ellisxgrayson

[ellisxgrayson]

Ellis paused mid-step, one brow ticking up as the scene unfolded like some fever-dream infomercial. The sunglasses indoors. The shaky imitation of a phone call. The flushed, half-desperate charm of someone two sneezes away from losing their mind in the cold medicine aisle. He skimmed her over, not in the typical way, but with the calculated observation of a man used to reading tells. Glossed eyes, pinked nose, a twitch of sinus-induced madness hanging just behind the sarcasm.

He lifted his coffee slightly in greeting. “Now, if this is a prank call, I should warn you - I charge by the hour.” Which wasn't a lie. A moment. Then he moved to stand beside her, glancing up at the wall of indistinguishable red boxes like a man surveying a crime scene. “You want the real stuff, not the overhyped crap they keep at eye-level,” Her muttered, reaching up and grabbing a box from the third shelf down. “This’ll clear your head without making you feel like your soul’s trying to exit through your teeth. And-” With swift movements, he reached again, this time for a green-labeled box, “-pair it with this if you want the sinus pressure to stop playing the drums behind your eyes.”

He handed her both boxes, his gaze steady. “You look like hell, by the way. Not in a bad way. Just in the ‘don’t operate heavy machinery or sign legal documents’ kind of way.” Then, a slight curve at the corner of his mouth, more human than smug. “Go take these, drink something with electrolytes, and sleep for twelve hours. You’ll either wake up a new woman or dead. Either way, the headache’ll be gone.”

location: well-aid status: open @factionstarters

Between her throbbing migraine and her backed-up sinuses, Marlo was already having a rough enough time trying to remember what day it was. And the fluorescent overhead lights of Well Aid buzzing like fucking flies in her skull certainly wasn't helping. It was the dead of spring, and her allergies were throwing a full-blown tantrum about it.

She needed Excedrin and Sudafed — stat.

She squinted at the wall of identical red boxes, all pulling maroon under the shade of her sunglasses. Lifting them to help her see better, and then quickly regretting it as the strength of the artificial lighting overwhelmed her, Marlo blinked hard to make the labels come into focus. But they all looked the same under this tired, painful haze.

Half-dazed and ready to snap, Marlo dropped her shades again and turned slowly toward the nearest stranger. She lifted a hand so that her thumb was to her ear and her pinkie hovered above her lips — unfortunately chapped from a morning of blocked nasal passages.

"Hey, I'm phoning a friend," she said softly, meeting their gaze as she spoke into her hand-shaped telephone. Anyone would be having a much better day than her, right? Surely they would answer her call for aid. "Can you help a girl in need find her medicine?"

[ellisxgrayson]

Closed Starter: @esmedragotta

“Special delivery,” He spoke, voice carrying that easy charm that slipped in when he wasn’t trying too hard. He set the bagel down first, then the coffee, cream already mixed, lid turned toward her. “Blueberry with strawberry smear. You’ve got particular taste, Ms. Dragotta. Respectable.” There’s a flicker of something, humor maybe, or just the faint curve of amusement at the corner of his mouth, as he moved behind his desk. His sleeves were already rolled, tie loosened, the kind of dressed-down look that still somehow looked deliberate.

“I figured if I was gonna drag you in here before noon, the least I could do was bribe you with carbs and caffeine,” Ellis continued, folding into his chair with a quiet exhale. His eyes meet hers across the desk, steady, clear, but kinder than usual, like he’d put the sharper edges of himself away for the morning.

“Eat first. Then we talk business.” He allows an interlude. “Unless you’d rather start with the damage and save the bagel for dessert.”

[ellisxgrayson]

Gathering a few select files, he makes swift work of packing them into his briefcase, shutting his computer, and turning his attention back to his buzzing phone. Watching the glow of the screen, Ellis creates a mental note of her order, making certain to squirrel it away in the depths of his memory in case the opportunity should ever arise again.

