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Post by Rosalia Caito on Mar 31, 2018 18:22:25 GMT -5
Rosalia stood in the dimly lit foyer of her father’s grand home tapping her foot impatiently. She was waiting for an assassin. One that she knew more by reputation than anything, even though they must have passed each other in the manor from time to time. Joe Valentin. There was still no face she could remember to attach to the name. Maybe they hadn’t ever been formally introduced. And now her father was trusting this mysterious man to take his one and only daughter out to get her hands dirty. That’s right. She was supposed to kill someone. Or at least to be there when someone died. Apparently being nearby for the injury to Dr. Sanders that had caused him to expire was not good enough. The coldness of her father on that day sent Rosie into no small amount of shock. She was still numb in fact. Numbness was not enough, though. Gino Caito wanted his daughter hardened. In his mind, that was the only way she would survive what was coming.
Through it all, the normally carefree young woman could only wonder at the seeming futility of it all. At least, if what her father had told her was true about the masked visitor who’d threatened to kill them all. If even her father was afraid of this man, what chance was there for Rosie’s survival? Wouldn’t her going into the family business and killing people just put a target on her back? Probably. But even that likelihood was better than the certainty of punishment she would receive if she disobeyed. At least this way there was a chance of making it through all this. How much of a chance, she didn’t know.
Where was this guy, anyway? Rosie checked her phone for the hundredth time, but only another minute had passed since the last time she’d brought the thing into her view. He wasn’t really late. She was early. And nervous. And curious. Let’s face it, there were probably a hundred emotions going through her head right now. Life would never be the same for her after this night. Everything had already changed for her to a certain degree, but it would really solidify now. She could no longer be that party girl. Her dreams of being an actress or model had to be put aside for the good of the family now. You would think that her father would have been training her for moments like this from the beginning if he had planned for her to take over, but nooooo… The bitterness was thick enough that she swore she could taste it on her tongue. Hopefully this assassin wouldn’t be expecting much conversation. They were usually quiet types anyway, weren’t they? She thought so, but then again she was mostly working from stereotypes based on the various shows she’d watched her whole life. She knew Bruno and the others were killers, but in her mind being hired muscle was different from an assassin. What would this guy be like? Only one way to find out, unfortunately. More waiting.
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Post by Joseph Valentin on Apr 18, 2018 16:11:01 GMT -5
Another job? This one was different though. Joseph sat in the chair across from Boss Caito, who was rubbing his temples, obviously frustrated. He had told the assassin the story of the visitor, something he'd only told his daughter and otherwise only known to those who had been there that night. "You know, I could find this guy and kill him for you," Joseph said arrogantly, a cocky grin on his face. He brushed a few deep brown locks out of his face. "You couldn't handle this man, Joseph. He took down four of my guards in less than thirty seconds, hand to hand. You're good, maybe even the best, but he'd kill you before you even stood up from your chair," the boss responded quickly, with an irritated tone. "You're not here for that anyway. Your job is to take my daughter out tonight, to a bar called the Moonlight Blitz. The bartender owes me a large sum of money. You are the standby. Nothing more. You watch her back as she strong arms the money from him, or kills him. I've made arrangements. No one will bat an eyelash if she kills him. In truth, I don't even care about the money. It's the principle." Joseph nodded with a shrug.
He'd seen Rosalia a time or two, and couldn't deny that she was gorgeous. A wicked grin curled across his face when he thought about that body. Boss Caito wouldn't catch the grin, being that his eyesight was failing him. He still hadn't undergone that surgery yet. Old fool had killed one of the few people alive who could perform the surgery. Teaching his daughter a lesson, he called it. The old man was desperate, and in that was getting sloppy. Still, his power wasn't something that could be denied. "Consider it done," he answered as he stood up and went to the door. He adjusted the light blue shirt he was wearing, ensuring it was perfectly tucked beneath his jet black, belted slacks. He opened the door and started to step out, but turned back briefly. "For the record," he stated. "I have my ways. The visitor would die before he touched me, boss." With an arrogant grin, he left the room. Gino Caito shook his head. Cocky moron.
