υncle ѕanтoro.

For the first time, in a way, he almost looked scared of her. The woman never thought that would happen, not in a million years. No matter if it was just an assumption, she’d take it. After a moment, she took a breath and tried to think about what to say next. He sounded like he was talking down to a child, which she was far from. “Says the grown man standing here playing with a box.”

He was right, she was never truly scared of Leo. The partnership that had developed between them was infamous. They had been known for taking absolutely no shit and taking down anyone who stood in their way. Yet, Adelaide wanted nothing more than to just smack the shit out of him. “But what chance are we going to have now?!” Her voice was a bit softer, but still fueled by anger. She had heard Dom’s ghost in her dreams for far too long now, telling her to avenge him, make them feel every single ounce of pain he felt. “They know we’re coming from him. You want him dead just as much as I do, don’t even deny it. You clearly have no idea what to do next.. if we’re going to move, we need to move now.”

As he mentioned that she still had more ex-cons to take out, Adelaide felt as if he was trying to redirect her anger away from him. “Are you trying to distract me, Leo? I already know that.” 

SAYING HE WAS SCARED OF HER WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN too far from the truth. Perhaps he was just wary of her as a whole, but then scared of what she’d do next if she decided to take matters into her own hands. “I’m - I’m not playing with a box. It’s more important than that. You know damn well what this box is.” Leo hated how she could strike doubt into him just like that, make him feel the need to validate his actions to her. He was the damn leader here; why the hell did he need to explain himself to anyone?

“They can know about us all they want. Doesn’t mean they can stop us. If we can take their precious leader and get him up on a stage under our control, I don’t think that any of the others will be too much of a threat.” If he hadn’t have been leaning on the counter still, he almost certainly would have been pacing, giving away the small amount of uncertainty in his brain, the worry he felt about getting this right in the name of his brother. His brother, who he still felt like he owed, even if his final words before that final shot was fired were used to curse Leo.

Of course he didn’t get it. It was always about power, something that she had feared for Dominic the higher he rose. When Leo had stepped into power, she told herself that she wouldn’t let it happen again. She wouldn’t let Leo turn into his brother, and look where they stood. Long before both of them, all she had heard was the family, the family, the good of the family. Was it really?

“I got you your eye, sure. But is a war worth it? Our ranks going down?!” The woman asked, stepping closer to her dear cousin. She could only imagine the stentence that would come out of his mouth next. Something along the lines of: I tell you what to do and you do it or her personal favorite, don’t you trust me?

“You put everything into this without a backup plan. If there’s one thing I’ve ever wanted you to listen to, it’s to have a fucking back up plan!” Her voice was growing louder and louder and Adelaide was fighting to keep herself from growing manic. “But, as usual, you don’t even think to listen to me. Cause you’re the big bad boss. Everything has to go your way!”

She couldn’t help but remember back to when she had first joined the gang with Dominic. How good it felt, being in control. Amongst the powerful. Bareing a name that struck fear even in the strongest of men.

“I didn’t want his stupid little eye taken out. I want Markus Visser dead. I want to feel the blood of Visser and any of his cronies involved in Dom’s death on my hands. I wanted the rest of them to fear us as we walk down the street. But no, he’s alive. We have another issue on our hands.” She was inches away from her cousin now, not a stitch of fear in her eyes. “So, how are we gonna minimize the risk of them ripping us to pieces, hmmm? Or are you just going to stand there playing with that wee little box like a five year old?”

AN EERIE SILENCE TOOK HOLD OF THE ROOM during every second in which Adelaide wasn’t screaming at him. Leo deliberately avoided her stare as she unleashed her frustration, only looking up at her again when he felt he could get a word in edgeways. “Are you done?”

With one glance down at the box on the counter, he pushed it aside, rising back to his full height. Not to intimidate her, though; no, he knew she wasn’t scared of him, or anybody, really, for that matter. That was one thing he admired about her. That fire in her heart, the confidence which told everybody to get the fuck out of her way - or else. “Killing him would have been too easy. You and I both know that. He’ll suffer more if he’s alive, because he has to live with what we’ve done.” It wasn’t like him to be this calm, not in a situation such as this one, but losing his temper with Adelaide would be futile. Better to let her get the rage out of her system now.

THE WAY THST HE PULLED THEIR MEMORIES RIGHT INTO THEIR PRESENT WAS TROUBLESOME. she hadn’t been prepared for the ease with which he reminded her of when things were better put together. when they, were better put together. “you can’t still be bitter about the eggshells, you were so...” she stops herself, dead in her tracks, instead of finishing. a ghost of a smile, as she reigned that in. “nevermind.” tossed away as easily at it had been brought up.

it was dangerous to allow herself to fall victim to the what haves, should haves, of this situation. their time had passed, and there was nothing left between them but a little bit of faulty paperwork. granted, they did not explain the ring hidden just under the dress she wore, but that didn’t matter. not now, at least. part of her wasn’t sure it ever would, not again. it was easy enough to snap out of it, ignoring the urge she usually indulged, tugging at said ring like an anchor, a comfort she no longer invited in.

