maker.

“You may have no pulled anything but you blatantly admitted that you were behind the whole thing at the vineyards.” The brunette said with a fold of her arms as she looked him over. “In fact, I didn’t even have to ask you because you came and flaunted it as a child would after winning a fucking race.” She smirked back at him with a tilt of her head. “How do you imagine we’re sitting on our asses? Maybe you have no idea what’s in store.”

“I’m not behind anything. I didn’t even realize there was illegal activity that goes on around here,” He said, trying to play it as if he was completely innocent. “I just like telling you that we’re ahead of you all,” Derek liked to gloat a lot. “Like on a chair,” He remarked, happy with his comeback, “If there was retaliation or whatever you’d like to call it, I think it would’ve happened by now.” 

Jackie didn’t remember showing up at his door, or anything that had tumbled from her lips. How much did he know? And did he, would he, think less of her after she carefully laid out the story? Groaning, the woman pulled herself from the bathroom floor, her stomach wrenching into more and more knots as her head throbbed. She shouldn’t have drank so much. She shouldn’t have taken pills on top of it — But, she needed the high, that escape, that would put her out of her mind. 

“Like shit,” came her response, as she reached for the Advil resting on the counter. Quickly, she downed the pills with a giant gulp of water. “Any chance you have a spare toothbrush laying around?” As many times as she’d ended up at his apartment, she should have had one. But, that meant something. Even leaving a toothbrush, meant something. But, as much as Jackie wanted to deny her feelings for the man, they were there, unavoidable and increasingly obvious. 

She opted for the mouthwash, pouring a swallow into her mouth, the mint stinging her tongue as she swished it around. Spitting it out, she brought the back of her hand to wipe across her mouth. “Okay, but I am sorry. You don’t deserve to have to deal with my shit. Especially not this shit,” her voice rose, shaking as her mind tortured her with the night’s events, replaying them in what felt like slow motion until she visibly tried to shrug away the memories. She moved toward Derek, two steps closing the distance between them, bringing her forehead to rest against his chest. “I shot someone last night, Derek. I killed them.” Tears smarted her eyes, and she clinched them shut. “God, I fucked up.” 

“Here,” He replied as he went into the medicine cabinet to grab an extra toothbrush that was definitely not for her. His first instinct was to tell her that things like this happen all the time, but do they? He wanted to tell her that this is what he signed up for her when they had this unspeakable almost relationship between them but that’d probably just push her away. 

“Hey,” He wanted to stop her thoughts before she spiraled some more. Honestly, he did deserve to deal with her shit, especially after the mistakes he had made in this life. “It’s going to be okay,” He tried to sound as reassuring as possible. “Your shit is my shit, alright?” He knew she’d do the same for him. 

Derek put his arms around her as she touched his chest with her head. He just wanted to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright. He wasn’t the best at comforting, not by any means but for her, he’d try to do anything. “Look at me,” He insisted, hoping she would do so, “We all fuck up. It’s okay.” He didn’t think any less of her, no fucking way. And he’d let her cry for as long as she needed to. “Tell me what you need me to do.” Whatever it was, he’d be there for her. “Did you take care of the body? Or do you need me to do that?” He wanted to make sure her tracks were covered. There was no way in hell he’d let her go down for something. Not in this lifetime.  

It was sweet. Ever since Scotty left, Brie felt unsure of how the work place environment would be handled, considering the man usually had it under wraps. The woman learned how to deescalate a situation on her own, finding having to rely on someone else for safety felt a little damsel in distress. “Not lately, besides I can handle most of that on my own now.” She let her head rest against the mirror behind her letting her eyes close as she revealed in the way the speed took a hold of her. “Who am I sleeping with?” She giggled at the sentiment. Lifting her head, her eyes rolled. “My vibrator. You see, for about a month or so now, I’ve been working my ass off, between here and dealing, and you know carrying out orders. Don’t have time to find prospects.”

He had no doubt she could handle herself. Brie was one of those people that he’d probably think twice about messing with. “Trust me, I know,” He chuckled. “I’ll hook you up with someone,” He offered as he rubbed his nose, making sure the contents weren’t lingering outside of his nostrils. “How’s the dealing going?” Drugs were like serotonin for him. Even talking about them made him all giddy inside. 

