Brooklyn

[Melanin-Gxdess]

"And you should know, Thomas Murphy. I don't like when my rules are broken." She said before he left. Shaking her head she went back to the patrons and would not worry about Thomas until it was time to speak business. It seemed like she was working overtime, serving up drinks alongside Faith. There were many laughs and winks at many customers as they bought drinks. This just may be the most successful night she's had in a long time. Perhaps because of how long she was closed when the renovations had taken place. She served Oliver his drink with a concerned look on her face. "Don't drink yourself to death buddy." With a glance around, she noticed Jaelle and the down look on her face. Making her way over she leaned over and tapped her hand. "Hello, Jaybird. Why are you sitting here with your worry face on and not having fun? This is the place to get AWAY from problems, not dwell on them." She wanted to make sure everyone was having fun, especially Jaelle. Knowing how busy and hectic her life must be, she wanted to be able to let her wind down. "You know what? You're too good for this stuff." Making her way to the other side of the bar, she grabbed Jaelle's hand and took her to her office. "You have to keep this a secret okay?" She walked around to her desk and pulled out an expensive bottle of alcohol and two glasses. "Now. Why are you not being festive missy?"
​

 
​

For once he wasn't lying but because he was always lying, Dom didn't believe him. He groaned when his hair was ruffled and he tried to fix back up. His friends were laughing and he reminded them that it was because of him they were even in this place. "She said I deserve so ha. Get out of here." He waved his hand and sat back down with his friends. They had already given most of the money they brought with them to some of the girls, but Thomas still had his. He was waiting for the girl who danced the lead to come around. For what ever reason, she caught his eye and was the most memorable out of the rest of them. "Hey," one of them said, nudging his arm "You think Clarr would, I don't know--" Thomas cut him of with a laugh. "You? Absolutely not. She likes men, not boys. Get it together." The boy shrunk in his seat and looked hurt. Thomas was probably one of the only Murphy boys who knew a lot about Clarissa and not in the way of being in a relationship. She saw him as an adult when other's saw him as a kid. Even though, ya know, he was a kid and he acted like one on more than one occasion. But everyone deserves a chance, right?
​

 
​

 

[NanLia]

 
​

 
​

 
​

Jaelle blinked at Clarissa's inquiry, she hadn't been aware she'd allowed any emotions to show on her visage; she knew she had an excellent poker face.  A smile would cross her lips and she would gladly follow her friend into her office for a private drink.  


"Now. Why are you not being festive, missy?"


Jaelle smile widen slightly and she shook her head.  "I don't really know how to be, honestly.'  She glanced back towards the office door momentarily before returning her gaze to Clarissa.  "Just promise me, no matter what comes, you'll know we are always friends."  She knew nothing of what her father intended with the Murphy's, but she did know it would not end well for one side or the other and she desperately did not want Clarissa to think poorly of her.  Family had to come first, no matter how much Jaelle wanted otherwise.

 

[Misty Gray]

"I'm having a great time," Lucas said. Although his face remained straight, he did mean it. Noticing she seemed to be doing everything to avoid looking at him, he took a step closer, but not too close. He'd noticed the Murphys walking away from the area, but he didn't take it as any sort of cue to move in on their red-haired ally or break any boundaries. He had already taken not of how attractive she was and for some reason her closed body language didn't make him think any less of her. Of course she'd be uncomfortable around him and his family. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Miss Chebate," he said, adding a wink and raising his glass. His tone would make it unclear if that was the end of their communication for the evening. As far as Lucas was concerned, it probably wasn't. He quite liked a challenge. For now, he turned and walked away to find the booth where his friends were already seated at.

As Thomas passed him and pointed to the room signalling a family meeting, Oliver took one last glance to Clarissa before taking his filled glass of whiskey and following his brother to the private room. As he watched Thomas securing the room, he quickly drank some whiskey. This seemed serious. He looked to Dominic to see if he could gauge anything from his oldest brother. "What's going on, then?" he asked them both, placing his glass down on the table.

Faith was relieved that Thomas didn't dig deeper or express any disapproval towards her for her past involvement with the Lees. She watched as the Murphys all seemed to leave the area and Clarissa left with Jaelle, Faith smiled to Beulah and was about to speak to her when one of the waitresses approached the bar with a drinks order for James and his group of friends. The waitress looked exhausted, so Faith poured the drinks, placed them on a tray and told her colleague to have a quick rest behind the bar whilst she took the drinks out to the group herself.