Joseph stepped out into the foyer, where the young woman had been waiting for him. He spied around the corner for a few moments, seeing her check her phone. "Hot date?" he asked as he rounded the corner, a smile on his face. He rubbed his chin, a light dusting of facial hair that he'd not bothered to shave that morning. Keeping his appearance a bit different was key to his anonymity. "I'm going to assume that you know what we have to do tonight. Your father plays things close to the chest, but this is something you need to know."
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Post by Rosalia Caito on May 9, 2018 17:00:12 GMT -5
The sound of a man’s voice drew Rosalia’s attention, her dark eyes finding an even darker set gazing upon her. Hot date? She smirked. “Yeah, actually.” There had in fact been a couple of guys who’d asked to spend time with her tonight. She just hadn’t decided which one would be the lucky one. Assuming, of course, that she was still in the mood to party after this. Probably would be. The way things in her life were going right now, she pretty much had to be under the influence just to feel something. She shrugged her shoulders when he asked whether or not she knew what needed to be done. “He wants me to kill some guy, I guess. Something about preparing me to take over the family business someday.” That day would come sooner rather than later, if her father’s suspicions were correct and the mysterious vigilante boogeyman was coming for them all.
Rosie had never really felt resentful before. This was a new thing for her. Then again, her father had always kept her separate from the ‘family business’ before recently. If his plan had been for her to take over leadership all along, he’d done a shitty job of preparing her for it. Now he was trying to make up for lost time, she guessed. Totally going about all this shit the wrong way, if you asked her. But of course, no one had. No one seemed to care about what she thought, or what she wanted. And there was no way for her to escape. Even if she did leave town or something, she’d never held a real job in her life so she wouldn’t be able to support herself. She was stuck. No point in fighting it.
After stuffing her phone in her pocket, she took the time to really examine her babysitter for the night. Those dark eyes were framed by quite the handsome face. Those black slacks and light blue shirt hid what were obviously well-defined muscles. Definitely her type. It was a shame, really. Papa’s employees were off-limits. “Well, I guess we should get this over with, huh?” Twirling her car keys in one hand, she headed for the door. No real need for small talk or pleasantries, considering what needed to be done. Rosie kind of found herself wondering how she would feel after something like this. Everything she’d ever heard was that it changed a person in a major way. Apparently that was exactly what her father wanted.
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Post by Joseph Valentin on Jun 1, 2018 21:10:39 GMT -5
Well, that was no surprise at all. Naturally, a beauty like her would have a bevy of men who wanted to be with her, even if only for one night. Or more accurately for a few fleeting minutes when it came to most guys. "Well, hate to keep them waiting. We should get this done so you can get to him," Joseph said with a quick smile. He turned his head towards the door when she started answering his question. "In truth, you don't have to kill him. The bartender at the Moonlight Blitz, he owes your father money, lots of it apparently. All you've got to do is strong arm him into giving up that money." He shrugged in answer to her taking over the family business. "Thing is, Boss isn't going anywhere for a while. He's tough as they come. His fear of this vigilante guy has made him sloppy, though." The idea of Rosie leading the family didn't sit well with the assassin. She wasn't ready by far, and there was only so much training someone could go through. This world ate up people.
He nodded when she said they should get going. He scoffed at the idea of her driving, twirling her keys like that. Once the door was open, he shook his head and motioned for her to follow. His car was in the driveway already, and the click of a button unlocked it, the doors sliding upwards so they could get in. "So I'm just backup tonight. No one in the bar is going to give a damn about what you do, so no worries about cops or anything like that. Just get him to give up the money, and when you do...." He stopped and gave a slight shrug. "You're off to party land again. I'm sure that's where you're really wanting to be tonight anyway."