Amelia couldn’t help but smirk as she looked him over. “Are we five years old on the school ground trying to come up with who has the better toys? i’m not going to get in a pissing contest with a child.” The woman said as she leaned her back against the wall and bit her lower lip. “Is that stint you pulled meant to be creative? You’ll have to give me another example because I’m not buying it.”

God, she was irritating and he knew it was because she was avoiding his questions. “I’m not a fucking child,” Though this did remind him of a conversation that he probably would’ve had twenty plus years ago. “I didn’t pull anything,” He wouldn’t admit to anything, not with a Vittori, even if it was obvious what the Syndicate had done. “What are you buying then, huh? Cause it seems like you guys are sitting on your asses while we’re getting ahead.” 

❛     you know, when a guy says they’re schedule is open, it just makes you sound unemployed.     ❜   Kat said, a grin surpassing any worry. Sure, she still held concern for his hand, but it was also the nature of the business. Even as violent as it was, the brunette still tried to shield the life from her son. He couldn’t know. It was better if she worked through this, paid off his college so he could get an education back in the States, and forget all about the life she led here. It was a dream she had, fighting every urge to distract from asking about the white powder Derek always had an affinity for. Was he clean? Did he relapse?

Kat couldn’t remember what happened since they last spoke. Her shoulder brushed against his chest as her son came back with a book in his hands. The book was enormous. She swore she could kill a man with it. Her fingers twisted through her hair, brushing it to one side as she leaned down to look at what her son showed her.    ❛     Ah, you want this one?     ❜

❛     Yeah, it’s got zombies in it.     ❜   Jo marveled at the book, turning it over to point at the images on the back.

❛     Okay, you can get it only if you promise to not crawl in my bed if it spooks you.     ❜    Kat teased, digging through her purse to hand him a wad of cash.    ❛     Here. Go buy it while mami finishes talking with her friend.     ❜

She had hit the nail on the head, “I’m in between jobs right now,” He explained, “So really I’ve got nothing but time on my hands,” He should probably really start looking again, but he usually got bored at any place he was hired at, causing him to either quit or get fired. At least with the Ivory, he never felt bored. 

He watched Kat speak to her son, “Save that book for October 8th, it’s World Zombie Day.” He said, looking down at Jonah. When he had left to go buy the book, Derek immediately opened his mouth, “So what are you doing here for real?” There had to be more than just Jonah’s dad, right? 

CLOSED STARTER for @dcrekbishop — at Derek’s

It was after 3am when she’d shown up at Derek’s door, a complete and utter mess. With the level of drugs and alcohol currently flooding her system, it was a surprise the woman could even still stand, let alone navigate to the apartment. But, Jackie didn’t know where else to go. And in her haze, there was nowhere else she wanted to go. 

She couldn’t remember, if anything, what she’d said to him after showing up as she rolled over to find him missing from his bed, one of his large t-shirts donned and sunlight streaming through the window. Her stomach twisted into knots and her head ached, but only the latter was a consequence of her indulgence from the previous night. Flashbacks of the alley — the gun, the knife, Luna’s apartment — they all came slamming back into her as she scrambled from the bed, running for the bathroom. 

There was nothing for her stomach to empty, and so she hung over the porcelain bowl dry-heaving after the bile had gone. To her embarrassment, among many other emotions, she noticed Derek standing in the frame of the doorway. “I shouldn’t have shown up, I know,” she groaned into the toilet, on the verge of tears. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

She was a mess when she showed up at his place, but he tried his best to comfort her while she spoke. He was sort of able to gather bits and pieces of what had happened but didn’t get the full story. And he wasn’t going to pry it out of her, he was just there to help her. All he wanted to do though was protect her as she came into the apartment, causing him to hold her while they laid in bed. 

He woke up unsurprisingly tired since he kept checking on her throughout the night, making sure she was sleeping. When he saw that she was still sleeping, he carefully rolled out of bed and headed into his kitchen. The apartment that he had was small, but it did the job. He knew that when he was hungover, he was pretty damn hungry in the morning but wasn’t sure if that was just him. Maybe he’d get some fruit out for her, that’d probably help. Hearing a noise from his bedroom, Derek grabbed a glass and filled it with water. 

