"You look more sour than usual, what's the matter?" Asa asks Mordecai as he's digging ice cubes out of his drink to loudly crunch on them. "What's the matter, the napkins aren't folded right?"

"I have mixed feelings about prolonging my involvement with this situation." The triggerman responds with a frown. "It seems an unnecessary distraction from the work I've been tasked with."

"Mixed feelings huh? Mixed between what, vaguely annoyed or moderately annoyed? You're sort of a one-trick pony in the feelings department. Well, now you're definitely annoyed, hope that clears things up for you."

Well, irritated was certainly the emotion he was feeling right now, due to the loud crunching of the ice his employer was making with his mouth. If his wife was here, he wouldn't have been doing that, Selina certainly hated it when he did that so loudly. Asa had invited him to join for a lunch meeting with Mitzi, who had somehow managed to survive the ordeal with the pig farmers from last night, apparently to "put her at ease" with a friendly face. Of course he knew he was only being dragged along to put his ex-employer's wife on edge, and to be a reminder of sorts.

"Anyway, I'm not thrilled to be here either, but you'd understand why it's necessary if you were in my shoes." Asa continues as he grabs another ice cubes to pop into his mouth. "Do yourself a favor and avoid positions in management. And perhaps women in general, especially the more...I don't know, pushy ones."

Quite hard when I have to work alongside one and trail two others as your request. Mordecai thinks as he flicks his tail in annoyance before he spots someone approaching them out of the corner of his eye.

Mitzi was being accompanied by three other people, one he didn't recognize, another he briefly remembered and...her. It had been nearly a year since he last saw Paloma in person, and he hated that he was getting that same feeling in his chest he used to feel before they started dating for real. She was dressed similarly to her employer, though she sported a brown hat with small white flowers, an annoyed frown and...no necklace.

Well, I don't blame her for not wanting to wear it. I wonder what she did with it?

"Mitzi, how are ya dollface?" Asa calls out as they stand up to greet the group.

"Confounded, Asa. And I see you brought a helping of salt to rub in my wounds." The woman responds curtly.

"Heh, you are right and you brought...her along. And some others."

"A couple of my associates, as you can see, my circumstances isn't quite as hopeless as you-"

"So this is why you made me leave my purse in the car." Paloma snaps.

"There will be no shooting anyone in the face, as tempting it may be." Mitzi says quickly as one of the men with her starts swatting at a lone butterfly. "Let's just skip introductions and pull up some extra chairs, shall we?"

"Hey I remember you, ol' serious face!" One of the men says as he thrusts a hand towards him to shake. "Boy have I heard stories about you and Pal!"

Ah now he remembered where he'd seen this one. He was in the band, a violinist if he remembered correctly. According to Paloma, he had flirted with her first time they talked until she politely turned him down. Judging by the familiarity he used when talking about her, they seemed to have grown close over time, unless he was mistaken.

"The band is doing your hands-on work now?" Mordecai asks, not even bothering to return the handshake.

"I'm just trying to be resourceful Mordecai." Mitzi responds with a frown.

"Sure, just like when you decided to let your waitress be your bodyguard."

Paloma's eyes narrowed. "You little-"

"Pal, Pal! No need to try getting in a fight!" The violinist hisses as Paloma steps toward him and gets between them. "Please? Let's be civil for now!"

"Ridiculous might be a better description, is that what the R stands for?" Mordecai scoffss, glancing at the man's obnoxiously bright orange tie as he is trying to force Paloma to sit between Mitzi and the unfamiliar man.

"Well I haven't got many cards left to play with, thanks in part to you." Mitzi retorts as her bodyguard is shoved into her seat and handed a menu. "You know, what you did almost got Viktor killed last night."

"Extra breathing holes can't be all that bad." The violinist murmured as he sat down and removed his hat.

"Repeat that again when you get shot in the chest or stomach." Paloma scoffed as she flipped open her menu. "Gunshot wounds are no fun to deal with, trust me."

"Would you like a pitcher of bevo for the table?" The waitress who was handing them menus asks.

"That's cute, but we'll pass on the bevo thanks." Asa says before she nods and walks off.

"After all these years of working with him, Mordecai, have you got nothing to say?" Mitzi asks with a frown as she flipped her own menu open.

"He shouldn't have been involved, I reasoned with him to retire before I left." Mordecai says dismissively as he picks up his own menu.