[✉→Esme Dragotta]: Sadly, I would love to risk it. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: It would just be highly frowned upon. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: I have my moments. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: It'll be here waiting for you. See you in the AM. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: Stay safe.

adequately stacked heaps of paper momentarily forgotten now, both hands have flown to either side of esme's iphone as a humored smirk pulls at a corner of plush lips. for the short amount of time she'd been acquainted with ellis, she could admit he'd been keeping her on her toes.

[✉→Ellis Grayson]: that's a shame, but i understand. [✉→Ellis Grayson]: can't risk blurring the line between business and pleasure. [✉→Ellis Grayson]: chivalry isn't dead after all. sounds like a plan. [✉→Ellis Grayson]: blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a half and half coffee, please.

[ellisxgrayson]

Palms raised into the air as a show of blamelessness, a dark brow giving a knowing lift. His actions display an obvious 'I mean no harm' declaration. "Not the enemy here, Ian." Ellis speaks the words calmly, unfazed by the others' subtle outburst. It was painfully apparent that he was on edge, and the last thing he wanted to do was add insult to injury. "You don't owe me shit. I get it, man." Being in Ian's position was not an envious one, at least not from where Ellis was perched.

"Hey, say no more. I'll gladly stuff my face and go back to the office." His signature grin curls the corner of his lips before he nods appreciatively to their waitress, turning his attention to his plate. Now wasn't the time for talking. It was time to get to the bottom of what the hell was unfolding all around them, and to do so, he'd need to tug on a few ears.

Damian gave him a quick nod. Maybe he was projecting his own worry. He didn't like when things were out if his control. Whoever was pulling these strings.... they had a death wish coming for them. They had now made a target of every big-name gang, and that was one hell of a mistake. "I know how to do my job E, I know what to look for." Damian was probably the most on-edge compared to everyone else in Indom. "Sorry, I'm just... we have a lot to lose."

He gave him another nod as the waiter came out and dropped off their food. "I will, not enough about all of this. Let's just enjoy our meal and get back to work."

[ellisxgrayson]

bakari’s “sinners” press tour looks (via bakarislegacy on ig)

[ellisxgrayson]

Ellis watchesIan with that quiet, assessing calm he always carries, like he’s measuring not just the words, but the weight behind them. "Didn’t say I was worried," He points out, voice low and even. "Just making sure no one gets blindsided." He speaks the words as if attempting to clear up some unspoken miscommunication.

He shifts slightly, brushing an invisible speck off his sleeve, gaze narrowing in thought. There’s a flicker of something unreadable behind his eyes, calculation maybe, or memory. It passes before it ever truly settles. "Glad it’s you talking to him, though. He’ll listen to you before he ever listens to me." A break, then- "Just make sure you listen back. Sometimes the things they don’t say is the part you’ve got to pay attention to."

His tone doesn’t sharpen, but it anchors, like something final beneath the calm. "Keep me looped in. Quietly. If this thing goes sideways, I want us ready to move before the pieces even hit the floor."

Damian was extremely protective of Jason. They were basically brothers. He remembers the day his ass got dragged into the gang, just a kid, so rough around the edges and angry. They had a rock start but once they clicked, they became best friends. The two were thick as thieves.

He nodded when Ellis accepted his directions. He was starting to get a hang of this leader thing. "No. I'll talk to Jay." Ian's words were firm. He knew depending on what he knew, they could have two very different issues on their hands. But if this info was going to put someone else at risk, it wasn't going to be another one of his men.

"I'm not so sure he will go for that one. Even though he essentially is living his life as close to off the grid you can get without disappearing." His flip phone was a staple at this point, Jay and his old ass phone. "But I'll take care of it. You don't have to worry about him."

[ellisxgrayson]

Descending into his weathered leather chair, the whisper of a smirk pulls at the corner of his lips as dark hues scan her response. A breathless chuckle dares to break free, but he contains it before it's able to escape: imprisoning it as if its freedom would alude to more.

