was gonna catch up to everyone of them, even if you weren't involved.
Misty Gray Bellz
(I'm gonna try to post with Luca tomorrow.)

 

[neverbackdown]

Nicolo listened to his fathers instructions and mentally took notes on where to bring Conor. It was an easy job and easy enough location to remember. Now all him and Angel needed was a plan of action. He smirked as his father told them to take it easy with Conor so that he wouldnt die too soon. Nicolo wasnt usually an overly aggressive man who got joy out of torturing others but after what the Sullivans had done, Nick knew that they deserved every thing that was coming for them, and he was happy to help it along the way. He sat back in his seat as his father said it wasnt the time to get James, while Nick wanted to end that prick, he knew that his father was right and that everything needed to be perfectly timed for the optimum results. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Alex and Angel left the room to speak but he thought nothing off it and decided to speak to Angel later to make the plans for getting Conor. He turned back to his father "is that all the plans for now or is their anything else needed to be done?" He asked him.

Misty Gray Enzyme Ineptitude @ReverseWells

 

[Enzyme]

​

Angel didn't face her, first he made sure no one could hear. He smiled as she spoke, waiting for her words to fall off trail. He let silence fill the void before speaking. "He's a charming guy, I don't blame you." He then turned to face her, the dark lighting causing his face to grow sinister. "Hell, i've even shared a couple of drinks with him. If it weren't for this whole... Mess; i'd happily call him my friend. That, however, isn't the case. No one should get mixed up with the Sullivans, especially Romano blood. You know that, though."

He began to pace towards her, holding his hands behind his back. "So I was confused on why I heard some two-bit Sullivan dunces talkin' about some Italian brunette sweeping' Conor off his feet. I was in jail all last week, so I had a lot of time to think. Why would a smart woman like you do something so stupid?" He chuckled now, beginning to slowly circle her like a hyeena with it's prey. "So, I hired a private investigator to follow you, make sure I was just being paranoid." He stopped in his tracks, once again not facing her. He then spun around on his heels, offering her a sincere, sorrow-filled smile at her. "Well, my suspicions were sadly proven." He then reached into his jacket pocket, revealing several photographs. He showed her as he flipped through them. They were photographs of Conor and Alex, taken from afar. It was obvious they were attempting to be secretive, however, both their faces were shown at least once throughout the photographs. "Now, that can't be you, can it?" He slowly walked back towards her, resting his hand on her. His thumb traced along her healed bullet wound; not to hurt her, but to remind her. "You wouldn't pursue a Sullivan, would you? After all they've done?" He smiled again, stepping back once more. "Now, i'm going to catch your boyfriend and you're going to help me. You're gonna' to call him and tell him to meet you at Jason's Deli tonight at 8 o'clock. If you do this, I will personally burn these pictures and we will never speak of this again, plus, i'll let Conor live. If, however, you go against this plan i'll show your dad these pictures, cut Conor's little Irish dick off, and then blow his brains out his ears."

He walked closer to Alex, pulling her into a hug. He used his hand to press her head under his chin, rocking both and forth as he spoke, "You're like a little sister to me, Alex. I've always looked out for you. Please, for the sake of everything; don't fuck this up." He then let go of her, squeezing her shoulder as he smiled. Casually, he walked back into the room, as if nothing had happened.

neverbackdown

 

[Misty Gray]

Shannon Sullivan

Shannon listened to Rita's words of reason and was about to respond to her when Lucy also spoke up again. She noticed her daughter squeeze James' hand and as Lucy said she couldn't let him take the blame, Shannon finally stood up from the couch and put out the cigarette in the ashtray as she did. Hearing Lucy say she had been the one who shot Gianna was upsetting, and not because of the dead Romano. It was upsetting because Shannon felt Lucy was now officially just like her. She'd been unable to stop that innocent little blonde child from growing up to become the same as her mother and now Lucy would have killing someone weighing heavy on her conscience.

"Lucy, you silly, silly girl," Shannon said as she forced herself not to slap her eldest across the face. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Lucy and pulled her in close for a tight hug. "I love you, Lucy. You are not getting handed over to anyone, sweetheart. I promise." Shannon let go of Lucy and took a step back, trying to regain her characteristically calm and collected manner.

James was on the verge of stepping in to console Lucy, but Conor rushed to place a comforting arm around his sister. "Shit, Lucy. I had no idea," Conor told her, softly kissing the top of her head as he kept his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?!"