"Reasoned? Are you sure it wasn't spite? The way I remembered it, you kneecapped him on your way out the door."

"That's how one reasons with Viktor."

"Sure, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, estúpido." Paloma scoffs. "Should have shot you when I had the chance, then we wouldn't be here right now."

"I think you're looking in the wrong place for heartstrings to tug on my dear." Asa whispers.

"Well you only know someone until you don't, Asa." Mitzi says as she laid down her menu.

For once she has a point. Mordecai thinks as the waitress from earlier comes back to give them all water glasses, barely paying any attention to the conversation. I did think she'd see reason to leave with me, I thought I knew her well, yet she refused. Then again, could she have persuaded me to stay if I wasn't so stubborn?

As much as he hated to admit it, he did miss Paloma. He missed hearing her loudly singing songs played in the speakeasy in her language in the morning as she cooked breakfast for the two of them, he missed when she'd discreetly brush hands with him when they stood together among the other gangsters who weren't aware of their relationship, he missed how she'd discreetly intertwined their tails together when they sat close, he missed that smile she'd give him that would make him feel warm inside, and he especially missed the way her face would light up when she would see him again after being apart for so many hours. He hadn't realized how lonely he truly was until she wasn't around him anymore.

"...you'll be in far over your head drawing attention to yourself in this climate. I warned Atlas of much the same thing not so long ago." He catches Asa saying.

"Warned him? He knew the danger, what exactly did you have to warn him about?" Mitzi asks with a frown.

Wait, warned Atlas? What was he talking about? In all the time he had spent around his old employer when Asa was present, never once did he overhear something that sounded like a warning of some kind. Or maybe Asa had said something and he just worded it differently to not sound like a warning and he didn't catch on. Whatever the case, he had to speak with Mitzi about it, but in private.

"Sir, can I take your order?" The waitress asks as she circled the table to stand by him and Asa as he is getting out of his seat.

"No." Mordecai responds bluntly. "Excuse me, I have paperwork to prepare for."

The second he stepped foot on the sidewalk, he set about looking for whatever car Mitzi and her company had used to get here. It certainly couldn't have been any of the fancy looking ones, Selina mentioned once to him that Mitzi told her she couldn't go anywhere because she had to sell the cars to keep the speakeasy floating for business. There was one car on the street that had what looked like bullet holes on the windows on one side, something one with no money wouldn't have time to fix. If he was right, he'd wait for them, if he wasn't he'd still have to wait where they couldn't find him.

After what felt like forever, he heard some familiar voices coming his way and glances to see Mitzi and her three employees walking towards the car he had been standing near. Earlier he had picked the lock, so slipping inside was no problem. They seemed to be discussing something about old territory, so it seemed like they were planning to get back into the business even after this talk.

"Mitzi." Mordecai says once the older woman had slipped into the car. "I'd like a-"

Mitzi gave a loud scream and swung her purse at him, smacking him hard enough to almost send his glasses falling off his snout. "Oh! What are you doing in here?!" She gasps when she sees it's him in the car.

"I'd like a word with you, if you can refrain from assaulting me with-"

The car's back door was flung open and he felt a pair of hands grab him by the vest and necktie, nearly dragging him out. Out of the corner of his vision he could see it was Paloma, her eyes blazing with fury as the two men accompanying Mitzi were trying to yank her back.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't snap your scrawny little neck with my bare hands or knock your teeth out right here and now!" She screams angrily, raising one fist.

"Paloma!" Mitzi yells, stopping the younger woman from almost assaulting him. "We are in public, let him go!"

"Not until he gives me good reason to not kick his ass!"

"I need to talk to your employer, in private!" Mordecai says as he tries to pry her hands off him. "It's important!"

"Honey, let him go. If I don't like what he says, you can drag him out." Mitzi says with a frown.

Paloma huffs and lets Mordecai go, allowing him to get back into the car before she slams the door shut after him. "Fine, but if he does anything funny, I will-"

"Paloma!"

The younger woman huffs in annoyance again but stormed away from the car to lean against the building located near them.

"Even forcing her to leave her gun in the car won't stop her from staying true to her promise." Mitzi sighs as she removes her hat. "What was it you wanted to talk about, Mordecai?"

"Atlas was warned?" He asks.

"So your employer claims, but you've worked with him long enough to know he tends to run his mouth a lot more than necessary."

