#int. tyler + izzy

[hallowcked]

The term crazy is a description thought up by people with small minds. There's nothing crazy about honing in on your natural instincts. Being civilized is something that's taught. When children act up they're disciplined. When adults go a little crazy they're institutionalized or imprisoned. The world is afraid of people who don't go willingly into the boxes made for them. Killian considers himself a naturalist, a survivalist. If he has to be an animal to keep other animals off him - so be it. If that makes him crazy then yes, he's batshit crazy.

"I like your spunk, Toni, so I'm going to be straightforward with you. Your dad was a coward. There were things he wanted but he was too afraid to reach out and grab them. Then came the day when it was too late. Everything at his fingertips began pulling away. In a desperate haste to get it back, he stole money from his clients. If he would have just stayed off his high horse, he would have been making millions all on his own. Don't end up like your father. This drug, it would have kept him in business. But he was scared of it." Killian leans back and places the tablet on his tongue before swallowing it. It only takes a few minutes to kick in and then they'll be soaring like birds. Weightless and free.

"It only takes a few minutes. Just enough time for me to ask you a more important question. What do you think our lovebirds are up to? I admire mi reina but I don't trust her with matters of the heart. When a woman has hell painted on her lips and sex dancing in her eyes...she can take whatever she wants. Your fiancé. Do you think he has the willpower to resist hell on heels?"

-

"Samson Industries." That sounded familiar to Tyler. That's right, Johnathan McKenzie owned a few of their guns. He was a bigtime collector and when Tyler kidnapped Quinn for the Vipers, it was the Samson pistol he used to scare Jake and Brooke into listening to him. He wishes he could erase those thoughts from his mind completely. If only the coma would have done a little brain damage. Maybe then he wouldn't be having dreams of himself shooting her. "My foster dad, Johnathan McKenzie. He had a few of your father's guns. He took me to the shooting range when I was seventeen. I haven't touched one since."

"Toni and I have been together since...Well, I met her when I was fourteen. We got into trouble when I was sixteen and after I got out of juvie I was adopted by the McKenzies. Johnathan was a public defender for the court and he and his wife run this charity organization for underprivileged kids. In a last-ditch effort to save me, they let me live with them for two years." All that was true but, he still has to squeeze in more about his fake-relationship. "I kept in contact with Toni over the years and tonight, we finally sealed the deal. I can't see myself with anyone else." Lie. Lie. Lie. Because if Isabelle asked him to, he would have followed her into the ladies room and fucked her over the sink. "You said you tamed Killian. Does that mean I don't have to worry about him being alone with Toni?"

Toni would be lying if she said Killian's offer wasn't tempting. Especially after he upped the ante by whispering seductive dealings in her ear. Her knees clenched under her dress from beneath the table as the thought of taking Grim and floating to whatever paradise Killian assured her was waiting, lingered in the air. Maybe she could snag an extra pill for Tyler and they could mutually get high together. They've done drugs together before but, never quite like this. And if he was so hellbent on being her partner then she wanted to know what he truly thought of this drug. Which is why Toni reached into Killian's personalized pill container and took out two servings. "Mind if I take an extra? One for now and one for later." Or more like, one for her and one for her pretend fiance. "You definitely make a tempting offer, Mr. Steele. My father spoke very highly of you in the past. He also said you were crazy, though." Something told her, he wouldn't take offense to that. And might actually perceive it as a compliment or the highest form of flattery. "I personally, believe crazy people make shit happen. Which probably explains why you're so successful."

She didn't peg him as someone who would offer her business advice but, that didn't mean she wasn't curious to hear his take on things as she pushed the free glass of whiskey toward him. "I admire people who know what they want and do whatever it takes to make it happen. That's where I'm at now. So, I look forward to testing your product out so we can arrange further negotiations in the future." In the meantime, she knows he wants her to take a pill now. And Toni wanting to prove herself, despite knowing it probably wasn't a good idea, does just that. She pops the pill right before she washes it down with her own glass of whiskey. "You're an expert on the matter. How long does this pill last? Or this pleasure you speak of?"