"And you, James. You stupid boy. Whilst I should be grateful you've been supporting Lucy, you should have told the truth from the start. But even worse than that, you should not have accepted so easily that you were going to be handed over to the Romanos." Shannon sighed before suddenly giving James a reassuring hug. "I was never going to hand you over to them," she spoke out loud. "James, you're part of the family whether you believe it or not. I just don't appreciate you lying to us, darling." As she stepped back from James she sighed and tried to stop her hands from trembling. She knew she would be met with disapproval from those around her, but she'd been willing to take everyone's anger to get to the truth. Shannon looked between James and Lucy as she explained herself. "Emmet and I knew you two weren't telling the truth. It didn't look like you were going to come clean any time soon. I'm sorry for upsetting everyone, but this was the only way I could think of to know for sure if James had killed Gianna - or to get the real killer to own up," she said, glancing to Lucy.

Shannon stepped back so she could see everyone. "I did receive a phonecall asking for Gianna's killer to be handed over in exchange for Sinead's and Carrick's safety. But Carrick and Rita are correct. We would never hand anyone over to the Romanos - that is not how we operate. Whether it's one of our gang members I've never even met or my own daughter, they get no-one. We all stick together and we all start being honest with each other," she sternly explained. "And, as Rita also said, we can't trust their word one bit. I doubt they would leave any of us alone at this stage."

Shannon slumped down on the couch and lit up another cigarette. Emmet needed to know the truth and she got it for him. She was tough enough to take the backlash from her family for scaring them the way she had. She hadn't got where she was by pussy-footing around people and she had no regrets for her methods of dragging out the truth.

James was beyond relieved by the way things had played out and that he wasn't going to be gift-wrapped to be handed over to Vinnie. Regardless, the whole thing had still got his heart racing and made the calm man feel uncharacteristically anxious. "No problem, Mrs. Sullivan. I get it," he eventually spoke up before leaving the lounge and stepping into the kitchen away from the group. He had to admire Shannon's guts, but he just needed to catch his nerve and regain his composure after all of that drama.

​

Bellz T That_Irish_Person Lazy Taco

 

[neverbackdown]

The silence was almost deafening as she waited for Angel to speak, she had no idea why he had called her outside but as he spoke the realization hit her like a tonne of bricks and she couldn't even find the words to try and defend herself or try and denigh it. She listened to his words, feeling the bile rising up her throat with each word as she tried to remain composed but there was no hiding the fear that she felt in that moment. She wasnt afraid of Angel, she knew he would never harm her, however she feared that he was going to tell her father of her relationship. Alex stared at the pictures, she wanted to scream at him for having her followed, she wanted to yell at him or hit him but she was frozen in place unable to move or speak. When he told her that she was to help capture Conor, her heart broke and her stomach dropped. She couldnt think straight and could just about comprehend what he was saying, yet each word was like a knife in the heart.
When Angel let go of her and walked away, she waited till he was out of sight before running to the closest bathroom where she puked up her entire stomach contents. Shakily, Alex stood up and wiped her mouth with some tissue before making her way to the car park to go home.
Once home Alex went straight to her room and sat on her bed as tears began to flow. She was angry at Angel, Angry at herself and in a moment of rage she picked up a book beside her bed and threw it across the room, she watched as it crashed into her mirror and shattered it, the shards of glass raining onto the ground. Alex stood up and began to pace back and forth, she didnt know what to do. She had so many thoughts running through her head and she just wanted them to stop, she ran her hand along a shelf causing everything to violently fall on to the floor before tuning to catch sight of her reflection in the remaining bits of glass that had stayed in the mirror. Staring at herself brought up more self hatred and without a thought she punched the mirror and watched as the remaining shards fell on the floor. Alex took a step back and slumped down against the wall, ignoring the pain and blood coming from her hand. She couldn't betray Conor, yet she couldnt let her father see the pictures and she knew that if she refused Angel then he would show him without any remorse or regret. Alex thought she had felt lost before, but this was a whole new level. She could always tell Conor and then go on the run, she knew that was a ridiculously stupid idea and so didn't really give it any thought. She had promised Conor that she would not personally cause him any harm however here she was about to send him to his end. Alex blinked back tears as she made her way downstairs towards the landline, each step felt like a lifetime and like a part of her was being stripped away. She was glad that everyone was still at the hotel so that she wouldnt be caught in this vunerabe state. With heavy breaths Alex picked up the phone and dialled in the number for the Emerald. A woman answered and told Alex that Conor wasnt present. Alex didnt know Conors home phone nor did she want to call the house and so she asked the woman "can you tell Conor that the girl from Micks wants him to meet her at Jason's Deli tonight at 8, thanks" Alex hung up the phone and made her way into the lounge grabbing a bottle of whiskey before making her way back to her room. She lay down on the bed as she began to drink away at the bottle. She hoped that either Conor would not be in the Emerald tonight and so wouldnt get the message or that he would realise that by her ringing instead of going to the meeting place that something was wrong. "FUCK" she screamed rather loudly as she pulled at her hair, what had she done.
Enzyme Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano​