“No,” He shook his head disagreeing, “I’m glad you did. I’m always here,” He hoped she knew that by now, “How are you feeling?” Puking the next morning was never fun, but Derek took out two Advil from his medicine chest and a glass of water for when she was able to take it. “It’ll help I think,” He said as he displayed the contents, leaving them on the bathroom sink. He wasn’t good the best at giving advice and wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk about what happened to her or not, but he’d tried his best to help if she did so. 

   “Of course.” She nodded awkwardly, her hands held up for a moment before Safiye started wrapping her head phones around the object. She wasn’t going to push him on it, in fact when it came to men she typically kept them at an arms length. Sure politeness was one thing, those she knew from high school – all friendly with, but others, strangers. They just were too unpredictable for her to be totally relaxed around them.

  “I was raised that in a community you should look out for one and other. You know at the end of the day locals are really the only ones who will have your back in situations – of course I think where my parents are from was a lot more of a community than here but…” Her shoulders lifted casually. Safiye thought about it for a moment, some unconscious reason for her gaze glancing around them. “I suppose – but your name would make this a lot less… weird.” She teased slightly. “I can help carry the bags if you want, not really fair you’re doing heavy lifting and buying drinks.”

“I was raised with the opposite mindset. I mean that’s ‘cause if you can’t look out for yourself first, then who’s going to do it?” And that was on childhood trauma. Obviously, though, he wasn’t going to share too much to someone he just met. It’d be different if there were a few drinks in his system. 

At the mention of his name, he nodded, “Derek. My name’s Derek,” He clarified, “And you are?” He figured if they were introducing themselves, he should probably know her name too. “I’m alright, they’re really a lot less heavy than they look,” He promised, “Let me just put ‘em on my bike and we can go grab that drink,” He made his way to his bike, throwing his stuff into the storage of his motorcycle. “So, you have any preference on where we go?” 

“I mean it’s the closest thing a stripper can have to a uniform, I guess.” She shrugged playing with the silky tie on her robe. The woman sniffed a coupled times as she let her body feel the beginning effects of the substance. Her eyes watched as he leaned over to repeat the same actions she had. “Sounds like a pussy.” She muttered as her eyes traced his hand. Who stabs someone in the hand? Brie pushed herself up onto the makeup counter. “I doubt that is true, big boy. I’m sure you let Jackie tell you what to do in bed.” She teased lightly with a small laugh.

Stripping seemed tough, it was definitely something that he wouldn’t be able to do ever. He gave Brie kudos for doing it, “Has anyone been giving you a hard time out there?” Cause he’d go out and shut their asses up for her, he didn’t want anyone treating her poorly. “Shut up,” He said playfully, although he couldn’t help but smile when she brought up Jackie no matter how much he held it back. Speaking of fucking, Derek was pretty curious, “Who are you sleeping with these days, anyway?” 

Amelia crossed her arms as she looked back at the male with a raise of her brow. Truly, she was shocked that his own people hadn’t gotten rid of him before. He spoke without thought. “Maybe, what else have you done behind her noses?” She quipped with a laugh as she looked him over. “Who says we don’t have more plans in store that are much grander than that mediocre shit.”

"I’ve done nothin’, I’m completely innocent,” He hoped that wasn’t too hard to believe, after-all he was a pretty good liar. “Like what? Your boss is dead? What else are you guys doing besides planning a funeral?” He wanted to laugh at the fact that Lorenzo was dead, finding it hilarious for some reason. “Just face it, you aren’t as creative as we are. It’s nothin’ to be ashamed about.” 

Parting  her  legs,  she  made  room  for  him  to  come  closer,  fingers  dancing  the  hem  of  his  shirt.  Jackie  was  unsure  of  herself,  the  rules  she’d  so  carefully  crafted  seemingly  dismissed  in  this  moment. The  only  confidence  she  held  was  that  whatever  they  indulged  tonight  would  be  tucked  away  later.  “And  if  I  am?”  Her  laugh  was  light,  a  dramatic  change  from  the  teasing  chuckle  she  usually  offered.  “I  doubt  you’d  have  any  complaints.”  Jackie  picked  up  the  bottle,  taking  a  sip  of  her  own  before  returning  it  to  the  desk,  her  arms  moving  to  wrap  his  neck. 

