#thread: laura and knox

[archxngxl]

CLOSED STARTER

For the first time that day, Laura felt like she could breath. It was the evening, around 7:30 pm. A Sunday. The weather was cold, Autumn finally settled into her own.

Since the morning, Laura had been at her twin brother's funeral. It was a circus. Media packed together in front of the chapel, with their cameras and their annoying questions. She could see the headlines now. "DON'S SON GUNNED DOWN!" VINCENZO DI VITTORIO FOUND DEAD!"

Even imagining the black, bold text on the next days gazette made her angry. Right now, in the near cover of dark, Laura set into motion the first step of her plan. Meeting with someone she would never dream of meeting. Knox Hawthorne.

To make a long story short, the Di Vittorio's and the Hawthorne's had a long standing rivalry, even continuing to this day. It started way back in the day, during the Prohibition and never died out. Laura sought to change all that, for her own agenda of course.

They'd agreed to meet in a place of his choosing, though she had reluctantly done so. Laura opted for no bodyguard, which could very well prove to be a stupid move. She'll have to wait and see. For her own safety, she had her pistol hidden neatly in her purse. Her outfit was simple, her jewels minimal. She had no energy to get dolled up for anybody, especially not Knox Hawthorne.

"Mister Hawthorne, thank you for meeting me."

@m0rallygrey

[selfsabotaqe]

hi everyone! it's been a while & finally i'm making my comeback. work has finally left me some room to breathe so i'll be reappearing on your dash and hopefully getting back into the swing of replies. down below there's a full list of everything currently in my drafts. please let me know whether you'd like to continue or drop these threads. whichever scenario is completely fine and understandable (it's been a hot sec after all), just let me know. if you'd prefer to start something new, we can also do that. feel free to message me or reply to this post anytime. there's no rush at all to make up your mind, but just to start off i'll start with replies for threads people do actively express interest in. so if anything from this list is something you're still excited about, let me know and i'll prioritize. we can always waitlist the other stuff while we feel it out. anyway, let me know, come chat, let me love u down and can't wait to continue writing together. love u all! 💗🥹

with @persephonyed. carlos x lorenzo marley x camille

with @silvrmoon. nadiye x milo axel x kadri zehra x sierra

with @lilacwiine. drew x felice amara x maya

with @invcntions. alec x lucas mateo x saxon devrim x leo beau x koa emre x noah luca x jaiden (smth new?) jesse x finn peyton x vance soren x lincoln

with @horrorphase. dominic x percy milan x kendall

with @slumpcd. max x theo kendall x nolan jinny x gwen

with @gcldcnhour. eden x mathias rhys x bodie isabel x tate alina x priya zoe x knox ethan x violet marisol x miriam

with @temptedfates. emmett x aydin noor x solana

with @spectraled. maddie x rory tbd x dallas (thought abt replying if u would like replies <3)

with @vacationeyes. marco x conrad julian x callum emre x frankie xavier x tyson jude x forest

with @lovecharged. jonas x antonio aleksei x drake bridie x quilo tbd x amie jonas x antonio (part two) julian x zayn felix x robin nadiye x rasim tatum x uziah carlos x gabriel

with @fruitpoem. ambar x joel

with @inkiidreams. aera x selin davika x esra carlos x mallory merve x yaritza robin x aurelia lais x nova casper x knox lachlan x olivia

with @wutheringdevotion. lachlan x oliver rowan x ginny connor x evan meera x monique carlos x gabriel gwen x jonah margot x adrian

with @gardenwalls. meera x paloma alec x mack naiyana x nadine daniel x minako laura x andrea fabien x mei li nazli x rhys

with @felteverywhere. alina x rowan

with @sunstvne. santiago x constantin

with @gvngsigns. gabriela x lucas kai x mateo florence x liam tobias x zuri andrea x cruz ricardo x vincent

with @scbrvght. all of our formula one threads (don't think i owe u the replies but let me know if you'd like to continue them <3) lale x finley soren x everly

mAYBE im missing things. if there's anything i owe you that isn't on this list, feel free to point it out to me! and also vice versa, if you owe me something & you want to discuss continuing or dropping it, just come message me and we can chat about it!