[✉→Esme Dragotta]: Damn, what can I say, I've got to keep things professional. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: No need to thank me, I'm glad to assist as much as I can. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: That works for me, I have a client meeting around the same time, but will be free afterwards. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: Give me your coffee and bagel order. We could use something to settle our stomachs while we go through the paperwork.

sheet after sheets of paper, each one jumbled an array of numbers and lettering atop them, fly across esme's vision as she sifts throughout heaps of paperwork. organization typically was her forte, though lately she's been discovering herself wavering under those terms. exhaling a long winded sigh, temporarily accepting defeat with a plop of stacks dropped against her office desk, a series of buzzes abruptly snaps esmeralda out of her trance and subsequently triggers her to seize her phone, thumb dancing over the screen to open notifications and examine messages.

[✉→ ellis grayson]: you're breaking my heart. here i was getting my hopes up. [✉→ ellis grayson]: that's a huge relief, thank you for getting back to me so quickly. [✉→ ellis grayson]: when would you like to go over everything? i'll be a bit tied up around 8 in the morning, but i can stop by during one of my breaks if that works.

[ellisxgrayson]

Ellis doesn’t push when she pulls away. He _never_ did. His gaze lingers, not sharp, not soft, just steady, like a man trying to read a language written between sighs and sidelong glances. He doesn’t say her name again. Not yet. Instead, he allows the silence to stretch for a moment, long enough for the hum of the washer to fill the space she’s trying to retreat into. Then, low and calm, he breathes. "You always were a shit liar, Evie."

It’s not cruel. Not even unkind. Just honest, said with a quiet weight and a glint of something behind his eyes, maybe regret, perhaps something older. He leans against the nearby folding table, arms crossed. Casual, at first glance. Measured, if you looked closely. His voice lowers as if to make sure she hears it, but no one else does.

"I didn’t show up to pick a fight. And I sure as hell didn’t show up to make things harder." A pause. "But I’m not gonna pretend I don’t see it either."

His jaw ticks once before he shifts gears, tone dipping toward the dry edge of familiarity. "As for me? Working. Staying busy." A faint smirk ghosts across his lips, just enough to register. "Case after case... You know how it is." Then quieter, eyes on hers, even if she won’t look back. "You don’t have to talk. But if you ever want to… I’m still here."

Evie was beginning to think doing laundry today wasn't a good idea. She had been avoiding Ellis as much as she could since the day he made the decision to ruin their plans, but she had nowhere to go here. She took a deep breath and nodded. She knew she was right, but she didn't need him to tell her that.

She could feel the tears in her eyes when he said her nickname. She shook her head. "Don't." It was hard to see him, and she wanted something else to focus on. "I'll be sure to tell the next person that comes in." The washer alarmed, and she stood up to continue the reason she came to the laundromat in the first place.

"I'm fine, great, never been better." She had never been a good liar, but she focused on the clothes instead of him. "Working, going out, staying busy. You know how it is." Would he believe her or would he call her on her obvious lies? "What about you?"

[ellisxgrayson]

Ellis hums low, the sound almost drowned by the distant rattle of cutlery and conversation, like a man cataloguing possibilities while the rest of the room moves unaware. "Lighting the match is easy," He says, gaze drifting as if tracking the edges of a war room no one else can see. "It’s keeping the fire from eating your own house that takes finesse."

There’s a flicker of something sharper behind his tone, not fear, not quite, just the subtle recognition of what’s at stake. He nods once, slow and purposeful, hands steepled in front of him. "I’ll handle my end. I’ve got ears in places even the shadows don’t bother looking." A pause, eyes narrowing just slightly. “If Jay’s sitting on something, I’ll get it out of him. But if he's not, and someone’s just using his name to stir shit-” His voice drops, not a threat, just truth. “-then we’ve got a different kind of problem.”

Then, more gently, still Ellis, but less blade, more balm: "Get him off the grid for a bit. Let him breathe without someone breathing down his neck." A faint smirk lifts one corner of his mouth, though it never quite reaches his eyes. "Besides, you know my door stays open as well, for family. Even the stubborn ones." And damn was that boy stubborn.

