southpaw.

Emiri made an attempt to chuckle when Cole mentioned he wasn't dry-eyed, it brought a small hint of light to circle in her eyes, combining with another trigger to pool those very eyes once more. It wasn't intentional; that was just emotion for you. "Yeah..." she nodded as she swiped a single tear away, she wasn't saying it to convince him or even herself, she just knew she would be - she'd get there, because she had to as well as wanted to. "Yeah I will." she actually felt sadly in the mood to go home and just sit and watch hours of video footage she had of her dad, everyday she missed him and now, now she missed him even more. In every way she was grateful she even could still hear his voice, she knew not many people were so lucky and so it was typically Emiri to try and find the good in something so heart-wrenching and tragic. "Thank you, again." she felt she had to say it - she probably always would - for she knew she held such a deep appreciation for him.

Ever self-critical ( though he preferred to see it as having an accurate assessment of his own abilities ) he knew he was in possession of a host of sins and flaws. But one transgression he'd never let himself commit was rudeness, not when his father's exacting standards had impressed nothing else upon him. Jaw tightened slightly at the response his pseudo-greeting had gotten but he still faced away from the Sons' president. Instincts cried out about him having his back to the other man but their surroundings made it easy to quiet them. From his experience with Cole he figured them both level-headed enough to get through a simple exchange without any kind of threats or violence. "Just being polite." Tone was carefully neutral, devoid of the snark that might have filled it another time. But he was far too meticulous to risk inflaming tensions over something so trivial. "I could always ignore you next time." Glance was cast over his shoulder if only to make the slight curling at the side of his lip known, wondering if his offer of light-heartedness would be taken.

Hearing the other male’s follow-up, an amused smile quirked at the corner of Cole’s mouth and he shrugged, even though Stefanos was still turned away from him, unable to see how visibly relaxed he was, “Always been a sucker for manners,” he drawled, chuckling softly. He wasn’t looking for any sort of confrontation– he had no reason to, especially in a venue like this. But still, he could acknowledge how little the two of them actually knew of each other, other than their respective affiliations, of course. So no, he wasn’t expecting a warm and fuzzy word exchange, but from what he knew of Stefanos, Cole felt quite confident he could expect civility– especially if his next statement was anything to go by. Cole chuckled, “Ya could,” he supplied with another shrug and small, yet playful smirk, “But that’d prob’ly be a lot less fun.” Nodding towards the weapon in his hands, he figured he’d keep the conversation going by settling it on some sort of common ground– guns. “What’re ya shootin’?”

Walking alongside Cole he kept his prior amusement minimal as his focus of attention turned over towards Kip, eyeing the prospect in a short motion Nate gave a soft hum of agreement at Cole trying to push Kip into taking on the Man versus Food challenge - an instant feigned seriousness considering he had caught his gaze moments ago, naturally slotting into that rhythm of playing along. "Think he'd rather hide behind your girl," meaning Taliah, of course, and the way she liked to baby him - especially in Nate's personal opinion, anyway. "Not sure he's up for it you know, not got the guts..." his aim here was just to chip at Kip's ego, wanting him to pull out a need to prove himself - even if it was only eating a shitload of food, it didn't matter, the principle was still the same. "Maybe helping Margaret over there is more his speed," he made a nod of a gesture towards the elderly woman crossing the road.

Catching Nate’s look, Cole knew instantly that he was up for playing along when it came to nagging Kip. It was all in good fun, of course, but the prospect didn’t need to be clued into that– at least not right away. “Think ya might be right,” he agreed in regard to Kip being more apt to hide behind Taliah. While he was trying to make it sound like a bad thing, Cole loved how his old lady had taken to Kip and helped show him what family really looked like. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t about to use it to poke and prod at Kip now. “Keep waitin’ for him to step up,” he sighed heavily, head shaking like he was disappointed. Cutting a look over at the elderly lady looking to cross the street, Cole glanced back at Kip, “Hear that, prospect? Why don’t ya make yourself useful and help her out, yeah?” Snorting a soft laugh as the younger man took off like he was on a goddamn mission, Cole knocked a light shove to Nate’s side before throwing an arm around his shoulders as they walked, just happy for this lighthearted normalcy that he felt like they’d been getting back to.