It was a short enough drive, and the bouncer knew exactly what was going on, not even bothering to stop the two of them. There was a sidelong glance between he and Joseph though, and a quick glance of the bouncer's eyes at Rosie's hindparts. Joseph chuckled. They were inside now, and Joe went to a table close by. He pointed out the bartender, though he doubted he'd needed to. A girl like that, she probably frequented this place and knew all the workers by name. Joe didn't miss the partying. He worked all the time, and that's just the way that it was. "Have fun," he said just loud enough for her to hear him." He lifted his index finger to one of the waitresses as she passed by. "I'll have a vodka on the rocks, beautiful," he said to her. She smiled and nodded, rushing to the bar for his drink, returning quickly to hand it to him. He swirled it around before taking a sip. Perfection.
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Post by Rosalia Caito on Jun 6, 2018 13:36:39 GMT -5
Rosalia sighed softly, but followed the assassin to his car. Apparently she wasn’t even allowed to drive for herself anymore. Great. “Don’t pretend you know anything about me other than who my father is…” she said softly while staring out the window as he drove to the club. If it was possible for a tone of voice to be both bored and defeated at the same time, that would be Rosie. Disinterested? Disheartened? All could apply. Even partying had been starting to lose its luster for her lately. There was just no point with a death sentence hanging over her head. The right combination of sex and drugs could make her forget for a little while, but in the end that’s what it always came down to. Whether this Nightcrawler or whatever his name was killed her, or she took over the family business, it was the end of whatever life she’d wanted for herself.
“Okay then. Give me your gun.” If he was an assassin, she knew he would have one on him just about at all times. Probably fucked with one under the pillow, in fact. Huh. She wondered whether or not anyone had ever accidentally shot themselves doing shit like that. Once he’d handed the weapon over, she made sure the safety was on before sticking it in her purse. Just because she didn’t carry a gun of her own, didn’t mean she didn’t know how to handle one. Even before all this had started, her father had wanted her to know how to defend herself if she ever needed to. With the addition of the scare from the vigilante, it just made him that much more adamant about it. They’d been taking her to the range quite a bit lately. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to use the thing tonight, but she had to be prepared just in case.
Hearing his words once they were inside the bar, Rosie raised an eyebrow at him. “I guess this would be fun for a guy like you…” Hey, if he could make generalizations and assumptions about her based on the tiny bit he knew, she could do the same. He didn’t seem to be one of those guys with much of a conscience, which was why he was such a good assassin.
The bartender, Riley, smiled in recognition when he saw her approach.
“Heya gorgeous. Why the long face, Rosie? You look like you could use a drink.”
“You could say that. Whiskey, neat please. Make it a double.”
“Huh. I always thought you were more of a tequila gal.”
The man poured her the drink, then watched her down it immediately after sliding it over to her. "Everything okay?"
“Listen, Riley... You know who my father is, right?”
Rosalia watched the man’s complexion pale considerably, even in the dim light of the building. “I need you to give me the money you owe him.”
“Sorry, darling. I’d love to, but…” His words trailed off when she pulled out the gun and placed it on the counter with her hand still resting on top of it.
“You’re a shitty liar. Don’t even try it.”
“But I don’t…”
BANG!
The waitress who’d just been passing by screamed in pain and dropped to the floor, dropping the tray of empty glasses she’d been carrying. The bullet had passed through her kneecap. Just like Dr. Sanders, she thought to herself. Same amount of blood and everything. Now there was a morbid thought. Then again, maybe that was why she’d done it.
Her voice was still just as calm and disconnected as it had been basically the whole time. “Don’t make me shoot your fiancee’s other knee out, or she’ll only be able to make it down the aisle in a wheelchair.” Assuming she didn’t bleed out, of course. Like the doctor had.
At least that got the guy moving. Riley hurried to the back, presumably to grab the cash. It then occurred to Rosie that she didn’t actually know how much money he owed. Oh well. Either Riley would tell her himself, or she figured Joseph would know.