"Your drinks, gentlemen!" Faith brightly greeted the merry men as she placed the tray on their table and began handing out the drinks to each man. She'd noticed them at the racetrack earlier that day and it didn't look like they'd stopped drinking since. "You guys look like you've had a long, fun day," she said, with a charming smile. "Can I get you anything else?" she asked, holding the now empty tray in her hands. The men were a refreshing addition to the club; just a group of normal men who were just having a good time.
​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Clarissa poured the two women a cup before setting down the bottle and handed Jaelle her cup. The words she spoke worried Clarissa and it showed on her face with a nervous smile. "Jaybird, what do you mean? Of course we'll always be friends. You're scaring me." And that wasn't something she had felt in a long time, being scared. She downed her drink, obviously stressed out before pouring herself another cup and downing that. Her thoughts went back to earlier that day at the racetrack when she heard the last bit of Thomas' conversation. "Level with me, Jaelle. What are you trying to warn me of here?" When Clarissa was worried or scared, she couldn't help but drink it away to make her all warm and fuzzy and unfortunately, that's what she was doing in this very moment. She had an idea of what Jaelle was trying to say, but didn't want to say anything on the count of her neutrality.
​

 

[NanLia]

 
​

 
​

 
​

Jaelle frowned accepting the glass from Clarissa, immediately drinking it's contents, regretting she'd said anything.  She was stalling for a moment before offering Clarissa an apologetic smile.  "It's nothing for you to worry about."  She sighed softly, setting the glass on the woman's desk before continuing.  "Nicolae...."  She needed this to be worded carefully a fine line to be tread.  While she trusted Clarissa, she knew her friend had deep ties with the Murphy's; she didn't need to appear to be at odds with her own family more than she already did.  "He has plans. " She spoke slowly and clearly.  "He has hopes, and no matter which way his plans go it will cause some...  tension between the Lee's and Murphy's, more than what already exists."  She laughed softly, that was an understatement.  "I just want you to know, regardless of the outcome, I am your friend."  How else do you tell your friend, your only friend, that you father is attempting to kill off the man you love and his family? Jaelle couldn't help but think her life had become far more complicated than necessary. 

 
​

 
​

 
​

James beamed a perfect smile to Faith as she arrived at the table.  Drinks were distributed and she would be receiving thanks from each of the men around the table.  James was about to let the girl know they couldn't want for anything else when Pauly shouted. "Vonnie!"  All the men turned to stare at Pauly and his abrupt outburst rather shocked.  Pauly looked absolutely delighted with the thought, laughing until suddenly he lurched forward in pain, face reddening he was reaching beneath the table clutching his shin where James had delivered a sharp kick. 


James would look back up to Faith, cheeks reddened with embarrassment.  "Apologizes, Doll."  He'd say, nodding towards the groaning Pauly.  "We've got everything we need, thank you."

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Clarissa was a smart woman and could understand everything Jaelle was trying to tell her. Something big and bad was coming. Albeit, she knew the time would come but she never thought it be coming so soon. It made her nervous to even think about bad things that may transpire over the next few weeks which drove her to drink more. She was an expert at holding in her liquor so the proof of her drinking so much wouldn't show for a while. Returning Jaelle's smile, she replied. "Of course. I completely understand. And on the account of the neutrality I've sworn to, you can trust me. I won't even mention it to any one." And she meant it. Why go and tell the Murphy boys something like this? She wouldn't get in the middle of it. Even if she already was by default of being in love with Thomas Murphy.
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Faith laughed as one of the men shouted out for Vonnie. When James confirmed they didn't need anything else, she nodded her head. "I'm sure our lovely Vonnie will make her way around here soon. You guys behave yourselves," she playfully remarked, before walking back to the bar. Seeing there wasn't currently anyone waiting for a drink, she stood opposite Beulah and rested her elbows on the bar to give herself a short rest. "I can't believe how busy it's been. Clarissa must be so happy." Faith scanned the area and smiled to her friend. "Are you having fun? Have any good looking young men caught your eye?"
​

 

[Romani]