[l2fmpnathan]

Ruth Roots

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.

ANDREWKREPS.COMRUTH ROOT Born 1967, Chicago, IL. Currently lives and works in New York City.

Education2003Yaddo1994 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture1993 MFA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1990Brown UniversityAwards1996 National Endowment for the Arts, Mid-Atlantic Grant in Painting1996 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Painting Solo Exhibitions2019Forum, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA2017356 Mission, Los Angeles, CA2016Marta Carvery Gallery, Madrid2015Old, Odd & Oval, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT Andrew Kreps Gallery, Nailery Nikolaus Ruziicka, Salzburg, Austria2014The Dartmouth Experiment, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH2011The Suburban, Oak Park, IL2009Galerie Nikolaus Ruziicka, Salzburg, Austria Maureen Paley Gallery, London2008Gallery Minmi, Tokyo2007Andrew Kreps Gallery, New Yorkdale Marta Carvery, Madrid2005Galerie Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg, Austria2004Maureen Paley Interim Art, LondonGaleria Marta Carvery, Madrid2003 Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York2001 Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York2000Galleria Franco Nero, Turin, Italy1999Andrew Kreps Gallery, New YorkMuseumExhibitions2018Inherent Structure, Wexner Centerport the Arts, Columbus, OH Surface/Depth, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY2015New York Painting, Kunst museum Bonn, Bonn, Germany2008Unique Act, Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane,Dublin2007Don’t Look.

Contemporary Drawings from an Alumna’s Collection Martina Yamen, class of 1958, Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA2005Extreme Abstraction, curated by Claire Schneider and Louis Gracchus, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY2004City Maps, ArtPlace, San Antonio and TX.

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.ANDREWKREPS.COM2003Permanent Collection On View, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles The ContemporaryArtProject Collection, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA2002Emotional Rescue: The ContemporaryArtProject Collection, Curated by Linda Farris, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WAS am collect –contemporary art project, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA2000Greater New York, Duplex solo installation, Curated by Klaus Eisenach and Laura Hauptman, PS1 Contemporary Art Centre, New York Group Exhibitions2019Painters Reply: Experimental Painting in the 1970s and now, curated by Alex Glauber and Alex Logsdail,Lisson Gallery, New York, NY2018Twist,fused/Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA2018 Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts, American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY 2017Man Alive, Mariana Mercier, Brussels2016Looking Back, The 10thWhite Columns Annual –Selected by Matthew Higgs, White Columns, New York Life Eraser, Brand New Gallery, Milan Shapeshifters, Luring Augustine, New York The Congregation, Jack Hanley Gallery, New York 2014Les Plaisirs Démodé (The Old-Fashioned Way), Galerie Nikolaus Ruziicka, Salzburg, Austria2013Wit, The Painting Centre, New York2012To the Venetians II: Chris Martin, Matt Rich and Ruth Root, curated by Carrie Moyer and Dennis Congdon, RISD Painting Department Providence, RI2011-12The Indiscipline of Painting, Tate St. Ives, Cornwall, UK, touring to the Mead Gallery, University of Warwick, UK2009Trail Blazers in the 21st Century, The David and Ruth Robinson Eisenberg Gallery, New Brunswick, NJ Print, Mushroom Works, Newark upon Tyne, United Kingdom2008Take Me There Show Me The Way, Haunch of Venison, New York David Reed Studio, New York Gallery Minmi, Japan2007 NE integrity, Derek Eller Gallery, New York Bushels, Bundles & Barrels, Superfund Investment Centre, New York The Painting Show-Slipping Abstraction, Mead Gallery, Coventry, United Kingdom2006Untitled (for H.C. Westermann), The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, HI Ruth Root, Alex Brown, Cameron Martin, Sally Ross, Gallery Minmi, Tokyoite is, “what is it”, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York2005The Early Show, White Columns, New York Trade, White Columns, New York2004Painting & Sculpture, Mark Moore Gallery, Santa Monica, CA2003Greetings from New York: A Painting Showalterian Thaddaeus Ropak, Salzburg, Austria20thAnniversary, Welcome Home, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York2002Jump, Curated by Ross Nether, The Painting Centre, New York-Beam, Cynthia Brogan Gallery, New York Inheriting Matisse: The Decorative Contour in Contemporary Art, Curated by MichelleGrabner, Rocket Gallery, London Acme Gallery, Los Angeles Abstract Redux, Danes Gallery and New York.

