abel hendrix.

“Mm. Flattery will get you everywhere with me.” He must have known as much, however. Their relationship spanned a near decade and a half, there was little to Regina that he hadn’t yet comprehended. Other than her reasoning for cutting ties as fervently as she did, nor did he have any inkling of the cowardice which coursed through her veins at the mere thought of him. “You remind me of someone I once knew. Have I mentioned that yet?” Not quite eager enough to end their little charade, she pressed forward. “He never thought much of himself, but to me… He was the most captivating man I’d ever known.” A sliver of honesty as she finally broke their gazes to accept her drink, oh how these masks made removing the one she donned everyday so much simpler. “You must think I’m a sap for admitting that.”

       “I’ll keep that in mind, then,” Abel smirks, his eyes dancing with amusement as he captured her gaze. Handing her a drink, he brings his own near his lips, pausing at mention of him reminding her of someone. “Do I now?” Attempting to disguise the worry in his voice, he swallowed the rising lump in his throat. Wondering, then, if she genuinely thought it wasn’t him and he was terrible at disguising it, or she knew it was him. Did she think he was captivating? Was she talking about him? “Are you trying to say that I’m captivating?!” Abel teased, bringing his whiskey readily to his lips, a lengthy sip for a masked conversation that certainly needed liquid confidence. “On the contrary, I think it’s cute. In fact, you remind me of someone I knew..” 

“If you’re gonna lie to me, hermano, at least make it believable.” Kian said as she let out a light chuckle, resting her chin on the palm of her hands as she looked over at her obviously tired twin brother. She worried about him too much and too often, and that probably would never change. “I don’t think it’s her either, I really don’t think she has the capacity to do something like this. But I yelled at her this morning, which is probably the excuse as to why I’m behind a bar right now.” she said, another chuckle coming out of her though with more force. “Regina’s been freaking out, so much so that it landed her and Milo in a fight.” she said, bringing the glass to her lips but not before thanking the bartender. “How is she, by the way? This job has me at the edge of my seat every single time, I just hope you’re taking care of yourself too.”

        “I really am tired, though. Half a lie,” he smirks, taking a swig of the whiskey he’d craved all day. “You don’t need to worry about me, hermana. I can take care of myself and, trust me, if I were troubled, I wouldn’t keep it from you. I also wouldn’t want to burden you. —You saw her? What’d you say to her? What’d she say?” Abel searches his sister’s features, seeking nothing but answers about a step mother they’d come to lean on and trust, even more so than their own mother, only to be shocked by the reveal. If it was true, anyhow. “Regina and Milo fought?” Of course, her name struck chords within him solely reserved for her. Solely ignited by her, really. “Who?” 

Maya: Wow. How do you even know them?

Abel: Tell me about it.

Annalise: I murdered Kian last night.

Abel: I feel you.

Annalise: Now that I have the taste for blood, I can’t stop murdering.

Abel: Wasting our lives.

“I’ll bet you can.” It’s the firm clasp of his hand which takes her by surprise, how desperately she had been avoiding intimacy with him and yet he claimed it as though he knew it was only ever reserved for him alone. Did he recognize her? Did he know that beneath the mask lingered a woman whose doe eyes had pinpointed him from the moment he entered the room? She slides into a coy nature almost too easily around the man, meeting his gaze as she questioned, “How about something tall and strong?” They remained staring at one another for a solid beat as she made her point before turning to the bartender. “One Long Island, please.”

       Abel couldn’t help but notice the duplicity in her words, the slightest of smirks tugging at his lips as he maintained her gaze. “Alright then, make that two,” he stated, holding two fingers up to the bartender before leaning his hand against the counter, never once breaking his gaze on her. She was beautiful, so much so he wished to tell her that. Beautiful even in the morning, when she was free of makeup and her hair was a mess, at least by her standards. Beautiful now, as she stood before him, mischievous eyes staring back at him undoubtedly. And on his own part, confidence. “—You know, I spotted you when you first entered. And decided then and there you were the most striking person in the room.” 

“Hmm, so your running theory is blood of his enemies. I was going to say he’s been stealing souls, but your idea is more plausible.” Alejandro joked right back, nodding. Rolando Salazar was a man to be revered; after all, starting a business from ground up and no competition? It took more than just fear and wrangling. “Let’s.” He followed Abel outside, fishing through the inside of his jacket for the two cigars and his handy cigar clippers, brought along just for this occasion. “Oh the convenience of pockets, am I right? Here.” As soon as they reached the balcony, Ale clipped their ends and handed one to Abel. “I think I’ve got a decent matchbook to light these bad boys up, huh?” After both cigars were lit up, and Alejandro studied the one in his hand and then he started to puff. “So…how’s it going?” He left the question as open ended as possible; after all, time was just like the expanse of New York City before them, endless.

