For All Our Sins (O/F)

[lumineerpioneer]

As Darcia walked into the dimly lit room,she smirked at Dante's parting words before the door was shut behind them.He really knew how to make an entrance along with an exit.She knew it was a pain for him to be babysitting instead of doing his actual job.She felt some guilt in taking part of it,but not enough to actually apologize to him.This was all that damn hacker's fault anyway.The mere thought of him made her lip curl as she walked over to her office chair and sat down,her body fitting perfectly with the imprint already left behind after so many visits.She really needed to get out more.Anyway,the man was a constant thorn in her side along with Rosa.He was like a constant reminder that she'd never be that good enough in her work.And that just ******* pissed her off.If there was one word to describe the Irish-born girl,it would be competitive.She was taught at a young age that there were only winners,and people too weak to become winners.This was probably the only real thing from her parents that didn't include a flimsy excuse for leaving her alone for the next 5 months while touring Europe.Because of their constant absence,she took this lesson to heart.It was what drove her to excel all through high school and those 3 months in college.She could credit her success to them,but that would mean them actually being there to do so.

She pushed aside the empty snack bags into the trash can below and got out a flash drive from her bag,plugging it into the computer before her.The drive was almost like a piece of her,almost never leaving her side.She had used it from her early hacker days and even now in the present.It still had the old data from before.She just kept adding new stuff everyday.It was almost like an old friend to her.A friend,that if worst came to worse,she'd swallow to protect it's secrets.That was true friendship right there.Technological cannibalism for the greater good.Again,she really needed to get out more.

She was too caught up in her work to even notice her "babysitters" existence at that moment.When she went to work,she did it head-first.All that mattered now was those damn codes that hacker set up.It was like he was teasing her.He HAD that shipment,and was just shoving it all up in her face.Just when she thought she was close,he had a new code set up for her.Her right eye twitched as her fingers flew at lightning speed,her head working just as fast.So many things were going through her head at that moment.How she could be relaxing at home rather than doing this,how Dante looked good with that stubble in a rugged sort of way,and how it would feel if she got that kid Jonathan and just slammed a door over his smug little face over and over and over and her thoughts were interrupted by the handsome little devil himself.A look of irritation passed over her face just then,her fingers paused over the keys."If it was that easy,I'd already be ate home with a nice cup of Starbucks in my hand."She knew he meant well,but it was a certain pet peeve of hers when someone interrupted her while she was working,especially on something important as this.Still,this was Dante;so she'd let it slide for the time being.That,and he also knew had to handle a gun quite well.

She was munching on a sugary treat while setting up a program to go past the advanced firewall when Dante then recommended seducing the Moretti's rather than doing her usual technological battle plan.She half-choked on her great and coughed a few times before regaining her composure.A scarlet blush was already rising up from her neck and spreading all across her face."Y-You'd like that,huh?Me rubbing up on a bunch of geezers?Pervert...",she mumbled,looking down at the keyboard.She would never had the courage to do such a thing,and she didn't even have the right outfit to do so anyway.The "sexiest" article of clothing she had was probably a lace bra she had was a lace bra that she got as yet another birthday present to herself.She almost never wore it,though.She was saving it for a date...that would probably never happen.It was probably collecting dust somewhere in her dresser or something.

She was slowly getting back to work when Dante then leaned over her,throwing her off track once more.She'd stay here for days if this kept happening.She smelled a mixture of mint ant forest must when he did,enjoying every minute of it.God,she sounded like a lovesick schoolgirl.She silently shook her head in response and had her eyes glued to the screen above her head before adding,"If you're talking about alcohol,you're out of luck.I do have some redbull in the mini fridge,if you're interested.Just don't drink it all if you don't want me taking over your cellphone."

[owlskulls]

"When I throw my clip in the AK, I slay from far away.
Everybody, hit the d-e-c-k."

"AK-47, the very best there is.
when you absolutely, positively,
gotta kill every [********] in the room,
accept no substitutes."

Moretti's club, at the bar.


The Bartender didn't even get the chance to grab a glass for her drink, before an all too familiar voice echoed by Katerina's side. Taking a sharp breath to steady her excitement, she turned in her seat to face Jonathan. A soft smile, reserved strictly for the man next to her that reached her eyes and made them sparkle with interest, took her lips hostage. Letting a husky laugh escape her, Kat perched her chin on her hand. "If things were done Volkova style, there wouldn't be any rival gangs in this windy city," she said with a tone of confidence, her smile undisturbed. Her father was the biggest supplier in Siberia, not because he stole merchandise from competitors, but because he eliminated them altogether, or provided the ultimatum of either joining him or fleeing the area. "The DeLuca's wouldn't be around, unless they submit to work under the Moretti forces."

Blue eyes shifted to the young man behind the bar as he sat two White Russians next to two clear shots of tequila. Kat scrunched her nose at the native Mexican drink. She didn't like tequila and its strange taste, but it got the job done. Besides, if Jonah ordered it, she wouldn't refuse joining him in his celebration. After all, it was thanks to his brilliant skills with technology that had allowed Katerina and her man to capture the DeLuca shipment. Picking up the shot glass, Kat licked the back of her hand and extended it to Dimitri for salt. Just because she disliked the liquor didn't mean she lacked knowledge on how to properly drink it. Her heavy lidded gaze locked with Jonathan's dark eyes once more, a grin forming on her sharp face.