Sawyer's eyes narrowed, her mind already whirring with calculations as she processed the question. The mention of RICO sent a cold wave of anger through her, but she kept her composure—just barely. "Of course they fucking are," she snapped, turning sharply to face him. "Why wouldn’t they? When they can't pin you down on one thing, they throw everything they’ve got, hoping something sticks. And with a biker gang full of goddamn outlaws, it’s not hard to find something that does." The blonde let out a deep sigh before she stubbed what was left of her cigarette in the ashtray. However, the commotion pulled her attention toward the door, instinctively bracing for a fight to break out right there and then, half expecting to dodge out of the way if it did. But when her fiancé burst through the doors, surprise flickered across her face—quickly replaced by a tight clench of her jaw. She could sense the storm brewing behind his eyes, and she knew a confrontation was inevitable.

“Shit,” he hissed beneath his breath, reaching up to scrub a hand across his mouth, “Then we need a sitdown with our guys who’re inside doin’ hard time– give ‘em a heads up.” With Theo’s arrest, ATF had the present piece needed for RICO– but between Cole and Sawyer, they had to stop ATF from getting a piece of the past, and the first step in making that happen was talking to the Sons already incarcerated. No doubt ATF would be coming for them, hoping to bribe them into giving them information on past crimes that would all but wrap their RICO case up with a nice bow. He didn’t have long to linger on that, though, not with the way Gabe had barged into the meeting room, his fury unmistakable. In a lot of ways, Cole didn’t blame him– he was reacting the way an older brother would when the person he’d spent his life protecting was in a hole he couldn’t readily climb out of. It spoke to how deeply Gabe loved Theo. 

Emiri felt grateful for Cole's embrace, especially when that meant she could essentially hide her face as she cried. She didn't want to be emotional, she sometimes hated it and yet in the long run it actually made her feel better for letting it out. If she hadn't done it now - if she even had that power to control it - she'd have only done it on her way home. It was a lot to hear, it was also a lot to process considering the man that should have died, was the one providing her with that comfort she needed. Emiri didn't feel any type of way towards Cole, she wouldn't ever, she was just registering this entire situation for what it was: sad. It was horrible, awful, but she had to grab onto that little spark of hope that was telling her that it would be okay, eventually. Once she was ready to pull herself away from his hold, Emiri took a deep breath as she nodded her head lightly - it was more to psych herself as she leaned back to look at Cole, "Thank you." she speaks quietly as she wiped her cheeks with her hands, appreciating him more in this moment, she knew this was hard on him too. "For everything." she glanced away from Cole briefly, allowing herself to just be. "Sorry, I know this is the last thing anyone wants to be dealing with." meaning her crying, or anybody crying in general.

For most of his life, Cole had relied on physical touch to speak for him whenever he couldn’t find the words he needed, and in his case, that tended to happen more often than not. Now was just another example of that, but in his mind, it wasn’t because he couldn’t find the words to say to Emiri, it was because there were none. They hadn’t been invented yet, and likely never would be– there’d never be enough that anyone could say that would ever cover the sort of the grief he imagined Emiri was up against. And so he didn’t dare insult her by trying– he just held her, feeling her cry and not bothering to choke back his own tears as they quietly slid down his cheeks. In that moment, he wondered if any of them had really grieved properly. How could they, with so many question marks looming all around them? Cole could only hope that everyone affected that day could find closure now that the club had fit the last piece of the puzzle into place. As Emiri pulled back, he dropped his hands back down to his sides, offering up a small, lopsided smile at her once he met her gaze. He simply nodded, never one to feel comfortable accepting any sort of gratitude or praise, but he knew Emiri was genuine and that was enough to keep from shifting uncomfortably. Raising his brows, he shook his head, “Nah, you’re fine, darlin’,” Cole assured her, never one to be bothered by any display of emotion. “Ain’t exactly dry-eyed over here,” he pointed out with a soft chuckle, reaching up to swipe at his own eyes. “Gonna be a’right?” He asked, concern edging into his southern drawl.