"Well look at you, breaking the statistics." Damian snickered as he shook his head. Though they did utilize Ellis's smarts often. College was never a thought in Ian's mind, never thought it was ever an option even at a young age. He busted his ass to get his siblings that option.

God, how things would be so much easier if the whisperings were just that. But now they had to prepare for the worst. "I prefer to be the one to light the match." Stay ahead of the game, anticipate the moves around you. That's what he was being taught.

"I know." He said with a firm nod, "DO what you can to make sure eveyone is stepping in line, and talk to some of your contacts, see what into we can dig up. I have someone in Wraith I am gonna talk to and see what I cant fine out. He took a beat before continuing, "Jay can handle himself, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let him. "I guess first step is actually find out what he knows, if he knows anything. And then convince him to hang at my place for a bit."

[ellisxgrayson]

Ellis watches her carefully, not like a man ogling his date, but like a tactician studying a tell. Every small gesture catalogued: the way her throat shifts beneath the sip of liquor, the weight in her pause, how the word protection lands with a little too much gravity to be casual.

His tone softens, not with pity, but precision. "Protection." He repeats, tasting the word like a verdict he’s half inclined to challenge. “Not your typical cease and desist, no-but something tells me it’s still got teeth.” There’s a moment, then his gaze lowers, slow and deliberate, as if to give her space without ever stepping back. Not the sort to press, but he doesn’t disappear easily, either. He could smell the smoke curling around her story, even if she wasn’t ready to show him the fire.

When she asks for a number exchange, Ellis doesn’t miss a beat. His smirk is restrained, elegant, measured in a way that suggests both amusement and intent. "You could-” He begins, reaching into his coat pocket with an ease that’s all confidence and no pretense. He passes her a business card between two fingers, pale and clean: his name printed in crisp serif, the number handwritten in the corner. “But I’ll do you one better.”

His voice lowers just slightly. "You call me when you’re ready. Doesn't have to be tonight, doesn’t have to be ever-" A tilt of the head, eyes catching hers, "but if it does… I’ll listen. No interruptions. No tape." Something told the lawyer she was clawing at the wall of an endless well. Begging and hoping for someone to listen to the hauntings that accosted her.

A pause, and then that smirk returns, quieter now, like a secret tucked in the corner of his mouth. "I mean it, give me a ring and I'll do what I can to assist you." Not only because she was a stunning creature: all woman, from the tips of her heels, the curves of her hips, to the caramel woven waves that cascaded down her shoulder. But there was a gleam in her eyes. Something solid and sincere.

an undeniable sensation of warmth heats esme's cheeks, triggering a scarlet flush to appear following the elicit of suggestive remarks aimed her direction. clearing her throat, as though the action itself would successfully minimize the increasing hike of tension enrapturing both parties, esme marginally shifts back on her barstool to devour another portion of her long island mix ⸺ that second natured habit to asses her surroundings reappearing. reference regarding her plaguing troubles precipitated paranoia to aggressively rear its ugly head for seemingly the umpteenth time during the past seven years now. the very thought alone arose an influx of contrasting emotions to wash over ⸺ vexation, devastation, defeat. she wanted absolutely nothing more than for it all to finally come to a conclusion.

the burning course of liquor remains apparent within her throat as the brunette offers a murmur to satisfy ellis' burning inquiry, "protection." heightened shelter away from anguish, from years of denying happiness and joy for herself and her children, to subsequently attain that long desired element of freedom which'd been snatched from her the exact moment neo and herself conceived courtesy their consummation. a prolonged sigh rushed from between gloss coated lips, esme peering up at the lawyer from beneath thick, mascara layered lashes. "not your typical cease and desist, though."

tilting her head by the slightest degree, gaze languidly sweeps over muscular physique, reverie rapidly engrossing in thoughts of what possibilities could bely the dragotta would she allow herself the opportunity to be loved by another. perhaps fantasies would indeed blossom into a gratifying fruition. "could i give you my number instead?" a tender smile is eventually cast towards him, preceded statement offering further clarification behind her reasoning of questioning such, "if i'm being honest, this isn't really the time nor place to go into details about everything." another observant scan among the club's perimeter signifies a thickened air of cautiousness, prudence, certainty. she could never be too careful anymore.

