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

[Misty Gray]

Olivia Svensson

Olivia faintly smiled. "Salvatore will get vengeance for everyone they've hurt," she reassured him.

"I know I can't presume to understand how Alex feels, but it is a little confusing to think she would want anything but revenge for the people who killed her mother, as well as hurting both Vinnie and Leo. Unfortunately, nothing will change for your family. This was even Vinnie's life from the day he was born, so it's doubtful it will ever end. The only thing we can do is support him and fight those who threaten us."

When asked for her feelings on if Alex would cross them, Olivia awkwardly bit her lip. "I really hope not, Nicolo. I'm very fond of Alex and would hate to think she's been manipulated into betraying her family. The last thing I expect is that she could get close to the Sullivans."


neverbackdown


Vincenzo Romano

Vinnie nodded his head when Alex expressed that she didn't believe Conor knew about Leo. "Perhaps you are right about Leo and if the kid says it was just Luca, I believe him too. Luca won't get away with it," he assured her. The fact was, Vinnie had still been shot and for that, he blamed the Sullivans and he primarily blamed Conor. As much as he hated James, he genuinely believed that the accurate man would have finished the job. Unless James was distracted, which Vinnie didn't believe the gunman was, it begged the question of why Conor didn't have James or someone competent take the shot.

Vinnie pulled a disapproving face when Alex mentioned Salvatore was working on a plan. It wasn't that he didn't want him to and wasn't glad action was being taken, but it was just that childish brotherly competition that still affected both men. Vinnie had been far too stubborn to let Salvatore help him but now he needed his brother to do exactly that, even if he wouldn't admit it freely! "I've been updated on his plans and hopefully he can follow them through," he told her.

Vinnie smiled when Alex said her moving home wasn't permanent - even temporary was a step in the right direction for their troubled relationship. As Alex and Jewels spoke, he couldn't help but feel touched to see the two getting along. He had been worried his daughter wouldn't accept her after Gianna's death. "If you could get Nicolo to pack some of my clothes and paperwork up I'd appreciate you bringing them over?" he requested.

"I don't know what I did to deserve a woman like Jewels," he said, upon hearing her extend her invitation to any of his family to stay for safety. Really, he already knew he didn't deserve her. "That's very much appreciated, Jewels," he said, looking into her eyes and fondly smiling.

neverbackdown Bellz

(More post after work. Boo to work!)​

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Sullivan​

"I'm sure you will make them proud. And... I'll try not to run away again or anything, just to make your job a little easier," Sinead half-joked. The slight joke momentarily brought her worries about Lucy to the forefront of her mind again. She just hoped she could somehow get her sister back. She only had one sister and Lucy was the best she'd ever want.

After the awkward moment of almost kissing Peter, Sinead tried to gauge his response and how it had made him feel. He didn't seem repulsed by the idea, but he also hadn't pulled her back in for some romantic kiss like she'd read about in love stories. She almost melted as she watched him awkwardly scratch the back of his neck. He seemed nervous and taken back by what she had almost done. It felt strange not being the only awkward one, like they were on the same playing field. Angel had been for more experienced than she was and at times it made her feel embarrassed. She couldn't help but feel more equal to Peter and it gave her a little more confidence in herself, perhaps it was the need to reassure him. She really wasn't sure.

"Hmm. I come from a family of criminals and gangsters. I'm pretty sure I may be the one who's trouble," she lightly told him. "Besides, I think you'd make the perfect second first kiss," she assured Peter. "So... Hypothetically speaking..." she began, though it was more than just a curious question. "What if I hadn't chickened out and I did kiss you? What would you have done?" she asked him. She wasn't sure if Peter remotely liked her in a romantic way, but it was still interesting to test these waters. If she felt she was making him uncomfortable, she'd know not to push it with him.


Bellz (Peter)

James Porter and Conor Sullivan
​

When Cormac observed that James was prepared for this, his face remained deadly serious as if he saw nothing at all strange with that. "I always keep a couple of unrecognisable cars at our disposal. I never knew when Emmet would spring something on me and I make sure to be equally prepared for Conor too," he explained. As he thought about the apartment, his face fell even more serious. He forced a smile when Cormac joked about it being a hiding place should he be in Lucy's bad books. The truth was, he'd planned to do up the apartment as a surprise, so he and Lucy could move there as a stepping stone between finding their own home to their planned family to grow into. Now that had been thrown out of the window with their earlier news and he couldn't bear to think of moving into that place now. Probably for the best, being that it was about to be used in a disrespectful manner. "Cormac, if I had a fight with Lucy I'd be hiding further away than Chicago," he forced a light response.

Seeing Cormac with the gun wasn't exactly a surprise to James as he tended to be armed himself. It was the man's jokes about shooting Alex that caught him off guard a little. "Yeah, let's save the gunfire for if we run into trouble. I don't think we'll need to go shooting Alex," he agreed. "If we go and kill the girl so hastily, Vinnie won't have anything to lose and we won't have anything to threaten him with," he reasoned. "The more we break her and throw at the Romanos, the more Vinnie will start to consider the consequences of his own actions."

When the man swung his arm over him, James tensed up and stared at him out of the corner of his eyes. He couldn't help but smirk as Cormac patted his shoulder. This was certainly going to be an interesting job, if nothing else. He followed Cormac to the front door, hoping to see Lucy before he left the house.

***********​

Conor placed a firm hand on Lucy's shoulder as they left the lounge to meet Cormac and James. "It's okay, Luce. We'll be okay," he tried to reassure her. As Lucy spoke with their cousin, Conor looked to James to see how his brother-in-law appeared. "Are you okay with this? You good?" he asked.

"I'm fine with it," James said, also using the same tactic to gauge Conor's feelings. "We're taking Alex Romano, yes?" he asked. It wasn't that he didn't believe Cormac, it was that he was still finding it difficult to process this was Conor's idea.

"Yeah, Alex Romano," Conor confirmed, with his face void of emotion. "She's our best choice for this..."

James' attention was drawn to Lucy as she wrapped her arms around him. He listened as she whispered that Vinnie was the target. "I know, love, and Vinnie is going to regret what he's done to us," he assured her. After she'd kissed his cheek and took a step back, James decided it wasn't enough. He pulled her back towards him and placed a passionate kiss on her lips. "Hopefully we're not apart for too long, alright?" he told her. Right now, he didn't really care about Alex or Vinnie. All he cared about was how Lucy was feeling.