She had never been in the Black Rabbit, having never been one for a theme or schtick. Give her her whiskey and don't make a thing about it. She almost had to smack a bartender once who tried to cover her drink with some sort of contraption that created a fog of smokey smelling aroma around the glass. For fuck's sake. "S'little early for a visit to a bar, even for me." She shot back before tossing her bag down on the bar top. "So I figured it had to be something of the sort. Between you and Nate, I think I better start charging for my business consultations." Her head turned as she took in the room as a whole, knowing she probably wasn't seeing the entirety of the vision with the lights up. "I know the owner was a friend of yours, so question is how attached are you to everything? I don't wanna be shitting on a memory."

Chuckling softly at Nellie’s introductory statement, Cole shrugged a shoulder, a lazy grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” he supplied as she set her bag aside. His amusement continued, his crooked grin never faltering as Nellie continued, mentioning Nate and how he’d apparently sought her out too– it was a smart move; he didn’t blame his brother. “Name your price,” Cole quipped back, offering up one of his usual lopsided smiles. Nodding, he tilted his glass, watching the amber liquid swirl around, “Yeah– he was a brother,” Cole explained, sobering softly and wanting to honor Isaac’s memory while also rebranding to space around him. “Attached enough to wanna honor him in some way, but not so much that I can’t gut the place and start fresh.” It was his way of telling his aunt that there weren’t really any limitations to what this renovation could mean. “Need a path forward here,” Cole continued, nodding a bit more firmly as he raised his glass to his lips, “And whatever that looks like…it’s gotta be for the club.” He wanted this place to be where business meetings with buyers happened, while the patrons who actually came here for the ambiance were none the wiser to what was happening in secret rooms. “Figured ya could help me with that.”

“They're denying bond because they're stacking the deck. This isn't just about his previous record, Cole. That's just the fucking bow on top of this colossal pile of shit." It had been less than a week since she got engaged, her mother died, and Shep skipped town—now this. She hadn't even caught her breath from one storm before another came crashing down.

Hearing that the hits were going to just keep on coming, Cole pinched the bridge of his nose and eased out a slow, steady sigh, “Goddamnit.” Granted, it was difficult to hear and process, but he’d always appreciated the way Sawyer never beat around the bush– it was a trait that they shared, and one he absolutely valued. Right now, he didn’t need anyone sugarcoating what was happening with Theo. Worry crept into the edges of his expression, betraying the swirl of unsavory thoughts racing through his head. “They’re gonna try to use RICO, aren’t they?” Cole wondered aloud, fearing that was the so-called ‘message’ that ATF planned on sending them. It made sense– it’s what he’d do in their position. Blowing out a breath, he reached for his cigarettes, quickly setting one between his lips and lighting it. He frowned around it as he glanced over at Sawyer, silently hating how this was adding yet another stressor onto her plate after everything she’d been subjected to in recent weeks. Swallowing thickly as she referenced Gabe, Cole seemed to just deflate in his seat even more, already guessing that that conversation wouldn’t go over well. Gabe already hated the club and Theo’s involvement in it, and Cole didn’t fault him for that. But this…he could only imagine what this would do, and he hated it, knowing that Gabe and his family deserved far better than this.

Riley had been working until the early morning hours, deciding that he might as well stay awake once he got home. Going for a run before he found himself at the clubhouse where he showered and changed into some spare clothes he had there. He knew Cole was around somewhere by his bike sitting in the bay and he also knew that he was typically an early riser, so he decided to linger quietly until the blonde appeared. Riley could imagine the weight of their pending talk was heavy, all he could do was hope the right words would lift some of that off both of their shoulders. "You look like shit. You been here all night?" He wonders, only speaking once Cole is seated. Pausing, he asked if now was the right time to do this, but settled quickly on the idea that there wasn't going to be a better time. "Yeah," he nods, suddenly not really sure how or where to begin. "Worried about you, mostly." Recalling that night, how Cole seemed to break into a thousand pieces right before his eyes... It was as unsettling now as it was then. "I want you to know that I don't blame you, and it wasn't your fault. I should have said that a lot sooner. And now, I'm just wondering what I can do to help you see that you can't be faulted for the actions of a bitter, hateful piece of shit. So," clearing his throat, he nods towards him.

