if the mafia can learn to love

[assassinrue]

Nikolai let out a laugh that echoed throughout the bank. He waited until he was sure she was long gone then left, to return to his brothers and told them it had begun.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline smiled to herself a little on her way home. Nikolai. A good Russian name, for the son of a Russian mafia member. Thinking about him caused a small flutter in her chest, which she promptly ignored.

[assassinrue]

His brothers, of course, were overjoyed, jesting that they would need to give him more tattoos after such a thing. Nikolai quietly accepted their congratulations and walked home, debating going over to the east side just to piss a few people off.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline was surprised to see Trae sitting on the couch with Tobias when she got home. The two of them were playing some dumb video game with lots of shooting and blood. Trae was actually... smiling. He looked happy, which was something he hadn't seen from in a long time. She started to say hi, but then she remembered that she'd been mad at him for over a year now and retreated up the stairs instead.

[assassinrue]

Nikolai walked right up to the invisible line in the sand of the Easts turf and just stared over. One day, he hoped, This whole city will be one big place with no divides and no children playing real life war games.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Aveline shut the door to her room and leaned against it. She took a deep, shuddering breath and realized a moment later that tears were falling down her face. What had happened to her family? She loved her brothers. She really did. Then again, she'd loved her father, and he turned out to be a drug addict. And now she was starting to like a guy that was clearly bad news. Nothing made sense anymore.

[assassinrue]

(we need to get some action going in this story, hows?)

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

(Something could happen and some people take Aveline. Like he could make some enemies and they saw him talking with her, so they kidnap her to use as leverage)

[assassinrue]

(Other gang members? and maybe trae comes to tell him?)

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

(Ohhhhh. Or someone kidnaps her to get to Trae and he comes to Nikolai for help because he has no one else to turn to)

[assassinrue]

(YES)

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

(Great! So should the Wests take her or one of his own gang?)

[assassinrue]

(His own? because he hasn't done something for them?)

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

(Sounds good)

A few days later, Aveline made her way back home from school. A black van approached from the direction she was headed, and she stopped walking. Black vans were never good news. Her fears were affirmed when it screeched to a halt in front of her and a man jumped out. She didn't recognize him, but she did recognize the gang tattoo on the side of his neck--seriously, his neck? He was an East, but she knew her brother being one of them wouldn't help her any as they pulled her into the van. Hell, maybe it was because of him. She didn't go without a fight, but there was nothing she could do against them. She wasn't a trained fighter.

[assassinrue]

Nikolai dragged a shoe string around the house behind him so Mamu could pounce on it and attack it. He frequently laughed at her antics and her wild eyes when she got her craze on.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

When Trae got home late that night, he was greeted by a wild-eyed Tobias. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Avi's not here! I tried calling her, but her phone went straight to voice mail. I think something bad has happened."

Trae's jaw tightened. Yeah, he knew what had happened. The day before he'd refused to do a job for the gang, and now they were pissed at him. He never thought they'd go after his family, though. He should have known better. "Stay here," he said. "Lock the doors and windows, and go check on mom. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Tobias asked as he opened the door.

"I know someone who can help." Then he shut it and took off down the street on foot.

[assassinrue]

Nikolai pinched the bridge of his nose when there was a knock at the door. Since when was his apartment grand central station. He flung open the door, hand on his gun.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Trae held up his hands as the door opened. "Don't shoot me," he said. "I need your help."

[assassinrue]

"For gods sakes man, you come by here so much people will think you're my lover and brand you a traitor. Get in." He waited until the door was shut to continue. "How can I possibly help you now?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Aveline's been kidnapped," Trae said without preamble. "I know you don't know her very well, and I know I told you to stay away from her... but, well, I don't have anyone else to turn to."