Mordecai raises his brow in confusion. Surely that wasn't all she had to say about that, right? If there were things Atlas wouldn't talk to him about, surely Mitzi was his confidant about those sort of things?

"Oh, you want my insight? Whatever for? He probably said it for the same reason why he brought you along to lunch - to intimidate me into agreeing with him, and look how that turned out."

"Plausable, though some of the work I've been engaged in recently leads me to wonder if there wasn't some truth in his gibbering." Mordecai admits, thinking back to the other night where he had to hack someone to pieces while his newest set of partners, a brother and sister duo who went by Serafine and Nico Savoy, watched and laughed. "Marigold behaves like it has a sizeable thorn in it's side, but there's paltry competition in town and there's certainly enough revenue to compensate the right parties. So it seems unusual I can't discern the source of agitation, only that aggressive measures are being taken to deal with. Perhaps Asa did have something to warn Atlas about."

"Maybe...and maybe he honestly thinks he knows something about what happened to Atlas." Mitzi says. "But how does it figure in? What's left to question between you and I? Asa couldn't even know how it happened, unless you've told him something."

Mordecai shakes his head. "Of course not, that remains between us."

"Does...does she know?" Mitzi asks, glancing out the window to where Paloma still stood a few feet from.

"No, she blissfully remains ignorant to it." He admits. "All for the better, I don't know how she'd react if she knew."

"Then I don't see any reason to be dredging up bad memories now, it sounds like you're just over-analyzing because Atlas was mentioned. Anyway, all things considered, shouldn't you be asking Asa to explain things to you?"

"He doesn't explain anything except that he's not at liberty to explain."

"Well, you don't get to treat me like your enemy and your confidante. Find out for yourself what he meant." Mitzi scoffs.

"Perhaps I will." Mordecai says as he grabbed his suit jacket. "Not to discount your culpability, of course. That much is established-"

"Please don't start." The older woman begs, her voice cracking with emotion. "What is it that you even want from me? Reassurance that it's still my fault so you can continue feeling justified in destroying what I have left? You're obsessive."

"Losses are endemic to this business, you've brought them on yourself in your persistence." Mordecai says witha frown. "As though you could bring the remains of Atlas' estate to anything but further disgrace."

He glances out the front of the car to see two police officers walking towards them. That was his cue to leave.

"I need to leave, you should have the windows fixed. The holes are hardly inconspicuous."

"I'll give your regards to Viktor." Mitzi says as he starts to edge himself towards the door to his left to exit.

"If you're going to ignore Asa's advice, please at least leave your charade out of the way. I'll surely do a more thourough job of "destroying what you have left" if I'm asked to divert my professional attentions to you again."

"Will you include Paloma in this "destroying what I have left" threat? Or do you plan to leave her be while you hurt the rest of us? All because she still has a hold on that cold heart of yours? Don't think I didn't see the faces you made at her when she wasn't looking at the table earlier."

Could he bring himself to hurt the woman he still had lingering feelings for? He wasn't even so sure, he had already hurt her enough with that talk they had that night. Gone was the sweet and gentle girl he met in the Little Daisy diner who gave him enough love and affection to open his heart to her, only for him to make a mess of things and lose what they had in the process. Now he was looking at a woman whose heart had hardened and developed a strong hatred towards him.

Mordecai just quietly gets out of the car, casting an annoyed glare at the two boys who were hiding towards the rear of the vehicle, and walks away. He stops to look back at the car to see Paloma entering it, her attention focused on Mitzi. She looks up, their eyes meet briefly and he could have sworn he felt a faint flutter in his heart before she frowns and looks away.

I just hope you have the sense to keep your head down so I won't have to hurt you. He thinks as he puts his coat on, waving down a cab to stop. I don't want to do that.

----

"Remind me how you convinced me to agree to pack a whole litter of kids into my car after we get Miss Pepper?" Rocky asks as they are driving. "And for what?"

"I told you, I'm going to ask your aunt to help look after them while I'm at work." Paloma says, keeping her attention to the view outside the window.

They had recently dropped Mitzi off at Wick's home, and right now they were on their way to pick Ivy up from her college, pick up her siblings and take them to Nina's to drop them and Calvin off. Hopefully she wouldn't mind. Viktor needed rest and the last thing she wanted was for her rowdy siblings to disturb him.