Once they were outside, James began walking down the driveway with Cormac. "We'll walk to the garage, it's only ten or so minutes," he told him.

neverbackdown Bellz

 

[neverbackdown]

Cormac Sullivan and Alexandra Romano ​

Alexandra nodded when her father told her that he had been updated on the plan, so he did have a plan? She knew her father would not tell her especially with so many possible witness' around to hear and so she decided not to ask. All she knew was that no Sullivan was safe and she was unsure when this plan would take place but she guessed that it would happen as quickly as possible. The look of distaste did not pass her and she knew that her father would prefer to be leading the attack "You'll be back to plan maker soon" she assured him with an amused smirk.
Alex memories what her father wanted over and gave him a smile "I'll be going straight back to the house from here so I will make sure he brings it as soon as possible" she told him with a smile before turning to Jewels, when the woman mentioned her home being open to any of them "Thank you, I know he is safe with you" Alex replied. When her father began to get all love-stricken with Jewels, Alex took that as her time to leave. "Right, I'm going to head now" She stood up of the chair and moved over to give her father one last hug "I'm glad your okay papa and I will visit you at Jewels" She told him before giving him a kiss on the cheek. It was pleasing to be on good terms with her father and Alex found it to be a nice change from being at each others throats. Alex moved around the bed and towards the door. She gave Jewels a quick hug before walking out of the room and towards the entrance.
As Alex walked she spotted a pay phone on one of the walls in the lobby and stopped as she rooted for change in her pocket, Alex rang the familiar number and unfortunately was greeted with voice mail. She sighed as she went to hang up but changed her mind "I need to meet you tonight, meet me at the clock tower at dark" She spoke into the phone "keep a tight eye on everyone and be weary please, I love you". As the tone went off to warn her that time was up, Alex placed the phone back into the holder, she hoped that Conor would hear that before it was too late and she hoped that only Conor would hear that message.
Alex left the hospital and made her way towards her family home, it wasn't a long walk from the hospital and she enjoyed being out in the crisp air it allowed her time to think.

..........................................................................................................................

Cormac smirked when Lucy warned him to bring James back in one piece "Don't worry" he said as he held his hands up in a surrender motion "I know better than to annoy you" He added with a teasing tone in his voice. He stepped back as James and Lucy had their moment and looked at Conor "We'll get this done, don't be worrying" he told his cousin with a smile before following James out the front door.
The walk to the car was not very far and Cormac enjoyed the walk in the American weather, it was much better than the constant rain in Ireland. "You know where she lives I assume?" Cormac asked James as they got into the car "and have you ever done something like this before?" he asked him with a more serious undertone in his voice. The drive didn't seem to take long before James pointed out a girl walking in the distance. "Right, Lets do this" Cormac smiled as he examined the girl infront of them. He couldn't help the slight anger which took over him as they got closer to her. "The fact that she can walk around freely by herself is absolutely ridiculous" Cormac muttered as he stared out the window. "Vinnie needs to be scared into hiding, him and his whole scummy family".


Alexandra heard a car pulling up beside her and her mind started to race but she shook the thoughts down as she continued to walk calmly pretending as though the car was nowhere near her, she knew that she was overreacting, well she thought she was. Alex heard the car door open and before she had time to react, she felt a hand wrap itself around her mouth and another wrap itself around her waist. Without a second thought, Alex threw her head back as hard as she could and heard a satisfying click as it connected with something solid
Cormac instantly let go of the girl when he felt a searing pain in his nose. His hand instinctively went to the source of the pain and when he pulled his hand back, he saw the blood staining his hand. "Stupid Bitch" he muttered angrily before making his way towards the running girl. He noted that she was rummaging in her bag and he knew exactly what she was looking for. So the girl did arm herself? Cormac moved faster towards the girl as he pulled his gun out of his waistband, he hit her with the butt of the gun as hard as he could across the back of her head and watched as she fell, instantly knocked out from the blow. Cormac picked up Alexandra and carried her back to James' car, he threw her into the back seat without much of a thought before getting into the front seat.
He turned to James as he wiped the blood from his nose "You were right about her" he said motioning towards Alex's unconscious body in the backseat.

Misty Gray (James and Vinnie)
Bellz (Lucy and Jewels)
mentioned: Misty Gray {conor}

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

"Yeah, I know exactly where she lives," James assured Cormac as he got into the driver's seat. "Abducting people isn't something I consider a hobby. I prefer to just put them down with a single bullet and no theatrics. Unfortunately, to get to Vinnie we're going to have to put on a show for him," he bitterly admitted. James has spent numerous occasions on the receiving end of this kind of thing; tortured more times than he could care to count by now. Most of which down to Vincenzo Romano. When the other man pointed Alex out to him, James nodded and continued driving. When Cormac expressed his distaste that she was able to walk around freely, James agreed. "I remember when the people I care about could do that. Sinead had her own apartment for some time before Vinnie ripped her confidence and independence from her. Now she can't even take Savannah to the park without one of us accompanying her," he spoke up. "By attacking innocents, Vinnie has opened himself up to this...In fact, I'm surprised he's got away with it for so long."

James slowed the car and brought it to a stop for Cormac to get out of the vehicle. He gripped his own gun tightly as he divided his attention between keeping lookout for any witnesses and making sure his partner in crime wasn't in trouble. He watched Cormac grab the Italian and as she slammed her head into his face, James brought his gun-holding hand in position, just in case. He was glad to see the other man took control of the situation and with a single strike, Alex was out cold. James continued to scan the area as Cormac carried Alex into the back of the car. Whilst the man returned to the passenger seat, James looked over his shoulder to the Romano girl. Other than being unconscious and likely to have a headache soon, Alex looked fine. "I'm always right, mate. And she's going to be pissy when she wakes up," he half-joked.

Once they reached the eerily quiet new apartment building, James parked the car around the back of the building, in a decent blind spot. He made a point of pointing out a nearby public payphone, which they would most likely need to make use of later. He then helped Cormac to carry the girl out of the vehicle and up to the second floor apartment. Once they were inside, James locked the door behind them. The main kitchen and living area were relatively bare. There was water and electricity, as well as basic furnishings, but there wasn't exactly the supplies to cook up a three course meal for them all. He was confident people hadn't yet moved into the other apartments so they didn't have to worry too much about making a noise. "I suggest you tie her hands and feet together. Save yourself from a slap on the face or a kick in the balls," he flatly suggested.

When Alex was suitable restrained, James grabbed a chair and sat a few feet opposite her, waiting for the girl to regain consciousness. This all brought memories back to him of being tied to a chair opposite Lucy. Vinnie hadn't held back that night and seeing Lucy's turmoil as she watched him being physically tortured by the Italian was something James could still remember quite vividly. He'd managed to pretty much block out his own pain, but he'd been unable to ignore Lucy's cries that night.

neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

Cormac Sullivan and Alexandra Romano

​

Cormac smirked when James said he was always right "I'll have to remember that from now on" he laughed before shrugging when he mentioned that she was going to be pissy. "I hope so or whats the fun in all this" he commented before looking out the window. Cormac took in the phonebox and made a mental note of where it was, knowing that James was right and that they were going to need that soon. They carried the girl upstairs and Cormac placed her unconscious body on a chair before looking around at the apartment "It's a nice place" he commented, looking over at James slightly before kneeling down to reach into his bag. He took out a rope and looked over to James "She's tougher than she looks" he said as he rubbed his nose gently with one hand "that or she has a hard head, either way I'm not taking any chances" he commented with a smirk before he set to work on tying her up. He tied her legs together and then tied each wrist to the armrest so that there was no possible way she could break out of the hold. Cormac stood back leaning against the wall as he waited for the girl to wake up, he crossed his arms as he looked at the girl before turning his attention to James "Think she'll be scared or do you think she'll be snarky?" he asked him, based on what James had said earlier Cormac hoped it was the latter but these situations tended to scare most people and so he wouldn't be surprised if the girl turned into a whimpering mess when she woke up.

