Kane's reaction didn't come as a surprise to Alonso. Even if they'd not been close in years, that didn't mean he forgot the mercenary's behavior pattern. Different modes for different the other would always say.
Out of most of them, the current mode was the one Alonso disliked the most. The pity appeal. Pity for what exactly? The mercenary never gave anyone pity so why should he be granted any? The right-hand many only shook his head, turning away from the used-to-be friend and facing Jovani. The troublesome boss whom he hoped would make the right decision.
"Come now? Can't we all just decide to be friends and go back to how things were before? Share a few drinks and talk about what the next best plans would be. I have come all this way after all." Glossing over Alonso, Kane's gaze stuck to Jovani. A potentially squishy target who might take his pitiful expression to heart seeing as the Vedova Nera boss brought him over.
"As much as I appreciate the appeal that you're trying to make, I think you would be better off leaving for the time being." Jovani waved as though to shoo the other out of the door. The somewhat amused yet naïve expression not leaving his face.
"We can consider having a drink and a chat another day. Right now I would much rather keep my right-hand man around. A little bit more valuable to me than a mercenary that I haven't yet gotten the chance to know." The unanticipated response left one feeling relieved and the other with an expression that fell nearly two inches on his face. A miscalculation on the mercenary's part? Or did they often play people in such a manner? Kane's gaze shifted over to the quiet younger cousin. Ever observant while eating but silent as a dormouse.
"You can look at him as much as you like but he won't be saying anything contrary to myself. Even if Sammy did, he's not quite in the position of authority yet. So, shoo off now and go back with the rest of yours." Jovani once more gave a wave of his hand to motion the other to leave." With no attempt to hide his displeasure, the Mercenary did end up leaving. A small huff and grumble as he vanished from the doorway. The Vedova Nera boss's expression shifted over to Alonso as one eyebrow rose ever so slightly. A silent question of whether the situation was good enough for him to stick around. A small nod came as the other's expression flickered over to the doorway before returning.
"Alonso. I think you should know me better than to do something unreasonable. Bringing them around is hardly a reason to raise the alarm bell." Alonso's expression didn't shift but something in his eyes did. His boss still didn't quite understand the situation.
"I think that this is something that the two of us need to talk about at a later point in time." The right-hand man stifled a sigh. He didn't want to admit it openly, but today hadn't been his day. Bouncing from one thing to the next took far too much energy out of him.
"If it is something that needs to be dealt with, why don't the two of you just talk about it now? I hardly doubt that my presence will impact the conversation much." Both pairs of eyes turned to look at the
younger cousin as spoke. Not quite done with this food but a thoughtful expression on his face while looking at the door.
"The issue isn't whether you're here or not. It just isn't something I want to deal with at the moment." At all really. He'd deal with Kane already more than he ever hoped to have to in the decade since they parted ways. Seeing the other twice in such a short period made him feel as though he'd aged far over the last week than in ten years.
"We can talk about the situation without really having to deal with it though, can't we? I mean it really comes down to whether or not they are useful people to keep around with the current situation." Jovani pointed at the empty chair for Alonso to take a seat. The right-hand man didn't want to sit. He knew though that the moment the servants began to come around after Kane left that if he didn't eat now, they would take the food away without saving it.
The thought that they might give it to the mercenary didn't bode well with him. The only factor that drove him to eat despite having no appetite.
"Could you at least avoid spoiling the food? I would rather wait to talk about this until after I am done eating." Alonso would make sure to take as long as possible to eat every small morsel if it meant not dealing with the situation at hand.
"Very well. If you're going to be like that, I am sure there are other conversations we can discuss instead." Jovani gave a mild rose of his eyes, hand coming up to hold his head. No alcohol to keep his mood up and all food was gone except what Alonso ate leaving him with no distractions.
"There are some questions that I am curious about you might be willing to answer. Even though I know it isn't something that will be taking place right now, I want to know more about what the induction will look like." The older cousin's indifferent expression made its way over to Samuel. The latter whose eyes had begun to show the curiosity Jovani was used to rather than the previous dull look he came back with.
The induction though… Jovani almost forgot about that with everything else going on. Regardless, it would still be taking place. It couldn't hurt to answer any questions his younger cousin might have so long as they weren't about the plan. Jovani didn't yet have anything solid nailed down.
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