"Say, you and old serious face back there, you okay?" Rocky asks, giving her a concerned look.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Paloma responds.

"Well you looked ready to turn the whole table and the area surrounding it into a crime scene. And it took all the strength in my spaghetti arms to hold you back, that was scary."

"Very scary." Calvin says from the backseat.

"I'm fine, really." Paloma tries to assure them.

"Liar." Rocky mutters. "Welp, anyways! I have no clue where to get some new hooch, and while you have worked in this business for years, your thing was more stabbing and shooting than retrieving the goods. So we need Viktor for that, but I need Ivy and you to be my meat shields."

"To avoid the pounding you absolutely deserve? Really Roark, if you were having trouble with competition, I was available during the day! You didn't have to drag your cousin into this!"

"Miss M says we should never bother you when you are off the job. It was for your sake and sleep schedule, since you have another job to do and couldn't risk getting you fired from it."

"If you asked me to deal with the farmers, I would have. I've killed off worse and more dangerous competition, they would have been easy."

"Oh yeah, like that small gang of Russians. Zib told me about it, you came back covered in so much blood everyone thought you were the one bleeding!" Rocky laughs. "And you just said "iz not mine, iz da dead one over der!", classic!"

They soon arrived at the college and began walking about the campus in search of Ivy, ignoring the odd stares they were getting from the other students.

"Hey Pal, if you didn't get rounded up into the gangster life, would you have gone to college?" Rocky asks as they are walking.

"I don't think so, my education level is pretty low. Even if I was interested, I wouldn't have been able to because my family needed help during the war and on the farm when things calmed down." Paloma responds. "Even if I had been able to attend, it would have been expensive, and Ivy told me some of the things a woman could learn were restricted to stuff like nursing, teaching and home economics."

"Well street smarts are often best in this line of work. Lo! There she is! My good - luck charm!"

"She does not look happy." Paloma comments when she sees Ivy starting to charge towards them. Screaming Rocky's name at the top of her lungs.

"Oh I bet she can't wait to see you again Freckle! Gonna drive off in the struggle-buggy with your snuggle-buggy?" Rocky teases. "You cad! Just listen to that high pitched screechy noise she's making, it must be love!"

"That's love?" Calvin asks as Ivy gets closer.

"I never made noises like that at my boyfriend when we dated." Paloma says as she grabbed the younger man to pull him aside as Ivy chases after Rocky and begins to assault him with the magazines she's carrying. "Calvin, if you ever get into dating, do be careful, women are scary."

"Yes ma'am..." Calvin murmrurs as Ivy stops her smacking.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I went to go visit him this morning before practice, he's pretty listless." The younger woman says and holds up her ruined magazines. "So I put something cheerful on the radio and got him some reading material!"

"I don't think he'd like reading fashion and gossip magazines." Paloma says as she looks at the covers. "Also I feel like the radio is going to be broken by the time we get back to the house."

"It better not be, I haven't got any money on me to replace it."

"Yes, because you keep spending it on clothes and accessories when you are supposed to be using it for your school books."

"Anyways! Let's go!"

The ride back was quiet, save for Ivy chatting everyone's ears off until they arrived at the house. They all hurried up the stairs and practically barged into the apartment, Ivy and Rocky trying to talk over each other as Paloma squeezed past them to get inside. She hears the door slam shut and turns to see Viktor with a broom in hand and sporting a grumpy expression. The door swings open, Ivy now sporting an upset look on her face.

"You will read these magazines and you will like them!" The younger woman snaps as she storms in, smacking the pile of ruined magazines into the older man's chest. "And so help me, you'll learn to like the banjo hour! There's gonna be no more moping around Viktor, there just isn't!"

"You do realize he needs peace and quiet and to relax, right?" Paloma mutters as she walks over to pick the radio up, twist the dials around to turn it off and set it back on the table it had been sitting on earlier. "I'll go get my siblinsg right now, assuming they haven't tried to run away yet. ¡Niños! ¡Baja aquí en este instante!"

No response.

"¡Está bien! ¡Si no bajas a la cuenta de cinco, haré lo que mamá hace con los gatitos desobedientes! ¡Uno! ¡Dos!" Paloma yells before pausing. "¡Cuatro! ¡Cin-!"

There was practically a stampede of footsteps trying to hurry down the stairs before Gabriel came tumbling down, yelping and letting out a string of curses before he face plants on the carpet.