The last thing Alex remembered was an agonizing pain in the back of her head before everything went dark. As she began to gain consciousness, she kept her body still instead listening to the men talking, the Irish accent was clearer than day and she just hoped that this was a misunderstanding or that this whole situation was without Conor's orders, that was until she heard James speak. Alex's eye shot open, her head hurt but she ignored the pain as she tried to rip her hands up only to realise they were tired tightly to the chair. Instead of fighting against the restraints, Alex sat calmly in her chair, keeping her face straight as she stared at James. She decided to ignore the other man and instead stared at James. "Why?" she asked him, her voice came off as a monotone but he would be able to pick up the confliction in her eyes. Why had Conor ordered this? he had promised he would never hurt her, so why was she tied up in a small little apartment after being hit with something?.

Cormac smiled when the girl woke up and he watched as she struggled with the restraints but his smile faded as she relaxed herself into the seat and seemingly looked unphased by the whole situation. Cormac raised an eyebrow as he pushed himself off the wall. "It's time your family paid for what they've done" Cormac told her as he began to round her seat. He was interrupted when the girl spoke up "Who are you anyway?" Alexandra asked in an almost bored tone. Cormac stared at the girl, anger boiling in his veins as she remained unphased. "I'm Cormac Sullivan, and I get to do whatever the hell I want with you, so I'd shut up if I was you" he warned her, his tone was venomous as he spoke looking down to the girl.

"I'm Cormac Sullivan" Alex mimicked in his voice before looking up at him. He was clearly the man who had grabbed her off the street, she concluded as she looked him over. Inside Alex was terrified, she wanted to cry, she wanted to get sick but she knew she couldn't show weakness. Alex vowed to herself that she was not going to break and that she was not in anyway going to make this easy for them, they wanted to play a game, well she was going to aswell. "I was talking to James" She told him before turning to face James "and you can tell you boss where to shove it, from me" she told James, the hurt displayed in her eyes for a mere second before she blinked it away. James would have seen her hurt and how betrayed and confused she felt inside for that split second and Alex didn't care if he saw, James knew about her and Conor so he should understand how she was feeling.

Cormac moved closer to the girl as she kept speaking back before dismissing him altogether. "Do you think you're in charge?" he asked her, his voice menacing as he leaned in closer "Do you need a reminder?" he asked as the grin spread onto his lips once again. Before Alex had any time to reply, his fist connected with the side of her face so hard that the chair began to topple. Cormac caught her in time before she hit the ground. Alex tasted the warm liquid iron in her mouth and kept her head down, the back of her head hurt but the pain in her face was nearly unbearable. She kept her head down, her hair covering her face as she willed herself to be strong. "I'm going to kill you" she muttered into her hair and was answered with a "what did you say?". Alex looked up at Cormac, she could feel the blood running down her chin from her mouth and she could feel how hot her cheek was but she ignored the pain as she looked at him, fury burning in her eyes. "I'm going to kill you" she said slower and louder.
Cormac laughed "Good luck with that" he told her as he walked back towards the kitchen. He decided to leave James in charge until he calmed down a bit, he needed to get into the right headspace to break the girl and clearly it was going to be a hard job, hopefully James would have a better strategy to do it since he knew more about the girl. Cormac poured himself a glass off water and moved back to the door frame to observe the two.

Misty Gray

 

[Lamia]

Athena Archer

There was a comfortable silence until Leo spoke up. She set her attention on him as he spoke to her. Her eyes softened as Leo revealed what he was feeling. The confession honestly took her by surprise. "I miss you too Leo." She mused softly. The girl frowned, squeezing his hand a bit, seeing the pain he was in. Athena blinked, "I just didn't know if you would even consider getting back together." Thena spoke, focusing her eyes on Leo. The young woman felt her eyes start to prickle. It could be the hormones from the pregnancy but it was really her emotions taking over. "It was really hard for me to end things with you, I was a wreck for weeks." Athena muttered gently, gaze trained on the man that had her heart.

"I..love you Leo." Athena revealed in her soft tone.

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James maintained an emotionless face as he watched Alex regain conscious. When she asked him why, his initial thought was why did any of them keep finding themselves in this position? It seemed glaringly obvious yet at the same time wrong for any of them to end up captive and restrained. But James saw the look in Alex's eyes and he knew her question wasn't as simple as why had she, the daughter of a mafia boss, been abducted and restrained. It was clear the person who would better answer her question was Conor himself, considering the conflicted and possibly heartbroken look in her eyes.

James casually sat back in his seat as Cormac began speaking to her and explaining it was time for the Romanos to pay. He watched the man as he began to warn the lippy young woman, venom clear in his voice. When Alex mimicked the Sullivan man, James tightened his jaw, but decided to let the man do it his way for the moment. Alex then turned her attention to James and told him to let Conor know where to shove it. Now it was clear she was feeling betrayed and potentially heartbroken about Conor allowing this to happen. James knew he could easily capitalise on this to go towards breaking the girl, but he also knew to do so would firmly end Conor's relationship with her for good. Whilst he believed it was for the best, he wasn't quite sure what was going on in Conor's head and if his boss was somehow expecting to still have Alex after all of this was done. James knew he had to decide if he would use Conor's apparent betrayal against Alex.

James was snapped out of his thoughts when Cormac hit Alex, almost causing her and the chair to fall over. He managed to keep himself from showing a reaction, but as he watched Cormac retreat into the kitchen he couldn't help but think it was for the best so the man could calm himself down and remind himself not to rise to Alex's baiting.

There was an awkward silence before James spoke or moved. When he did, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, looking Alex in the eyes. "Do you remember last year? I was in the position you're in right now, only, I was sat opposite the woman I love and she too was in the position you're in now. You were there, so you should remember." James briefly displayed an ironic smirk and shook his head. "You watched as your father tortured Lucy and me. Many of the scars I have are because of your father and that night he went along and reopened those same wounds. The whole time, you just stood by. In fact, the only time you took any action was to hit Lucy, a woman who was already having her heart and mind ripped apart." James thought back to the conversation he and Alex had had that night, alone, whilst Lucy had been dragged off to watch Conor suffer. "Now, I know your mother had been killed and you admitted to me that watching us being tortured and hitting Lucy didn't give any satisfaction following your loss. I know I told you it wouldn't make things better." James sat up straight. "Vinnie has taken a lot from the Sullivans and me. Nothing I can do will make me feel better. However, I know for sure that making Vinnie suffer will give me some satisfaction. I just can't decide if I should take inspiration from him. Should I hurt you so your father will suffer?"