"To the wonders of code scripts, and the man who works them best," Katerina proposed, clinking the rim of her shot glass to the Hacker's, eyes still fixed on his as she licked the salt off her hand, then tipped her head back to down the burning liquid. Her eyes squeezed shut, and Kat let out a growl as the burning sensation worked its way down her body. "Yob tvoyu--" she spat before sticking a lime between her lips and biting into the sour fruit. Vodka might be harsh, but at least her body was used to it. Finally, she took out the lime and picked up her original drink, sipping at the creamy cocktail as a chaser. 'Much better.'

Turning her attention back to Jonathan, Kat leaned against the bar counter. "Did you have a fun time breaking into their security?" She asked with curiosity. Kat wouldn't dare admit it, but she only felt comfortable in the man's presence. It wasn't that she felt intimidated by any of the other Moretti associates, she just didn't entirely trust them. Jonah was different, and she noticed it as soon as she'd met him. He didn't join the mob for royalties or recognition - only to do what he does well, and get what he is worth for it. There's no snark or arrogance to his nature, at least not as far as she was aware. He seemed humbled by his roots, but not timid to explore the danger of his present. She loved that.

Tilting her head, Kat ran a hand through her long hair, flipping it to one side. 'And he's damn handsome,' she pointed out to herself, as her eyes traveled his strong features, noting how his mouth, eyes, and eyebrows shifted as he spoke. Even the untidy stubble gave him an air of masculinity she only found attractive on him. Shifting in her seat, Kat took another sip of her caffeinated drink, trying to avoid openly staring at the man. Her feelings have not changed for months, but it seemed his did, but she wasn't sure in which direction, which made her uneasy with uncertainty. A wave of frustration stormed her veins, and she tried not to show it as she sat her drink down with more force than necessary.


Moretti's club, at the bar with Jonathan.

[f a l l i n 4 d a n c e]

Of course Lex was right. The DeLuca's would be having a meeting. It was what Toni would do, and from what he heard of the DeLuca's leader, she too would be having a meeting no matter what. But the issue lay not in if the meeting were taking place, but when and where. Toni's mind ran through what he would do, trying to think where he would hold it. It'd be in a place of business so busy that no one would notice the group gathering. The meeting that had just concluded would have been similar to the one he would have held. Wait until later in the day, or into the night, then when the other side is busy partying put a plan into place. So if he were to do that that meant that he would be in one of the main places that the DeLuca's did business, even at night. Which meant that there were a few prime places to check. However instead of going on a wild goose chase Toni wanted something to follow.

Gio had indeed found some information out, mainly the address where the meeting would be held. But that was as good a starting place as anyone could expect. "Shall we?" Toni's manner was rather brusque, but not unkind as he treated Lex like an equal instead of someone that took his commands for a living. Not that Lex was one of those 'cause they both knew she sure as hell put up a fight instead of listening to him. Not that she was always wrong, but she wasn't always right either.

Downstairs the bar and club were busy. Kalashnikova sat at the bar talking with another of Toni's highly useful members - Jonah. At least it looked like the two were enjoying themselves, celebrating as they should be. He nodded at them as he led Alex out of the club and out onto the streets not really saying anything. What could he say? He wondered as they walked to his car. He was purposely putting her into danger again. He was leading her right into the jaws of the enemy. At the moment he hated himself and what he had to put the girl to.

Sliding into the car, Toni schooled his emotions. It was game time. There was no room for mess ups. He started the engine, the car quietly purred to life under him and smoothly began to down the streets of the busy city. "What's the game plan here?" Now that the two were not in front of a crowd of people expecting Toni to be the only one with the answer he felt more comfortable asking his best friend what to do. He had always valued her advice, just when it was given at the right time. Okay, honestly he didn't always value it as much as he should, but he knew this was her job and he should let her do things her way. Maybe then she'd let him do his job his way. Not likely. But he was just hoping to get them both out of this situation alive. His father's words crossed his mind briefly, 'Don't give them a job you wouldn't do yourself'. But that was how Toni's brother had ended up dead, he couldn't afford to think like that in this world. The DeLuca's already had too much resting on his head to allow him to think this wouldn't be the end of both him and Lex if they were caught.

[owlskulls]

“I felt for the tormented whirlwinds,
Damned for their carnal sins,
Committed when they let their passions
rule their reason.”

DeLuca warehouse, Computer Room with Darcia & Arnie.


Darcia's answer and threat actually did throw Dante off. He absolutely did not doubt the young woman would be able to ruin his life just by taking hold of his cellphone. Hell, she'd know how much he enjoyed sushi, and might poison his next order. But Red Bull was not what he was hoping for, and he gave Arnie a raised brow which the man answered with a shake of the head, pulling out a worn flask from his coat pocket. "Here, we can mix it," Arnie said, handing the metal container to Dante, which he took happily. Sniffing at the substance within, he made a disgusted noise, "s**t Arnie, you carry around a flask full of cheap rum?" Dante growled, "We're not ******** pirates."