Anne Chébaté
​

As the man got up and walked away, Anme let out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding in and squeezed her eyes shut. So close. So damn close to consolation, and she had let the rules she lived by stop her. The redhead looked at her still nearly full glass of rum and downed it. She needed to get her mind off of what had just went down. She spotted the woman serving drinks chatting with another young woman.
​

 
​

Anne left her seat at the bar and approached the duo. "You look prety damn busy, hon, you need a hand?", she asked, "I pour drinks down at the Garrison, so I'm familiar." Ironic, how she had come here to get away from her job only to beg for the same job to get away from something else.
​

 
​

 
​

 
​

Dominic and Thomas
​

Tom sat down with his brothers. Oliver was straightforward and to the point. "Yeah Tom, spill it", Dom agreed. Tom, in the midst of replacing his cigarette, looked at the two. "We're fixing races Dom. On our own. Pickens doesn't know, but when he finds out in two weeks, he'll come after us.", he stated. Before he could get another word out, Dominic shot to his feet and slammed his hands in the table. "You what?", he exclaimed, "Tommy, what the fuck do you think you're doing, going after Andrew Pickens?" Thomas kept his calm. He rose to his feet, much slower and more controlled than Dom's explosive reaction. "I think, Dominic, it's what I do.I think, so you don't have to. We agreed, I handle the business and you deal with the books", he replied, sighing before taking a long drag off of his smoke"Andrew Pickens is free for the taking, he's gotten comfortable, complacent."
​

 
​

Dominic groaned and sat down. He looked over at Thomas and held his palm out. "Butt me", he said, taking the cigarette passed to him. Tom struck a match and held it out for the man to light up. "Now, are you boys ready to really talk business?", he asked, leaning forward and, for the first time in a while, giving his brothers a genuine smile.
​

 

[ms marigold]

View attachment 252438​

Vonnie heard her name across the room and flipped her hair over her shoulder to look. A group of young men, most of whom she had never seen before were seated around a table. At their centre, and clearly the ringleader, was Pauly. She had seen Pauly at Lapé a couple of times and knew that if his friends were even half as loaded or half as drunk... jackpot! She carried herself over to them on long legs, putting an extra sway in her hips, before perching lightly on the edge of the table.
​

"You boys wouldn't happen to know where a girl could get a dance partner around here, would you?" She purred.
​

 
​

View attachment 247171
​

"He doesn't need to be good looking, darling, he just needs to be able to keep up with me on the dance floor." Beulah grinned at Faith. "Bonus points for good looking, though." 
​

"Beulah, darling!" Beulah found the source almost instantly and her eyes went wide. Vonnie was extending her hand in a greeting. Beulah slid off her bar stool with an apologetic glance at Faith and went to join Vonnie where she was perched surrounded by a group of young men. "Boys," Vonnie was saying, "Allow me to introduce Miss Beulah King. She dances the second best Charleston in the whole city."
​

"Charmed, I'm sure." Beulah kept a copy of Vonnie's cool, unaffected smile on her face but inside she was beaming.
​

 

[Misty Gray]

"You're right there. I knew it would be busy but I didn't expect this busy," Faith replied to Anne. She briefly watched Beulah walk away with Vonnie before giving full attention back to Anne. "As much as I would love to accept your help, I'd hate to go behind Clarissa's back. But can I get you a drink?" she offered. Her face then dropped a little as she recalled something she'd seen a short time ago. "Are you alright? I saw that Lucas talking to you. I hope he wasn't hassling you," she said. The man intimidated Faith, so she wouldn't be surprised if others felt the same.

Oliver listened as Thomas told Dominic about fixing the races and essentially going up against Pickens. As his two brothers got to their feet, Oliver remained seated and knocked back more drink. He'd had all afternoon to calm down from Thomas' revelation, but it still rested heavy in the back of his mind. He knew who Lucas would go after first. The youngest of the three lit up his own cigarette as the two men sat back down. "He's right about Pickens getting comfortable. I've got under his and Lucas' feet a few times lately and I'm still standing." Oliver wondered if Thomas would tell their brother about stealing the horse and therefore also having the Lees to worry about. He'd best not mention that one on Thomas' behalf.