"A few minutes ago, you looked like you'd been betrayed," he quietly told her. "I wonder if that's how Conor felt when you led him into Angel's trap. Does Conor still have those temper flare-ups and the nightmares when you're with him? They still happen, I can assure you of that. What Vinnie did was fucking brutal. The man is a psychopath, just like Angel was," he told her. "Would you betray your father to save your own skin?" he curiously asked her.

neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano​

Alexandra watched as Cormac left the room, she hung her head again trying to wipe the blood from her mouth using her shoulder. She found the movement to be extremely painful and flinched slightly in the process. She looked back up but As James spoke, Alex let her head fall down, focusing on her knees instead of looking up at him. She didn’t want him to see that his words were effecting her but she listened to what he had to say instead of butting in like she had with the other man. “Like you would have done anything differently in my position?” She asked him with a cold laugh as she lifted her head to look at him once more, her eyes landed on his as an emotionless smirk took over her features. She decided to ignore the comment about Conor as it hurt too much for her to even allow enter her mind, Conor hurt too much to let in. He was the reason she was here, he broke his promise and with that broke her heart.
When James mentioned how he was deciding if he should hurt her or not to get back at her father Alex shrugged “You and I both know you want to, I bet all you can see when you look at me is when I punched defenseless Messed up lucy, or do you see your wife vulnerable and afraid tied up to a chair begging my father to stop hurting you, screaming in pain as he sliced into your chest over and over” Alex asked in a cold tone. “I often wondered who was in more pain “ Alex mused with a thoughtful look on her face “you or Lucy?”.Alex was hurt and scared but her because of that her defense mechanism had kicked in and she knew exactly how to use her words to get under people’s skins and that’s exactly what she was trying to do now, she had already got under Cormacs skin and she was determined to break them before they broke her. She tried to get the conversation away from Conor in the only way she could “does Lucy still have nightmares? Do you still hear her screams in you’re sleep? While my father was the cause of your pain have you ever thought about the fact that you were the cause of hers?” Alex questioned him
When asked if she would betray her father, Alex didn’t have to think twice about it “No, I wouldn’t” Alex looked him in the eye as she spoke.

Misty Gray
Mentioned Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James looked to Alex and smirked. "If I'd been in your position? I would not have stood by and watched. If you'd killed one of my parents and I had the chance to get revenge, I'd have just taken my gun and blown your brains out. Your father likes the theatrics. I'm pretty sure he gets off on it. I have to wonder how much you've inherited from him."

"The way I see it right now, I can do whatever I please to you. I could just kill you now and I can be home in time for supper. I could hurt you and fuck with your head. I could just keep you here and go on with my life. All of those options would result in Vinnie losing his shit," he told her. James decided not to respond to her attempts to taunt him with regards to Lucy being tortured. The cuts and wounds Vinnie inflicted that night were easy enough to block out or overcome. His suffering had come from watching Lucy in turmoil and he would never ignore his wife's pain. He did shake his head when Alex asked if he considered he was the cause of her pain. "At one time, that had crossed my mind, Alex. Then, I realised Lucy was her own person and able to make her own decisions. When it all boils down to it, your father is the cause of our suffering. Yours, mine, Lucy's, Conor's, Sinead's..." he trailed off. "The best thing Conor can do is turn his back on you. I'm quite tempted to shoot you to put you both out of your misery. You're a venomous little bitch and you didn't deserve a moment of Conor's time. You will become bitter and fucked in the mind, just like your father is."

James sighed when Alex said she wouldn't betray Vinnie. "Then you're a fool. I would have been happy to kill him and let you run along out of here."

neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac sullivan​

“I inherited nothing from my father and you should know that by now since I helped save Finn and left all of your you’s out of it” Alex exclaimed “you don’t know half of what I’ve done for your family, I’ve probably done worse than you have, I have killed a Romano member and I have killed a cop for your family and go ask Conor he will tell you the same and yet Im still sitting here tied up and beaten so don’t tell me that I am the same as my father or that I didn’t deserve Conor” anger was evident in her tone as she spoke, she didn’t care if James knew the truth as far as Alex was concerned she was going to die here.
While she loved her father, she hated being compared to him, his evil ways had not been passed to her and she detested his acts and violent nature.
When James mentioned all the ways he could mess with her, her heat sank a little more, so Conor had given them free-way with her, he gave them premission to kill her as far as she was concerned and she felt more of herself break but she refused to show it to James “then kill me or do whatever the hell you want” she told James, there was an air of seriousness and severity of her voice that would not go unnoticed, Alex was ready for death and that was clear.
“Don’t you realize nothing is ever going to change James, you kill my father and Nicolo or Salvatore is going to take over with a card of vegence” she explained as she looked at him, she twinged slightly from the pain off her face but quickly brushed it off “our families have been fighting for years because the Sullivan grandad killed my grandad or something, it’s a war that’s never going to end” she looked up as Cormac entered the room but realized that he was remaining quite and so continued on, she could feel the blood still dripping down her face but she chose to ignore it “our children are going to learn to hate each other and nothing I or Conor can do will change that” she looked at James as she explained that last sentence, hoping he knew what she meant by that sentence.
Alex looked at James a severity in her look “would you really expect me to help you kill my father and make me an orphan?” She asked him “if the Sullivan’s didn’t kill me straight after my family would” she told him hoping that he relised that if Alex picked the Sullivans, she was dead anyway. Alex looked to James before looking at Cormac “kill me then” she exclaimed, she watched as Cormac froze and laughed “you’ve been told not to kill me?” She questioned before looking between the two a smirk on her face as she took into account properly what had happened tonight “you’re not allowed to properly hurt me are you’s” she asked them “then what do I have to be afraid off”. While Alex internally felt broken she refused to show this in person but the fact that Conor’s promise had been broken meant that she too had been broken. She needed to heat it from Conor but she didn’t know if she had it in her to see him.

“I say we make use off our new punching bag” Cormac said to James as he looked at Alex, based on what he heard Alexandra had been broken to a certain point and Pain usually broke a person to the next stage, the no coming back stage. “You get first hit” he told James “you have more beef with her family and if You don’t I will, the girl needs a good putting into place” Cormac spoke as he looked from James to Alex. “Move her If you want, tie her from raftings if you want” he explained before looking over the girl. Conor said okay to a few bruises and so far she had two, Cormac didn’t see that as enough for the daughter of Vinnie

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James listened as Alex explained that she'd done a lot for the family and even mentioned killing two people. He didn't doubt her. In fact, he knew in his mind this would all be much easier if it were any other of Vinnie's kids tied to the chair, even Fallon because he didn't know her personally. Nothing on his face would give it away and he wouldn't say anything to suggest it, but he was annoyed that Conor had put him in this position in the first place and without explanation as to why he had chosen the girl he'd supposedly loved. The whole war between the families was a personal one, but some things were too personal.

"You're right, that this war won't change. Salvatore will slither his way to the top and the bloodshed will continue. However, something has already changed, hasn't it? A Romano is tied to a chair at the mercy of the Sullivans. We are no longer going to sit back and let your family attack us. Someone shot Vinnie and it's obvious we will be wrongly blamed, but this time we won't sit back and wait for your family to attack us." Alex mentioned something about their children learning to hate each other, but he was momentarily distracted as the fact he wouldn't have children returned to his thoughts. Something else the Italians were to blame for.

James shrugged his shoulders when Alex made it clear she wouldn't have helped them to kill her father. It had been worth a try, but he knew things would have to be done the hard way, for all involved. When Alex observed that they'd been told not to kill her and smirked at the idea, James got up from his seat and looked down at Alex. "Conor told Cormac not to kill you. I wasn't present during such instructions. I made no such promise to Conor," he assured her. "I've got a lot on my mind and even more motivation to break your father. One might say I've become emotionally compromised and I never bring my feelings with me on a job. So, I might be forgiven for going against my boss' wishes," he told her, his expression grave.