Giving the younger man one last disapproving glance, Dante pulled out two cans of the energy drinks from the fridge, shaking his head at the fact that was all Darcy kept in there, then sought out two paper cups to mix the two liquids in, stirring with his finger. Giving one cup to Arnie, the two cheered, "To a successful night for our darling Darcy, and to never having Rosa pointing guns at us again," Dante recited, raising his cup at the girl for emphasis, then took a large swing of the mixed liquids. It was sweet, so sweet. Too sweet. He stuck out his tongue, putting the cup down. It's been a while since he'd went out for drinks, and it had a lot to do with the fact he a, did not have a reason to, and b, had no one to drag along. He gave Arnie a side look, only to notice the man staring into his already empty cup.

Eyes shifting to his friend, Darcia's eyes were glued to the computer monitor before her, the light of the screen lit up her features in an oddly angelic glow. Tilting his head, Dante leaned back in his seat, sinking deeper into the couch. He wasn't oblivious to Darcy's beauty, he just usually didn't dwell on it. But considering the fact she seemed annoyed with his distractions, he settled for staring. Her stubborn concentration on the task at hand drew a small scowl to her usual flawless features, and he dully noted how quickly her delicate finger tips stoke the buttons on her keyboard, wondering how they'd feel on bare skin.

The thought suddenly made him uncomfortable, and he tore his eyes from her, his brows knitting together as his stare moved to the floor. Darcy was the closest thing to a friend Dante had, having thoughts like that could only bring unsettling moments in the future. 'Ease yourself, horn dog,' he drawled in his mind, his eyes searching for something else to catch his attention, only to be pulled back to observing the girl, who looked incredibly small in her computer chair. "I wonder what kind of trouble Rosa is planning for the Moretti's," Dante finally broke the thick silence, starting to pour another drink for Arnie, who mumbled something that sounded awfully like 'Something fun', at which Dante chuckled. "Why, Arnie, you don't find our one on one on one party fun?" he exclaimed with a fake hurtful tone.

"Sorry to bother you again, love," Dante said, swiftly appearing by Darcy's side, leaning down to stare into the screen, his arm perching on the back of her chair, "But it might make the night easier to live through if you at least tell us what you're up to in this digital adventure of yours."


DeLuca warehouse, Computer Room with Darcia & Arnie.

[lumineerpioneer]

Darcia stifled a laugh listening to Dante's reaction to the "pirate" rum they had in stock for tonight.He looked more like a whiskey kind of guy anyway.A real tough guy sort of drink,like in those old cowboy movies.Old John Wayne movies began to run through mind in tune to the firewall codes that ran beside them.Dante would definitely fit right into those movies.He'd be the badass that walks into the bar and everyone goes quiet.He'd order a drink,sit down,and some faceless idiot would try to pick a fight.Once his hand would touch Dante's shoulder,he'd whirl around put him in an arm lock with a gun cocked at the back of his head.True Dante style."So cowboys then?",she chimed in,a grin now on her face as she went back to work

With her eyes still on the screens,she grunted in reply to his toast.She ducked her head low while working,in efforts to hide the blush starting to rise."Darling Darcy".Those two words striked both excitement and depression in the pit of her stomach.Excitement for obvious reasons,of course.As for depression,well,that was a completely different story.She knew that a handsome guy like him would never go for an anti-social,shut in like her.With his charm and good looks,he probably had women lining up at his door step.This would always be a crush,one that'd probably follow her to the grave.Knock on wood...again.

She was oblivious to his staring while staring up at the screens above her head.Just as she was about to crack one price of code,another was already set up in its place.That little weasel was smart,she'd give him that;but she was smarter and much more determined.Having that gun pointed to her head may have taken part in that fierce determination.Frankly,she wasn't surprised if the man set up a duck graphic flying around with the words "Try Again" flashing at the bottom like in those cheesy spy movies that you saw.She shivered at the thought and worked harder to find a breach in his system.Like there was every loophole to a contract,there had to be one in his firewall.There just had to be.

She almost screamed when Dante popped up beside her again.Clutching her chest to calm her heartbeat,she glared at Dante."Don't..do that..again",she growled between clenched teeth.Even though she knew he was in the room,that didn't stop her heartbeat from spiking up.You could say she was easy to scare.She was too into her work to be so.Running a hand down her face,she tried to find the words to explain without frying his brain.In other words,"dumbing it down"."Well..",she carefully said,her eyes still concentrated on her work.If she looked into this deep blue eyes of his,she wouldn't be able to concentrate for the rest of the night."I'm trying to pass through their hacker's security system to get back the weapon supplies.If I weaken his security for a short period of time,we can send some of our guys to go get it.And yeah..that's it."She could've given herself a pat on the back right then there.She thought she did all right.