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.

ANDREWKREPS.COMState of the Gallery, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York2001The Approximative, Galerie Ghislaine Huss not, Paris Painting show, Curated by Laura Owens, Chicago Project Room, Los Angeles2000 Fuel Serve, Curated by Kenny Schachter, Kenny Schachter/Rove, New York Salty Salute, Westing Art Space, Toronto Perfidy -Exhausted Embrace, Curated by Martyn Simpson and Daniel Sturgis, Convent Sainte Marie de La Tourette, Evreux, FranceKosmobiologie, Curated by Nancy Chaykin, Bellwether Gallery, Brooklyn, NY1999Fifteen, Deutsche Bank, Curated by Walter Robinson, New York Free Coke, Greene Naftali Gallery, New York1998Home and Away, Curated by Kirsty Bell, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York Son-of-a-Gusto, Curated by Nina Bovisa, Clementine Gallery, New York Cambio, Part 2, Curated by Kenny Schachter, Museo Universitario Del Choop, Mexico City Sassy Nuggets, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York New Museum Benefit Auction, Pierogi 2000 Portfolios, New York Superfreaks: Part II, Odyssey, Greene Naftali Gallery, New York1997Cambio, Curated by Kenny Schachter, 526 West 26th St., New York Wrong Place, Right Time, Curated by Giovanni Garcia-Fenech, Temporary Space, New York Vague Pop, Curated by Giovanni Garcia-Fenech, View room, New York1996The Experimenters, Curated by Kenny Schachter, Lombard-Fried Fine Arts, New York Taking Stock, Curated by Kenny Schachter, 25 Broad Street, New York Texas Meets New York, Curated by Kenny Schachter, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, Texas Bump, The Greene County Council on the Arts, Catskill, NY The Death of the Death of Painting, Curated by Kenny Schachter, New York1995Lookin’ Good, Feeling’ Good, 450 Gallery, New York Eat or Be Eaten/ Painting, Not Painting, Anderson Gallery, Buffalo, NYX-Sightings, Anderson Gallery, Buffalo, NY1994Crash, Thread Waxing Space, New YorkBibliography2017Gerwin, Daniel.

“Ruth Root” Artform, September2016 Hodari, Susan. “

Painting Overtakes Pixels in Aldrich Museum Exhibition.”

The New York Times, 18 February2015Biswas, Allie. “

Ruth Root: ‘I love to see how artists create such a joy from colour’ “Studio International, December 17. Campbell, Andriana.

“Ruth Root.” Artforum.com, 13 July Pfeiffer, Produce. “Ruth Root.” Artform, October Vogel, Wendy. “The Lookout: Ruth Root” Art in America Online, 2 July Vogel, Wendy. “Ruth Root” Art in America, September Hawley, Anthony. “Ruth Root” The Brooklyn Rail, 8 September Yau, John. “Two Ways of Making Painting in the 21stCentury” Hyperallergic, 19 July The New Yorker, 27 JulySchwendener, Martha.

“Review: Ruth Root, Minimal and Opulent, at Andrew Kreps Gallery, The New York Times, 2July2009James, Nicholas, “Between Painting and Sculpture,” artslant.com, 25 January 2009.

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.ANDREWKREPS.COMNickas, Bob.