James folded his arms as he listened to Cormac suggest using Alex as a punchbag and offered him the first hit. A faint smile crossed his lips before he motioned to the front door. "I have an idea," he told Cormac. He walked to the door and expected the other man to follow him.

Once out of the apartment, James closed the door so Alex couldn't hear them. "I'm not punching her, beating her or killing her," he quietly assured Cormac. Regardless of his inner loss and suffering, he remembered Lucy's words that it was Vinnie's suffering they wanted. Alex had helped them rescue Finn and James has seen something in the girl that separated her from Vinnie. He also believed there was good in her for Conor to have loved her the way he did - he was sure Conor still did love her. Alex was now an exception to his indiscriminate hatred for the Romanos, perhaps aided by the fact his kind mother was one of them. James had some Romano blood in him too and he couldn't deny the fact. James just wished Alex would make this easier for herself and he didn't want it to come to the point where seriously hurting her was the only chance they had at getting to Vinnie. James had hoped he could set enough doubt and worry in the man's mind for him to behave rashly, but it was clear Alex wouldn't play her part in this. "It's Vinnie we're meant to be punishing here. Conor and Lucy would never forgive me if I killed or beat up a defenceless woman-" James suddenly stopped as what should have been glaringly obvious only just reached his revenge-fuelled mind. Conor had chosen Alex because he believed James would show mercy on the only one of Vinnie's immediate family he'd gained a mutual understanding with. He was still pissed off he'd been put into this situation, but now he understood why. "We continue to intimidate her and make her fear that we will do anything to get to Vinnie. However, I'm not like that man and neither is Conor. I'm not beating Alex unless it becomes a last resort. We are not near such a place yet," he firmly told Cormac.


neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan
​

Alexandra listened as James explained the change in dynamics, he was right the air had shifted and it looked as though the Sullivans finally had the upper hand. She would have been somewhat pleased for Conor had she not been the one in this chair.
When James stood up and told her that he had not been given that instruction, she looked up at him her face remaining calm and unphazed however the way he looked down on her and the way he spoke made her feel small both inside and out. And for the first time since waking up, Alex was afraid of James and what he might do. Her family had caused him so much pain and had probably hurt him the worst out of all involved and she genuinely felt sorry for him but she refused to show this now, she was not going to beg for forgiveness or her life.
When the two men left the room, Alex looked around the room as she tried to devise a way out, she had no idea what floor she was on and so jumping the window was not a viable escape without sussing it out. Alex pulled at her wrists, feeling the ropes burn her as she tried to break free from the restraints. She needed to get out of here, Alex looked around for her bag , her knife! She needed her knife.

Cormac followed James out to hallway and listened to what James had to say. He hadn’t heard much of the conversation between James and Alex but he had heard enough to know that the two did slightly know each other and definitely had encounters in the past. When James said he was not going to beat her Cormac nodded, he had not had this sort of encounter with a girl before he was used to grabbing and torturing men and so he had to remind himself that was a different scenario. “Right you start the way and I’ll follow your lead, I have an idea of how to get under her skin but it’s definitely not a starter” he told James

Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan and Lucy Porter

with: Sinead Misty Gray mentions:
Sinead's words had stunned the young man into silence for a moment, he was truly shocked that she was blowing off his warning as if it was nothing. Granted, he hadn't been around for the Sullivan Family action yet and it had to be a lot worse than his crimes. A small slightly embarrassed smirk formed on his lips as she suggested she might be the one who was trouble, the thought was amusing as the woman was so innocent in nature. His cheeks reddened as she revealed she thought he would be the perfect second first kiss for her, his ears felt hot and he wondered if they were bright pink. Peter wanted to shake himself into acting a little cooler and collected around this woman, any other one and he would have been flirtatious and suave...maybe because he knew it would never work.

A small nervous laugh bubbled past his lips and he cleared his throat upon hearing her next question, a hypothetical one. Peter looked down at his lap for a moment, thinking of his answer carefully. He was still new here, very new. He was in good graces with the family at the moment, but if something were to happen between him and Sinead...would they be singing a different tune. After everything she had been through it would certainly be reasonable to be skeptical about a new man wandering into her life. "Well...It would have been rude of me not to return it, and I would have definitely wanted to." His voice grew weak as his self confidence waved. Biting his lip, he wondered if he should do what his mind was telling him to. Make a move. Sinead seemed like she was just as curious as he was now. "Perhaps...if I may..." He leaned forward slowly, wondering if Sinead was going to catch on to what he was wanting to do. "Only...if you want to." He added, pausing and staying still as he now tried to gauge her reaction.

with: Conor Misty Gray mentions:
Lucy was about to let her husband and Cormac go after she kissed James' cheek but he pulled her back towards him and kissed her passionately, momentarily taking her breath away. His embrace and warmth was comforting in that moment and she wished he didn't have to leave, that he didn't have to be put in such a position as this right now. Conor didn't have any other choice and she knew this, James would know how to handle Alex in the end and make the right choices...but there was still doubt in her mind. He had changed since their relationship started, but would it be enough? She sure hoped, knowing Cormac was already a hot head...it would be up to James to keep the peace. "Come back to me soon." She whispered to him before she let the men leave. Once they were out the door, she turned to Conor.

"I hope you know she is not going to take this well." Lucy stated the somewhat obvious. She just wanted to make sure her brother understood the reality of the situation he just gave approval for. Nothing good was going to come from this. "We are going to be stuck in this continuous loop of dangerous revenge..." Lucy bit her lip and wondered in that moment if she should try and speak with Sinead. Her sister was someone she could confide in easily, but now things had change rather quickly. Conor told her that eventually they would have to make up...perhaps she should do so sooner rather than later. Her mind wasn't ready..and to be honest, neither was her heart. Sinead hadn't done anything wrong...but she had something Lucy would never have thanks to Angel. "I need another drink." Lucy grumbled suddenly before turning back towards the kitchen.
​

Julianna Abner

with: Vinnie Misty Gray
Jewels' cheeks reddened as Vinnie voiced his appreciation of her in front of his daughter. It was lovely to see the girl open up to her more, feeling like she was going to have to be at a distance from the rest of his family due to the death of his wife. Alexandra seemed to get slightly uncomfortable at this open affection however and decided it was time for herself to leave. Jewels smiled softly and she gave the girl a hug as she offered it to her. "Be safe dear." Jewels reminded Alex. It wasn't meant to sound like a parental demand or anything but more as a well wish from a friend. Once she was gone Jewels turned to Vinnie.

"You have certainly done right by your kids Vinnie." She complimented before taking a seat at his beside once more and taking his hand. "I'm so glad you have such a large family back you up in all this." Jewels knew that Vinnie may not be 100% innocent, but she would stand by him until the end if that's what he wished.
​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

When Cormac said he had an idea of how to get under Alex's skin, James eyed the man to see if he was going to share the idea now or just go ahead with it once they were back in there. "Alright, mate. Let's get back in there before she starts to get any ideas," he suggested. He knew were he in the same position, he'd be using the time alone to look around and try to plot some form of escape. He didn't doubt that Alex was equally cunning or even desperate.