[luckyrabbit13]

x

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[ Gabriel Antony Domovoi ]


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"Tomorrow." Gabriel nodded and took note of the terse tone and the set of her features. Rosa was always so put together. She epitomized the phrase 'show no weakness.' Rosa was so confident in herself, in her instructions and the trust that she sparingly doled out to her mobsters- making it so hard to earn and very easily lost. Of course, Rosa had all the reason to act with such self importance- she was the Princess of a vast empire after all. An empire that was currently at odds with another- and to win the power struggle, she needed everyone working at their best. Gabriel thought that pulling a gun on poor Darcia was a little harsh, but who was he to question Rosabella's scare tactics. It's not like she cared much for his personal opinons anymore.

Gabriel surveyed the room as Rosa spoke with Dante and Darcia. Compressed and efficient like most things were with the DeLuca's- they didn't like the overembellishment that others in their socioeconomic bracket enjoyed. The color scheme of the room was an unassuming neutral beige on the walls, with deep brown furnishings and accents of soft yellow and amber. Gabriel marveled at how it contrasted the fire burning in the DeLuca Princess against the calm, almost inviting elegence of the room. Gabe nodded at Darcia and Dante as he stepped to the side and they passed him to enter the back room he'd just come through. He watched Alessandra DeLuca quiely glide away through the door leading to a main hall, without a word or a glance at him. Gaby didn't grudge her this of course, he knew Alessandra wasn't one to really conform to the usual social norms needed to shield people's feelings of self-importance and belonging. Rosabella nodded at him, the fire in her eyes cooling- not in tenderness- and turned away to follow. He almost sighed when she turned away from him; he wanted to close his eyes and remember when they'd been together- even when they'd been on good terms, at least- but instead he just watched her go, watched her hair sway and her wrist flick as she snatched a coat off the rack near the door. Alessandra had turned left down the hallway, towards the DeLuca cars and Gabriel lifted his foot to take the three steps that would take him to the nearest cushy swivel chair for him to collapse into- or he would have had he not heard a beautiful voice call from the doorway. "Gabriel, a word please."

Gabriel would probably have followed this voice- the voice that tortured his dreams and filtered into his mind from his memories when he wasn't paying attention- to the end of the world. If it weren't for the impersonal tone that said voice took on now as it spoke his name. He strode forward slowly and Rosa stepped into the hallway and turned to look at him when he let the door to the meeting room click to a close behind them. "Yes, boss?" It was silly how the words could affect him so much. 'Boss' had been a pet name of sorts that Gabriel used to say in a way that had always made Rosa smile. Now, not so much- but it was a habit hard to break after a year of... whatever it was he'd had with her. Even if it was over now.



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[ a Hallway, DeLuca warehouse, with Rosa]

[owlskulls]

“I felt for the tormented whirlwinds,
Damned for their carnal sins,
Committed when they let their passions
rule their reason.”

DeLuca warehouse, Computer Room with Darcia & Arnie.


Dante snickered at the girl's jumpy reaction to his interruption, his eyes moving from the screen - it's not like he knew what he was looking at, anyway - and instead set his eyes on Darcy as she explained her plan. He would bet his life-savings that she was trying to find a way of describing what she was doing as simply as possible for his sake. Smiling at the thought, Dante barely caught most of what she said, noting with some discomfort that she was avoiding looking at him altogether. Did he do something? Dismissing the thought, Dante pretended he registered all of what she'd said, putting on a serious expression, "Very well, carry on," giving Darcy a pat on the head before turning back to the couch.

Arnie was fiddling with his flask nervously, "Hey, what if she can't break through their security?" he asked, his small green eyes darting ever which way. Burying his hands inside his pant pockets, Dante threw his head back, letting out a heavy breath. Glancing at Darcy from the corner of his eye, he hoped the question didn't frighten her as much as it did him. He didn't care for the stolen supply, s**t like this happens when you're involved in this kind of world, especially if there's a rival gang on the streets. Besides, it's not like they didn't have enough weaponry in a separate room of this warehouse to last them a lifetime. What did strike a cord with him, though, was the thought of Rosa taking violent measures against Darcia if she did not bring her some sort of good news.

He knew Darcy liked her position with the DeLucas mostly for the fact she was far from the line of fire, it's both ironic and nerve-wracking to know that the person you work for is the biggest threat you have. Biting his lip, Dante considered his own options if the situation got out of hand. He wouldn't allow Rosabella hurt Darcy. Her anger should be directed at the Moretti's. Hell, he could take her down if needed. A sharp coldness ran down his body, he'd never imagined he'd ever ponder over the idea of killing his own boss. Especially not Rosa. He might not agree with a lot of her approaches to business, or how she handles her men, but wishing her death - or executing it himself - seemed a step too far.

"She'll get it done," Dante finally said, looking at the girl as she continued tapping away. His voice was stern and definitive, although his mind screamed to just grab Darcy and make a run for it. Arnie didn't seem convinced, but he didn't say anything, instead, he extended his second empty cup to Dante. Handing the man a new drink, Dante wondered what Arnie would do if he'd suggested an escape plan. He knew Arnie was a family man, his wife and two daughters were waiting for him at home. He has a heart. Sitting down again, Dante sipped at his drink, his eyes fixed on Darcy once more. Would she run? He'd have to see how the night goes before he humors the idea further.