[ellisxgrayson]

Mini Threard & Text Starter for: @esmedragotta

Launching back the last bit of amber in the tumbler, he lowers it to his desk with a gentle thud. His hand shuffling the piles of scattered papers around, in search of his phone. "Where the hell-" It was late. He'd spent the past several hours hunched over his computer, gaze darting between paperwork and the glowing screen. Finally, he's captured the device, fingers make swift work of writing out his message.

[✉→Esme Dragotta]: I know it's late, and no, this isn't a bootycall, sorry to disappoint. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: I've had a chance to go over everything you've sent me. [✉→Esme Dragotta]: You have a solid case, Esme. And because I'm concerned for your safety, I think the sooner we file, the better.

[ellisxgrayson]

☪ Ellis Grayson Aesthetic Board: 1/ ∞

"There’s a difference between being harmless and being restrained. I just happen to practice both."

[ellisxgrayson]

He doesn’t turn right away; instead, he allows her voice to hang there, cherubic and intense like honey drizzled over broken glass. His opaque stare drifts sideways, slow and deliberate, catching her in full technicolor: the pout, the pleasantries, the press of her desperation dressed up in perfume and pink. “Miss. Stoker,” Ellis says, tone low, like velvet dragged across stone. “-you’d be real perilous if you ever learned to weaponize subtlety.”

A beat. Then he ultimately grants her his undivided attention, twisting to face her, amusement flickering at the corner of his mouth as if a flame too persistent to snuff. His hands slide into his coat pockets, posture easy, but there’s weight behind his eyes, as though he’s already calculated three exits and a lie to accompany each fib.

“One coffee,” He finally relents, voice all silk now. It wasn't that Ellis disliked the ambitious correspondent; contrary, he admired her pluck, but regardless of that, he knew the dangers of getting too close. One slip of the tongue and his loose lips could be tomorrow's breaking news. “But no tape recorders, no headlines, and you don’t get to twist my words into poetry.” His gaze lingers just a moment too long, a silent dare laced in the smirk.

"But next time-" With a fluid gesture, he motions a hand for her to guide the way. "-you'll really have to work for it."

For: @ellisxgrayson Location: Outside the Courthouse

The sharp click-clack of her pink heels trails close after the thin stretch of his shadow, shrinking herself under the skin of something more pallatable—doe-eyed ambitiousness, gilded hair tumbling down the slope of her shoulders like liquid sunshine as she presses on, canines smoothing into a pearly grin. "Oh, c'mon, Grayson... don't give me no comment—that's cold... you're breaking my heart here," she nags him, that sugary sweet voice persistent as it always is—a manicured hand resting flat against her sternum, feigning a levity she lacks.

Sometimes she feels as though there's an anchor in her chest where a heart was supposed to be, weighing her down to the bottom of this abyss. She tries to swim, but every day she drowns a little deeper.

"C'mon, I'll buy you a coffee." She insists, dangerously close to pleading, her big doe eyes refusing to lose this battle. "Just one tiny quote," she gestures with her thumb and forefinger, lips unfurling into a lacquered pout. "Just one... don't make me grovel."

[ellisxgrayson]

A low chuckle slips from Ellis, head tilting as he lifts his glass halfway. “Yeah, well, I went to college and joined the gang. Guess I like to keep my sins well-rounded.” And his father was a hard ass who needed to make sure that his son had a back-up plan if the gang life wasn't suited for him. It was a fair trade.