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Post by Joseph Valentin on Jul 13, 2018 18:23:04 GMT -5
This was going to be the easiest money that Joseph had ever made. He didn't even have to do anything. Just sit there and enjoy the night, and watch Rosalia do all the work. Joe didn't know how much money the bartender actually owed the gang leader, but the bartender would know. And he wouldn't be dumb enough to skimp on the amount either. It seemed like he was trying to deny that he had what was owed, but Rosie wasn't having any of it. Frankly, Joe had not expected that level of determination from her. He'd heard that she was quite the party girl, but this much cold, calculating ruthlessness. He liked what he was seeing. Maybe there was some of her father lurking behind that pretty face. He could certainly tell before that she wouldn't take any shit off anyone, but this was different.
"Well she won't be getting on her knees anytime soon," he said with a small chuckle, though not loud enough for Rosalia to hear it. It wouldn't do to distract her from her duty. A single finger lifted after taking a drink was all it took to stop a bystander who'd started to make his way towards the woman on the ground. "You really want to get involved?" he asked the man. The man lowered his head and went back to his booth and his drink. Gino had told Joe about the doctor, and the ruthless lesson he'd taught his daughter that day. It surprised Joe a little bit that she'd chosen to shoot the woman in the knee. Maybe it hadn't been intentional. That was doubtful. He wasn't about to speculate.
When the bartender came back, Joe was standing at the bar, behind Rosalia. The bartender started counting out a rather large sum of cash. "And you tried to say that you didn't have it," Joe said flatly, coldly. "I, I have a business to run," the bartender explained. "Yes, and quite the business it is." Joe turned and walked around for a few moments, stopping at a table. "I wonder how many of these customers will keep coming back if they don't feel safe." Joe took a man by the back of the head and slammed his face into the table. "Can you afford to take that risk?" He slammed the man's head into the table again, then dropped him to the floor. PIcking up the man's fork, he spun around the small piece of meat on the tip, then looked back at Rosalia and the bartender. "Carry on," he said with a wicked smile.
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Post by Rosalia Caito on Aug 20, 2018 19:21:36 GMT -5
The woman’s screams and wails of pain bounced around in Rosie’s head. It wasn’t fair that she was having to suffer because of Riley’s mistake. Then again, it wasn’t fair that Rosie was stuck in the position she was in, one that she had absolutely no desire for. Let Joseph take over the “family business” for all she cared. He could just change his last name to Caito, claim to be a cousin from the motherland or something, and then no one would be the wiser. But no. Gino wanted it to be her, for whatever god-awful reason he’d concocted. It made no sense to her whatsoever. Then again, with the way she’d been feeling since her first brush with death… maybe that was what her father had wanted all along. To remove any innocence or optimism she had left. To make her a void who would simply do as she was told without any real fight left in her.
The assassin came up behind her. Rosalia had heard his approach and could practically feel the heat from his body as he stood behind her. She turned her attention to him, watching as he assaulted a random customer. He found joy in this kind of thing. Maybe one day she would too. She wondered how old Joseph had been when he got the kind of rude awakening she’d experienced only recently. Knowing her father, he’d probably gotten ahold of Joe when he was still young. Asshole. She was really starting to hate her father. Not the assassin, though. Despite his obvious arrogance and cruelty, she didn’t hate him. Not yet, anyway.
When he was done with his display, she turned her attention back to Riley. “You see the kind of guys my father has me hanging around with? Just imagine what he’ll do if I can’t get the job done.”
“I’m going as fast as I can, dammit! You don’t have to be such a-” His words failed him when Rosie pointed the gun at him.
“Such a what, Riley? I’d pick your words very carefully right now if I were you.”
The man said nothing until after sliding a bag full of cash in her direction. “Here, just take it and go. Tell your father the payments will never be late again.”
Rosie nodded and grabbed the bag. She approached Joseph, still sitting at the table with a fork in his hand. “Hope you and my father are happy. This used to be my favorite spot.” Now she could probably never come here again. Not if she wanted to be anonymous, anyway. All the regulars would now know who she is and what she’d done. None of them would look at her the same way ever again. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.” She didn’t really want to go home, but she definitely didn’t want to stay here. Hopefully he would understand that and not insist they go straight back.