“Colour and Structure.” Painting Abstraction: New Elements in Abstract Painting. London, UK. Phaedo Press. 2009Carrier, David. "Ruth Root.” aruspices 24/24 Fall -Winter2008McKeon, Belinda.

“Taking Root on Gallery Walls.” The Irish Times, March 11Maine, Stephen.

"Brand Boosters.” The New York Sun, March 6Ruth Root. The New Yorker, March 3Rosenberg, Karen.

"Ruth Root. “The New York Times, February 222007 “The Painting Show -Abstracts at Warwick University Mead Gallery.”24 Hour Museum.org. Kmart 15 Jannuzzi, Waldemar.”

The pleasures of undescriptive colour. “Times Online, February 182005Huntington, Richard. "A sampling of all things abstract—old and new.

“The Buffalo News, August 13 Flynn, Barbara. “Exhibition round-up: New York. “Artform. 546Rimanelli, David. "Greater New York 2005.” Artforum,MayColes, Alex. "Ruth Root.

“Modern Painters, May, p.112.De Chasse, Eric. "Painting (Cont'd).” art press, n310, March 2004Campagnola, Sonia.

"Ruth Root. “Flash Art, Summer Pozuelo, Abel H., "Ruth Rote Cultural, May Carpio, Francisco. "Ruth Root. “

ABC Cultural, June Pardo, Taneal. "Ruth Root. “Exit Express, June Boyce, Roger. “Ruth Root at Andrew Kreps Gallery.”

Art in America, February 2003Richard, Frances “Ruth Root: Andrew Kreps Gallery.”

Artforum,September Kerr, Merrily. “New York New York: Art Fragments from the Big Apple. “Flash Art, July-September Burton, Johanna. “Ruth Root. “Time Out New York, May 15-22“Ruth Root.”

www.flavorpill.com,May 10Smith, Roberta. “Ruth Root. “The New York Times, May 92002Pagel, David. “

Some Things Old, Some Things Mewls Angeles Times, May 102001Isé, Claudine. “Coughlan, Reeder, Root, Weatherford.” Team Celeste, September/October Schmirler, Sarah. “Gallery Beat. “

Art on Paper,July-AugustJohnson, Ken. “Ruth Root. “The New York Times, April 27Mahoney, Robert. “Ruth Root. “Time Out New York, May 10-17Naves, Mario. “These Paintings Are Watching You. “

The New York Observer, May 7Wehr, Anne. “Cigarette break. “Time Out New York, April 19-262000Cibulski, Dana Mouton. “New York. “Art Papers Magazine, November / December Conti, Tatiana. “Ruth Root. “Team Celeste, November Adult, Gary Michael. “Salty Salute at the West Wing Art Space.” The Globe and Mail, September 30Orange, Mark. “Greater New York.” Untitled,AutumnKino, Carol. “The Emergent Factor. “Art in America, July Hunt, David. “Symbiology. “Time Out New York, July 27Shave, Stuart. “Man Made.” idrapril Sumpter, Helen. “Ruth Root.” Hot Tickets, March Cook, Mark. “Ruth Root. “The Big Issue, March Cotter, Holland.

“New York Contemporary, Defined 150 Ways. “The New York Times, March 6Turner, Grady. “Beautiful Dreamers. “Flash Art, January-February 1999Cotter, Holland. “Ruth Root.”

Art in Review, The New York Times, March Pinchbeck, Daniel. “Ruth Root. “The Newspaper of New York and March.

ANDREW KREPS GALLERY22 CORTLANDT ALLEYNEW YORK, NY 10013TEL (212) 741-8849FAX (212)741-8863WWW.ANDREWKREPS.COMSchmerler, Sarah. “Ruth Root.” Time Out New York, March Sapid, Sue. “Met Life.” The Village Voice, March Turner, Grady.

“Son of a Gusto.” Flash Art, January1995“Eclectic Exhibition Opens at the Anderson Gallery. “Metro Weekend, November Huntington, Richard. “The Expected and Unexpected -A Fun Mix from Near and Far.”