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Vinnie nodded to Angel as he said he needed to speak with Alex. He was too preoccupied with orchestrating everything that he didn't really have time to question what Angel wanted his daughter for. When Nicolo spoke up, Vinnie shook his head. "No, I believe that's everything for now. You just make sure you and Angel do this job properly." He took comfort in knowing Alena and Giorgio would be out of the way when things became too intense. They would be better off out of the way and keeping his own mother company.
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neverbackdown Enzyme

Leo Davide

For the second time that day, Leo found himself in a daze. Whilst he could believe Alena was leaving, he couldn't accept it. He'd hoped they could patch things up but they wouldn't get the chance now. Vinnie often kept things quiet, but Leo still wished he'd been told sooner about Alena's plans to leave. Once again, his mind was thrown back to that night and how he blamed himself for not having enough security around the hotel. It had been crossing his mind that Vinnie was right and he should start carrying a gun himself, but Leo didn't think he had it in him to shoot another person. He certainly didn't feel the need to place himself in the middle of a gang war. He wondered if it would be safer to just find a job elsewhere and remove himself from the chaos completely.​

 

[Ineptitude]

Fortuna casually leaned back into her seat, taking on a deceptively relaxed stance as more and more people entered the room. While the meeting continued, the hitwoman was mentally going through the list of toxins that she knew. Michael definitely had the right idea in poisoning Sergeant Hunters. The problem was figuring out which one to use. She had tossed many poisons she had in mind aside, and was close to nearing the end of her list, when she finally found the perfect one.

Succinylcholine, a neuromuscular paralytic drug that was nigh undetectable. Although it wasn't a poison, it paralyzes all the muscles in the body, including those responsible for breathing. While it wears off after 5-10 minutes, it was more than enough time for someone to die of asphyxiation. If you've been hit with it, you'll spend those minutes before death in a state of waking terror, realising there is nothing you can do. A truly horrible way to die, if she does say so herself.

Mentioned: Thatoneflawedhero

 

[neverbackdown]

Nicolo nodded at his father's words "dont worry its in safe hands" he commented confidently. He was sort of relieved when his father said that was all for now, realising that Alex so far was not apart of any plans. He knew that Alex was safer acting with them rather than on her own but he still wasn't happy about it. While he was going to miss Gio and Alena a lot, he was happy they were going to Italy and would be safe. They would have a chance to live a relatively normal life and a part of him wished that Alex had made the same decision. He snapped from his thoughts when the door opened and he turned to see Angel enter the room without Alex. He was curious about what had happened but decided this was not the time to ask, since there was more important plans to be discussed. Nicolo waited until Angel had taken a seat before turning to face him "right how do you want to do this or do you have a plan?" He asked Angel as he placed his elbows on the table.
Enzyme Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano and Olivia Svensson

Vinnie's attention was drawn towards Fortuna and Michael as they discussed what to do about Sergeant Hunter. He glanced to the clock on the wall and right on time, Olivia entered the meeting room. She'd had a late night and one that would have been later if things had gone Matthew Hunter's way. After the business meeting with Hans, Monte and Eleanor was done with, Olivia's evening was not over. As instructed, she made sure to bump into the police sergeant and once again shower him with her charm and flirtation. On Vinnie's orders, she'd been out with Matthew on a few dates to gain his trust. Olivia soon realised she didn't even need to bother getting his trust - she just had to make the loser thinking she was romantically interested in him. Admittedly, it was a difficult task for her as he truly was a dull and pathetic man. Olivia had gone back to his house last night and made sure he was drunk enough to keep talking. The only redeeming quality she found in him was that he was at least hardworking, but his hard work went against the Romanos, so really there was nothing she liked about him. Swiping one of his spare house keys and getting some information that Vinnie would find useful were the easier tasks. The more difficult one was refusing Matthew's advances and leaving him alone for the night without offending him. She succeeded in the end.

"Good morning, Olivia," Vinnie greeted her. He refused the key that she held out to him, signalling for her to hand it to Fortuna. "Fortuna will be dealing with Sergeant Hunter. You can give his key to her and any other information she might need. You will help her in any way she asks," he told Olivia.

