It had been over a week, nothing had been stated by the members of the small-time Pavanno gang of Corktown, Detroit, people were fearful that things had already started changing and it seemed so. Police had started to patrol the areas with more caution, no longer leaving the community that had invested so much into the protection of Joe along with his crew. People knew that things were not the same, would they go back to the way they were before? Possibly, yet that could only happen if things began to truly change, the worst that had happened was the few patrols had waved to them in greeting. 

People believed that Joe and his crew were the ones that the police were after, no, they were the ones that had been informed by Joe to patrol the area. He did pay them quite well, ever since the planning of his casino had begun, Joe did not want any loose ends and started to talk with the officers about the Councilman Renard. It seemed like the man was looking into his family history, something that did not grant Joe any peace of mind, he knew that he had family back in London.

He did not need them getting involved with the business that he had gotten himself mixed up in, still, a part of him was excited at the thought of Councilman Renard bringing them to the states on the business of the Police Chief, would that carry enough weight? Well, one of their uncles was already thrown in prison for murdering a rat under the orders of his former boss, he had remembered that trial, he had people informing him of that event and knew that he could help if he wanted.

Currently walking down the streets was Joe and his ever loyal associate, Tommy O'Neal. The man seemed to adjust to his role well, he had never been a part of the Italian gangs back in Ireland, considering that there were never that many, to begin with. He was often disliked for not being the full-blooded Irish, just like he was disliked for not being a full-blooded Sicilian. Still, though, he felt at home with Joe and his people. 

"Did that really happen? Dammit man, you okay right? Why the fuck did you go up there anyway? It's not like you had business there, right?"

Joe had just finished informing O'Neal of the event that had happened a week ago, he had healed up. He did not like, yet it was a lesson for him, which was to walk into another territory with backup. Thank god that Koneko had known where he was, otherwise, he would have been dead most likely. He had never had the chance to thank the man Jackie D, if he found him, he would make sure to buy the man a drink. 

"Yes man, it happened and don't worry about me or my reasons for going up there, the business is over and done with. Now we focus on Renard and why he has been silent as of late, I don't need the worry creeping up on me from that bastard."

Joe and O'Neal had stopped as they noticed a police officer walking towards them, they had both stopped, leaning against the wall and pulling out a pack of smokes. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the officer had passed by him, and slipped him a small note in his pocket. He nodded to O'Neal who slipped the officer a pretty thick envelope which seemed to have a fifty dollar bill poking out. 

"Let us see the latest that the Councilman has been up to."

"What is it, Joey? You look like you've seen some kind of ghost, maybe you should have some bourbon or beer, take your mind off of this sh-"

Joe stood up and slammed his hand down on the table that they were all sitting around, clearly he was not in the mood for alcohol or anything to numb what he had read from the letters concerning councilman Renard, it did seem that he was right on one account and his business had been one of family. He was trying to bring Lucille and Lacy Garranzino here, the two women that had nothing to do with him currently and were possibly mad at him, yet they knew better than to betray the family.

"For once O'Neal, do not suggest that I drink alcohol every time something happens, this business with the councilman is reaching a new level. He wishes to bring my family into this, he wishes to see me crawling on my knees for some kind of support or some other bullshit, either way, he will not see that happen."

Koneko watched Joe with eyes of clear admiration, she did not know how a man could walk the line between legitimate and illegitimate like the man before her now. He was clearly not in the right frame of mind, he wanted to be rid of something, he wanted to be rid of the councilman mostly. Which was something they would support him in and they would get rid of him in whatever way possible; Koneko leaned back, turning her head to gaze at Cain for a single moment who had continued to watch the leader of their little group.

"He wishes to bring my two nieces into this mess and that is not going to happen, by the time the letter arrives I do not doubt they will be on a plane here. The councilman and his lackey, find whoever it is and teach them a lesson in boundaries, understood?"

He was looking at Koneko and Cain as he stated this, who both did nothing but nod and then removed themselves from their seats, getting prepared to find out whoever was giving information to Renard and see what they could do to change the man along with his ways. 

"What would you have me do Joe? Or would you rather me stay here and keep an eye on you, lad? Can't have you out there without a security detail Joe."

Joe watched O'Neal for a while, he could tell that the man wanted to seem apart of the plan that seemed to be forming before his very eyes. Joe had something for the man, something that would fit the man's abilities.

Koneko and Cain had returned to Joe with news on councilman Renard, his mistress seemed to have a schedule that they could use to their advantage. Koneko had known what to do, even if it was not the things that Joseph had wanted to be done specifically, she could still get another thing done and that was that. He could be mad or he could be grateful for a new avenue that could prove useful, things like mistresses could be used for many things and this was going to be one of those moments. 

Currently, they had the woman in the back of their car, bound and gagged, not wanting her to make a scene. They were on an off-beat path that would have no one disturbing them, they had called Joseph earlier at a bar that was just five minutes away from this location. Now to say that he was happy would have been saying that it was not as cold as balls right now, Joe did not like being surprised and this was one of those moments. 

"Do you trust him Koneko? Joe, I notice the way you look at him, you want him to be different or at least involved with the different paths that he could take. You don't really see it, he's bending the rules and is slowly opening his eyes to this way of life once again."

Koneki turned her to gaze at her lover, she knew that he was right and Joe was slowly leaning to the different things he could do with his power, money, and influence. She sighed before shaking her head with a shrug. 

"I do not know, I've watched him and I do not like what I see. He wants to be legitimate and yet he has us doing stuff like this, he needs to make up his mind and make some money. Otherwise, he will be stuck here and it will be his fault that he could not achieve his dream."

