little wolf

“Hell no,” he said flatly. “And I don’t ever want to.” He’d seen what it did to people he knew. He wasn’t going to go anywhere near it.

“Oh I have no doubt,” he said with a coy smile. “I’m sure you can kick my ass easily.” He nodded. “Well, that may be it. Maybe you can’t get it right because you can’t sleep.”

“once. when i was in the foster system. never again,” she agreed with a nod. she couldn’t manage it. 

she smirked at him playfully. “oh look, pretty and smart,” she teased lightly. she’d learned how to take down guys twice her size before she was 20. even did it for profit sometimes. “mmm. probably. just gotta find sometimes to keep me busy till i can sleep,” she chuckled. 

Gio responded by raising his cup of coffee to her and taking a sip. She was on point.

He beckoned to the empty seat before him and played along as well. “I’m glad you’re think sitting with a stranger is safer than all those other options.” He chuckled. “Gio. Pleasure to meet you.” Leaning forward, he asked, “So, Keegan, why is a beautiful, conflicted artist like you so… conflicted?”

keegan merely nodded in response. 

she sat down in the empty seat and chuckled at his comment. “well i mean. have you ever tried coke? that stuff is trippy,” she replied playfully. “besides, i’m tougher than i look. i can take care of myself,” she added with another laugh. “ah. well seems like that’s just how things go sometimes. just can’t really sleep lately so i’ve been attempting to fill my time with other things but apparently there’s only so much consistent sketching i can do,” she offered. 

“Ah well, that’s inevitable,” Gio said with an exasperated sigh. He could only hope to be well-prepared for whatever’s coming next. 

“Exactly,” he said. “Distract yourself. Drink some coffee. Do some coke.” A grin spread across his face. “Maybe accompany a stranger at his table and talk for a bit.”

“well what else could we expect from atlanta?” she asked with a sigh. she just wondered how it would all end. 

“all fair options,” she chuckled, a grin tugging on her own lips. she grabbed her sketchbook and quickly moved tables. “we’ll start with this option and see what others i might need,” she teased. “i’m keegan.”

Gio was relieved she had found the joke funny, even laughing at her snort. “Well, go big or go home right?” he said with a laugh. 

He leaned back in his seat as he took a look out the window. “Yeah, it’s becoming a shitstorm,” he muttered under his breath as a thousands things ran through his mind that he needed to do, check, and double-check. He was taken back to the present when the redhead spoke up. Chuckling, he said, “See? That’s my point. I mean, it’s not entirely bad, but at some point you’ve got to stop and move on to the next one.” He paused for a moment. “But hey, I shouldn’t be one to talk. I’m no artist.”

keegan had a dark sense of humor by now. working in her line of work and having her past, she had felt the need to adapt. 

keegan sighed and nodded her head in agreement. “and it is not gonna end well,” she said quietly. she could read the writing on the wall. and had it not been for the fact that she was sure roman would hunt her down and kill her, she would have already ran. she chuckled again and shook her head. “hmm. i mean that’s a point. at least for a bit. maybe get my head out of this sketch. maybe work on a different project,” she said with a shrug. “don’t be. we’re a hot mess.”

Gio nodded at the young woman’s words and without flinching, he suggested with a straight face, “Would you like some cocaine then?”

A silence hung in the air for a few moments before he said, “That was a joke. Maybe a bad one, seeing as how everything and everyone is so tense these days.” He straightened the newspaper before glancing back at her. “I’m sure what you drew is alright. Isn’t that the problem with artists - like, they’re never satisfied with their work?”

keegan blinked, in surprise at his offer. it wasn’t exactly what she had expected to be offered.

against her better judgement, keegan let out a snort. she was usually used to only one person so bluntly offering her drugs. “i was thinking more alcohol but that’s definitely stronger than espresso,” she quipped. “yeah it’s getting pretty crazy around lately,” she agreed with a nod. “i don’t want it to be alright. but you’re not wrong. there’s always something to be fixed. we’re picky, us artist types.”

Gio sipped his coffee and was pretty much occupied with the newspaper in his hands. Call him old or out of touch but he preferred newspapers over scrolling on news sites though he does do it sometimes. It’s in times like these when being on top of everything was crucial. No one knew what was going to happen next.

Gio broke away from his reading when he heard a slight thump on a table. Glancing above the paper, he saw a redhead that basically looked like she had… well, given up. He gave a chuckle and remarked from behind the paper, “Maybe you should get a shot of espresso. Or two. Or three.”

keegan picked her head up slightly when she heard a chuckle and the rustle of paper. she glared - though not unkindly - and let out a dramatic huff. she pushed herself up, staring down at the sketchbook. “i’m pretty sure i need something a little stronger than espresso at this point,” she admitted. “i just can’t get the lines right,” she muttered, mostly to herself. she was a perfectionist when it came to her art and mechanics. 