He drops his hand to the table with a heavy thud, the tap of his watch strap echoing around them, eyes locked in. “You’re right. This isn’t just noise." Though a part of him wished it was. The last thing any of them needed right now was trouble. "It’s the kind of quiet that shows up right before a city burns.” A pause. Calculated.

“Get Mateo. Lock it in. And make sure no one shows up to that meeting half-stepping. We don’t get second warnings.” He stiffens for a moment before pulling back a little. "And what about the kid?" Jason. "What are we going to do about that situation?"

“You see, if I went to college I might understand whatever nonsense you are rambling on about but I joined a gang at 15 instead.” He was just teasing his friend, Damian willingly gave up his chance at an education for his family, he was shit in school regardless.

Damian follows Ellis’s lead and leans into the table, closing the gap between them to hear what’s being going on. This place was safe, a small unknown dinner, not mixed in with any gang. That’s why he chose it. Ian stayed quiet as he listened to the information Ellis had

“Hmmm, that’s good shit right there.” This all meant something was gonna go down, and they might be in the middle of the battle grounds. “I don’t think these whispering. Something is going down and we need to be ahead of it.”

He thought for a few more moments. “I’ll talk with Mateo and set up a group meeting tonight. I want everyone to brush up on some self-defense and training, make sure everyone’s properly armed.”

[ellisxgrayson]

Ellis takes his tumbler with a languid kind of ease, fingers curling around the rim as though he had all the time in the world. A small, crooked grin carves itself into place, one that doesn’t quite reach his eyes but lingers long enough to make it clear he’s letting her have the win, for now.

“Careful,” He drawls, the word like smoke in the space between them. “Flattery from someone who has a devilish smile like yours should come with a warning label.” A lame retort, but an honest one. A glance slides her way; measured, appreciative, far too aware of every deliberate motion she makes. The way her perfectly sculptured lips kissed the glass didn’t go unnoticed, and neither did the way she touched that clutch like it was stitched with secrets.

He leans forward just slightly, not close enough to appear improper, but close enough to tempt. “You’d be surprised what a man’s willing to surrender when he finds himself on the losing end of a conversation he doesn’t want to walk away from.” There’s warmth in the statement, buried beneath that signature charm. Something quieter. Something real.

As for her warning? He lets the words settle between them like a loaded bet. Then- “I’m a patient man, Esme,” Ellis murmurs, clinking his beverage gently against hers. “But I don’t mind frequent reminders of what I’m losing arguments to.”

He sips, slow and deliberate, like everything about her has already begun to lace itself into his bloodstream. "You act as if the threat of your company is something anyone would shy away from." Anyone in their right mind would want the sensual cloud she possessed to encompass them. "But, I'm assuming you won't be sticking around for the pleasure of my company." Glass meets his lips, and he's taking a long, healthy sip. After all, it's what he'd come for.

"What is it you're needing assistance with?"

vision momentarily shifts from ellis' features to the bartender performing his tasks, a silent nod signaling indication requested drinks would be en route soon. the lingering rake of chocolaty irises over her form didn't go unnoticed, it was practically impossible anyway. the tantalization of heat rising upon their bodies pulling together, as if an invisible magnet sought them towards one another. or perhaps that was the overwhelming influx of patrons frequenting bacha-lacha? a soft chortle drowned out by the pounding bass line and strumming notes loudly resonating from surrounding speakers rumbles from esme. "too soon for me to say you're bad at all," she retorts, tongue absentmindedly darting out to briefly moisten lips at nearly the exact same timing both parties' beverages are bestowed upon them, "but to hear a lawyer confess their surrender over an argument before it's even started?" that all too familiar smile has returned full force, or it could've been the mere fact of the matter it never really quite dissipated. "one hell of an ego booster," esme remarks with faux haughtiness, fingers grasping about the glassware containing her mixed contents to pull it to her lips for consumption.

setting the cup down with a degree of carefulness, fingers subconsciouly ghost over high quality kevlar material enveloping her clutch. "i did promise you no discussion about work or business but, you're more than likely going to be seeing me a lot more often from here on out now that you spilled the beans on what you do for a living. just a fair warning ahead of time," though something told her he wouldn't mind, not one bit. still, esmeralda awaits that opening for continuation, sanguinely anticipating tonight's interaction would indeed go beyond a simple one off occurrence.