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Post by Joseph Valentin on Aug 30, 2018 20:34:35 GMT -5
Arrogant, asshole, dick, Joseph had been called it all. And honestly, most of it was right on the money. For the right amount of that money, there was little that Joe wouldn't do. Sure there were things that even made him flinch, like the time he'd sniped an infant in the arms of it's mother moments after it was born. Poor thing never even got it's name. Honestly, Joe wasn't proud of that, but it was a job, and it paid a lot of money. Enough that he could retire, but why would he do that when there were so many more people to maim, kill or otherwise fuck up. It was what he did, and he was damned good at it. Watching Rosie, she was no assassin, but damn she could handle herself. Joe was impressed. Her tactical intimidation of the bartender, coupled with the heinous shooting of his fiancee was exactly the way that he would have gone about the job. Maybe she was better than she even knew.
You don't have to be such a---
Oooh, now that was interesting. It even brought Joe's attention from the man he'd slammed against the table. "I believe the word he was looking for was bitch, but I'm no mind reader," he casually remarked. He twirled the bite of steak around on the fork, taunting the woman the man had been sitting with. "Your husband?" he asked, pointing down at him. She nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. Joe gave a slow nod and looked over to the man he'd stopped from getting involved earlier. He gave the man a wicked smirk, and the man backed further away. "Tell your father the payments will never be late again."
"Oh, that would be very wise," Joe remarked. "Wouldn't want anyone to come back and finish the job. Gonna have one hell of a doctor bill on your hands for her." He looked over at Rosie, who was bringing the bag his way and smirked at her comment. "Happy? Well, your father is getting his money, so I'm sure he is. Me? Not as much. You'll find another spot. This town is littered with shitholes like this." He casually pulled another gun and shot the bartender's woman in the head. "Now there's no excuse for the next payment. Have her cremated, much cheaper."
He followed Rosie out of the bar and to his vehicle. "So, homeward bound? Or do you need a nightcap?"
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Post by Rosalia Caito on Sept 22, 2018 20:00:47 GMT -5
“Actually, Riley here tends to favor the word ‘cunt’ when he’s insulting a female,” Rosie corrected Joseph even though neither of them would probably care about the distinction. Cunt tended to be a little more frowned upon as derogatory slang for a woman went. That was why the bartender preferred it, actually. Too many women these days took the word ‘bitch’ like it was some kind of compliment. How dare they, right? Riley was a pretty easygoing guy most of the time, but when you pissed him off he wanted to make sure you knew he was serious and angry. All a bullshit complex if you asked Rosie, but what did she care? She wasn’t the one marrying the guy. Not like he wouldn’t have latched onto the chance to hop in Rosalia’s bed, but that was a completely different story.
Some of the people in this bar had once been her friends. At least she’d considered them as much, though there was only so close anyone had ever been able to get to someone like her. Now they would never look at her the same way. Joseph might have just shrugged it off like it was nothing, but it stung a bit. Her father seemed to be taking away all her outside connection to the world, isolating her from everyone outside of the family that she might have been able to rely on for help or sanctuary. The worst part was that there was nothing she could do about it. There was no way she could fight it.
The last gunshot happened while her back was turned. Rosie didn’t even look back. She didn’t have to, to know what Joseph had done. She’d known it in her bones even before she heard Riley sobbing. There was a hint of guilt in her mind, but she still felt strangely numb. Maybe she’d secretly been a sociopath all this time, and only realized it now that some real shit had gone down. Or she could just be in shock, and would break down on her own later once she fully realized what it was she’d just been a part of.
She climbed back into the passenger seat of his car. “Not home. You’re not my babysitter so you could probably just drop me off somewhere if you want. I just… don’t want to go home yet.” Get a couple of drinks in her, then maybe she’d be ready to return to her prison. As long as she was out and had a little freedom, though, she wanted to take advantage of it.