With his gun in his hand, James opened the door and re-entered the apartment. As he walked back in, presumably with Cormac by his side, he returned the handgun into his back pocket. "Did you miss us?" James remarked as he sat back in the chair opposite Alex. He then lit up a cigarette and took a long drag of it before deciding to continue speaking to her. "I'm surprised you lasted this long without Vinnie sending you back to Italy. Isn't that what the Romanos do when they can't control their family members? I mean, Rayna. Jesus, they kept her away for 25 years. What kind of family does that? Alena's been gone a while now. I expect you'll never see her again, will you?" he observed.


neverbackdown
​

Leo Davide

Leo smiled when Athena told him she'd missed him too. Even if they couldn't be together again, at least she didn't hate him and perhaps they could still be friends. Then when she said she didn't know if he would ever consider getting back with her, he couldn't help but wonder if there was some hope. The fact she was thinking about being with him again made him wonder if it was something she wanted. As she continued and mentioned how difficult it had been ending things, he sent her a gentle stare. "I'm sorry if it was at all cruel to you in that time. I just didn't know how to act or react anymore, around anyone."

When Athena told him she loved him, Leo almost forgot how to breathe and suddenly gasped for air upon realising he'd held his breath. His cheeks reddened as he looked into her kind eyes. "I love you too," he told her. His eyes welled up with tears as he processed what was going on. "I want to be in your life. I want to be in your children's lives, if you will let me?"


Lamia

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Sullivan​

Sinead couldn't help but smile as she saw Peter's cheeks redden. There was something very endearing and alluring about the way she was able to make him blush. She was used to being the one with the rosy cheeks and the shyness. She felt like she'd known the guy next to her for so much longer than she had because she knew and understood his reactions all too well.

When Peter began to say he thought it would have been rude of him not to return her kiss, she wondered if that meant he would have just done so to spare her feelings. But then he said he would have wanted to do it, she let out a small laugh and blushed again herself. It did cross her mind that perhaps he did like her but was too afraid of doing anything about it. She couldn't blame him if he was scared of how her family would react, but she also believed her family wouldn't react badly, especially not after she'd talked to Lucy about Peter that very morning. Her sister hadn't warned her to stay aware from her bodyguard - if anything, Sinead took her sister's words as encouragement to pursue him if she was attracted to him. She really was attracted to him and there was no denying it now.

Then, Peter began leaning forward towards her and it suddenly seemed like he wanted to kiss her, like she had almost done to him a few moments ago. "Yes, I want to..." she softly told him. Perhaps it was now that he was taking the lead that she felt a little shy herself and momentarily glanced downwards. She regained herself and directed her eyes back upwards, fixing them with Peter's own sweet eyes. She flashed a slightly nervous smile before moving her face closer to his, hoping their lips would meet. She placed her petite hand onto his shoulder and closed her eyes, praying she was reading every signal correctly...


Bellz (Peter)

Conor Sullivan​

Conor watched as James and Cormac leave, doing everything in his power not to stop them, call them back inside and tell them the whole thing was off. However, he'd hesitated too much already. Luca resented him for it, Lucy's wedding had been ruined because of it and due to that same hesitation, she could no longer have children. He had to act this time otherwise someone else he cared for might suffer because of his inaction.

Conor looked to Lucy when she reminded him Alex wouldn't take this well. "I know, she won't. I know she will hate me for this and I've ended any chance I had to be happy with her. I love her and it breaks my heart, but how can I let my family down again?" he desperately asked his sister. "I could have chosen any of her siblings, but she would have still ended up hating me. I had to pick Alex because I believed James wouldn't let Cormac go too far. I don't think either of them would spare the lives of Nicolo or Fallon," he tried to reason. "Then Alex would hate me even more for letting one of her siblings be killed."

When Lucy headed to the kitchen, Conor briefly remained standing near the front door. Savannah's pram in the hallway hadn't gone unnoticed. It hadn't been there before his meeting with Cormac. Regardless, he figured Sinead was around the house somewhere as the pram wouldn't still be there and surely Peter would have said if they were going out. Conor wanted his sister and niece to stay at home until things calmed down. He briefly stepped outside and told one of his men to spread the word to the others that Sinead was not to leave the house without his say, regardless of who was with her. He trusted Peter, but he also knew how persuasive Sinead could be with those innocent-looking eyes of hers.

Right now, Conor was more concerned with his older sister, so he joined her in the kitchen and poured himself another drink. "Come here, Luce," he said, giving her another tight hug. He figured both of them needed reassuring right now. "What do you want to do? I know there are things I can't change, but is there anything I can do to make things easier for you? Do I need to have words with Sinead?" He was sure their little sister would understand and wouldn't hold a grudge against Lucy, but if he needed to intervene to help them reconcile, he would.

​

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

Cormac smiled “well obviously we need to work a bit on her first but we’ll need her to get desperate so if we can’t do that by picking on her then I say we threaten the roommate, we’ll pretend to Alexandra that we’re going to go after her?” He suggested to James. When James said about going in, Cormac nodded “we shouldn’t leave her alone for too long” he agreed before following James into the room.


Alexandra scanned the room as she tried to locate her bag but came up empty, it had obviously been left in the car. She sighed as she tried to pull her wrists out of the restraints but all it was causing was more pain, she bit her lip to stop from crying out and she wouldn’t be surprised if her skin was gone under the ropes. She scanned the area more and saw the kitchen was not far off, she wondered if there was knives in the drawers or if she could use the hob of the cooker to burn the ropes off. Alex positioned herself ready to jump with the chair when the door swung open to reveal James and Cormac. Alex stared at the gun in his hand and watched as he slipped it into his pocket. She needed a new plan since she guessed they would not leave the room again. She bit her lip staring at her knees as she tried to formulate some sort of plot, she couldn’t take them on while being tied up or could she? All she needed was one of them to get close enough and if she aimed herself right she should be able to land a good knock of the chair and if she did it hard enough she could possibly break the chair.
Alex jumped from her thoughts when James spoke up and she focused her attention on him “like a hole in the head” she replied pleasantly, a fake smile plastered on her face. She watched as he lit a cigarette, god did she need one right now.
When he asked about how she lasted this long, Alex shrugged as she leaned back in her chair “I don’t let him control me” Alex said simply as she looked at James “and I’m not afraid to disobey him or argue with him” she explained. When Alena got mentioned, Alex stiffened, she missed her sister dearly and wished she had never went to Italy but Alex knew it was for the best, yet Alex hadn’t seen her sister since she left nor had she spoken to her. “Ah I’m sure I’ll visit her at some stage” Alex muttered trying to hide as much emotion of her face as possible.

Cormac noticed how Alexandra stiffened at the sound of her sisters name and smirked James had gotten onto something here and he was glad that he knew a bit about the Romano family. “Giogori and Monte went to Italy aswell” he mused looking over the Romano girl, he smirked as Alexandra clearly stiffened again but this time she didn’t reply to him. “I wonder how long it will be till Fallon is sent back, what do you think?” He asked her. Alex looked at him in shock at the mention of Fallon’s name, how did they know she was home?. “Leave her out of this” Alex growled angrily at Cormac, if looks could kill then Cormac would be gone by now.
Cormac chuckled at her anger “now why would I do that?” He asked her “maybe we should bring her here to keep you some company or how about that roommate of your’ s “ he suggested with a grin “that pregnant one... now what was her name again?” He asked James.