The Buffalo News, July Huntington, Richard. “Nasty at Times. “The Buffalo News, December Victor, Mathieu. “Eat or Be Eaten.” Artvoice, NovemberCatalogues2015Smith-Stewart, Amy. Ruth Root: Old, Odd, and Oval.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. Ridgefield, CT2014Artist-in-Residence Spring 2014: Ruth Root Paintings. Jaffe-Frieda Gallery, Hopkins Centre for the Arts, Dartmouth College.

Hanover, NH2005Schneider, Claire and Gracchus, Louis. Extreme Abstraction. Albright Knox Gallery. Buffalo, NY. The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy Reddy Young, Tara.2002Sam Collects Contemporary Art Projects.

Seattle Art Museum. Seattle, WA2001Dailey, Meghan and Gingers, Alison M. The Approximative. Mink Ranch Productions. Paris, France2000Groom, Simon. Perfidy: Surviving Modernism.

Kettle’s Yard. Cambridge, UK1999European Galleries. Art Forum Berlin. Berlin, Germany Swenson, Susan (ed.). Pierogi Press. vol. 3, New York, NY1997Schachter, Kenny. Cambio. Mexican Cultural Institute of New York.

New York, NYLectures2001Conversations with Contemporary Artists, MoMA, New York, NY Public Collections Austin Museum of Art, Austin, TX Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA Whitney Museum of American Art, New York and NY.

[archxngxl]

"It's done." She said. "I am grateful to you, Knox. I hope this is going to be a lucrative venture for both of us." Laura took her leave. A heavy breath left her as soon as she got into her car. The first step was done, the game had started and now she needed to play each card carefully. That night, Laura laid on the ground curled up into a ball, sobbing. Sobbing for the brother she had lost, for the mother who suffered at the hands of her father, and simply...for herself.

---

TIMESKIP - Day of the 'wedding'

Laura stared at herself in the mirror for a good minute. She was wearing a simple number. Fancy enough for a ceremony, but not fancy enough for people to be suspicious. It was a white dress with black heels and her cream trench coat. Her hair was down, curls cascading over her shoulders. Makeup was minimal. Laura tried to remain within the mourning confides of tradition, besides the situation. She wore her mother's ring.

The neutral zone was on the east side of the city. It was decided upon years ago, that there would be a spot where any gang or crime family could walk into and not get shot. As violent as they were, the former leaders of the families tried to at least keep some peace. Her only family left was her cousin, Sonny. But Laura had not brought him up to speed on her plans, so in order to avoid chaos, she would inform him later. She walked into their agreed spot, eyes immediately finding him. Despite his bad attitude, Laura could not deny Knox was a handsome man. She had heard all sorts of things about him, about his looks and his charisma. "You look nice." Laura said, trying to be polite. "Let's get this over with, yeah?"

'A marriage alliance between two families who have hated each other for five decades Laura. Who have spilled more of each other's own blood then anyone else.' Something she probably didn't need to be reminded of, knew it just as well as he did but still. Knox needed her to really hear what she was saying. They were Romeo and Juliet. This wasn't going to work. Scoffing, Knox ran a hand over his face when Laura was detailing what he could do outside of their so called sham of a marriage. Pulling out a pack of cigarettes he quickly lit one up, taking a deep drag to try and keep his annoyance and anger in check. He couldn't make a huge scene in the open like this. Too risky.

'Trust you,' He repeated back, smoke billowing out from his nose. Could he do that? Could he seriously put aside everything he'd been taught to think about her family and go through with this? Laura had never really given him any sort of reason to hate her other than her last name. He couldn't decide in this moment. There was too much running though his mind at the moment. And he hated to admit that it sounded like she truly had all of this laid out in a decent enough plan.