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Post by Joseph Valentin on Oct 12, 2018 18:46:38 GMT -5
"Good word," Joseph answered. Bitch just didn't have the same meaning anymore. Cunt wasn't a word that Joe used often, but it did come out of his mouth from time to time. It bothered some women, and others it didn't bother so much. Either way, Joe didn't care. There was something about this place, though, that he liked. Sure the atmosphere was good, the music wasn't bad either, and the drink had been served quickly and was damn good quality. A couple of the waitresses were kinda cute too. That never hurt. But the bartender, that was what really did it. Joe liked Riley. So when he shot the man's fiancee in the head, it really was in effort to help out a little, odd as that sounded.
As it stood, the job was completed. Boss Caito had given no direction for her to return straight home, and once he'd been paid, Joe would be in the wind again until next time. Judging from the way this went, next time wouldn't be too far off. He wondered though, if next time it would be Rosalia calling for him instead of Gino. The man was aging, and with his eyesight failing, not to mention him sabotaging his own chances of getting those cybernetic eyes, dangerous a process as that would have been anyway, coupled with the whole thing with the vigilante, Joe hazarded a guess that Gino didn't have much longer. Part of him wondered how the syndicate would change when Rosie was in charge. Would it be for the better? Hard to say. Only time would tell.
He was impressed when she didn't look back after hearing the gunshot. "You fucking piece of shit!" Riley yelled through the sobs. "Find another, this time pick one with a little more ass, yeah?" Joe shot back as he stepped out the front door. He wondered if Gino had made the right move here. Was Rosie even ready to run the syndicate? Was sending her to collect the money so soon after she'd seen the doctor bleed out the right way to run this? Who was he to question Gino Caito? Still, he did. Before he cranked the car, he sat there briefly. "I realize this had to be really hard for you," he said flatly. "I get why you wouldn't want to go home yet. Gino can be cruel, so can I, I know. For what it's worth, you did well, and I'll make sure he knows that." Before she could say anything, he cranked the car and drove off towards another bar. This one didn't seem to be as nice, at least from the outside, as the last, but he stopped. "Not a babysitter, no. But I could use a few drinks my damn self," he said before he got out of the car.
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Post by Rosalia Caito on Oct 25, 2018 20:18:55 GMT -5
“Not difficult. Just… I don’t know… abrupt?” She wasn’t really sure how to describe it herself. “You know what it’s like when you live your entire life one way, and then one day everyone around you suddenly expects you to be a completely different person?” No, he probably didn’t. If what she’d heard about him was true, her father had taken him in from a very young age. It explained a lot, actually. “It’s weird. Papa spent my entire life trying to keep the things he did away from me. Now all of a sudden I’m getting thrown into the deep end and he’s expecting me to swim.” If she’d been born male, Rosie had no doubt Gino would have taken the time to prepare her properly. “Being his last resort, last choice doesn’t feel great.” Was he really expecting her to succeed, or did he think the Family would die off without his leadership. She had no idea. Honestly though, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter.
“I bet he wishes I was like you.” Maybe Joseph would be a better choice to head up the family. And if Gino Caito had basically raised him, the only thing standing in the way of that was his bloodline. Maybe he wasn’t a leader, but then again neither was Rosie. She’d lived a sheltered and, honestly, pretty selfish life up to this point. Even now, for instance. He probably didn’t want to hear all of her soul-searching word vomit. “Sorry. I’m sure you don’t wanna hear a spoiled mafia princess complaining about how tough her life is.” He’d probably seen more in his life than she could even dream of. Context was important, as was perspective. That didn’t make her own struggles less real, though, unfortunately.
She was glad he planned to come in and have a drink with her. “Cool. I’m not a fan of drinking alone.” Not that she would be alone for long if she went anywhere by herself, she just was also not really in the mood to get hit on by strangers. Having a little male arm candy with her meant she was likely to be left to her own devices. She climbed out of the car and went into this new spot. “Tequila, please. Make it a double. And whatever my friend here wants,” she said, nodding her head toward the assassin. An assassin and a princess walk into a bar. Heh. She’d have to think of a punchline for that one.