---

"Big, indeed," Izzy emphasizes. Though she doubted the tattoo was the only thing big about him. He was over six feet tall. He had dark olive skin, and was incredibly easy on the eyes. Like her, she was sure he could get women to do whatever the hell he wanted. Which she found intriguing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tyler." Another thing about Izzy? She rarely told lies. Which meant, she was genuinely pleased to meet and get to know him. Hopefully on a deeper level. Which is why after she stopped at the bathrooms, she insisted they grab a drink on their way back to their dates. "Oh no, no...." Izzy laughed, while squeezing the top of Tyler's hand as it lay above the bartop. "It's Samson, actually. As in Samson Industries. My father's an arms dealer. It's how Killian and I met. We aren't married. He's not traditional in that sense. Though, we have been together for nearly four years. Some would say I've tamed him." Among others who come into The House. Izzy was a siren in that way. "How long have you and Antonia been together?" This was his last chance to be honest, because she'll know in a few seconds of the lies he attempts to weave in her presence.

[hallowcked]

"I never turn down a drink." Killian's first alcoholic drink was the night he killed his father. He was eighteen and after the deed was done, he finally had enough courage to raid his father's wine cellar. He hasn't stopped drinking since that night. It's a routine of his to enjoy a glass of whiskey or scotch between meetings. The buzz makes things more exciting.

"I have an offer for you too." Killian pulls a small pill case from his jacket pocket. On the lid there's a skull made of red diamonds. Inside the box is Grim. Antonia's father might've banned the stuff from being pushed around his hotel but now that the Rosewood is under new management, perhaps they can renegotiate the matter. "It's not your typical street drug. They say the wealthiest people abuse cocaine and prescription pills...but they're not Lucullan. There's crackheads on the corner of Riverside snorting the same shit as a CEO in a multimillion dollar house. I had this drug manufactured for people like us. People in power who want to take the edge off - or simply enjoy life a little more. It makes everything feel better." Killian leans forward until his scruff tickles her cheek and his breath touches her ear, "When you're touching yourself on Grim it feels like you have multiple hands caressing every sensitive part of your aching body. It laps at your clit, sucks on your tits, and turns your g-spot into a pinball machine. When it hits, you light up." Killian pushes the drug across the bar. "Take one with me. If you enjoy it then I want you to consider supplying it here at the Rosewood. I think we could make a fortune together, mi bonita."

Instinctively, Tyler's fingers come to brush the tattoo across his neck. He has a million stories for his tattoos but none of them were true. The truth is too dark and depressing to reveal. "This was actually my first tattoo. Go big or go home - right?" he laughs and its the first time Isabelle doesn't petrify him. He can almost see the person behind her enchanting eyes and femme fatale beauty. It's her dimples when she speaks - they give her this breath of innocence and he finds himself swooning at the sight of them. Do not flirt with a mobster's wife.

"My name's Tyler O'Neill." He considers offering her his hand but they're way past pleasantries. He knows he didn't answer her question on the meaning behind his tattoo but, he's curious about the one he noticed behind her ear. "And you're Isabelle Steele, right? Toni didn't tell me much. She said you guys own a nightclub? It's been a few good years since I went to a real party." After waking up from a coma, he stayed away from drugs and parties. Lo was a recovering addict and his old ways weren't going to help him convince Brooke that he's changed. But maybe he hasn't.

Toni doesn't say it, and in Isabelle's case .. she doesn't have to. Izzy can spot the tiny flicker of jealousy arise behind the other brunette's eyes after she invites Tyler to give her a tour of the hotel. So whether or not they truly are engaged, there are real feelings there between them. At least on the woman's side.

"Could I offer you a drink while they're gone?" Toni can sense the gap in the conversation the second Tyler leaves her to play escort. And she knows she has to make a good impression if she were to align herself with someone like Killian. "It's on the house, I promise."

Meanwhile Isabelle falls in line with Tyler as they make their way towards the bathrooms, and further into the casino. The bright lights, loud games, and throngs of betters are distracting but she manages to keep her focus trained on the man at her side. "I noticed," Izzy responds as she takes a peek at the tattoo along his neck, poking out from behind the collar of his dress shirt. "The one on your neck. What does it mean?" Not that tattoos have to have meanings. For Izzy though, they do. She wouldn't permanently ink her body without a reason. Each one was in honor of someone or something. "I didn't catch your name either. Mr.....?"

