30

The dining was spotless, so much it almost felt uncomfortable being in here. Vincent sat on the right side of the large rectangular table where I sat at his left with Clay on my left and Al and Vino and sat across from each other. The room was dominated however by Vito's men. Vito sat at the other end and his men were sitting in the remaining chairs. Numerous dishes were out in front of us and everyone was eating quietly, cautiously. Clay's plate remained empty as I ate some salad. Vito's men were definitely cautious of him, because he just stared at each of them for five seconds or so before continuing to look at everyone else. This was not the kind of fun he was expecting and he didn't eat in crowds.

I drifted in and out of the conversation between Vincent and Vito. They were reminiscing about the past.

"Vincent, I have got to say, I never expected you to bring home a brunette woman. I'm sure your grandmother gave you an earful for bringing her home. As I recall you and some boys beating down a young… brunette boy a few years back." Vito said with amusement as he cut some parmesan chicken with a knife. Clay and I just glanced from Vito to Vincent as he just smiled dryly.

"Yeah well, I grew up." he said making Vito laugh.

"Nah you just dipped your feet in the chocolate river and let yourself be carried away by the strong, African current." he laughed making his men laugh as well. Al and Vino were glaring now as if heavily offended by the comment. By I wasn't though. I just smiled politely and looked at Vincent patting his leg under the table while placing my other hand on Clay's leg as I could tell by his posture he was going to remove his gun from his holster. Had to keep both my men calm. "So tell me Yara, what is you do? You a nurse or something?" I looked at him and continued to smile as he raised his wine glass to his mouth.

"I'm a weapons dealer." I replied. He immediately choked on his drink and he brought it down quickly looking at me with wide eyes.

"You?" he blurted. I nodded calmly and collectively moving to eat my salad. Now he pointed to me. "You?" I nodded once more swallowing the salad in my hand before raising my hand to Sonny for the plate breadsticks that he handed over.

"Me." I replied. Vito just arched a brow and looked at Vincent as he had cleared his throat.

"So we gonna talk business or we gonna talk about the past?" he asked. Vito chuckled some.

"We are talking business. You bring your business woman to dinner, and she's a weapons dealer? I can't help but be a bit interested." he said before looking at me. "So tell me girl you good at your job?" I took a sip of my wine and nodded.

"Oh yes. Very good." I replied. Vito snorted some.

"How good?" he asked. I glanced at him, and my face stilled as I stared at him for a moment. Clay began to smile sadistically as the tension began to raise in the room.

"So good that it's a shame you haven't heard of me." I finally said and Vito tilted his head amused.

"Hm maybe I should be speaking business with you rather than Vincent." he said finally looking at Vincent before clearing his throat. "So on to business then… our families can never find peace until amends are made for what happened with my niece."

"Ay that was years ago!" Al finally snapped. "My nephew ain't have shit to do with that!" Vincent raised his hand calmly to him.

"Al. It's alright." he said calmly. Vito smirked.

"He had every bit to do with it. Those coons were after you for payback for beating that eggplant down in the street! Those bullets were meant for you." he said pointing at Vincent. I looked down for a moment and glanced at Vincent to see his hands were curled tight on the table.

"I think bitterness is going to come back and hit you in the face if you don't quit liking that." he threatened. Vito laughed out now.

"Oh who is this child? You invite me into this shit house, flaunting your little authority, parading your fancy black bitch around! You don't know nothing about this game!" he snapped. He was definitely an angry guy and I knew from this moment no business would be discussed. This was truly a waste of time and a good dress. "You know what I think, I think you're in over your head. I think the Ragni Family is a disgrace to the Mosconi family the way you bring that monkey into your home. You ain't nothing but a little punk experiencing jungle fever!"

My heart was indeed beating fast at the anger being shouted. But I kept my composure as Clay just looked at me with a glare and I looked at Vincent who's face slowly fell with every insult spoken. After the noise quieted, Vincent smiled politely.

"Well if that's truly how you feel, I guess there's nothing else left to really do… Carmine." he merely replied. Carmine was not in the room that much was for. But before I could really process what was going on doors to the different hallways suddenly swung open before BAM BAM BAM BAM! I screamed as I felt Clay's arm around my chest as he tackled me to the ground, my chair falling back. I heard yelling and grunting as he shielded me. Louds bangs were all around me and just as quick as it came the noises stopped.