[ellisxgrayson]

"You're right." Evie was going leisurely on him, and he knew it. Ellis had devastated the pledge of bliss he'd vowed to her. Stranded her drenched and stripped out in the frigid, because he'd come to a revolted realization far too late into their relationship that they were doomed. She should detest him, loathe him to her core with every fiber of her being… and he'd deserve it. "Nothing, Eve." A tender pet name he'd coined for her early on in their camaraderie.

Observing her is like overseeing an unchaste deity. Gazing upon Persephone as she inhales the honeyed bloom of spring. He's unworthy and well-aware. Palms itch with the yearning urge to reach out and caress away the crease in her brows, an action he knew far too well. Instead, his hands cram deeper into his pockets in an attempt to fight the desire. "Sometimes the view is better than expected."

Jaw clenched, he turns away for a moment, contemplating what his answer should be. Would it be wise to remain truthful? Or would that simply complicate the situation even more? "I thought I saw you-" Break. "-wanted to see how you were doing. It's been a while."

"I did what I needed to do just like you did, Ellis." She hadn't wanted to separate herself from him, but he had picked their path without giving her a say. She needed to protect herself from more pain. It wasn't easy to pick up everything after he left her, but she was trying to do the best that she could without him. "Is what?" She asked and looked up at him. She didn't know if she wanted the answer. Her chest was already tight, and she could feel her heart beating harder.

She turned her attention back to the magazine and flipped pages. She wasn't reading the words. She wasn't even trying to. She didn't know what to say or think with him here. "Yes. I doubt anyone comes here for the view." She tossed the magazine into the chair beside her and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you here?"

[ellisxgrayson]

Ellis scoffs under his breath, the sound buried under a smirk as he sinks a little deeper into his chair. “Full circle, huh? Remind me to audit your sense of irony next fiscal quarter.” There’s a gleam in his eye, though, teasing, indulgent. He knew Ian wouldn’t steer him wrong on the meal. If nothing else, the man had good instincts.

But as the conversation shifts, so does he. The lean becomes more alert, more calculated. Fingers steeple near his mouth for a moment, brushing the edge of his lip like he’s tasting the next move before saying it aloud.

“There’s been whispers-" Ellis says, tone lowering just enough to press between the cracks in the noise around them. “-Most of it’s bullshit. Small fish puffing out their chests, trying to spook up bigger waves. But I caught wind of something out of Brighton, subtle, like it didn’t wanna be found. Someone’s offering front money for burned identities. Clean ones. The kind you don’t ask too many questions about.”

He glances toward Ian, eyes narrowed just slightly. “Means someone's planning on disappearing. Or helping someone else do it. Either way, it reeks of a setup.”

"Yeah yeah yeah." Ian gave him a fake roll of his eyes. "I run the payroll so in a way it's a full circle moment." He teases his friend lightly. He knew Ellis would like the meal he picked.

Things in the crime world following the easter disaster were only starting to intensify, It felt like every group was holding its breath waiting for the next thing to blow up, them included. Damian made a promise to keep his people safe, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy. He worked his way up the gang, earning his spot, or what he liked to think of the burden of responsibility. Not that he hated his job, he loved it. He will willing to take on the hardships of being a leader. His time as a recruiter, passer, debt collector, and enforcer all taught him many things about this gang and how it operated.

"I only got so many hours in a day and a wild child at home tormenting the sitter that I have to relieve," Ian said with a hearty laugh. "First things first, I want to know about any new deals being offered up and what the terms have been requested. I think we need to start pulling back and reserving some of our funds and assets. There is blood in the water and none of us know what kinda shark is about to attack and when."