“torment is awfully dramatic, leo. i thought you knew more about torture than that.” she chimed in, stepping to the side so that she was, for a moment, right back where she used to be. in fact, they were so close together, she could feel his warmth from where she was. “no ulterior motive, just a minor, favor, i suppose.”

“I WISH I COULD SAY THAT TIMES WERE SIMPLER back then, but I don’t think anything involving either of us, let alone both of us, can be simple.” Leo clenched his jaw as she stepped closer, agitated by her presence, on edge because of not knowing what the hell it was she wanted. He felt like he couldn’t even try to read her mind any more like he might’ve done during their marriage - though he knew that she was, more or less, still the same person he’d said ‘I do’ to all those years ago. Still the same person he’d loved and trusted for years of his life. If only there was a fucking manual for occurrences like this.

Perhaps the only thing that had changed was that she’d let go of wanting kids from him. Maybe she’d had them with somebody else. That was an oddly haunting thought. But if that were the case, then surely she wouldn’t be tucking herself by his side like nothing had ever gone wrong between them.

“Spit it out, then. What in the world is it that only I can do, that you had to travel all the way back here for?” He avoided looking at her now, simply scanning the people around them, arms crossing over his chest.

HIS IMMEDIATE DISLIKE FOR THE BEVERAGE IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE EXPECTED. egg nog was made by satan himself, as far as she was concerned. that was exactly why her glass was coquito instead, a better flavor, and better choice, all around. she takes a sip, before offering that to him instead. “you’ve got to pick one, old man, so either it’s egg nog or this.” her hand raises, gesturing to the second offered glass. “although the second, you’ll probably end up wearing my lipstick with, too.” a warning, a promise? it was always so hard to tell with her.

she enjoyed the way he looked at her. it told her all the things she needed to hear but wouldn’t ask for. when it came to her, leo always had a way of telling on himself. a small tilt of her head, angled, loose curls falling over a single shoulder as she turned. it was almost like she was waiting for something, but unwilling to say exactly what that was.

LEO DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY for the most part, so he resorted to taking a sip of the cursed drink now in his hand. Big mistake. He pulled a face, deciding not to take a sip of the liquid again as he reminded himself again of how he’d never liked it and probably never would. “Tastes like Christmas, 2008, when you made your own eggnog and left pieces of fucking eggshell all over our kitchen.”

She had been one of his few weaknesses in his lifetime, one that he’d had to let go of, and the immediate reminiscing wasn’t a good start to whatever the hell had brought her back to the island. Leo couldn’t afford to go soft. Not even when she tempted him with a better drink, with the familiarity of her lipstick staining his lips. His hand twitched at his side, itching to reach up and take the better of the two drinks from her grasp, but he shook his head slightly instead and set his eggnog down on the nearest available surface.

“So what’s the ulterior motive here, then, Juliette?” Her name rolled off of his tongue like it left a bittersweet taste in his mouth; or maybe that was just the eggnog. “Surely you haven’t come back to Wickway solely to torment me with abhorrent festive drinks.”

Forrest shifted on his feet, tucking his hands into his pockets, “It’s not going to get messy. Well- not on my part, at least. Can never be too sure, with Mr. Wade.” He swallowed back the urge to smile, shaking his head lightly.  He was sure if it ended, it would be just that- messy- but Forrest didn’t plan on letting that happen. “No, Mr. Santoro, I don’t have anything else for you.”

“DON’T TELL ME I’LL HAVE TO SPEAK TO WADE ABOUT THIS, TOO. I’d... rather not.” Leo shook his head, an expression of something perhaps close to disdain settling on his face. Bringing up the matter to one involved party was more than enough for him. He had matters other than messy relationships to discuss with Wade.

“I think you’re smart enough to know that if you sent one of the kiddies after me, I’d shoot ‘em before I listening ta what they had to say.” Cyrus let out, raising an eyebrow as Leo mentioned finding him again and rolling his eyes shortly after. “I know where the Santoro house is too, Leo, unless ya’ moved it. I can find you if I’m thinkin’ about fuckin’ up my life again any time soon.”  He dropped the cigarette back at his lips, waving a hand freely, “Anything else you need from me, big man, or were you just here to vouch for yer gang?”

“YEAH. FIGURED YOU’D AT LEAST LISTEN TO ME before you tried to shoot me.” Leo snorted, shaking his head as his eyes scanned lazily across the motel building. It was eerily quiet, especially considering the building was the home of many of the island’s criminals; Cyrus and Mutt included.

Forrest brought his arms up to cross across himself, eyebrow climbing higher with Leo’s words. “It’s a little more nuanced than that, but sure, that… well, it’s close enough.” He said with a small sigh, a hand waving loosely. He shifted, pushing up onto his feet and turning to face Leo fully, turning his chin up a bit- he almost couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with Leo after knowing each other for so long. 