I was panting heavily slowly glancing up to see red all over the walls and windows. Clay moved off me and helped me to my feet. However, Vincent was all I could think about. I looked at him to see he was not in his chair, but on the other side where Al and Vino was holding Vito in his chair. I looked around the flood to see dead men on the ground. I then looked up to see Carmine and Marco standing there with two other young men I did not know. But all i knew was Vincent's men were alive and Vito's men were not.

"You fucking cunt!" Vito snapped. Al responded by placing his middle finger deep into Vito's shoulder wound causing him to scream loudly. Vincent removed a switch blade from his pocket, grabbed Vito's ear and slowly he began to slice it off, the dining room filled with Vito's screaming. Vincent then took the ear and stuffed it in Vito's shirt pocket.

"You know, it's very rude to come into a man's home, eat his food and then spit it back in his face." Vincent said calmly. Immediately, men in all black began to enter the room and started to push everything in the table into large black trash bags and began to even take the table and break it down and move it from the room. Another group of six men came in and began to remove the chairs followed by the bodies. Vito roared at Vincent.

"YOU'RE GOING TO FUCKING PAY FOR THIS!" he snapped. Vincent shook his head as if not even moved by the threat.

"Nah I don't think I will. See word from some of your family is they are tired of this feud and are tired of your men- your family dying because you can't let shit go." he said replacing Al's finger with the same blade he just used to cut off his ear. Vito screamed louder as he was held down in his chair and Vincent look at me as he began to turn the blade slowly into the wound making Vito bounce with pain. "So. I was called up and was guaranteed peace, as long as you don't come back alive." Vincent just stared at Vito as he dug his blade in deeper. Al and Vino just smiled as Vito screamed. Clay was standing beside me crossing his arms as if somewhat proud of the torture going on before his eyes.

Vincent then removed his blade and leaned back in disgust as he removed his coat. He then walked behind Vito and placed one hand on the older man's forehead and held his face back.

"Look at her face!" he demanded in his one remaining ear. I could see Vito making a strained attempt to look at me. I just stared at him, keeping myself posed as I looked at the older man knowing what was going to happen. "And her beautiful black face is the last thing you're going to see before you die!" In seconds, his blade was in the opposite side of his neck. Slowly Vincent just ripped his flesh open. Vito spluttered, his body convulsing and shaking as his blood poured down his shirt staining everything. Vincent's grip on his forehead tightened as he pulled it back in the process. Once Vito's body stopped shaking, Vincent leaned back, panting some.

"Get that piece of shit out of here." he demanded and I watched as more men in black just came in and began to clean up the room. Vincent walked over to his godson and his friends and Clay looked at me before motioning his head back toward the hallway leading to the front door. I followed so I could stay out of the way. I knew what he was going to say. We moved out into the hall and Clay looked at me blankly.

"Although, I give him an A for effort, this entire scene is a problem." he said. I nodded.

"I know." I replied. It is very bad for business to see your client commit a crime. Usually when that happens, Red Lake is not involved and you're not involved if you didn't see anything. That was just how it is. I sighed and looked down some.

"What do you think I should do?" I asked. Clay raised his head some.

"The people responsible for destroying your home have been dealt with. They are no longer a threat. You need to get another place. Diego Jimenez will be in town in two days. This cannot be on your mind when you meet him." he said. My jaw tightened some at his words, but he was right. This was serious and I should treat it as such.

"Understood… it's late. When the applications are approved you send me whichever you get first." I replied and he nodded and we both turned to see Vincent now coming into the hallway.

"We having a meeting now?" he asked smiling his usual hidden smile. Clay looked at him and then me.

"If that is all, Ms. St. Patrick, I will take my leave and come for you in the morning." he said. I nodded.

"Thank you Clay." I replied and he nodded and turned and moved through the front door. I just watched him for a moment knowing this was not going to be a pleasant conversation when we have it. Vincent moved closer to me looking at me intently.

"Hey… why does it look like something bad happened?" he asked. I looked up at him and shook my head lightly taking his hand for a second.

"I'm going to shower and go to bed." I said and turned and moved toward the stairs.

"Wha?" he asked confused as I just walked up the stairs and headed to his bedroom.

Author's Notes

Hey all. So I paused this story a bit to decide where I want to take it and I think in later chapters, I am going to center the fic around Yara's life only because I hated how Power ended like I felt the entire last couple of episodes were basically trash. This is going to be Yara's world with some chapters of James and his life as well, but it's going to be more around her and Vincent's lives as drama builds. Most of the characters will be involved only when it adds to building Yara's character since she is forming a bond with Yaz and Tariq. Anyways, updates coming soon.