DeLuca warehouse, Computer Room with Darcia & Arnie.

[f a l l i n 4 d a n c e]

████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████The Mob Princess
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Had it been only a month before Rosa would have been approaching Gabriel in a much different way. Cornering him for other reasons, pretending that few people were aware of why she called Gabriel from the others for various reasons all of which were mere excuses. But that had been a month ago. A month before he had started to change the casual romance they had created the year before them, where for Rosa the rest of the world ceased to appear. Back when he had been the brillant young weapons expert who had worked his way up the carefully guarded command ladder that the DeLuca's prided themselves upon. But then he had said something that had sent the young boss reeling back into her own very practical mind, ruining a good thing. And what had this smart composed woman done? Turned her back on him, reasoning that he didn't mean anything more to her.

The arrival of Petro had been perfectly timed. Not that Arianna had planned for her daughter to meet the Italian gentleman at such a turning point in her romantic interests, even her careful stepmother could not have played better. Of course Petro Trovatelli had the perfect connections and was a fantastic match, one that rarely came around every day. And for the first few weeks the relationship seemed to have some hope. But it was too early to think of things that serious, Rosa had reasoned, her command over the business was too new, too rocky to introduce a male on equal grounds to herself, to threaten her already fragile hold on the mob. No. It was too early to think of something like that. With those reasons laid out for the practical but quixotic Italian. With that being that he had been sent away earlier in the week on a plane back to Roma.

Now standing in front of Gabriel Domovoi Rosa was refusing to believe that he had played any part in her refusal of Trovatelli. She didn't need a man in her life, no matter what her body was saying. Oblivious that it might not just be her body wishing to push him against the wall, to feel his lips on hers, to have him support her, but it might be the yearning of her own heart that led her feelings back to the man before her. But she didn't need anyone. Especially not a man. And not one that would undermine her very role in life,

Whatever Rosa had been planning on saying, it was cut short at Gabriel's simple words. A crack appeared in Rosa's perfectly poised mask, one she hated to admit that the man in front of her could easily read. It was one of the things that had infuriated her the most about him, and yet had endeared him even more to him. She'd never admit how much his perceptive nature had comforted her and supported her through the past year. But it didn't take long for Rosa more than the briefest moment to compose herself again and remember that she wasn't here to ask him about their latest project or other more wanton motives. "I suspect your negligence in keeping up to date to be a product of your absorption in your work, but next time we have a weapons order go missing, I expect you to at least be aware of the situation before you enter a meeting to ask when the next shipment will be in." The words as formal as she had intended a product of years of breeding and law school as she ignored the irrational impulse to lean into Gabriel's ever pliant arms.

[lumineerpioneer]

Darcia blinked when Dante patted her head.It gave her a bunch of mixed reactions,the biggest being embarrassment.She knew that she was a little childish,and maybe shorter than the rest,but he didn't need to treat her like a little kid!It seemed he always treated her like a little sister than a woman.She blushed again for the millionth time that night.With Dante keeping an eye on her for the night,she had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time she did.Look at what he's doing to you,Darcy.

When Arnie chimed in,her jaw tightened.So Rosa wasn't the only one who doubted her...Though,she could his reasoning.If she failed,their leader would rain hell on the rest of the gang.They didn't want to be the one facing the barrel of the gun themselves.It was better to just to just use the nerd.She was about to come up with a smart-a** reply when Dante stepped in for her.She blinked,her fingers pausing in mid-type after hearing his words of confidence.She smiled to herself,her hair creating a thick curtain around her as she did,hiding it from view.She then looked down at her keyboard once more and hesitated before opening up a new window amonst the screens over her head.This one was right in front of her,so neither Dante or Arnie could see it.She then proceeded to set up a small chat with Dante using his cell number.

From: Darcy
Thanks for sticking up for me.
As if I wasn't already stressed,ha..

She figured chatting with him wouldn't hurt while working.It'd ease off the ever present boredom and awkwardness that hung above their heads.She multi-tasked before with no problems before,so this would be no problem to her and the project.And if Rosa did hear about this,she'd never be able to find the chat history.The woman only knew how to handle a gun and boss everybody around.She was safe.

While waiting for his reply,she kept working on trying to go through the firewall.Just when she was going to give up and find another way to go through,she rot through the first bundle of codes.She grinned to herself and worked faster,codes and bugs flying off her fingers like smoke from a burning candle.Not the best metaphor,but you know what I mean.She was finally getting somewhere.Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad after all.

[Xothe_jer_bearXo]

Wearing

Alex had stood to the side, eyes fixed on the one way wall of glass that overlooked the dance floor. It was all she could do so her eyes did stay glued Toni, there was something going on tonight that made her want to lay everything at his feet. She didn't know if it was in the air or the fact that they weren't getting younger or if it was the job that was finally getting to her. But she knew there were some things that also played into it, the fact that Toni hadn't said if he loved her, he hadn't actually acknowledge it either but she couldn't tell him what she really meant or ask how he felt, not yet anyway, the timing wasn't great, then again when would the time be right? She scoffed to herself, she was being ridiculous wasn't she? She spotted Jonah and Katerina at the bar, wishing that she was down with her two friends instead of still being in the room with Toni and Gio. The redhead hated to admit but she needed some space from her best friend, he had an affect on her where she couldn't think straight but she had business she had to attend to so no drinking for her until she got back home. Lovely.