Hearing Fallon’s name has stuck something in Alex, she was annoyed that they had mentioned her family but when Cormac suggested bringing Fallon or Athena here, Alex couldn’t hold it in as she began to struggle with the ropes again “you touch either of them and I promise you I will rip your throat out” she hissed venom and anger clear in her tone. They had hit a nerve and she couldn’t even try to hide it. Alexandra was now desperate and angry, which wasn’t a good combination

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

When Cormac suggested they threatened Alex with Athena's safety, James simply nodded his head. Whilst he wouldn't dream of going anywhere near the pregnant lady, it didn't mean he wouldn't play along and make Alex think her friend was in danger.

James observed Alex closely after he'd mentioned Alena. When she said she was sure she'd visit her sister, he simply nodded. In truth, he could see it had got to the girl and his words were starting to have the intended effect. He also caught Cormac's smirk, making it clear he too had picked up on the fact the tactic seemed to be working. Monte and Giorgio were mentioned, but she finally gave a verbal reaction at the mention of Fallon. Her siblings certainly drew severe emotions out of her. As expected, the strongest reaction came when her pregnant roommate was mentioned. He let her angrily threaten Cormac before pretending to think about the woman's name. "Her name is Athena. Not a Romano by blood, but evidently just as important to Alex and no doubt to Vinnie." He'd known Athena's name for some time, having made a point of learning about the Romanos, their friends and associates. He'd also once heard Sinead telling Lucy about how Athena had once consoled her in the doctors waiting room after she finally gave Angel his marching orders, months ago. By all accounts, Alex's roommate seemed to be one of the most innocent of Vinnie's loved ones. It was a shame to have to use her name in such a way now.

James looked back to Alex as he took another drag of his cigarette. "Meanwhile, how will you rip his throat out when you can't even move your arms?" he calmly asked her, glancing to Cormac.

neverbackdown ​

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

When James said Athena’s name all she could see was red. She was going to kill them both before she left here and if she was too die here then she would be sure to take their smug asses with her. Alex put her head down and she furiously tried to rip her arms from the rope, at this point she didn’t care if all her skin came off once her bones could strangle them she was happy with that.

Cormac chuckled at her threat before looking at James when he answered his question realizing this provoked the most reaction, Cormac decided to draw it out as much as possible “Ah Athena, what a lovely name, I wonder if she is as lovely as her name” he mused in a thoughtful voice “I think there’s only one way to find out” he smirked as he looked towards the struggling Italian. “But how sad that she’ll be going home to an empty house, maybe I should pay her a visit and ....” Cormac was cut off by Alexandra who had mean while figured that she had no chance of wearing down the ropes without breaking her arms, so she had stopped fighting and was now clinging tightly onto the arm rest, digging her fingers into the wood.

“Don’t you dare you fucking psychopath” Alex shouted at him, anger and distress was clear in her voice as she stared at Cormac. Cormac had a smile on his face as he took in the sight of the girl, this was exactly the way he wanted this to go, sure she was still throwing out threats but she was breaking apart right in front of their eyes.

When James asked her how she planned to carry out her threat, Alex turned her head to look at him, a sinister smile played on her lips but the distress she was feeling could not be hidden from her eyes. “Why don’t you come over here and find out?” she hissed, when he made no attempt to move, her smile widened “or are you afraid of a little tied up girl?” She dared him “as you said I can’t move my arms” she added as she stared directly at him

When Alex started practically daring James to move closer to her he raised a curious eyebrow and examined her ropes from where he was standing. Her holds were still intact and so he wondered what she thought she could possibly do in this situation. He looked back to James with his eyebrow still raised but an amused smirk gracing his features.

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

"From what I've heard, Athena is a sweet girl. Far to nice to find herself dragged into this dirty Romano business," James told Cormac, though his eyes never left Alex. Cormac continued and was interrupted when Alex angrily called the other man a psychopath. Mentioning her roommate really had hit a nerve and her distressed shout was the clearest evidence. The plan was working and James loved nothing more than doing his job successfully and precisely. It was all just a shame the person sitting in front of him was Alex, someone he didn't hate or even dislike anymore.

When Alex challenged him to go over to her and suggested he was afraid of her, he shrugged his shoulders and laughed a little. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Feeling like you have some control over us. Perhaps you're used to getting what you want, but it's not going to happen tonight," he assured her. He made no attempt to approach her, not on her terms.

"I heard Vinnie's moved on from your mother now. That didn't take very long, did it?" he asked Alex. "That man only cares when his own pride and businesses are hurt. Maybe he'll get over losing you just as a fast. That's the kind of selfish man he is."

neverbackdown ​

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

Alexandra looked at James when he refused to move closer and sighed letting her head hang down, so her face was covered by her hair. She didn’t want James or Cormac to see the hopeless look in her eyes. She had no idea what to do, even if she tried to move the chair now, they were too far for her to hit and she knew that if she tried now then she would not be able to hit anyone and they would be able to hurt her more.
When James mentioned how her father moved on Alex gripped onto her chair. “I wonder how long it took rayna to move on after willingly leaving you behind?” She asked, she made no attempt to look up at him and instead kept her head down so they would not see how much their words were effecting her.
“You’ve heard the story right?” She asked him “how she didn’t put up much of a fight, she just went back to Italy and didn’t even say goodbye to your or your father” Alex looked up slightly at James “and now all of a sudden she’ s back but she had her own children and husband, so I wonder why she’s back, I doubt it’s just to get to know you” Alex looked at James as she spoke, she knew Rayna was back to get to know James and she knew that her words if they had the desired effect could ruin that relationship but Alex needed to get the conversation off her family and she thought getting under James skin was her only option

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Salvatore Romano​

Salvatore watched Junior as the young man studied the photograph of Maggie. When his son assured him he would have the Sullivan girl tonight, he couldn't help but smile proudly. "Yes..." he trailed off, looking to the clock. "We need her as soon as possible. Far too long has already passed since your uncle was shot. We need to strike whilst the Sullivans are still panicking. We have to get to them before they cover all of their bases."

It appeared that Salvatore was now thinking over something. His expression wasn't exactly doubt, but he began considering other possibilities. What if Maggie was unobtainable in the imminent future? How would he get what he needed to cover all of his bases and remove any leverage or upper-hand from the Irish? He needed Vinnie to see him as a man of action and he needed to go beyond any expectations his brother had. Salvatore's fingertips touched the photographs he'd tossed back into the briefcase. Soon enough, he plucked a few more out. "You need to make sure you have adequate backup and eyes all around you to ensure your safety." He handed some more photographs to his son. "We shouldn't rest all of our plans on on one person. If not Magdalene, there's Finnian and Sinead. Any one of them would have the Sullivans scrambling," he assured his son. "We need to strike our enemies and we need to do it now."