Stifling a yawn as he scrubbed a worn palm across his mouth, Cole nodded, choosing to ignore Riley’s comment about him looking like shit and answering his question instead, “Yeah,” he murmured, gently blowing over the surface of his coffee in hopes of cooling it, “T was on nights, figured I’d just crash here.” He would’ve just tossed and turned all night had he stayed home– at least here, he could fill those sleepless hours with something useful and get work done. Cutting a look over at Riley, he shook his head once, “I’m fine,” Cole supplied quickly, sipping at his coffee. Was he fine? Perhaps not, but the point was that he would be because he knew he had no other choice. It was just bridging that gap between where he was and where he wanted to be that was proving goddamn difficult. Hearing that Riley didn’t blame him for what happened on the day of the bike festival, Cole nodded softly, a smile he didn’t wholly feel curving at the corner of his mouth. It faded just as quickly as it appeared though, knowing Riley likely wasn’t finished. Accustomed to silence, he didn’t say anything, just shifted uncomfortably in his seat and did what he did best:

"And you're a fucking child." She joked, but there was tenderness in her voice. Chloe liked how in the middle of all chaos, or whatever touch situation Cole was going through, he managed to keep his quirks. Those little things that could be taken so easily away. Especially with everything that happened in his life. She didn't know everything, she understood that she was never going to know everything that happened or was happening to him, but it was those little things. Even the things that stayed with him from his teen years. From when she met him. "I'd say lock it up because I'd hate to have to come here to patch someone u because you punched them in the face for getting your last bit of sugar." She was joking, but she could also could see it. Some of the guys got into fights for less.

“And yet here ya are, still hangin’ out with me,” he fired back with one of his crooked, yet shit-eating grins. Fucking child or not, Chloe’s friendship with him had stood the test of time– he wasn’t quite sure what that said about her, but Cole was grateful nevertheless. He’d always feel that way about anyone who’d stuck by him, despite him giving them every reason to turn the other way and fucking bolt. Snorting a laugh, Cole shrugged, “Hey, it’d give ya good practice,” he pointed out, though he was only teasing. He’d never get violent over fucking sugar of all things, but he was enjoying the lighthearted mood that Chloe was creating, and so he just went with it.  Blue eyes widened to the size of saucers when Chloe pulled out the sugary treats– the good shit. Of course, he’d been in search of that, rather than anything healthy she happened to have in her bag. “Ya know me so well,” he beamed a bright smile, reaching for one of the chocolate bars in hopes that she’d actually hand it over. Blowing out a low whistle, he shook his head– summer really had started to fade rather quickly, but that didn’t upset him. Truthfully, he was glad to begin parting ways with it. “I ain’t mad ‘bout it– tired of sweatin’ my ass off just walkin’ to the mailbox,” he admitted with a laugh. He was more than ready for cooler temperatures. Nodding at her question, he gave a soft smile, “Yeah, yeah, we did– managed to get away for our anniversary.” His smile lifted then, warming his features as he fondly recalled that getaway. “It was good. Felt like a much needed reset, y’know?” He didn’t mean that in terms of their relationship– that had always been rock solid– but in terms of himself, and how unlike himself he knew he’d been in recent weeks. Cole had needed that chance to step away from everything to really reflect. Needless to say it had worked, leaving him feeling lighter than he had in months.

"She reminds me of my older sister. Taliah is nicer to me though." Raf's older sister Laura, who now lived in Miami with her husband and kids seldom felt the need to pick the phone and speak to her brother, or answer his calls. Whether Taliah had intended it or not, he had always felt safe, or at least, comfortable in her company. "It's a good place to work. I can't complain, it's a lot quieter than my old place that's for sure." Barcelona could never be a quiet city, his nights were filled with drunken tourists at clubs and his days were often filled with drunken tourists at the beach. Tonopah Valley had neither and it was almost peaceful.