When Thomas suddenly displayed a long overdue smile, Oliver couldn't help but return a wider one. "I'm ready," he replied, finishing off his drink and pouring more. Despite the tension looming, he loved being in his brothers' company.
​

 

[NanLia]

 
​

 
​

 
​

As much as Jaelle appreciated Clarissa's statement, she knew neutrality did not exist for her friend: She would absolutely keep what she had heard to herself, no doubt about that, but when it came down to war she was a Murphy girl through and through.  Jaelle smiled and picked up the bottle to refill both their glasses.  Once the bottle was replaced on her friends desk she'd raise hers in a mock toast.  "Here's hoping those boys of yours know what they're doing."  Between the horse and the races Jaelle was beginning to believe Thomas was getting ahead of himself; too big for his own britches. 

 
​

 
​

 
​

Vonnie's arrival had Pauly out of his seat, bruised shin forgotten, "Oh you know me, Von, I'm always down for a dance with you."  He was grinning like a fool, teetering enough that he needed to lean against the table.  His eyes traveled to Beulah as she arrived, grin spreading further when he heard Vonnie call her friend the second best dancer.  "Well!"  Pauly turned to James.  "Jimmy here has got two left feet, but I'm sure you can show him a thing or two Beulah."


James was raising his hands in protest as Frank and Tony both grabbed the back of his chair and dumped him out of it.  He stumbled, but caught himself, turning a glare to his pals before an awkward smile to the two beautiful woman. "uhh."  That flush of embarrassment from earlier only deepened.  "It's alright, Ms. King, you don't need to dance with the likes of me.  I'm sure any guy in his joint would die to have a second with a doll like you."

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Clarissa gave her friend a faint smile. "The only Murphy I'm claiming is Christopher." She joked. It would appear the bottle they were drinking from was now empty it would either mean she needed to not drink anymore for the night or that it was time to go back to the front. That's when she remembered she completely abandoned Faith on her first night. She felt terrible for doing so and would have to make it up to her somehow. Slowly standing up to make sure she didn't tip over, she fixed her dress and nodded her head towards the door. "Alright, enough of this stuff. I invited you here so you could have fun so. Let's get you to Beulah so she can show you how it's done huh?" The night was meant for them to have fun and enjoy themselves but ever since she saw those two missing bottles, it seemed as if the night began to come crashing down slowly. She would soon fine solace in the seemingly endless supply of alcohol after the club was cleared out. Her reputation as a lady was important and she didn't want it to be replaced by that of a drunkard.
​

 

[ms marigold]

View attachment 247171
​

Beulah's smile softened into a more genuine one. Truly, she did love a dance partner with flare but Jimmy was just too cute to turn down. He lacked the brashness of his rowdy friends and Beulah had a soft spot for so-called "nice boys."
​

"I'm sure you're right," Beulah responded playfully, "And perhaps later they'll get their chance but for now I'm all yours." Luckily for Jimmy the band was starting out with a Tango rather than a Charleston. A small mercy, to be sure, but a mercy nonetheless. Beulah danced the Charleston at double speed and usually alone unless she could find a partner who's feet could keep up. "C'mon darling, we'll be just like a Valentino movie." She grinned brazenly as she took his hand and led him out onto the dance floor.
​

 

[Romani]

Anne Chébaté
​

Anne wasn't too disheartened by Faith declining her request. "I didn't think so. She runs a tight ship", she replied with a weak smile. When drinks were brought up, she nodded gratefully. "Yes, gin and tonic, please", she replied. The girl mentioned Lucas, which brought a sigh from her. "Mmm, you have no idea", she said, her head propped up on her fingertips and her eyes closed.
​

