The Story of Blood and Roses

"Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Mia Vincent." I extended my hand towards the man who looks like the head guy. I'd seen a picture of him, but he looked much different from it; a bit older, wearier. He was in casual clothes, ripped jeans and a Batman T-shirt. The only thing that made him stand out was the calculating look in his eyes. In his stream of work, being invisible was a pretty good thing. He was in his late twenties, new in the business and nervous by the looks of it. He was more confused than nervous; my presence wasn't intimidating… yet.

His hands were clenched at his sides and he openly gaped at my extended hand. He took it eventually, making it hard for me to keep my face free from the irritation I was feeling by the time he took it. From the look in his eyes, he had already thought about my identity and the outcome of our meeting by the time I let go of his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Vincent," he smiled a tight smile, his eyes looking me over with slight disinterest after he was over his initial shock.

"Call me Mia," I urged. This friendly facade is easy to slip in when a group of rowdy boys and their caretaker is involved. "Please," I gestured to the six errand boys who stood scattered across the room. "Take a seat." My smile seemed to have an instant effect. They followed my plea, a bit flustered.

"I'd probably misinterpreted when Mr. Murray said that he'd fix a meeting with me. I hoped I would be talking to him this evening." His eyes flitted across the room, waiting for Anthony to pop out of somewhere.

"I'm sorry I couldn't catch your name," I heard him mumble his name quietly. "Yes, Nolan. You weren't wrong in thinking that you had a meeting with Mr. Murray himself. Unfortunately, he had something he had to take care of. So here I am." My voice sounded pleasantly sweet, even to me. Even though I know none of what I'm saying is true. "All you'll get is me." I gave him that sultry little smile of mine.

His stiff nod was enough to let me know that he was not pleased by my presence.

Get them upset and vulnerable. Rule two.

"Why don't we get a bit comfortable? Tell me a little about yourself… about your business." I asked him. He raised a curious brow at me.

"Who are you exactly?" he asks with a chuckle. "Shouldn't you know all this if Mr. Murray sent you?" I nodded solemnly.

"I already told you my name. I would have asked you to fuck off but hey, I just bombed the room, didn't I?" I heard the slight snickering of the younger boys. "I just started working with the Boss. Honestly, I'm trying to impress him." I gave him a sly look; feeling satisfied that I was getting along with the younger boys easily. Nolan was a tough cookie.

"So, you're new and you're trying to impress Mr. Murray?" I nodded. "We have the same agenda then." He gives me a tight smile.

"So, how long have you been in business?" He looks up, a bit shocked. The boys seemed uncomfortable. They shifted around on the couch, feeling ill at ease. I did know about Nolan and his little business, but I was playing a part, and I had to make him start speaking. I needed him to make a mistake so I can prove to Anthony that taking on a new dealer is bad for him.

"I really thought I would be striking a deal this evening." He seemed incredulous.

"Of course, but you must understand that the Boss is pretty protective of his family. And this is more about me and the business. Get to know people that sort of a thing. And he- Boss- hates it when people have a wasted journey. It's a lovely evening. It's a happening club, why not enjoy ourselves?" Stay casual. Cut to the chase. "So, how many years has it been?"

He gulped.

"Three years now." His reply is short and quick.

"And?" I prompted.

"This is supposed to be my big break into the big bad world," he seemed a bit more at ease, not too much though. He had a long way to go. He looked like a fraud if you ask me.

"I hear that you left your practice as a lawyer to get into the drug business. Why sell cheap drugs to the locals when you can be a lawyer? Get a good job?"

"Why didn't you do an honorable job?" he joked.

"It's all about the thrill," I winked at him.

"It's more profit to branch out as a dealer than it is to be a newbie lawyer at some law firm. The pay is better." Of course!

Ron interrupted then. He lithely carried a tray of drinks, handing each person in the room one. I smiled at him, giving him the 'keep-it-coming' look. He seemed to understand.

"What about them?" I pointed my glass towards the boys who raptly gulped at their glasses.

"They're just some kids wanting to earn some extra cash. They don't mind being bossed around by me until I stop giving them their cut." Not a tight group of partners sharing the burden of business. Merely small-town boy taking the risk of going into such a business venture. And the kids… they looked normal. Not the high profile one's Darcy had running around, but they were perfect for the younger age group. They blended into the crowd.

The drinks kept coming and the conversation flowed like water. At last, I decided that I'd had enough to hear. I stood up, and as if in response Nolan stood up, too. The younger boys remained oblivious to the little gesture.

"I'll be back in a few. Enjoy yourselves." Once they thought I'd left, I heard their enthusiastic whispers. The guards outside were keeping watch on the lot and Ron kept serving them. I took a seat at the far end of the bar and helped myself to a glass of water.

In my mind, I was going over the conversations. The information from the file had left a few blank spots which the exchanged words had filled in.

Nolan… he struck a chord. His stories were too practiced; his shrugs too stiff. One would think that he was nervous about the meeting. He was, but not the sort of nervous people get before striking a deal. It had more to do with fear. And it was obvious from the way his eyes flitted across the room; as if searching for something, and his defensive replies throughout the conversation. It didn't sit well with me. On top of that, his way of speaking was abstract. He used phrases that runners often use, not employers. It's like he was planted. The perfect next-great-thing-to-happen.

Is it a distraction maybe? A ruse to maintain sales and disrupt the work of the mob from an integral part. The products were identical to those of Darcy's. Most of the stuff out there was, but Nolan's… too similar, and the differences seemed fabricated.

My intuition said that it was a ploy. I would find out by the end of the night.

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