“Hey, someone’s gotta keep ya on your toes,” he surmised with a soft laugh, finding it endearing that Rafaele viewed Taliah in that light. She’d always had this nurturing yet tough and resolute nature, making it easy for Cole to see why the other man was reminded of an older sibling when he thought of her. Cole grimaced then, noting how Rafaele had spoken the dreaded ‘q’ word– quiet. No, he’d never worked as a first responder or in any capacity of healthcare, but even he knew that word might as well have been taboo. “Ya say that now, but just wait til New Year’s Eve– this place don’t see much downtime on nights like that,” he sighed, only knowing that from Taliah recounting her own experiences over the years. It was odd, how he felt like he knew more about the firehouse than he should’ve, but it was just the way things had always been between the two of them, even long before they started dating.  He was happy to meet more of her work family, especially considering how deeply she’d always been immersed in his. It felt right. Granted, there was a bit of unspoken history here, but like he’d already worked out in his mind, Cole didn’t care about that. Hearing Rafaele’s response, about his last name wasn’t doing him any favors, Cole shook his head in protest, “Nah, man– that ain’t what I’m sayin’,” he tried to assure him. From what he knew, Rafaele had been as deeply associated with Los Santos as the rest of his family, but regardless, the two of them had a common thread between them now, and Cole cared more about that. At Rafaele’s follow up, he simply shook his head again, “Even if ya did, it don’t matter– not here.” Mostly, he just wanted to assure the medic that there wasn’t any bad blood or tension from his end. He knew how heavily Taliah valued her team and that was enough for Cole, whether Rafaele was ass deep in Los Santos or as separated as he said he was. “You’re part of her team, that’s enough for me.”

"Might hold you to that." Cole's promise, that was. Nate knew over the years he had mentioned to his friend that he needed to put himself first often, yet each time had led to the same results and while some might say that was insanity, expecting a different result this time, he hoped that there would be for his brother's sake. It was needed purely so he could fucking breathe, everyone else would still hold themselves up - Nate believed that, at least. "Is this the part where we kiss?" he was fucking with him, purposely adding a little sprinkle of humour just to try and lighten Cole's mood. Though it went without saying that Nate loved the guy stood in front of him, he only wanted the best for him and making sure Cole pulled himself out of the rut he was in, was something he wanted to help with. Even after tonight. "You need me to answer that?" he tossed back, assuming that they both knew his answer there and despite everything, it had never changed. Nate was where he was because of Cole, as well as for him, that was just something that was permanently fixed into the grains of their relationship. "As much as I love ya, your girl at home loves you more, come on.." it's a subtle gesture with words as well as movements that they were leaving, especially when Nate didn't find himself giving Cole a choice. What his brother was going through was raw - cracked open through the middle, but sitting here alone wasn't ever going to help with that and so tomorrow was a new day.

He smiled softly, the warmth of it actually reaching his eyes for what felt like the first time in days, “‘m countin’ on it,” he murmured, knowing that he could trust that Nate would hold him to the promise he’d just made. It was part of why he was his number two– Cole expected him to hold him accountable, now more than ever, and not just when it came to the club. He knew he’d have to make a concentrated effort to keep the promise he’d just made, but Cole was nothing if not a man of his word, even prioritizing himself was a foreign concept to him. Snorting a soft laugh, Cole grinned lazily, his tired expression brightening with the sound, “I mean, if ya want– pucker up, darlin’,” he teased, shrugging a shoulder. Sighing, he sobered then and shook his head at Nate’s question. No, he didn’t. Nate being here, right beside him was more of an answer than anything he could ever vocally express. He was with him– no, they were with each other until the end, and then beyond that. He glanced towards the door, “Yeah, okay,” he nodded, knowing Nate was right in that he needed to be home and present with Taliah– not here, looking for the bottom of a bottle and believing it was truly better for everyone if he shut himself off from them. It wasn’t. Internalizing that had always been difficult for him though, but true to his word he was going to try and change that line, starting now.