It's just business, love .::open::.

[arielle]

[[anyone hop in at any time]]



Arielle stared down into the lifeless eyes of her meal. A year ago she wouldn't have killed him. She would have fed and then left him in a tingling daze. She wasn't the same girl she was a year ago. She poked him with her shoe as she lit a cigarette.

She emerged from the alley onto the busy streets. She almost hated living in New York. She was tired of the endless in-pour of tourists. If she took another picture of an old couple wearing Mickey Mouse shirts she was going to puke.

She ran across the road throwing a finger at oncoming traffic. She tossed the half smoked clove and made her way to a tall man standing down on the lower corner. Ian Hall had been a low-key druggie when she had met him. He had come a long way in a year. He was now one of the best known pushers in the city. What was better, is that he no longer had anyone on his back.

"Hey Joe. What do ya know?"
Ians green eyes met hers and he grinned.
"Hey Jane. How's the game?"

Arielle grinned. She had been helping him sell pot for months. She wouldn't touch the other stuff. Alot of drugs tended to freak her out, but she didn't see any harm in the all natural. She tossed him a wad of money. He flipped it in his hands and grinned wider.

"Good loot in. Did you already take your cut?"
Arielle nodded and held out her bag for him to refill it. As he worked she looked over the streets. She sighed and cast him a casual glance.
"There is a guy over there giving us nasty little looks."
Ian's eyes followed hers and he chuckled.
"Thats my cue to leave. Thanks for your hard work."
He kissed her head and started up the street. She watched him, baffled at his escape.
"Where are you going, Ian?"
He turned, his grin even wider than before.
"That guy has been showing up everywhere. He's like a fucking ghost. One minute he's there and the next he's gone. Whatch out for him, kidd. Come and see me when you're ready for your next load. Keep up the good work."
He turned and she watched him leave. She shot back around to glare at the creepy guy. He was watching her, a sadistic smirk spread across his lips. He pulled a long drag of his cigarette and blew a kiss in her direction. Arielle scowled and set of stalking toward him.

She pulled her bag over her shoulder as she reached him.
"What the hell are you looking at?"

He just grinned at her and took another drag from his cigarette. Blowing the smoke in her face. Arielle jerked it from his mouth and threw it to the ground. He laughed as three other males came up and surrounded her. His laughter rumbled like distant thunder.

"We might be interested in buying something."
His voice was just as alluring. It pissed her off.

"I doubt I have anything that you would be interested in."
Arielle glared up at him trying to take no notice in any of the men that were closing in on her.

"I beg to differ, I'm sure you have a lot that we might be interested in."
He trailed his fingers up her arm. She smacked it away backing into one of his guys. Shit.
"What if I'm not interesting in selling?"
They all laughed at her question. She was starting to feel that she should be worried, but she was too angry to play smart. He reached out to graze her face. She pulled away and smacked at his hand again, this time he caught it.
"Fuck you, Asshole."

The gleam in his eyes made her want to curl away.
"Hear that boys? She does want to sell us something."

[massimo]

Massimo was taking a short break from work as he walked slowly down the street. There was no point in rushing or anything. He had left someone in charge while he was gone and they would take good care of the place. And if they didn't, Massimo knew how to deal with worthless creeps like that.

He smiled to himself as he turned the corner. Just when he'd been thinking of worthless creeps they just happen to appear. It was amazing. He took out a cigarette and lit it. Took a long drag from it. He stood there for a few minutes wondering if he should get involved. He shrugged. Mine as well. He had nothing better to do.

"Four on one seems a bit unfair to me." He said calming walking closer. He stopped just beside the little leader of the group. He recognized one of the men that came to his business. Massimo wasn't worried. He was well known in the underground world and if these little boys tired anything they'd be dead before the night was over.

Max looked at the women for a minute and then nodded, "You alright?" He asked pushing past the other guys and stood beside her. "Don't pay any attention to these idiots. They're a bunch of stupid fools who think their bad ass." He held out a hand to her, "Shall I take you away from them before their foolish behaver rubs off on us both?" He said smiling, and then gave a dark look to one of then males who touched him on the arm. No one touched max without his say so. That was a rule everyone here would learn if they tired anything.