“I  know  we’re…”  her  voice  trailed.  What  were  they?  Complicated.  Messy.  Nothing?  “I’ll  always  be  here  though,  okay?”  And  then,  she  pulled  herself  closer  to  him,  stretching  upwards,  Her  lips  brushed  against  his,  giving  way  to  the  urge  she’d  been  fighting  since  he  walked  through  her door  as  fingers  tangled  into  his  hair.  Drawing  back,  she  put  just  enough  space  between  them  to  whisper  the  words  “I  promise”  as  amber  hues  found  his  own.  She  knew  better  than  to  say  such  a  thing  —  to  commit  to  anything  of  that  magnitude,  but  somehow,  for  him,  she  meant  it. 

The only way they seemed to be close in height was when she was sitting on something. It at least made it easy to kiss her. Of course, he stood in between her legs, watching her as she spoke. She was right, though, he’d never have any complaints. Not with her. 

“I know,” And that’s what mattered. Even if they weren’t anything, she’d always be there for him and vice versa. If someone did this to her, he would’ve already gone after them. Those two words were like a chorus of angels singing. I promise. It meant something to him, meant more than it should’ve. He pressed his lips against her once more, no longer able to take the space between them. 

her gaze stricken on his bandaged hand immediately. Without much regard for personal space, the brunette touched it lightly, eyes widening as she looked up at him. There was years of unspoken words between them. Her fingers twisted over the white gauze as she stood transfixed. Where the fuck did all the time go? She tried to level herself out, keeping mind that her son was destroying a bookshelf not too far from them. Her gaze slipped, flickering towards her son and returning to Derek in an instant.    ❛     I – Uh, well. I moved here about a month ago. I figured…Jo needed some time with his dad and all. A change in scenery ain’t so bad.     ❜    

She was careful with her next words. Loosening her grip on his palm, she let her inked hand fall to the side.    ❛     Are you hurt? Do you need me to take a look at it? I – I need to drop Jonah off at his dad’s in a bit. I could meet up with you, shit. It’s been so long.     ❜    

“Yeah, this is definitely a change from New York,” Nothing was quite like the city, and although he missed it, he knew it was for the better that he had moved here with the new chapter. “A whole new country and everything too,” He agreed, “How are you liking it so far?” She probably got asked that question a million times, but he was genuinely curious. Of course, he cared about his old friend.

“Don’t worry about me,” He insisted, “I mean, I’m good. It’s fine,” At least he thought it was fine. He was trying to keep it clean at night, so hopefully, he was doing a good job with that. He looked down at Jonah as she mentioned her son, “Yeah, I’d like that,” He wasn’t sure if she was still into drugs or not, but he’d give her a welcoming present in the form of powder or whatever she wanted. “My schedule’s pretty open these days.”

“I’m sure we can have one made for you.” Though, the statement was joke, she could pull a few strings and truly make it happen. Maybe they could even write his name in cursive on the back. She chuckled at the idea. “Stabbed?” Her brows furrowed. None of it surprised her, but she was still curios. “By who?” Brie would take note of the person and situation. Hoping off her chair, she moved to where he laid everything out. Leaning over, she took the dollar bill from his hand, sliding it along the line as she inhaled. Brie couldn’t help but wonder where the dollar bill had been, because she had plenty placed in her g-string. “I’m good. Works been good lately, no assholes, a couple regulars paying the big bucks. I’m rolling in it.” She chuckled.

“They’re all custom? Damn, you’re living it up, huh?” He wasn’t sure if that was actually true or not, considering her job. He looked down at his injured hand as she inquired about it, “An asshole that just was accusing us of shit,” And by us, he hoped she knew who he was talking about. “And y’know brought a knife to a fist fight cause my guess is he couldn’t actually hold his own,” Maybe it would’ve been fair if Kane didn’t bring that knife out. He was sort of jealous that she was rolling in the dough, “I really gotta get a job again,” He said before snorting a line himself. “But I don’t have the patience for anyone telling me what to do anymore.” 