“My divorce didn’t,” If anything, Forrest’s divorce had solidified his loyalties to the Santoros, as the only thing he had left in Wickway. “I certainly don’t know why this would.” Forrest stated, looking up toward Leo- “I don’t expect my relationship with Mr. Wade to cause any issues, Mr. Santoro.”

“WHATEVER IT IS, I... DON’T NEED ANY MORE DETAILS. Just don’t let it get messy.” He watched as Forrest drew himself up to his full height, though he still didn’t come eye to eye with Leo - he was close, though. “You’re right. It didn’t. Don’t doubt my trust in you, Forrest, I just have to be sure.” His eyes glanced over briefly to the door before returning his gaze back to Forrest just in time for the man to speak again.

Cyrus could see this wasn’t going to pass quickly, so he shifted and pulled his pack of cigarettes out, a hand coming up to guard it from the wind as he lit it. “Mutt dinnae even know I was stopping through until I was here,” Cyrus lied- it came to him easily- crossing his arms across his chest, letting the cigarette balance between his teeth as he spoke. “I heard ‘bout yer brother, yeah. Damn shame. He was a tough bastard.” 

A bastard alright- Cyrus swallowed anything harsh from his words, though, and they came out his normal gruff. “I stopped working the scene when I went to prison for takin’ that loudmouth out for ‘im, figured I’m getting too old to be wasting my time in the clink.” He grabbed his cigarette, dropping his hand to his side with it, “So if you’re here on a scouting mission- I am honored that you dragged your own ass here instead of sending one of the kiddies, but I’ll have to pass.”

“TOUGH BASTARD IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. SHOULD’VE SEEN HIM when he... when what was left of him showed up.” Leo huffed out a cloud of smoke, not at all savoring the memory of the sight of his brother when he’d been planted for everyone to find.

Leo figured that prison probably wouldn’t be too great an experience for either of them at this point in their lives - though Leo also figured that he’d be dead long before he got anywhere near a prison cell again. “Well, the kiddies are all otherwise busy. We got a lot to do. You change your mind, Cyrus, then I know where to find you, yeah?”

“Whatever suits you.” Forrest said with a small shrug- if it had been anyone but Leo he would have told them that he’s not Wade’s secretary and to get out and come back when Wade was around. His brows raised toward his hairline as Leo spoke, asked if he was Wade’s pet, before he dropped his head with a sigh. 

A hand came up to pull his glasses off before rubbing at his eyes, shaking his head. “Believe it or not, I am here of my own volition. And I am of sound mind.” He chuckled, “I think.” He shifted to put his glasses back on, thinking on his answer- on how open he wanted to be with Leo- before continuing, “If you must know, Mr. Wade and I are… paramours. And I’m here because I enjoy being by his side.”

LEO WATCHED FORREST’S REACTION CLOSELY, crossing his own arms as Forrest reassured him that he was, in fact, relatively sane. His face stayed deadpan until Forrest dropped paramours into a sentence, after which he couldn’t help but roll his eyes a little.

“So you’re fucking Wade and he’s keeping you here for convenience?” Forrest and Wade wasn’t a combination that he’d foreseen happening, but the gang and it’s members seemed to constantly be full of surprises. “You don’t seem like the kind of man to let your personal matters get in the way of your work, Forrest, so I’d like things to stay that way, yes?”

Cyrus had hit the bottom step and immediately regretted it- seeing Leo Santoro standing by his bike. He hadn’t seen the younger Santoro brother in 15 years- hadn’t heard much news about him, either- but with Dominic dead, Cyrus could only guess that he was at the top of the food chain now. He didn’t let his discomfort show- raising an eyebrow at the other man, instead, as he stepped closer. “Dinnae return to shit, Leo, just needed a warm place to winter. Getting old. The cold hurts my bones.” He said, shoving a hand in a pocket, “Now, what the hell is Leo Santoro doin’ waiting around by my bike?”

CYRUS SEEMED HESITANT TO ENGAGE WITH LEO, and he could take a damn good guess at why. The Scotsman probably wanted to avoid him at all costs, but on Wickway, that was slightly impossible. “So better weather was the only reason you returned here? Interesting. I’m sure your old buddy Mutt was glad to see you. Heard he’s living here now. I’m surprised he returned to us. The guy dropped off the radar after the gang, uh... took a break.”

Reaching into his pocket for another cigarette, he tilted his head a little as he listened to Cyrus again. “Just wanted to make sure you were up to speed. I’m sure you heard about Dominic, and that control of the gang thus fell to me.”

status: closed @trxshcns (Cyrus)

LEO FIGURED THAT IF HE WAITED BY THE FAMILIAR MOTORCYCLE in the motel parking lot for long enough, then he’d find who he was looking for, and he was correct. Dropping his cigarette to the floor as he saw the approaching figure, he stepped forward into the glow of the overhead street lamp, a somewhat malicious smile spreading across his face as his eyes locked onto the Scotsman. After all the shit that had hit the fan, Leo needed some more faces that he could trust, and Cyrus had been involved with them before, so maybe for the right price, they could use him again.