[arielle]

Arielle smirked and placed her hand in Massimo's. "Just got a better offer. Maybe next time though."
The 'ghost' raised his eye brows, and smiled as his group disbursed.
"I'll be seeing you around. "

Arielle allowed Massimo to pull her around the corner. She had glanced back once, and the main guy was still there. Still smiling at her. She shuttered. Once they were out of sight she tugged her hand back from Massimo.
"Thank you. i didn't see that ending too well for me."

She looked at him and smiled coyly. She knew him. Everyone did. She used to make a point of staying away from people like him. Now, it seemed like bad guys were the only people she was ever around.

"So Massimo, what do I owe you? I didn't think that you did anything for anyone without a price."

Arielle grinned up at him and twirled her hair in her finger.

[massimo]

Massimo smirked. So she must know him then to ask about a price. Max wasn't one to give away free service. Expect on strange nights. Whether or not this was one of those night he could tell yet.

"Your welcome. But really what makes you think I did this for a price? Why can't I have just done it out of the goodness of my heart?" He asked as if hurt by her words. Though it was clearly an act.

He wanted to laugh. Him? Do it out of the goodness of his heart? It was unbelievable he got through that without laughing. His hearts frozen solid. It has to be in his line of work. After all he could go around feeling sorry for the people who's money he takes.

He ran a business. A very illegal business. He didn't have room for softness.

[arielle]

Arielle scoffed at his fake performance. She dug through her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She checked the time before dropping it back in. It was something she usually did when she was uncomfortable.

Arielle wasn't completely uncomfortable with Massimo, but she wasn't completely comfortable either.
"I didn't think that you were all that nice Massimo, and I have heard that you don't have a heart either."

Arielle was a drug dealer, of course she had heard of Massimo. Who hadn't heard of him in New York. She had been more than happy that she was one of the only dealers that didn't owe him something. Now she did.
"Is there something you want from me, or am I now-in-your-pocket, so to speak?"

[massimo]

Massimo let out a short laugh. Then nodded "You heard right Arielle," He said with a smirk. He knew her name as well. Massimo knew almost everyone in the wonderful ungrounded world. He had to. It was part of his job.

He rocked back and forth on his heels of his shoes. Thinking of how to answer that question. Of course she would owe him something but it was a matter of what and when. Or if she would now be in his pocket, as she so nicely put it.

"First answer me this question," He started, stopping his moving around, "How does it feel to be just like everyone else now? To have to owe me something?" He asked still with a smirk on his lips.

[arielle]

Arielle smirked as she watched him rock back and forth. He was enjoying this. She wasn't sure if she should worry about that or not. She moved a little closer to him. She refused to be intimidated.

"I think that I don't like being like anyone else. I also think that I don't like owing people, especially someone like you." She watched him carefully, walking so close to him now that her breath mingled against his cheek.

"So. Why don't you tell me what you want, and we can all go on with our night."

[massimo]

Massimo smirked again as she moved closer. She was bold. She didn't seem to be one so easily intimidated. He could fix that. He tilted his head to the side for a moment,

"What do you mean someone like me?" He asked as if her tone hurt him. Max liked playing games. And this was the most fun he'd had all night. So of course he would try to keep it going for as long as he could.

He made it clear he was taking his time on coming up with an answer to her question. There was no need to rush things like these.

[arielle]

Arielle huffed. He was beginning to aggravate her. "Listen Max. I am not just some dopey little girl that you just saved off the streets. Lets just pretend for one second that you are not a complete and utter asshole, okay?"

She glared at him. She knew all about his twisted operation. She also knew that he would hurt people he didn't even really know for his own personal gain.

"We don't have to tip-toe around the fact that you are a bad guy. So, if you would please tell me what I owe you we can be on our merry little way. Time is money. You should know that best."

She had moved forward during her rant. She was so close to him now there breath mingled together. She scowled at his arrogant attitude.