Brie enjoyed Derek, because he was like the friends with benefits version of friends - perhaps that was just friends.  The two kept things light and casual, normally not doing anything more than getting high and talking about unimportant things. Her eyes rolled at his little tease about her robe. “I’m sorry would you prefer I sit her basically naked?” Her eyebrow quirked quipping back at him. Leaning back in her chair, she kicked her feet up on the vanity. “Oh, speed, you want me giving these people a real show later.” When it came to vices, Brie didn’t discriminate. She tried everything and anything. Speed was a familiar friend - something she used when she needed a little pick me up before a long day at work. “Sure, I’ll indulge.” She smiled softly.  “How have you been, bud?”

He chuckled at her comment. "I mean you have a nice body. But nah, I want you to be comfy. I’m just saying, it’s not fair you get a robe and I don’t,” Then again life wasn’t fair and he needed to get over it. “Hey if it gets ‘em coming back, right?” Leaving them with something to remember would make them want more. “I’m fine, got stabbed a few nights ago,” He shared as if it was no big deal. “But other than that, I’m fine,” He took the gram baggie out, setting it on the nearest table. “How ‘bout you? Enjoying the job?” Derek began to line the drug up as if it were cocaine. “You can do the honors first,” He offered, rolling up a dollar bill. 

              [ @dcrekbishop​ ] 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙽𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙴𝙳:  𝙳𝙴𝚁𝙴𝙺 𝙱𝙸𝚂𝙷𝙾𝙿.                   𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐎 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒  |  𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃

ever since she was a child, she loved the smell of books. In modern times, books were slowly obsolete, replacing them with whatever device felt necessary. It took ages to convince Jonah that going to a bookstore was a fun trip rather than poking around on Amazon. So, there they were. Her fingers curled around her son’s hand as they made their way back towards the young adult section. Jonah had a higher reading level than most his age, insisting that he was prepared for books like Harry Potter and Twilight. Though Kat didn’t discourage him from reading books he probably wouldn’t understand, she didn’t think he was prepared to deal with the sparkling vampire preying on a teenager. It was surely a book meant for nightmares.

Jonah pulled away from her as her shoulders brushed against the taller man.     ❛     Fuck, Jo - don’t run off too far.    ❜    Kat brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes tracing upwards.     ❛     Hey, I’m sorry…I-    ❜    He looked familiar. Oh, shit. The brunette took a step back, tensing for a moment as she stood before a forgotten friend. Ever since the Ivory man moved, she couldn’t remember where he settled down. Apparently, it was Montreal. Shit, shit, shit. A red hue flushed her cheeks as she took another step back, her spine clicking against a settled display. With a haphazard bump, the assortment of books fell to the carpet.     ❛     Derek, hi.    ❜

Derek never really imagined himself ever going to a book store in his lifetime. But if he was going to read up on learning how to take care of his wound, he needed one of the medical information for dummies books. He had no idea where to look first. And he wasn’t about to ask an employee. 

 Bumping into someone always happened, he underestimated how much room he usually took up. And, people usually moved out of the way for him. But at least she didn’t hit his injured hand. “Oh hey Kat,” He said without everything registering for a moment, “Kat?!” It was a nice surprise for sure. An unexpected surprise, but a nice one. A slight part of him wanted to ask her about everything, but he couldn’t do that here. “What’re you doing here?” 

The Ivory tower had been slow to come to life that day - despite the news of Lorenzo’s untimely death. It was no bother to him. Though the bullet from a weapon that Zephyr wielded had taken out the man’s son over a year before hand in a shot that had never been meant for him in the first place. The underboss hadn’t felt it as a failure, not while the tightened noose around the Vittori patriachs neck and the undoubted sense of the city enclosing in him with his sons murder - it’d been interesting to play out. It gave him time at least - knowing it would take some time to regroup, just as it had in the wake of Milena’s execution; perhaps the perfect opportunity before the Vargas thought to strike against the Ivory. “You look like fuckin’ shit.” He grumbled, the hint of amusement unmistakable despite it, “I’m workin’ on it, but for the time bein’ I don’t want anyone knowin’ specifics on who’s got those guns, or where they are. We play it right an’ we can bring a little heat down as our own gracious welcome gift to the Vargas — A thank you for gettin’ Lorenzo outta’ the way.” A ballpark assumption, but considering he knew they didn’t have a hand in it..