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Post by Joseph Valentin on Oct 27, 2018 21:55:02 GMT -5
"Actually, yeah. I kinda do know what that's like. I wasn't always an assassin, you know," he said without the trademark smirk that came across his face from time to time. He listened to her talk about how she was being thrown into this suddenly, and would even admit that it wasn't fair to her should the topic come up, but at the same time, she had to have known that at some point the boss would bring her into it. Still, the execution of it wasn't quite right. He would even admit that she was right about being the last resort didn't feel good. He knew that too. He was that kid who was the last picked on the school yard for sports games. Funny though, that he turned out to be the most athletic of them all. "Sink or swim, I get it. It isn't fair but sometimes it's the best way to learn. You're going to make mistakes, get burned, this way. But you'll also learn how to put those fires out and who you can trust to help you put those fires out. Maybe you weren't his last resort, though. Maybe he just thought he'd never die." The fact wasn't lost on anyone that boss Caito thought of himself as more than human.
"I doubt that," he answered. "I'm a cold blooded killer. There's no way someone like me could lead that kind of organization. It needs someone like you. Someone who sees right from wrong, with strong viewpoints and unwavering ideals. Spoiled mafia princess?" he finished the statement with a chuckle. "Nah. As mafia princesses go, you're the least spoiled that I've met." And he had met quite a few. Most of them had just been stuck up bitches, barely even attractive most of the time.
He was oddly happy that she was okay with him coming inside too. "Vodka, neat," he ordered. "Definitely keep them coming." He sat back, his elbows against the bar. "Quite the scene here, isn't it? It never ceases to amaze me that these people think they're safe in such an environment. So much shit happening outside of these walls, probably even inside, and they can just dance and drink and do some blow and their whole lives are just okay for as long as the high carries them. They have no idea just how much danger they could be in at any moment. Some gunman come in here half cocked, pissed that his life sucks, guns them all down. Leaves their kids, their family, alone. Makes you wonder....." he stopped suddenly when he realized that he was actually venting more than he was just observing. He took his drink and downed it quickly.
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Post by Rosalia Caito on Nov 20, 2018 16:06:32 GMT -5
Hearing Joseph mention his life before he became an assassin made Rosie curious about what his life had been like before. What it could have been like if he’d never encountered Gino Caito. What kind of career might he have had? What kind of women would catch his eye? He seemed satisfied enough with his life now, but maybe he would have been happier. It wouldn’t be difficult to imagine. She’d only been involved with this business for a few weeks, but she was already having a hard time remembering what being happy and carefree was like. Those memories seemed so distant now.
When he suggested she might not have been her father’s last choice, Rosie shook her head sadly. “He never had any intention of me being part of the family business. Uncle Mario from the Mooncrest branch or one of his three sons were supposed to take over if anything happened to my father. Thanks to the Nightwalker, they’re all dead now. So here I am, last resort…” His words did comfort her a little, though. Her own father might not believe in her much, but for some reason this complete stranger did. And he didn’t consider her spoiled. How many other mafia princesses had he met? She couldn’t help but wonder… “Well, for a cold blooded killer, you’re surprisingly good at cheering people up.” The fact that he’d even bothered to try earned him points in her book.
After downing a couple of shots, Rosalia gave a satisfied sigh. It would take a while for the alcohol to kick in, but she knew she’d be feeling it soon enough. “Most people don’t see as much of the ugly side of the world as you probably do,” she commented. “But I also think it’s difficult to be happy when you’re constantly looking over your shoulder, so at some point most people have to stop worrying about things that are outside their control.” Maybe that was why she was having such a hard time. She had to constantly be thinking about those kinds of things now. Had to grow eyes in the back of her head, and not trust anyone, when her only real worries in the past were whether or not her talent agent was getting her auditions for the kind of acting roles she wanted. That budding career had to be halted. That reminder required another two shots of tequila for her to get past.