Her head turned at those unexpected words and it took all her strength not to question it or say some sassy remark. Instead she nodded and followed Toni out of the room and out past the doors to his car. She would've preferred to take her truck, since it would've been less conspicous but she was silent. She'd let Toni handle what they did tonight, she didn't know if she had another fight in her for the night, at least not with him. A yawn escaped her lips and she pressed her hand to her mouth, she glanced at the clock. It was after midnight and she knew it was going to be a long night. At least, the wind had died down so she wouldn't be that cold. If she had been thinking straight she would've packed an extra pair of clothes that she could've changed in to.

Lex's green eyes turned to stare at him, "Plan? You're actually asking for my advice?" Needless to say she was surprised, she hadn't thought that Toni would ask for a plan, at least not from her. He hadn't done that in a long time and if she allowed herself, she would think it was like when they were younger but she didn't. She couldn't let herself get wrapped up in the old memories, of how they used to be, how their life used to be. It would be useless and it would only bring the pain.

[MizzMomoa92]

Jonah & Kat || What || Bar

Kalen sped through traffic, his head still trying to wrap around the recent "success" against the De Luca gang. He didn't like the idea of trying to take down the gang, but that probably had a lot to do with the fact that he was "sleeping with the enemy". Kalen let a small sigh escape his lips as she continued down the highway to the bar. He was definitely having a hard time in finding a happy medium between being good to his family and being good to Aless, but he hated the fact that because of his gang, they were shorted money.

As Kalen pulled up to the bar, he parked his bike in an open spot as his eyes looked up at the large sign. He only saw a few cars around and it looked to be the cars of Kat and Jonah. He pulled his helmet off of his head and slowly headed into the bar with his helmet securely under his arm. A small smile spread across his lips as he saw Kat and Jonah at the bar. He slowly headed over to the couple and after sitting down next to Jonah, he set his helmet down on the bar. "What you two talking about?" Kalen quirked an eyebrow in interest as he watched the bartender make his typical Jack and coke.

Once the bartender handed him his drink he took a swig of the drink and turned his attention back to Jonah and Kat. He could already see that Kat was gawking over Jonah and was trying hard to suppress his laugh. Jonah wouldn't notice a woman checking him out even if she made it obvious. He took another long swig of the drink and then pulled out his phone. "Where's Toni and Alex?" His hazel eyes glanced around the room and noticed that they were no where to be found. Made him wonder what the two were up to. If Toni was involved there was no telling what the two were up to.

Kalen skimmed through his phone until he found the name he was looking for. He wouldn't of dared put Alessandra's name in his phone. If anyone was to get a hold of his phone, it wouldn't end very well. Kalen smiled slightly as he found the name that he had hidden Aless under "Juliet". He had come up with the idea of using Romeo and Juliet as their alias's a while back when they had to figure out how they would hide their relationship from people. Kalen hit the name and sent a quick text message to Aless trying to keep it as simple as possible in case she was with anyone.

To: Juliet
From: Romeo
Msg: We still having that meet tonight?

He hit the send button and carefully slipped his phone into his pocket and took another long sip from his drink. His hazel eyes looked up at the two and smiled.

OOC || Sorry it's kinda short and might suck a lil. >.> Just wanted to make sure I got something in.

P I M P I N_O W L

luckyrabbit13

XoEvil _AngelXo

[f a l l i n 4 d a n c e]

The streets of the windy city weren't just windy this evening, they were full of life. People crowded down the streets, bundled in coats and scarves. Women in their heels and bare legs, men with hats pulled low around their ears. Inside the car Toni couldn't hear the noise, but the sounds were so familiar to him that he could imagine the chatter, the laughter, the wind blowing, the horns honking, the whoosh of a car passing by. The car rolled to a stop at a red light as a woman with high silver heels and glittering legs only slightly hidden by her black pea coat, clutched the arm of a man. She tilted her head back and laughed, her brown curls cascading down from under a red hat. The man smiled, caught her as her heel caught, and guided her carefully to the other side of the street before traffic started again. If it had been a different world, a different life, that could have been him. But it wasn't. He could never afford that, never could be that happy, never see Lex look up to him with such a bright happy smile.

A slight frown on Toni's lips he pushed the car back to life as the light turned to green. The couple that had passed didn't even notice the black car speeding faster away from them. Unknowingly they continued on their way, enjoying the presence of warmth of the other without question, hardly knowing the luck that life had dealt to them.

"No need for the tone of surprise." Toni turned to look at Lex, raising his eyebrow slightly. He wouldn't tell her she was the expert, she knew that, she didn't need to be told. He had trusted this job to her time and time again, now it was time to trust her again. He'd convince her one of these days that this life wasn't for her, he'd set her up well in some firm of his or other out of harms' way. But for tonight there was a job to be done. "You do have a plan, don't you?" An edge of sternness entered Toni's voice, even a leader when he resented the job, resented the mission, resented that he had to ask her to do this at all.