 
​

 
​

 
​

Thomas Murphy
​

Dominic sat forward with interest, similar to Oliver's smile. "I have a plan to take down Pickens, but I need you two on my side. No more of this shit where you go off, both of you", he told them, "These bastards look at family as a weakness, to me, it's my strength." He poured a glass of whiskey for each of them. Dom swore his brother was nuts. Then again, he had been in the mud worse than anyone else. Maybe this was shellshock and he was going to get them all killed. Either way, he'd follow his brother to the end of the Earth. "What about the Lee's?", Dom asked, having heard from Linc who was guarding the Dragon with his kid and another Cutter. Tom picked up his glass and looked at him. "How do you fancy a trip to Queens?", he asked.
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Faith turned away for a few moments as she made Anne's drink for her. When she placed the drink down in front of her, she could see the lady was troubled. In turn, Faith felt sad on her behalf. Victor had always told Faith she cared too much about people and that would be her undoing. Perhaps he had been right. If she wanted to gain status in the city, she would have to be tougher and colder, perhaps even ruthless. But if today had taught her anything, it was that she would have to cut out her own heart before she could betray her friends; Beulah and Clarissa. She didn't know Anne too well, but she still couldn't help but care about her right now. Seeing that the exchange with Lucas had clearly affected her, Faith rested her elbows on the bar again and placed a friendly hand on Anne's arm. "You can tell me, Anne. He may be a paying customer right now, but, between you and me, I don't like him. Whatever you tell me will never leave my mouth," she assured her.
​

Oliver sat back and folded his arms as Thomas began talking about taking down Pickens. This was followed by a suggestion on the subject of the Lees, that they make a trip to Queens. Everything Thomas was saying was too damn dangerous and they'd all have to have death wishes if they chose to go against the Pickens' and Lees. "Don't get me wrong, Tommy... I'm not one to turn down a fight, a war, and probably getting myself killed. But I want to know what exactly you've got planned first. Both taking down Pickens and visiting Queens. None of this telling us about your crazy schemes AFTER you've already set the wheels in motion," he said, referring to the race fixing. "If I'm going to go head first into this, I want to know everything," he said, grinning as he lifted his glass to have another drink. Like his brothers, he was loyal and wouldn't let them do this without him, but even someone as impulsive as Oliver was at least owed full disclosure.
​

 

[NanLia]

 
​

 
​

 
​

Jaelle laughed softly at Clarissa's declaration for Christopher, "You can keep that one, I suppose."  She would rise from her chair, lightly disoriented from the alcohol, but she'd stiffen her back and spread her hands over her dress, smoothing it out.  "I'm sure Beulah will get a good laugh by the end of tonight."  She'd comment, carefully heading for the office door.  She paused momentarily before glancing back to Clarissa, "You don't think she'll actually make me dance, do you?"  While Jaelle had been willing to joke earlier today, she had no intention of actually going through with it.


She pushed the office door open and looked out over the crowds quickly spotting Kaven.  He clearly had no idea where she'd gone as their eyes met he visibly relaxed.  Secondly she was searching for her sister, since she was missing from the bar Jaelle smiled seeing her lead a handsome young man onto the dance floor.  "Well then..."

 
​

 
​

James laughed at the beauty taking his hand and leading him out onto the crowded floor.  The band struck up a tango and he was very thankful for a simple tune to start with.  As they made their way to the center of the floor his hand would grip hers, pulling her smaller frame into his own.  Left hand would raise with hers, extended out, he'd draw her left onto his shoulder before resting his right just above her.  The man had been modest, he knew how to dance and he did it well, after all what else did a bored student due while dallying from classes?


In step with the band and others dancing on the floor James lead Beulah through the steps of their tango, opting to keep it simple; she certainly looked the part of a party girl but he'd been fooled before.  There wasn't a need to send her into a turn she didn't know, or an extra step that was too flashy to keep up with.  He grinned the entire time, marveling at her grace and the fact someone as beautiful as her would even bother with him.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

She smiled when the topic of her dancing was brought up then she laughed. "Why Jaybird, you said that you would." Grabbing her arm she walked out of her office to see Beulah dancing with what seemed to be a regular. For the moment his name escaped her memory but she knew she had seen him quite a few times. "Looks like she's a little preoccupied wouldn't you say?" She feigned a sad sigh and looked at her. "Guess you'll just have to dance with me then. But lucky for you, only a moment. I need to save Faith and give her a break." She genuinely wanted Jaelle to loosen up a bit, knowing she was always working so hard. When you came to Lape, she wanted to make sure it was an environment that you come to to have fun and forget all your worries.
​

 

[Misty Gray]