[hallowcked]

"Toni then." Killian allows the correction despite the irritation he feels in response. He doesn't like being told what to do. If he wants to call someone a fuck-rag then their name will be fuck-rag. But there's something about Antònia that reminds him of his Reina. They both look stunning in red, and apparently they're both not intimidated by his cutthroat reputation. When he first met Izzy, she challenged him too. Her friends referred to her as 'Izzy' so when Killian called her Isabelle, she had something to say about it. He hasn't called her Isabelle since. In all fairness, he doesn't call her Izzy either. No, she's in a league of her own with him. She is the goddess of the godless, the queen of the reapers, and the only person he has ever grown fond of.

"A marriage proposal a few short weeks after your father's arrest. Just when you inherit his fortune. Very romantic indeed." Killian says, grinning as he watches their reaction. As a sociopath, he gets off on toying with people. Aside from murder and violence, fucking with people is the only form of entertainment he can actually enjoy. Sex even pales in comparison to the way peoples jaw hangs open after a good zinger.

"Take your time, mi reina." Killian says knowing she knows what that implies. It's her job to walk around the casino and establish who's who. With her abilities and her sex appeal, she can sire the entire hotel. If she has a read on this Tyler person, he wants her to dig deeper. As deep as it takes. And then deeper if necessary.

As Isabelle approaches Tyler, his eyes once again cut to Toni. In a way, they share their own telepathy. He can tell when there's something off and vice-versa. There was a time when Toni was the only person in this fucked up world that meant anything to him. Sure, times has changed. But knowing each other inside-out isn't something that just fades away.

"I'd be happy to escort you." Tyler lifts a hand to place on her lower back but then lets it drop before he made contact. He doesn't want to do anything that could be misconstrued. Even up close, Isabelle was intimidating. There's this power burning behind her eyes. She reminds him of the goddesses from Greek literature that he loves reading. He's not sure he can even lie to her without breaking character. Maybe the rumors were true and that's part of her power.

"I noticed you have a few visible tattoos." Tyler says after a stretch of silence. The restrooms were on the other side of the casino. "You and your husband, or boyfriend, are different in that way. Toni introduced me to a lot of people tonight from her father's guestlist and they're all fake teeth, fake tan. But you guys look real. I appreciate that because I thought I would have to cover up my tattoos for the night. Apparently they're frowned upon around here."

"Only my father calls me Antònia-- Everyone else calls me Toni." It seems silly and feels incredibly intimidating to voice such a distinction but she also recognizes it as necessary. Her father taught her from a very young age to always lead with confidence. He said adults dig that and they are less likely to question you, your success or your wealth, if you aren't afraid to establish any of the above. Besides, if the goal here was to make a real deal with Killian than she needed him to take her seriously. He had to earn her respect just as much as she had to show him she was worthy of his. That's what a partnership was, right? Both parties benefitting from each other or else what was the point?

Though the comment about her father's balls, took her by surprise a little bit. As did the shameless joke he made about castrating them. Toni, in her breakdown of the enigmatic couple, failed to mention to Tyler of Killian's violent and medieval practices. Most of it was all hearsay anyway, like how he ran a cult of followers who called themselves Reapers. It sounded preposterous. Like something someone plucked out of a horror movie.

"That's right," Toni smiled back at Tyler while leaning in against his side to further sell their newly engaged romance. "He just asked me to marry him this evening on my balcony. Isn't that so romantic?" Izzy watched the couple with equal parts skepticism. Her sixth sense was already tingling with an influx of intel just by reading the supposed happy couple's body language. And the ravishing young man's eyes. They burned with sadness, grief, and anger. And said more than his words ever could. "Join us......?" Izzy's brows arched as she encouraged the rest of that sentence. Nevertheless, it wasn't needed. "Oh, I see. Mi amor --" Isabelle's hand grazes her boyfriend's shoulder in an almost telepathic gesture. I'll leave you to do business.

She knew what he was there for. She was only accompanying him as a form of back up. That is, if he needed her gifts before making any deals with Ignacio's daughter. Right now, he was in good hands which meant Izzy focused on the part of the couple that truly intrigued her -- Toni's fiance with no name. "Would you excuse me while I use the ladies room?" As she leaned in to kiss Killian on the cheek, she whispered in his ear 'trust me. I'm having a hunch.'

Afterwards, she turned to lock eyes on Tyler. "Would you mind escorting me? It's my first time here, I would hate to get lost amidst these bright lights and parlor games."