Knox stared down at Laura's extended hand, her full permission to take her out if this failed landing heavily between them. Taking another drag on his cigarette, steel blue eyes stare her down. With another sigh, the eldest Hawthorne reached out and took her hand in his own, giving it a firm shake. He'd done it before his mind had fully caught up to agreeing with her. Looks like he was getting married. Fuck. 'Two days. I'll deal with witnesses and someone to make this legal. Just show up to the neutral zone so no one suspects anything.'

[archxngxl]

"I know it sounds insane!" Laura tried to reach out to him again, but made her hands stay in place. The woman's plan was far fetched and perhaps too wild to succeed, but she had to try. She had to. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak again. "But there is no better way. There's nothing more powerful than a marriage alliance between families." Marriage in their world was mostly a bargaining chip, than an actual union. One needed children, to secure the legacy of the family for the future. It was about the business, always.

"Than we would have to act our asses off in front of everybody." Laura answered plainly. "I am not asking you to be faithful to me. You can sleep around as much as you want to, see whoever you want to see. God knows married men do that anyway." Even the men who 'loved their wives' had mistresses on the side. Laura lost track of her father's mistresses after his 9th one. "I am asking for your loyalty. You help me do this, and you get an operation that brings in more money than you can imagine, and I get what I'm owed."

"We keep quiet for a while, don't tell anybody. We don't even have to do a ceremony. When the time comes to let people know, we will." Laura would not admit it but the marriage was also for her personal security. Having someone like Knox at her side supported her claim, gave her allies. "My father will ask questions, but I have that covered. You just need to trust me on this."

"If this all blows up, you have every right to kill me." Laura extended her hand forward, open palm. A tell tale moment. Either she would walk away with an ally, or an enemy. And she desperately prayed for the former.

'Just because I haven't killed you yet doesn't mean I don't want you dead.' Except the eldest Hawthorne could have easily had her gunned down by now. Or at any point in time they'd ever been in the same room together. Yet he knows the same went for her as well. How both of their families hadn't been completely wiped out yet was a miracle. 'I have more money than I know what to do with already.' Stating the fact like it was something so common. But she cornered him there, Knox wouldn't say no to padding his bank account with more money so long as it was something he could do.

'Was that a compliment Di Vittorio?' Cheeky grin as she called him a smart man, but it slowly faded as Laura began divulging the quick and dirty of what she had come up with. Call him smart all she wanted but her plan did hold weight. It could work but still. The feud between their families ran so deep it would make all of this that much more difficult to get to work- 'Excuse me?' He's suddenly shocked, his face proving that. 'Did you just say marriage? No. Absolutely not. Have a nice day Laura. But I will not be marrying you or anyone in your family. No deal. Find another way to assume power in your house.'

He fully turns away from her then, actually walking away. What the hell was she thinking? Reckless enough asking to meet him like this but proposing marriage between their houses? Crazy. She was insane! He'd blame the grief she was probably feeling. Then why the hell did he turn back around? 'It would all be a sham. I don't know one single person who would think it was real. We would have to be on top of things the whole time. Never once let anything slip. You know that right? I can barely stand being here with you right now let alone all the time.'

[archxngxl]

It was truly a final act of desperation.

In many ways, Laura was alone in the world now. Her brother, the person she came into this world with had left it too soon. Her mother was gone, her father did not want her. Her family was loyal to her father, therefore shunned her any chance they could. The anger, the grief. It was all too much. Too much that now the only way was to make the people responsible pay. "Let's be honest, if you wanted me dead, I would be dead already." Laura's tone was non-chalant. "And I think you'll agree because you're a smart man. There's a lot of money in this, if you decide to help me."

Laura rose when he did. It was now or never, she could not lose him now. "Nobody needs to know who's helping who." The woman began. "The plan is to corner my father and then starve him. What I mean is that we take care distribution, the drug routes, everything. I already have someone who's gonna help with that." You take out the life line, eventually everyone is gonna lost their minds. "Of course, they won't suspect me as much as they might suspect you. But you deny it, and the trail we'll leave won't lead back to you." Laura had a gang, ran by her cousin who was willing to mess with the routes and the distribution for her. Her cousin, Sonny, was her aunt's son. Laura's father had disowned her for marrying below her, but Laura and Vincenzo mended those bridged long ago.

