Nathanael looks at Lila with a raised eyebrow "You're far too excited for this" he hisses.
Lila laughs "And you're too nervous, there's no need to be" she leans forwards "Kagami, be a dear and hand me my gun"
Kagami glances over her shoulder at the smirking Lila. She reaches towards the glove pocket and opens it. Nathanael spots a black pistol which Kagami gently picks up then holds over her shoulder to Lila.
"Why do you want a gun, we can't kill anybody!" Nathanael exclaims "They could do the same to my mum then!"
Lila sighs "I'm not going to kill them, it's just to threaten them but they don't need to know that" she looks at Nathanael with narrowed eyes "Tell me, Mr Kurtzberg, have you ever used a gun before?"
Nathanael pauses "Uh" his eyes widen, and he avoids direct eye contact as he shakes his head "…No, of course not"
"Right, then shut up and let the professionals do their jobs" Lila responds. She prods him "Now get out there and get them talking"
Nathanael gulps "Right" he opens the car door and steps out.
"Ah, Nathanael it is you" the man with the scar across his nose grins "Me and my mate here were just wondering how a bloke like yourself got such a nice car like that, must have cost more than a pretty penny" he flicks his knife open and closed "Don't tell me you've been holding out on us, Kurtzberg"
"Nah, Marco he probably stole it" his mate replies.
"We didn't come here to talk about a car" Nathanael hisses out.
"Yes, the money, where is it, Kurtzberg, Tony's been patient enough"
Nathanael braces himself "I ain't got it"
Marco and his mate look at each other with matching grins. "Ah, I was hoping you would say that means me and my friend here get to have a bit of fun" he steps forward menacingly but is stilled by Lila's voice.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that" she steps out of the car, flicking her hair over her shoulder she approaches them.
Marco raised an eyebrow "And who might you be?"
"I don't see why that matters" Lila smiles
Marco frowns "Fine then what's a pretty girl like you doing hanging out with this dumbbell?" Marco nods at Nathanael, still eyeing up Lila.
"Oh, I'm much more than a pretty girl you see" Lila responds.
Marco raises an eyebrow "I hope that's not just talk" a grin appears on his face.
Lila steps closer, looking up at him "Oh it isn't" her voice purrs back "But if you don't believe me why don't you test me" she smiles sweetly.
Nathanael frowns wondering what her game is.
Quick as a flash she knees him in the groin, he groans and the knife in his hand clatters to the ground as he bends clutching his stomach this allows Lila to grab him around the neck and point the muzzle of her gun into the side of his head.
His mate steps forward to attack but Max and Kim appear out of opposite sides of the shadow's guns pointed straight at him. "One more move from you and I won't hesitate" Kim warns. His mate freezes but looks around his jaw clenched, and fists tightened.
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm female" she hisses in Marco's ear. "Now if you want to walk out of here with all your limbs attached, you'll be a good boy and deliver a message for me"
Marco nods, eyes wide and filled with shock.
"Good, now tell Tony, the head of the Rossi clan wants him to meet them here tonight, let's say nine, with Mr Kurtzberg's mother with him, then and only then will we even consider talking business with a bunch of rats like you, got it?"
Marco nods and Lila tightens her hold "I said, got it!"
"Y-Yes!" Marco chokes out.
Lila smiles "Good, now I'm going to let you go but try any funny business and my men won't mind killing you"
"Right" Marco grits out.
Nathanael watches with wide eyes as Lila lets Marco free and he scrambles back to the car his mate quickly follows.
"Bye, Bye" Lila chuckles as she waves her hand clutching the gun.
Tony's goons clamber into their car and reverse out and speed away quicker than Nathanael had ever seen them leave before.
Lila turns and looks at Nathanael with a grin "Now do you have any complaints about how I handled that?"
"Seeing as your holding a gun I'd rather not get on your bad side" Nathanael retorts.
"Smart, as well as handsome" Lila, smirks "You're ticking all my the boxes, Kurtzberg"
Nathanael rolls his eyes at her shameless flirting but can't help the blush that warms his cheeks. Lila laughs.