Rhaine
Mentions: Bellz (Finn)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James furrowed his eyebrows Alex's used Rayna as a retort following his remark about Vinnie moving on from Gianna. It wasn't exactly a shock to him that she would bring his mother into this as hIS own moves had circulated around her loved ones and her family's dysfunction. "Oh, I've heard the various stories," James decided to indulge her. He was sure he believed his mother when she told him she had fought to stay with him and Ronan. He didn't believe she would have defied Vinnie to attend the wedding if she didn't wish to reconnect with her eldest son. "From what I know of the older generations of your family, what good would fighting it have been anyway? They snap their fingers and you do as you're told, no arguments." He shook his head as Alex made a point of mentioning Rayna's new family and questioned why she was back. "Go on, then, Alex. You sound like the expert. Why else would Rayna be back here?" he curiously asked.

He knew Alex was trying to get to him by using one of the few pieces of emotional hang-ups he allowed into his mind, but he still wished to know where she was going with this. All he knew, was that Rayna's appearance had brought him a sense of belonging and humanity, regardless of her own family he was still trying to know.

neverbackdown ​

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

Alexandra watched James carefully as he began to reply, indulging in her ploy to talk about Rayna. She smirked an unpleasant smirk as she could see there the was the slightest bit of doubt on his mind and she decided to sink into that. She felt bad for what she was doing and knew that Rayna would never forgive her but right now Alex needed to use the only bit of leverage she had that may provoke a reaction from James. Anything to get the conversation away from her siblings.
“Did it ever cross your mind that Rayna was another way my father used to get into your head?” She asked him, tilting her head slIghtly to the side as though she was thinking about the concept. “She’s such an amazing person and has done so many amazing things in her life, her children are well brought up and her husband is just as great as her so tell me James” she looked straight at him a serious expression holding her lips as she spoke her next sentence “why would she want to know you?” She questioned “did you really think that Rayna wanted to know you and have you in her life?” She laughed as she leaned slightly forward in her chair “sure she’d never be proud of a scummy little low down gangster” her words laced venom as she spoke. Just to really hit home with where she going Alexandra smiled and decided to use James own line against him “as you said with the older generations you do as your told”

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James sat back in his seat as Alex suggested Vinnie had been using Rayna as a way to get into his mind. It was certainly the Romanos' style to do that kind of thing and he'd be lying if he said he'd never felt at all suspicious about his mother's appearance. He naturally smiled when Alex mentioned Rayna was an amazing person but he allowed it to drop from his face when she went on to ask why she would want to know him when she had her own amazing life and family. He briefly glanced to Cormac before focusing back on Alex. The girl went to address the insecurities Rayna's presence bought into his life. He was under no illusion about his own worth and he knew he was a low-life gangster. He nodded his head when she repeated his own line about the Romanos doing as they're told. Perhaps Rayna was following orders - it was certainly plausible.

James suddenly got out of his chair and approached Cormac. "I need you to go and call Lucy. Tell her where we are and that we have Alex," he requested. Part of the reason he said Lucy's name was in case Conor was ready to back out of the plan and go rescue Alex. The other reason James said Lucy may have come from his subconscious, perhaps knowing she was the only one who would get through to him if he went too far tonight. "Tell her it's unlikely we'll be able to get to Vinnie the way things presently stand," he added, purposely allowing Alex to hear the conversation. With his next sentences, James would make it clear, only to Cormac, in his facial expressions that he was unsure of his words. "If Conor doesn't offer up any suitable suggestions, tell Lucy I will kill Alex." James glanced to the girl. "At this rate, I might kill her before you even get back, so do be quick."

When Cormac left to make the call, James took his gun and held it tightly in his hand. If there was a chance Alex did get free, he'd be ready to shoot her and answer Conor's questions later. She was giving him less to lose as time went on. Right now, it was going in the direction that the only person that would be left for him to care about disappointing was Lucy.

Instead of sitting back down, James simply stood behind his chair and looked back to Alex. "I can't deny your words hit a nerve, Alex. Rayna really is a good woman, with the most intimidating catalogue of achievements and a perfect family, exclusive of me. I'm not an idiot, so it's not something I haven't acknowledged before. I suppose it was that goodness in her that made me believe she really did care and she did want to reconnect with me. So, well done, Alex. You've managed to get to me and point out that I really am a worthless piece of shit," he told her. He was barely even exaggerating. He knew he wasn't a decent person and the possibility his mother didn't care about him really did hurt. "I'm not sure if you thought it through, though," he said, his expression rapidly turning cold. "The more you remind me of what I am and how few people really care about me, then the worse you make it for yourself. I haven't touched so much as a hair on your head this whole evening and that's because I didn't want to let those I care about down. I didn't want to see the disappointment in my mother's face if she learned I'd hit you or even killed you. But if she's all part of Vinnie's plan, then I don't even need to worry about what she thinks, do I?" he asked. As he spoke, his finger rested firmly against the trigger of the gun. He'd killed people for simply working for the Romanos, and here was a Romano by blood giving him an ample amount of fuel to just shoot her.

neverbackdown ​

Mention: Lamia Bellz

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

Alex watched James quietly when she finished speaking, she had done what she vowed, she had clearly broken James aswell. While she knew it was necessary to try and save herself, Alex felt crap about the whole scenario, sure James hadn’t held back with her but had she gone too far with him. There was no smile on her face anymore rather she looked down at her knees, that vindictiveness she just used on James was not her, it was something her father would have done. Alex was glad that her hair covered her face as she blinked back tears, It seemed Alex had also done their job for them, she felt like a shell but she knew that she couldn’t show them, she couldn’t show them that they had won. She looked up at James when Cormac left the room and he began to speak, trying to hide as much emotion off her face as possible. She listened to him rant but her eyes remained zoned in on the gun, had she really pushed him that far?. She remained quiet, feeling too bad to keep lying about Rayna and for once she had nothing smart to say, what was the point? She knew apologizing would do nothing but only show that they had succeeded. Alex ripped her eyes from the gun and looked at the chair in front of her, her legs luckily hadn’t been tied to the chair and she guessed she had a chance, not that she really cared of this went badly as far as she was concerned now, Alex was going to die regardless.
Without any thought, Alex shot her legs up and kicked the chair James had been sitting in as hard as she could so it pushed back into James, the most she could hope for was that it winded him to slow him down. She had no idea what she was doing but thankfully James had sat quite close in front of her to allow her to do this, She stood up but nearly over balanced from the weight of the chair, as James seemed to get his air back, Alex straightened herself and jumped once turning as she did so, her aim was to hit James with the chair that she was tied to, preferably to hit the arm holding the gun. She nearly screamed at the pain of the vibrations on her wrists as the chair hit something solid and then she realized she had no idea what to do now.

Misty Gray

Cormac watched quietly as Alex and James conversed he could see the pain on James face and didn’t know what to do. It seemed that Alex was more vindictive and like her father than Cormac had initially believed. When James pulled him aside, Cormac listened to the man not letting any emotion cross his face, he wasn’t sure if James would really shoot Alex but if she continued to speak the way she was he wouldn’t be surprised if he came back to a dead Italian, not that he cared.
Cormac nodded “Don’t let her get to you man, she’s just saying anything to get under your skin” he said quietly before leaving the apartment. Cormac made his way down to the pay phone and dialed in the number of the Sullivan household. He listened to the ringing tone as he willed Lucy to answer the phone

Misty Gray Bellz