As he sat drinking, Lucas noticed Clarissa and Jaelle were nearby, so he got up and approached the two women. "Sorry to interrupt, ladies," he began. It was very rare any form of apologetic word left his mouth, but he had respect for both of of the women. "Miss King, I hope you are well," he simply, but pleasantly told her. "Miss LaVixen, I felt I must come over to congratulate you on the success of your club and tell you the boys and I love what you've done with this place." There was no hidden message or unsettling tone to his voice. He also maintained eye-contact as he spoke, with no sign of his usual manner of staring people down, and no attempt to admire their bodies. It was a stark difference to how he'd been with Anne and Faith, and certainly more respectful to how he acted around Francesca, his wife. In his eyes, Fran was a pushover. She knew what he got up to behind her back but she was too weak and too comfortable in their wealth to do anything about it. On the other hand, he wouldn't let her leave him if she did grow a backbone. Lucas was overconfident in Fran's loyalty, unaware she was secretly seeing another man whilst spending her husband's money.
​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Just as she was about to get Jaelle to move her feet, the two women were approached by none other than a Pickens. Clarissa hadn't really spent that much time with any of the Pickens brothers and she regretted it. How was she supposed to show her neutrality if she spent all her time with the Murphy's? It was in that moment she decided she would try and branch out even more this year. She gave a genuine smile and nodded her head at him for the compliment. "Well, thank you Mr. Pickens. I do appreciate the compliment from someone of your status." She found it a relief that there was a man who didn't fawn over her like some of the others did when speaking to her. Being able to speak with a man who didn't show outwardly interest was like a breath of fresh air. "I do hope you're enjoying yourself. I can't tell if you hardly ever smile." She teased as she touched his arm. The arm touch thing was something out of habit, always when she was being serious or flirty. Usually you could be able to tell which she was being but in the case, even though Lucas was always a man she wanted to spend the night with, she was being serious. "I am glad you found me. There's some business I'd like to discuss with you at a later time if that's okay."
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Unlike his cousins, Lucas hadn't changed his surname and still kind of preferred to go by Peterson, out of respect for his dearly missed father. However, he also accepted people would refer to him as a Pickens; that too was perfectly acceptable. His cousin, Andrew, had built an empire around that name and Lucas was proud to be a part of it. "Oh, you think I don't smile?" he asked, still not smiling. He then looked around at the decor, the dancers working the room, and the guests enjoying their drinks. He looked back to Clarissa. "Of course I'm enjoying myself," he said, flashing a confirming smile. When she mentioned wanting to speak business with him, he nodded his head with genuine interest. "Sure, Miss LaVixen. You come find me when you're ready to talk. I'll make sure I'm still around," he assured her. "Now, you two ladies enjoy your evening," he suggested. He then looked Clarissa in the eyes. "Don't let those lads mess you around," he added, obviously referring to the Murphys. He then walked away to return to his group.
​

 

[NanLia]

​

Jaelle laughed briefly at Clarissa, having assumed she was joking, but it was cut short with the realization she actually meant it. "I don't dance..." Jaelle wasn't certain if she was happy or worried with the approach of Lucas Petersen; a Pickens man. He was dangerous, far more so than any Murphy, this man had power. She smiled politely at the introduction and didn't bother correcting him on her last name; if he wanted to believe she and Beulah had segregated themselves from Nicolae, all the better.


Jaelle kept herself aside of Clarissa and Luca's brief conversation, amber eyes watching Kaven behavior turn from comfort knowing she was still within the club and safe to tense being within proximity of a Pickens. She did her best to hide her curiosity when Clarissa mentioned business with the man, it certainly was none of hers but she naturally worried for her friend. Jaelle would nod friendly to Lucas as he wished them well and wandered off, her eyes turning to Clarissa with a look. "I certainly hope you know what you're doing with that man."

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Her eyes drifted up towards where the Murphy's were sitting and then back at Jaelle. It was always nice whenever Jaelle would be so concerned about her actions. Someone who cared was a nice thing to have sometimes. She gave her a smile and placed her hands on her shoulders and shook her playfully. "You worry too much. Of course I do. Call it branching out, you know? I don't limit myself to one man so why limit my business right?" Of course she wasn't quite sure if this was a smart thing to do but she had to take risks, otherwise she would never go anywhere. She had a little problem and she would pay for it to go away but to ask the Murphy's to handle it would for sure throw her neutrality out the window. But for now she wouldn't think about it and just wanted to let all the worries go away. "Now. You are going to dance with me whether or not you like it." She said giving her a devious smile. ​

 

[NanLia]

​

"I worry just enough, thank you." Jaelle teased, in her line of work and lifestyle worrying was second nature, part of her every day life. Without worry she'd likely be dead already, or worse. She understood why Clarissa was wanted to do more business with other gangs, she needed to remain neutral and more recently she didn't not really portray that image; she was far too involved with the Murphy's for Jaelle to even consider business with her. Though there was an old saying "You don't mix business with pleasure." And she much preferred to keep Clarissa away from the business she conducted.