Honestly Zeph was right, he did look like shit. But that’s cause he didn’t sleep at all. Drugs will do that to you. If only he could go one night without anything in his system but he was starting to think that would never happen. "Right back at ya,” He matched his boss’s tone “Oh shit, were they the ones who did that? I thought he just died of natural causes,” He should’ve known better than to know that Lorenzo died by accident. Nothing was accidental in Montreal, he should know that by now. “What’re we gonna get ‘em as a thank you? Some fuckin’ flowers?” It wouldn’t be the most ideal way to say thank you, but he was right. Not that he needed Derek’s agreement to know that. 

@dcrekbishop​

Brie finished her time on stage, before heading down to the bar area of Luxure. Her eyes scanned the room for any customers of both nature, whether they work looking for a dance or a party favor.  Multitasking had become a handy skill for her. Sometimes she could carry out both transactions at once in a back room. If they were lucky she’d let them sniff the coke off her ass. Her eyes landed on a familiar face, but he was much more respectable than either of her categories. “I’m taking my break.” She told the manager on duty, before nodding at Derek to follow her. Brie lead him to the dressing room, where she pulled on a robe over her lack of clothing. “Did you just come to bum something off of me, or did you want to hang?” She asked, sitting down in a chair in front of a mirror. 

Derek entered Luxure, happy to see Brie around. When he got the go ahead, he followed her. “I’m here to hang out, c’mon, I’m not always a moocher,” He teased, a smirk appearing on his face. “Do I get a robe too?” He was just poking fun at her, he had a lot more clothes on than her too. Most of the time, their friendship seemed to take the form of drugs. They got high together, chilled during that time, it was a perfect friendship. Getting high with someone else always made him feel like it was okay to do, like it was justifiable, and like he didn't have a problem with drugs. “I got some speed,” He said pulling it out, “Do you want some?”

Fingertips trailed from chest to uninjured hand, easily slipping her own within as she stepped toward the laundromat’s office, tugging him to follow. Reassurances of their unchanged status allowed for room to speak a little more freely, even if the woman knew she’d live to regret the sudden temptation of vulnerability. And, the words, “If only you knew,” tumbled from her lips, low enough that she wasn’t even sure they could be heard. But, nevertheless, she’d spoken them into existence.

“It wouldn’t have surprised me if you’d done it yourself,” she answered with a shake of her head. “Almost everyone I know, you included, is too damn stubborn to see a doctor. Even when they need one.” In the small corner office, Jackie freed his hand, moving behind the desk to pull a bottle of spiced rum she’d kept in stock. No glasses, she offered the bottle to the other before returning to the front side of the desk and hoisting herself up onto the surface. “Liquid courage,” she said, nodding to the bottle. “And, yes,” she affirmed, her amber hues coming to meet his from beneath thick lashes. “Everything is going to be okay. You were provoked. It was intentional. Even Zeph should be able to see that.” Though Jackie was entirely clueless to the Boss’s thought process. “Hey,” her voice came more gently, beckoning him to where she rested upon the desk. “Come here.”

Derek followed, hand in hers as they made their way to her office. He didn’t want her to let go. “Hey, I may be an idiot and stubborn, but I had to make sure my hand still worked,” He knew there could be nerve damage. Once she let go of his hand, dark hues watched her move. She was so naturally calming for him. His eyes moved down to her lips. His mind was so focused on just wanting to kiss her, he forgot about the pain in his hand for a moment. Setting back to reality, he took the bottle at her request and took a gulp. “You trying to get me tipsy?” He teased, putting the bottle down. “That shit’s good, by the way,” Of course she had excellent taste. “I’m not sure what Zeph’s gonna think. I just don’t wanna add fuel to the fire after we were the ones who stole from ‘em. I just don’t want them to have another reason to go after us.” He was kicking himself for even talking to Kane in the first place. 

Her words were gentle, causing him to immediately want to obey them. He wasn’t sure what she was going to say or do, but he complied with her request. He walked over, wanting to wrap his arms around her but he knew better. Showing her any type of gesture would probably make her want to run and he couldn’t have that right now. “Thanks for letting me come to you.” He whispered, getting as close to her as possible.