Back when they had been children, playing in the school yard, their cares and dreams blissfully ignorant of the lives they would lead, Toni had believed he had trusted Lex with some of his deepest secrets. But the one that mattered. The one that she had learned when she had come to live with them. It was then, as reality had begun to form in Toni's mind, that he had known he could trust the girl with his very life. Now, as adults, he still trusted her, but he couldn't make himself trust that she would come home alright every time he had sent her out. Losing his brother had done a lot to change Toni. Coming home from college with a brother dead, and a best friend in a career he never would have wanted to see her in, had made an impact on Toni, and not one he could smooth out no matter how he tried.

[Xothe_jer_bearXo]

Wearing

As the car cruised down the streets, Alex's eyes wandered over the snow covered streets. While she had always hated the coldness the winter brought, she had loved the way everything looked. The snow glistened, and the light glittered over it, giving everything an ethereal look. Even with it being so late and so cold, the streets were filled with night owls, like herself, enjoying everything the city had to offered. She could remember the countless times she had snuck out of her grandmother's house to be able to do the same thing. It didn't matter what was going on in the city, didn't matter the season, the streets were always bustling. What she would give to be able to do that now, to be able to walk down the street with a blissful ignorance and a smile, to be truly happy. She would never tell anyone in the family she wasn't happy with the life she was leading, no doubt if they did, they'd offer some safer job, out of harms way, and that would be the way Toni no doubt would have it. But she couldn't, she couldn't leave his side, couldn't leave for someone else to make sure he was safe.

Sure she gave him hell every now and then but she meant well, surely he knew that, right? She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes, no longer able to look out her window, if she did she might cry and that was something she would never do in front of Toni. She couldn't continue, for is she did she might try to imagine the simple picture of a different life for herself. One where she wasn't a thief or liar but instead one where she had a normal job, a normal life, one with Toni it by her side, loving her like she wished he would. Alex didn't see Toni turn to look at her and scoffed at him. Why wouldn't she be surprised? She was sure with her no response that Toni might be a little surprised himself but she would never know. Instead she turned to him with a hard look in her eye, "Yes, I have a plan. Just point out who you want me to talk to and I'll do it. Simple as that and then I can get us in."

Bile rose in her throat and she had to swallow it back down as she looked away from Toni. While she was calm on the outside, she was shaking on the inside, there were knots in her stomach. Toni had never questioned how she did her job, had no reason to since she always got the job done and the information that he needed but by the mere thought of having to do it in front of Toni, well she'd rather not have to. She didn't want to see the appalled look or the harsh words that would come later on but she couldn't afford to dwell on it. She pulled out her makeup from her clutch and replied it. It was crucial to look the part, if she was going to act the part. She didn't much enjoy acting like she was drunk, looking for the next guy to sleep with but it got the job done.

[owlskulls]

“I felt for the tormented whirlwinds,
Damned for their carnal sins,
Committed when they let their passions
rule their reason.”

DeLuca warehouse, Computer Room with Darcia & Arnie.


The minutes ticked by too slowly, and Dante found himself checking his watch whenever his gaze fell to the general area of his left hand. Looking over to the man beside him, he raised his eyebrows at what Arnie was occupying himself with. "Angry birds." Dante said with disbelief, "Really?" The man shrugged, eyes fixed on the small screen of his phone as his finger moving on the lit surface. "At least now I know where you get your spectacular aim." He said sarcastically. His eyes moved to Darcy, but her position was the same as an hour ago. Hunched over the keyboard as her fingers danced over the keys, her long hair curtaining her face, and spilling over the desk.

Dante actually jumped up in surprise as a loud tune tore through the silence from his chest, making Arnie look up from his phone in alert, only to hang his head back over the device in his hand. Strange, Dante barely ever gets calls or texts - mostly because he rarely ever answers them - unless it's work related. Digging into the inside of his jacket, he drew out his phone and checked the inbox, a smirk spreading on his lips as he read who it was from. His eyes darted up to Darcy, but he didn't say anything. It must be something personal if she wasn't willing to say it out loud. He was left slightly disappointed once he read the message, half hopeful that the girl would be sending him her own plans of escape. Run or die, as they say.

He fumbled with his phone, awkwardly poking at the screen. The object felt foreign in his hands, and he considered the idea that a lack of a trigger is one of the reasons.

From; Dante
Thank me tomorrow morning, when we walk out of here.
I'm pretty confident you got this.
But just keep in mind I don't want to fight our way out if you ******** up.

Dante grumbled quietly to himself as he tried to find the 'send' button, his lips forming into a silent 'Oh' once he did. He sank back into the couch, then re-read the message, realizing just how harsh the words sounded. Way to easy off Darcy's stress.

From; Dante
No pressure, though.