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Post by Joseph Valentin on Dec 29, 2018 23:06:09 GMT -5
Of course there had been a time when Joe wasn't a cold blooded killer. But that was then. This was the now, and that was what he did. He killed people for money. Was it a noble profession? Not at all, but he was good at it. He'd always been told to do what he was good at. So when it came to it, he didn't lose sleep over his deeds. Matter of fact, he often slept better than most people did. Still, letting something like that get out was something that he didn't do. She'd caught him off guard, and that was something rare indeed. She was something, that was for sure. What she was, well that was something he was looking forward to figuring out. But that would all come in due time. For now, it was time to relax a little and help make her feel better.
He listened to her talking about her family and who was supposed to take over. The Nightwalker.....there was that name again. It burned Joe that Gino didn't think he could take the vigilante. "I've killed vigilantes before, you know?" he said matter of factly, as if he were speaking to her father. "They're all the same really. You find the right leverage, press it just right and you can topple their entire world. This...Nightwalker....I'd take him down in no time flat." Arrogance was a flaw that Joe possessed in spades, but he could definitely back it up. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know just what he'd be up against were he to try to fight that particular vigilante. Fact was that if he tried, the opposite of what he thought would be the case. "Indeed," he said with a half smile, perking up from his own thoughts when she said he was surprisingly good at cheering people up. He lifted his glass to clink together with hers then downed the shot.
"Well happiness isn't really something I ever considered, to be honest. I don't really concern myself with it. But these people, they seem to do that easily enough. You're right though. They haven't seen some of the shit that I have. They haven't seen some of the shit you have. As powerful as you father is, as powerful as he thinks he is, there's no way he could have shielded you completely from his workings. You must have seen things, little things that slipped through the cracks, yeah?" He wasn't prying for information or anything, just making a point. She knew what her father was. "Worrying about things that are out of his control is something that he's gotten quite good at."
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Post by Rosalia Caito on Jan 5, 2019 17:23:34 GMT -5
The way he made that statement about the Nightwalker… Rosie turned her body to face him fully with an amused expression and a slightly raised eyebrow. “Oooh, I think I hit a sore spot there. Something you and papa argued about?” He’d shown his arrogance basically throughout the night they’d spent together so far, but his tone had a slight bitterness just then so she was pretty sure she was close on that one. It was interesting to see a small crack in the man’s armor. It probably wouldn’t have been as interesting to her if she didn’t find him so physically attractive, but she’d never claimed to not be shallow.
“Really? You don’t care about whether or not you’re happy? I just figured everyone has their own definition of happiness they’re pursuing. Moving away from pain and toward pleasure, or toward the things they think will bring them pleasure. Unless they get off on pain, I guess." She really didn’t get this guy. Did he have no aspirations at all? No, that wasn’t possible. There was some kind of goal that drove him to do what he did, or he really did enjoy it and was already his own version of happy. It was hard for her to imagine someone their own age that didn’t want at least a little more than what they already had, with so much left of their life to live. “So you don’t want to, say, find some hot chick you can’t keep your hands off of and travel the world? Start your own organization so you can be your own boss? Write the great American novel? Nothing? You’re perfectly satisfied taking order from my old paranoid father until he either dies or gets you killed? And what then?” Joe seemed willing enough to follow her orders too, but obviously her father had done something to earn the kind of blind loyalty from this man that would transcend generations. She certainly hadn’t done anything to earn his trust yet.
She laughed when he refused to believe Gino had kept her completely separate from the darker side of his world. “Papa was much more careful about that than you realize. I’d heard a couple of rumors, but never saw him even raise his voice before the day they killed Dr. Sanders. He was just the supportive father who wanted his daughter to be happy even if it was chasing after a pipe dream like acting and modelling.” Maybe if she’d known what a monster he was, how much blood was soaking the money she’d been spending her whole life, she would have been more prepared for the situation she now found herself in. Or maybe she would have run away. Or killed herself. No point in speculating too much about the what-ifs. All she could really do was deal with the situation as it had been presented to her. “Yep, and he’s trying to pass all those worries onto me…” She took a moment to stare into the amber liquid filling her next shot glass. “Not tonight.” She downed the tequila and signalled to the bartender to fill her up again.
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