"Another thing..." Laura swallowed. "I want to put this rivalry of our families to bed. Leave it in the past. I figure the best way to do that is if both families come together in a symbolic way..." She said. "A marriage between the two people set to take over should do it."

'I know,' A cocky smile even though he knows Laura is being sarcastic. The few times they've met in the past he's done his best to say as little as possible. ALl meetings for pleasantry purposes, uphold appearances and the like. Never to socialize with the rival family. They were lucky that there weren't all out blood baths when the two families were in the same room.

At first, Knox raises a curious brow over her current situation. Part grateful there was no one to steal his birthright in his own family. Yet he can understand her frustration that her rightful seat is being taken from her. He still doesn't know where he fits into this equation until she comes right out with it. Knox blinked at her once before he scoffed a laugh. 'You're out of your mind Laura. Why would I ever agree to help you? If anything you've just given me some intel I wasn't privy to before. Perhaps I can finally take out the rest of your family and claim this entire town for myself once and for all.'

Uncrossing his legs, Knox made to stand, brushing down his suit before looking back to her. The scary part was how serious he sounded, that the threat could really stand. Looking as if he's about to just leave without another word. In fact he even made to step away as if his time truly had been wasted but something stopped him. Maybe the sadness that seemed to surround her actually did slip through to his heart. 'I don't see how that could end well. For either of us. No one would believe either of us would help the other. So you better have a damn good plan.'

[archxngxl]

"Charming as ever, Knox." Laura had met him only a handful of times, and each time she noted how disrespectful his was. Her brother, Vincenzo dealt more with the Hawthorne's than she ever did. "I don't need your condolences, I'm here on business." While her outfit was simple, it had that air of mourning. She would still wear black for the next few days, as per tradition in her household. Laura took a seat next to him, crossing her legs one over the other. "So quick to give your answer, when you haven't even heard me out yet?" She could do this all day, but she had no time for it.

"As you know, when a successor to the family dies, the next one is appointed. Usually, it's the next in line, me in this case. But my family has gone and appointed my cousin, in my stead..." Saying this in front of him was infuriating enough, but there was no other way to explain it. She could mend her pride later.

"I want you to help me take over my family and it's operations." It was a taboo, practically blasphemy. It was a long shot going to Knox, knowing full well that he could easily rat her out. But something told her he would not, that he would see it through in hopes of sowing something profitable.

For Laura, it was so much more.

She let it go when her brother, the younger twin, blocked her from becoming head of the family. She could handle that, she could handle being underboss to her brother. But not to some cousin she only saw twice a year. It was her inheritance, her birthright. Her life. Laura was prepared to do anything, anything to get it back.

'You can thank me by making this quick Ms. Di Vittorio.' He said bluntly, truly wanting nothing to do with meeting with the daughter of his rival. Eyeing her as she sat next to him on this park bench. Knox HAD brought protection detail hiding off in the distance and he himself was holstering a weapon beneath his suit jacket. Dressed to the nines at all times like he was taught and trained to do despite the easy going setting he'd chosen to have this little meeting in. Public was best sometimes. Less likely to start shooting or stabbing with families milling around for a Sunday in the park.

'What is it you wish to discuss? Territory? Call a truce now that your brother is no longer with us? My condolences by the way.' Even though it clearly came off like he didn't give a rats ass. Perhaps there was a tiny part of his black heart that felt some sort of sympathy that her brother was dead. But if it was there he didn't show it. He was practically an only child, his baby sister was just that, a baby. Mom having remarried after his father passed from illness leaving him in charge of the family business. Even then he didn't have much affection towards the toddler.

'I can tell you now that won't happen.' Crossing one leg over the other, Knox lounged against the park bench as gazed out at the other people wandering through. Enjoying a crisp autumn mid morning. 'So I do hope that whatever it is won't be wasting my time.'