{ a series of wild adventures || task

“Nah, I get it.” Callie said before turning back to the phone. “Sure, but look at the dude next to him. Never turns towards the camera and is always making sure to have his face covered. He’s the real person behind this, the other guy was just someone to have come along as back up.” She shrugged putting her phone back in her pocket. “Richard is offering no help, no surprise there. And Mateo found out that I was using his log in for the police files so…I think we are on our own.” 

keegan nodded with a sigh. she hated being jumpy if she was honest. she felt like she wasn’t on top of her game when she was jumpy. she tilted her head to look back at the phone at the other guy with him. she nodded along as she listened. “oh what a shocker. dick,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “well we can do it. we have to. don’t think richard is one to play around with his threats. and i literally have no doubt that roman will carry it out with a smile. at least mine. since he hates me and all.”

Mitch nodded and leaned against the wall crossing his arms. It was interesting to see who knew who here, even if it was just in passing. His eyes roamed the room and took note of the rival gangs as well as the police presence and sighed before looking back to the redhead. “Well hopefully with the mixed company we wont have an all out war on our hands.” 

keegan had spotted a few people she knew. and a few people she wanted to avoid at all costs. including the police. she didn’t want to talk to any more cops again. she looked back up at him and nodded. “yeah cause that’s seriously all we need around here. an all out war in the middle of a wake. though knowing this group of people, it might not be off the table just yet.”

“Sorry, I keep forgetting that I am way to quiet sometimes.” Callie said shrugging as she pulled her phone out. “Okay so look, this guy was at the warehouse that night. I’ve seen him before bragging about being apart of the American Mob.” She said showing her a picture of the man that was on the video. “He is then seen on this surveillance video outside of where we were the night we were attacked.” 

“well i guess i’m a little extra jumpy lately,” she admitted. keegan nodded as she pushed herself up on a nearby counter to look at the phone. she zoomed in as callie kept talking about what she’d found. “wow must be a rookie. you don’t brag about who you’re with. idiot,” she replied, watching the video. “so what’s the plan? we go find him?” 

Mitch looked at the redhead and nodded. He knew who she was, she worked at one of the other shops in town. He saw her when he would go over there for supplies that his boss needed. “Yeah I don’t blame you.” Mitch said carefully. “Who you here for?” With the wake happening for all four victims it was hard to tell who was here for who.

keegan thought he looked familiar. after a better look at him, she recognized him from another shop. she relaxed a fraction. she felt more comfortable around people kind of like her. “yeah for sure,” she said, shaking her head before chewing on a nail. “the family,” she said softly. she still felt responsible for them. it had been while she was watching the warehouse.

Death was not something that Mitch wasn’t used to. It happened almost every day in the city and the last time something this big happened was when the grandfather was killed with the two kids. Something that was done because of his club…or at least the club he pretended was his. Dressed in his black suit, Mitch stood at the back of the church as mourners poured in and gave their condolences to the family. Members of both clubs as well as police were in attendance and it made the man nervous. Noticing someone stand next to him, Mitch took a sip of his coffee and stared straight ahead. 

“There are some open seats in the middle.” 

keegan was as familiar with death and abandonment as she was breathing. she’d spent most of her life on her own. she felt slightly uncomfortable in the black dress she’d managed to find in the back of her closet. she wasn’t really used to dresses. she walked up, not realizing that she was standing next to someone before looking over. she looked up and nodded. “i’d prefer the back to be honest.” she hadn’t been to a real funeral since her own parents and the whole ordeal made her very uncomfortable.

“So you planning on calling me anytime soon, or do I have to play superhero and save us both.” Callie asked walking into the garage towards the redhead. Keegan had been laying low and Callie honestly didn’t blame her. If she didn’t have Mateo on her back the brunette would of vanished from sight as well. “I think I might know information about that night.” 

keegan almost jumped, holding the wrench she had a little tighter before she realized it was just callie. “cal don’t do that,” she muttered, tossing the wrench on her work table next to the care. she was half expecting roman to show up any day now to finish her off. “alright hit me with it.” she’d planned on asking peter but she didn’t want to bring anyone else into their mess. 

a series of wild adventures || people 

keegan + callie ( @calliope-grace )

Mila saw the redhead and sighed. She knew who she was from the hair that fell like fire from her head. The woman had an entire file on Keegan sitting in her office right now. Walking up to the counter she put her card down. “Hey Amanda, go ahead and get my usual and put her coffee on my tab.” She said smiling at the barista before turning to Keegan. “You need help hun?”

keegan hated that she now felt like mess up of the crew. she’d managed to earn respect for her driving and her skills and now with one mess up, people looked at her differently. and she hated it more than a lot of things. she offered a small smile. “thanks,” she muttered. “i just hate this thing,” she added, holding up the cast.