       “Stealing souls works, truth be told,” Abel replied with a hint of a smirk, definitely believing of that statement considering how hard a man Rolando was. Not to mention, he was petrified of the amount of power the man held over New York and the like; a man he never wished to mess with. Partly the reason he treated the situation with Regina so delicately. She was, after all, his little girl. Finding himself outside, he leans against the brick wall of the balcony, heaving a sigh as he pops a cigar in his mouth. “Tell me about it. Thanks, my man. —How’s it going? Uh..” Abel looked out at the view of the city, momentarily mesmerised by what he saw before heaving a sigh. “Alright I guess. Just found out my stepmom has potentially terrorised the whole of New York for the past couple of years. Oh, and uh.. had to watch over your sister the other day, so that was.. interesting.” 

— closed starter for @abelhendrix

To be honest, Kai felt like he was walking into the lion’s den when he stepped into Genesis. To say the least, he was very afraid of the possible thought of seeing Abel in any state that was less than his usual of neutral. Sitting at the bar, he looked up at the man in question. “So how’s it going? You want a drink? Actually, can you make me a drink?”

       “Did you come to my bar to console me, Kai, or be served by me?” An unsteady breath escapes his lips as he readily prepares his friend a drink without further question, shrugging his shoulders as a delayed response to Kai’s initial question ensues. “I don’t know.. probably the same as Kian. Who ever really knows anyone these days, right?” 

“How you holding up?” Kian threw an arm around him and gave him a small hug before sliding herself onto the bar stool next to him. “It’s fine, your job is definitely in more high demand than mine is. It’s probably a good idea to keep it on.” she said in a bit of a mumble. She worried about her brother all the time, that was obvious, but she trusted him above anything. Almost immediately, she let out a sigh of relief after been on her feet all night long. “Something strong, please.” she chuckled. For someone that constantly wore uncomfortable ballet slippers, Kian would never get used to high heels – a downside for her whenever it came to big events. “Did you hear about Maya? Do you think it’s real? I mean, after mom, I just… I don’t know.”

       Abel didn’t realise how much he needed his sister’s support until he sat next to her now, allowing her to hug him and giving her a pat on the back simultaneously. He clearly wasn’t one for affection but, showed it when he needed to. “I’m fine I guess, tired.” An easy lie, one that slipped from his lips all too effortlessly more often than not. “I’ll have the same,” he mumbles, before heaving a sigh and lowering his gaze. A furrowed brow a tell tale sign he was struggling with news of Maya. “Yeah, I heard. I mean, at this point that blog could’ve been anyone and.. who knows if we ever really knew Maya. How do you ever know anyone? Plus, that blog never really said a bad thing about any one of us. —But then.. a part of me, Kian, seriously thinks it wasn’t her. I mean it just.. doesn’t seem in her nature to do something like this.” 

@abelhendrix.

“There you are.” Kian started, spotting her twin brother hidden away from the party. In true Abel fashion whenever it came to events like this. Not that she blamed him either. “All everyones been talking about is this Internet troll, and I may or may not have lost my phone on purpose because of it. – Can you tell I’m having a great night?” she said, a light chuckle leaving her lips. The last time there was an event at the Ritz Carlton, their mother was around and the thoughts had been plaguing her mind all night. “Mind if I join you?”

       “Hermana,” Abel breathes in relief, knowing his sister was well and okay from the threats of the Saboteur. That, and any other threats held against him, inflicted upon his immediate family. Abel was in a constant state of worry over any loved ones getting hurt, which is why he tried his best not to be too involved in the antics of the Cartel, more so desiring to be on the sidelines. He gives his sister a kiss on the cheek, a slight, brief smile appearing. “Good thinking. If only I could switch off my phone.” Gesturing with a nod of his head to the bar stool beside him, he heaves a sigh, waving over the bartender. “What can I get you to drink?” 

“Aging is a natural process, my friend. Only if you could tell that to my old man, who looks like he’s gonna kick the bucket way after Gina’s old and golden.” True to his brand though, Ale had a glass on him too. Not enough alcohol for a sip, but he wasn’t here to get wasted. “Hmm yes, the classics of our generation. We are at the Ritz, how hard could it be to book a room, huh? But enough about the other people. Care to join me for a cigar? They’re Cuban, export. Good shit.” 

        “I would, but I don’t really want to die any time soon,” he jokes, lips quirking upward somewhat in amusement. If there was ever a man Abel feared, though tried to skirt the boundary of, it was their father. A man as equally respected as terrifying. “I wanna ask what he takes ‘cause he looks younger than me, lets be real. —You read my mind, amigo. Shall we?” Abel asks, motioning with a nod of his head towards the exit where a balcony awaited them. He could think of nothing better right now than to smoke a cigar and get the hell out of the haze of the event. “Needed the fresh air.. there’s too many people in there.”