Nathanael stares out the car window as buildings blur pass with a furrowed brow. His mind elsewhere. He fidgeted in his seat and constantly clasped and unclasped his hands.
"You're practically audible, my dear" Lila remarks, keeping her focus out her own window.
Nathanael glances at her with wide eyes "Sorry, what?"
She looks at him with a smile "Stop worrying, if anything it just sets me on edge"
"…Sorry" he ducked his head, his fringe shielding his expression from view. Still, he continued to fidget with his hands.
Lila sighs "Nathanael, your mother will be fine"
"How can you know that?" he snapped.
"I can't, that's true but try to look at the positives you're one step closer to seeing her again"
He sighs "Is that what you do, Miss Rossi?"
She gives a rueful smile "I would if I could" she turns her head, long strands of hair falling over her shoulders.
Nathanael raises an eyebrow but reckons she didn't want to discuss her life with him. He chews on his bottom lip and thinks of a new topic of discussion.
"So…" he starts, she glances at him. "How will you get away with not handing over any money? To Tony I mean"
She gave a half shrug "I'll decide when I get to that point"
He raises an eyebrow "You mean you don't have a plan"
"Oh, I always have a plan, Mr Kurtzberg" she taps him on the nose, he blinks. She looks back out the window with a smirk "Don't you worry your pretty little head about that"
He pouts at being teased and resumes his absentminded staring at the passing cars and buildings.
As they arrive back at the Rossi house, Nathanael steps out of the car attention focused again on the fox statues. His itched to draw them.
He is broken out of his thoughts as Lila snaps her fingers in front of his face. He stumbles back in surprise.
"Nathanael!" she frowns "Are you even listening?"
He blinks and then slumped his shoulders as he looked to the ground "Sorry No"
She sighs but seems amused more than annoyed as she shakes her head. "Is this you still worrying about your mother, I understand why but they shouldn't be too stupid as to hurt their only bargaining chip"
"No, it wasn't about my mum, but you're right, thanks" he smiles.
Lila approaches the steps with Nathanael a step behind "Oh" she glances over her shoulder at him "Then what was so distracting that it outshined even me" she smirks.
Nathanael ignores her teasing to stop beside one of the stone kitsunes "It was these actually"
Lila stops at the top of the steps and turns around with a fond smile "Yes, I can see why I've always loved them too even as a child, I would spend many hours playing around them imagining they were actually alive"
A teasing grin appears on Nathanael's face "Really? I thought you would have been too busy terrorising the local neighbourhood as a child"
Lila laughs, the corners of her eyes crinkled "Oh, I had plenty of time to do that as well, Picasso" she turns and opens the door heading inside with Nathanael quickly following.
Kagami, already inside, approaches the two of them with a grim expression carrying a black file.
"Lila" she starts but is interrupted as Nathanael says
"You wouldn't mind if I were to sketch them, would you?" he asks.
"Sketch what?" Lila looks at him with a furrowed brow.
"The uh, statues…" he rubs the back of his neck.
Lila blinks "Uh, no, course not"
He grins "Thank you, I'll go do it now!" he turns and rushes from the foyer up the stairs to grab his art supplies.
Kagami glances at Lila who shrugs "What, it'll keep him from pacing the halls until nine"
She nods "Right, of course" she hands over the file. "This is all the information I could find, I'm sorry it is not much"
Lila flicks it open and sighs "No need to apologise, if you can't find any more, I'm sure no one could"
Kagami bows her head "May I take my leave now?"
"Of course, Kagami" Lila smiles "Have a nice time, whatever it is your up to"
Kagami's eyes dart away from Lila's and she shifts on her feet "It's uh, a family situation"
Raising an eyebrow, Lila hums "Good luck then"
Kagami nods "Thank you" she turns and quickly heads towards the door. Lila returns her attention to the file and heads up the stairs.
Nathanael settles on the bottom steps sitting slanted to see the stone kitsune. He flicks open his sketchbook and begins to sketch. His full concentration on getting every stroke perfect.
The sun is just beginning to set when he is shocked from his concentration. "Aren't you cold?"
He looks behind to see Lila leaning against the doorframe. Then he notices the sky cast in golden shades of the sunset.