"Oh, do tell me I won't have to be in that man's company a moment longer," Olivia drily remarked. Catching Vinnie's disapproving look, she straightened her posture. "My apologies, Vinnie. If only you knew what a detestable and tedious man he is. He makes my skin crawl."

"I have a good idea, Olivia. He won't be around for much longer, I can assure you. Then you can move on to helping us deal with Shannon Sullivan," he told her. He decided to let her brief moment of disrespect go by ignored as she had worked hard for him. Olivia approached Fortuna and passed her the spare key for the back door of Sergeant Hunter's home. She would also offer to provide her with any information about him that she may request.

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Ineptitude Thatoneflawedhero

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[Bellz]

Misty Gray
Lucy was terribly nervous and it definitely showed on her face. But when her mother hugged her, Lucy melted into the woman's arms, as if she were just lifting all of the wait off of her shoulders. She hugged her mother tightly and smiled softly. "I love you too mother." She said softly in return and let go of her as she pulled away from her. Sighing, Lucy dapped at her eyes lightly and nodded her head when her brother asked if she was okay. "I'll get over it soon." She reassured him before looking in James' direction as her mother began to speak to him.

The words she spoke should have angered her, about her doing this just to try and get the truth out of them. She would have rather just had them confront them about it in private rather than scare the hell out of them, but her mother was a clever woman. James and her would have carried their little secret to the grave. She wondered if her mother knew about their little fling. If she did, Lucy would be mildly embarrassed for they would have not been careful enough around everyone.

But the blonde felt no anger towards her mother, for she knew she was only doing this because lying would get them nowhere. And maybe Lucy should have realized it a lot sooner. But she didn't. And as James walked out of the room, she felt horrible. He must have been scared to death. Lucy looked to her mother for a moment and to her siblings before turning, excusing herself and following James into the kitchen. She stayed silent for a moment and hoped that he wasn't upset with her. Biting her lip, she stepped into the kitchen and moved to lean against the counter.

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[Misty Gray]

James Porter
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James was stood by the window, collecting his thoughts, when he saw a figure appear close to him. He turned around to see Lucy leaning against the counter. Despite the tonne of thoughts clouding his mind, he was still able to see the apprehension on Lucy's face. "Lucy..." he began, his tone flat and neutral. The longer he looked at her, the more his features softened. The shock of genuinely believing he was going to be given to the Romanos was only just leaving his system. The blonde's presence certainly helped. "Are you okay, Lucy?" he asked, his voice reflecting his concern. "You know you didn't have to tell her, don't you? I would have taken whatever punishment came my way." He knew it was better than the truth was out and they could now focus on what was to come, but he would never have forced Lucy to say anything.

James let out an exaggerated breath. "Honestly. I thought your old man was scary. I guess I know not to upset your mother in the future," he remarked. "If you inherited your mother's fire, I really should be worried..." he remarked. Any attempt to lighten the mood a little.

Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray
Lucy watched him closely, he seemed lost in his thoughts. At first, when he said her name, she tore her eyes from his and looked at the floor. But when he asked if she was okay, she could here in the sincere concern in his voice and it made her smile a little. "I think I will be okay." She murmured to him and looked up from the floor to meet his eyes again. She nodded at his words and gave a soft laugh as he mentioned her mothers fire. She was famous for it in the family after all. When her mother needed to get the job done she will do anything and everything. That's what she admired about the woman. "Unfortunately, I think I have inherited it given that I stood up to her like that..."

"And I know you would have taken the punishment for me James, its what made me speak the truth." She shook her head lightly and walked a little closer. "When the hell are you going to start realizing that you are very important to me, and if I were to lose you-" Lucy couldn't finish that train of thought, for she would never be the same person if something happened to him, especially when it wasn't his mistake. Sighing lightly, she bit her lip again and looked back towards the lounge. "I am sorry for telling her though...it wasn't the entire truth...but I'm sure the minor details really don't matter compared to what I did." The smaller details being that James was apart of her plan for revenge.

"The real question on my mind is: Are you okay? I saw you in there..."She whispered lightly.
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[Lazy Taco]

Luca throughout the meeting had been quiet, just listening as Shannon and he others spoke before shaking his head. He had been disappointed with every words that Shannon had said but had kept himself quiet, mostly because he wasn't sure how Shannon felt knowing that the young's from the Sullivan would also be targeted by the Romano's. One thing he knew for sure was that not everyone was safe, even if words where giving, The Romano's were known for their sly and cunning mouths, nothing could be trusted from them. Once he saw that James and Lucy left, he decided to head over to the kitchen, mostly to find himself something to drink.