"We've been over this," She said, slightly firmer, though the alcohol was certainly taking it's toll, making her smirk when she wanted to look stern. "I do not dance." At the very least it wasn't a lie; she never really danced ever before in her life, though she never really had much of an opportunity to. "Go, have fun with your many suitors, I will stay at the bar and drink."

 

[Romani]

Thomas looked at his younger brother and sighed, knowing he was right. "I had my men steal a crate, down at the docks. My guess is my men were drunk. They nicked the wrong crate", he explained," The crate was supposed to contain to motorbikes, i have a buyer in Atlanta. What I found instead were twenty five lewis machine guns, fifty rifles, ten thousand rounds of ammunition, and fifty pistols, with shells. All in a crate bound for England. From there, probably Libya."


Dom was silent, staring at the ground. Tom leaned forward, his palms pressed against the table. "Now it's us who has the machine guns, and it's them who's in the mud", he told them, smiling as he spoke."Now, the US government to which we swore our loyalty will be wanting those guns back, and I intend to get something out of it. This will let us take on Pickens. As for the Lee's, were going to take some of their big pubs in Queens tomorrow, and have the owners sign the property over to us."

Anne gave a dry chuckle at the other woman, her completely serious nature slipping a little thanks to her heavier drinking in a short period. "Don't worry yourself hon", she reassured the girl, "Everything will be fine. I just need some drinks and to get my mind off it. Maybe a cute boy... or girl." She laughed after casting a joking glance toward her companion.​

 

[Misty Gray]

It was a mixture of copious amount of whiskey he'd been knocking back and the excitement of apparently having an upper hand that made Oliver chuckle as Thomas explained about stealing the crate of weapons. Then, as his brother noted this would help them against Pickens, he sat back in his chair and let a satisfied smile appear on his face. He'd been itching to truly undermine them for a long time, but was held back by the thought of the repercussions it would have on his family.

When the subject then shifted to their business in Queens, Oliver enthusiastically nodded. Considering the pubs the Lees had stolen from them, and the threat on Thomas' life, he found the plan more than justified. "Well, I'm in," he casually confirmed, stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray. "It's about time Pickens and the Lees were knocked down."

Faith chose not to press the matter further and removed her hand from Anne's arm, but it wouldn't stop her from being concerned. She laughed as the woman joked about finding someone to distract her and made a point of looking all around the club. "Well, it's not short on cute boys and girls in here tonight. I'm sure you'll find someone deserving of your company," she assured her. "Has anyone taken your interest already? Oh, I do love seeing people get together," she cheerfully enthused.

As soon as Lucas sat back down with his four friends, he could see one of them staring at him with a grin on his face. "Harry, what are you looking at?" he asked, in a friendly manner.

"You... First going after the red-head, and then trying it on with the owner. You're out of control," Harry joked. Lucas would have played along, had it not been for his friend's next comment: "What would Fran say? Eh?"

"Fran?" Lucas asked, now sending Harry a look that could kill. "You don't ever mention my wife or sons, Harry. You and I are friends, but you don't get to mention my family," he warned, his tone calm but threatening. "Now, I know you've had a few drinks and you don't always think before you speak, which is why I'm not going to break your fucking nose. But next time, I will. And, for the record, my exchange with Miss LaVixen was purely business." The others around the table fell silent, still shocked at what Harry had said to Lucas. After purposely taking too long to drink what was left in his glass, Lucas decided to put them out of their misery and break the tension. "Now, go get another round of drinks in, Harry," he said, smirking. As the other man rushed up to the bar, Lucas turned to the remaining three. "Jesus Christ. Is he for real? When do we ever talk about our wives?" he said, causing the others to laugh. He was joking now, but they knew his threat had been serious.​