"Uh, no, too busy concentrating" he replies.
"I can see that, I thought you had run off you've been out here that long" she stands up straight "You've finished by, now right?"
He glances down at the sketches and nods "Yeah, they're the best I can get them"
She smiles and approaches "Can I see?"
He flushes pink and holds the sketchbook to his chest "Well uh…" seeing Lila's expectant green eyes focused on him he sighs and shakily hands over the sketchbook.
She grins and takes it and then pauses as her gaze falls on the page full of sketches. Nathanael pulls on his sleeve and bites his bottom lip. "They're only sketches so they aren't the best…" he trails off as Lila looks up wide-eyed.
"If you think these sketches are bad then your real art must be better than masterpieces!"
"W-what?" he blinks.
She smiles at him "Nathanael, to be honest, these are probably some of the best drawings I've ever seen"
His eye's widened again and as expected, his face heated up. He bowed his head, wanting to hide his expression for some reason but Lila wouldn't look away. "Thank you but you don't have to lie to me. I can take criticism."
"I assure you I'm not lying," Lila says "In fact, I've just had a great idea, would you mind terribly if I were to get these sketches framed?"
"Framed?"
Lila nods looking back down at them "To put in the office, they'd look wonderful"
"I-I-uhhh-"
She batted her lashes.
He cleared his throat.
"Well, when you put it like that…H-how can I say no?"
Lila smiles "Thank you" she hands back his sketchbook "I'll let you know when I need it" she turns and walks back inside the house "Now c'mon we have work to do"
"So, what's this work we have to do?" Nathanael asks as Lila sits back in the chair behind her desk.
"Patience Mr Kurtzberg" Lila replies, setting a pen to the side.
He raises an eyebrow "I don't really have the time to be patient"
A knock sounded on the door stilling the conversation as their eyes shifted to it.
"Come in!" Lila calls out.
The door creaks open and a boy with dark hair peeks in.
"Oh Luka, perfect timing, I was just about to send for you" Lila smiles, pushing her chair back and standing up.
Luka's eyes widen "I hope it's not because I annoyed you"
"No, you needn't worry" Lila chuckles "I wanted to introduce you to Nathanael" she gestures towards him "I reckon you two will be working together soon"
Luka nods his head "Alright" he holds out a hand towards Nathanael "Pleased to meet you"
Nathanael takes Luka offered hand to shake "Likewise"
"Now that is all out of the way, was there something the matter?" She questions Luka with wide eyes.
"Ah, yes, that Tony fella sent one of his idiots with a message" Luka folds his arms "Apparently tonight don't work for him says he could consider tomorrow night instead"
Lila takes a breath and walks around behind her desk again "He really thinks he is in a position to order me around" she turns around with narrowed eyes. Nathanael watches with wide eyes to hear what she says next.
"Fine, let him play his little game, he may as well have one more night of life I ain't that cruel" she smirks.
Nathanael frowns "What" he exclaims.
Luka blinks in shock to hear Nathanael speak to Lila in such a tone, he glances between as Lila turns to the redhead with a raised eyebrow.
"Problem, Mr Kurtzberg?"
"Yes!" he moves closer to her "He has my mother and you're just going to let her stay god knows where for another night?"
Her brows snapped together "I think you're forgetting yourself Mr Kurtzberg" she hisses down at him "No one speaks like that to me and gets away with it but because you're new I'll give you a chance to apologise"
Nathanael scoffs "I'm not one of your lackeys and I sure won't be apologising" he turns on his heel and storms out of the office.
A silence descends upon the office, Luka sways on his feet and bites on his lip. He glances at Lila who stares towards the door with a shocked expression and did he detect a bit of awe. He shakes his head slightly, naw, the Vixen didn't like it when people stood up to her.
He gives a small cough and Lila focuses on him. "Well, he certainly has a personality to match his hair colour"
"Yeah, he certainly does"
Luka swore he saw the hint of a smile on Lila's face before she turned her back on him to stare out the arched window.
"That will be all, Luka, Thank you"
Taking his cue to leave he hurries from the room.