Only then did they hear the familiar knock on the window of their kid, Joe stood outside with a couple Irishmen behind him, acting as some kind of muscle. Manually, Cain rolled down his window as Joe watched Koneko with a curious smirk before turning to Cain with the smirk still in place.

"Is this our little princess? Let's get her somewhere comfortable, eh? Follow after us now."

Joe spoke with a teasing quality radiating from his voice, he watched them for a while before walking back to his own car with his Irish muscle following after him like hounds.

"Now what do we do with her? The Councilman is not going not going to sit at home and wait as we hold his beloved mistress hostage."

Joe spoke with a bottle of rum in his hand, his feet kicked up on a small dining table as his head lolled back looking up at the ceiling with clear disgust as he was sure that he could see some mold.

Opposite him was the bound and gagged mistress of Renard, who was looking at them with fear shining in her ruby orbs, clearly, she had hoped they would let her go. He picked his head up and looked at Koneko who was staring back at him unflinchingly if he was a child, he was sure that he would have pissed his pants.

"Well, I don't know what we could do, the best we can do is tell his wife or put this little piggy up for ransom. Either way, the councilman will learn of his missing dove and will come to save her eventually, hopefully sending his man in the process."

Koneko spoke with a bite in her tone towards Joe, she was having doubts about him, he did not seem to be taking his role seriously.

Little did she know that the man who was leading this group of theirs had in fact been waiting for her to speak, he could tell that she harbored a disliking towards him and it disturbed him greatly.

"Hm, we could use that as leverage, a weekly pay-off of money and if not, we inform his lady wife. It would be pretty good and it would line our pockets so we can begin the construction that allows us to start focusing on the legitimate ventures."

Koneko scoffed, clearly disbelieving anything that the man had to say, she shook her head as Cain looked at her with narrowed eyes, wanting her to stop testing the man's patience whose smirk had grown larger by the second.

"Koneko, if you have something to say then I do suggest that you say it and clear, otherwise, shut up and let the plan commence, alright lass?"

Joe had spoken with a sarcastic tone but the bite in his tone was clear, he was being serious and was not going to standby as he was being challenged by the woman who had sought him out, not the other way around. He could achieve this with the help of his new Irish friends, courtesy of Mr. O'Neal, who was still out on business for him.

"Understood Boss."

Koneko nodded, turning her head away and deciding to keep her thoughts to herself, maybe she was restless, she used to the criminal lifestyle and this legitimate shit did not speak to her the way it did others.

She needed to find an outlet, and soon.

Joe sat at the small dining table, a plate of mashed potatoes and steak in front of him as he ate calmly, watching the woman opposite him fiddle with her food, clearly, she was a bit worried that it might have been poisoned or another deed that he would not have allowed. He had made these himself and he was sure that his cooking was not that bad, he had noticed the woman seemed to be a bit different in the days it took the Councilman to respond.  

She had one day had all the hope in the world, clearly trusting her beloved Renard and the next she had started to lose faith, something that had clearly intrigued him to the point that he worried for the woman and her wellbeing. He had given her some food that she would play with for a while before devouring like an animal, now? She had barely even touched the food and that had him worried cause he would need her for the plans that were to come. 

"Tell me, Caroline, what draws you to a man like Councilman Renard? I am sure that he has told you who he truly is and what he wants in this world, tell me, what did I miss about the esteemed councilman?"

He asked as he helped himself to a perfectly sliced piece of beef before looking up at the woman, dabbing his mouth with a cloth that rested next to his plate. He could see that she was nervous or mayhaps looking for a way to escape, he would have laughed if she did not look like a sad puppy that had been kicked too much in her life.

"Well, he is not like you, that is for certain. He does not kidnap women to get some kind of problem solved he is already ten times the man you are. He told me of you, the so-called mobster turned businessman, just on what side of the fence does Joseph Pavanno truly reside?"

Caroline spat back out towards Joe, she wanted him to react or something at the very least. He simply stared at her blankly, Caroline could tell that he had figured out her game of chess, something that he did not want to play and to her, it seemed like he was already figuring out a way to smash the board to pieces with his bare hands.

"Dear, have I told you that wordplay does not suit you? If you want me to act civil then I shall, if you want me to act differently to how I've been now, then I shall. You are nothing more than a pleasure tool for the man you know as beloved, he is the one the goes to your bed every night and in the morning is no longer there because he has a wife who is barren if I am to believe correctly. He is using you, he wishes to bed you and put a child in you, nothing more and nothing less, you are a tool to him, just as you are to me."

He stopped himself, taking a sip of his water as Koneko calmly entered the room, slipping him a note that was from the very councilman that they had discussed seconds before.

"Dear, it seems that we have to stop our time together, I am to hand you over to Mr. Renard and deliver you to this location. As to why I brought you here Caroline, it is simply because the councilman has brought my very own family to these states of anarchism and daily killings, I want for nothing but to see them safe, is that too much to ask?"

He did not await an answer, instead, he stood up, dismissing himself and barely glancing at the plate of food that he had left. He did note that Koneko seemed to be more quiet than usual, it seemed that she had learned to hold her tongue in certain matters and he did enjoy it, she did not seem to trust him that much and he would show her that he had already earned that trust.

He, however, did note that Caroline did release the faintest of relief chuckles that had him smiling oddly enough, this was just the next step in dealing with the councilman, he would learn, just as many after him would learn that he did not play fast and loose with his family.