He sent the text as an after thought a few seconds later, running a hand through his hair, Dante's blue eyes were fixed on Darcy's frame for any sign of a reaction. He was growing impatient, he realized, this operation could take Darcy until morning to finish. If she does. And he was beginning to feel jitters from staying in one place for too long. He felt bad doubting the girl, but he was trying to look at the situation realistically. Dante understood how complicated the operation is. He didn't have to know as much as Darcy to come to the conclusion. The DeLuca's don't mess around with flaky security, so whoever was able to break through the system must be an expert. Dante didn't hesitate thinking that said expert might even be better than Darcy, no matter how skilled she is - it's plausible to believe there are men and women who have more experience. Age is a factor in this game.

Dante stood up, deciding he needs to circulate some blood to keep himself awake. Plucking Arnie's Pirate Flask from his lap, he tipped the container over and finished the remaining rum, then shuffled to the fridge, and took out two more cans of the energy drinks, setting one on the desk next to Darcia. "I bet you'll be needing this." He said, then turned to examine a desk that was pushed to the back of the room.

The light of the computer monitors didn't reach this corner, but there was an old-school metal desk lamp, and Dante had to use his phone as a flashlight to find the switch. He finally did, blinking like a bat in sunlight at the contrasting brightness compared to the rest of the office. There were heaps of papers and folders spread across the surface, and he casually flipped through them, his eyes squinting at the small text. His hand ran down his chest until he felt the familiar bulge of his glassed, slipping them on with a peg of annoyance. Reading glasses. How he despised them.

Dante cracked open the RedBull and stuck a cigarette in his mouth as he began reading through the files. It wasn't anything confidential, as long as you weren't a cop, of course. The folders held paperwork for the businesses associated with the DeLuca's, anything from location to their basements' 'Black Stock'. His eyes widened slightly at a particular venue and he let out a laugh, "The Godfather's Famous Pizzeria," He read out loud, turning to face Arnie and Darcia, "It's like hiding in plain sight." Looking down at the paper again, Dante snickered, "Better check the lasagna for bullets next time." Putting down the file, he noted the other folders. "Restaurants, bars, bakeries, butcher shops... Don't they get health inspections?" Dante wondered, letting out a large puff of smoke between his lips.


DeLuca warehouse, Computer Room with Darcia & Arnie.

[lumineerpioneer]

While it was an hour to her babysitters,it was a mere 10 minutes tops to Darcia.Time flies in cyberspace.Still,that didn't mean that sleep was staring to get to her.After her small success,she had driven herself even more to get back at the little twerp.This wasn't about the supplies anymore-well,it was-but by now the mission had gotten personal.No one made a fool out of her and got away with it.No one.Though,since she was a shut in,she never got the chance to make much enemies....She shook her head and scowled to herself.The side mission still stood tall;take him down by any means possible.If he was going to fight dirty,so would she.

While planting some viruses on the her path towards breaking down Kalen's firewall piece by piece,she got Dante's first message.Her heart almost stopped right then and there.Would there really be such a controversy if she failed?Enough to get the whole gang and beat them to a pulp?!Even more shocking and scary than that,Dante would fight them for her?This guy never stopped,did he?He was dangerous,handsome,and he had a heart.If she had the time,she would hack into his apartment's security and never let him go,kind like SAW,but without the twisted murders and tasks of course.Watching was perfectly fine.I need to finish this soon....before I do worse than think about locking him up...

From Darcy:Remind me never to play sports with you...I shiver just thinking what you'd do to me if we were on opposing teams...
But nice pep talk

It was only after sending the message off that she saw the hidden message intertwined beneath the words.A blush reached her cheeks and right up to her ears,burning them.She just prayed that he wouldn't pick up on it.Oh who was she kidding;he'd almost certainly pick up on it.She didn't know if she did it on purpose or it was her subconscious secretly telling her to make a move already.

She then chuckled at his second message snapping out her worrisome thoughts for a few seconds.These days,those worrisome thoughts seemed to be the only ones on her mind.Will I do good today?Will Dante not think I'm a ditz?Will Alphas ever come back?Just once in a while she'd like to be able to have a carefree conscious every once in a while.It was for this reason that she envied Dante.He looked so at ease every time he strolled in for "work".Lucky b*****d.He even had time to actually care for himself!The only reason she was properly dressed was because of the nagging thought she had a meeting today,and she always trusted these instincts.If it weren't for Rosa and her rules on being "formal" Darcia would've strolled inside wearing sweatpants and a holey Pink Floyd t-shirt.If they had a Casual Day,Dante would surely find a way to still look elegant.It had to be some sort of super power of his..

She snapped out her thoughts for a second time when she heard the thump of a can next to her.She nodded and reached for the can with one hand still working on the keyboard.She pulled up the tab and took a long sip,lightly smacking her lips afterwards.With all the energy drinks she consumed,it was a miracle she didn't have a heart attack by now.Maybe it was God's sick way of keeping her in the Mafia.Then again,she wasn't much for religion anyway.

After overhearing Dante list off some "mob business",she spoke up."I bet you $20 there's bound to be a few flower shops there."In the 20s,most flower shops were used for importing and exporting drugs.Why should they stop now?It was pretty ingenious.How did she know this factoid?The History channel of course.There was some real history there; amongst Duck Dynasty and Pawn Wars.

ooc;DONE
//collapses