"Oh wow, I forgot there was four of them." Ivy comments before she turns to grab Calvin by the arm and turns to Viktor with a cheery expression. "Anyways, meet Freckle! Or Calvin or something. I've decided we're dating!"

"I think I left my hat in the car. I should go be with my hat...in the car..." Calvin mutters as he tries to move away.

"You mean in the struggle-buggy?" Rocky teases, doing a horrible job of winking.

Viktor was now giving the poor boy a glare that he shrinks under and tries to edge away.

"Viktor, be nice!" Paloma scolds as she gets between him and Calvin. "He's a sweet boy, nothing like those snarky and weird ones from her college!"

"Ahoj." They hear someone say and they turn to find Mrs Bapka standing behind them with a wrench in hand.

"Oh my we have an intruder, an armed one." Rocky jokes. "Who might you be, an enforcer?"

"That's Mrs Bapka, the neighbor upstairs." Ivy explains, not releasing her grip on Calvin. "Is there something you need?"

"Leo ven aquí." Paloma calls to her little brother, who wiggles past them to get to her and gabbed her skirt. She quickly picks him up and dropped him onto Viktor's lap. "Here, be distracted with a baby."

"What does she need help with?" Rocky asks.

"Oh her sink, it's clogged." Paloma explains.

"Ya...okay...I vill go look at it..." Viktor says as he tries getting up and Leo lets out a yelp as he tries to hold on before the older man is forced to sit down again when he starts to have a coughing fit and grips his chest.

"Oh no no, you cannot do that! You will stay seated!"

"Hey, Handyman McMurray, you wanna run upstairs and help the young lady out?" Rocky asks, earning an enthusiastic nod from his cousin before he and Ivy follow Mrs Bapka out.

"I'll go get the kids brushed up, you best not piss him off." Paloma says as she pats her brother on the head. "Behave for Leo, will you old friend?"

She walks over to Gabriel, who is still on the floor and glances up the stairs where her sisters were watching them before they rush up.

"Hey, up," Paloma says as she grabbed her twin's arm to try and yank him up. "I have to head to work soon, you need to brush out those messy curls of yours."

"The floor feels comfy..." Gabriel mutters as he tries to get up. "Ugh, I miss my bed."

"You mean the very thin cot you had to share with me until I was allowed to sleep in my own bed? You're lucky the carpet is softer than the rug at home. Now get your skinny bones up, I have to take you somewhere to spend the rest of the day."

"Why?"

"Because I am not leaving you four here to bother Viktor, he needs his rest."

Gabriel just rolls his eyes, but does as he is told, following his sisters up the stairs to where they were brushing their hair and teeth. Once done, the four came downstairs to find Rocky on the floor muttering to himself while Leo was attempting to climb up Viktor's chest and poke his face.

"Sorry, I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long." Paloma says as she scooped up her brother, who lets out a whine. "We'll be leaving as soon as I get this munchkin's teeth cleaned and hair brushed. Start the car, will you Roark?"

"You betcha!" Rocky says as he gets to his feet. "Also our sour friend here gave me a solid lead to where to get booze! We'll be making cash in no time with some stuff that doesn't taste like horse piss mixed with river sludge!"

"Watch your language."

Once she got Leo upstairs and fixed up, she brought him back down and beckoned her siblings to follow her and Rocky to the care, where Calvin was waiting.

"So...how are we gonna fit you all?" Rocky mutters. "Let's see...Freckle can be up here with me, you can too if you wanna squeeze in. Then your siblings can be in the back and the little guy can sit on someone's lap for safety."

"Perfect, that should work." Paloma says as she opens the door and pushes Imelda to enter.

Once everyone was piled into the car, they started to drive away before they heard yelling and turned to see Ivy storming out of the house. As she's walking away, something flew out of the window and fell right at her feet and she started yelling again.

"Oof, what's got her mad?" Paloma mutters.

"Probably something Viktor said." Rocky says with a shrug. "Say Pal? Could I ask ya something?"

"Sure?"

"How can you stand living with that guy? He's just so...angry. Also how come he's never throttled you?"

"Because if he so much as puts a finger on me, he's losing that along with his di-"

The car door swung open and Ivy stuck her head in to kiss Calvin right on the lips before slamming it shut and getting in the backseat.

"I was gonna ask if you needed a lift." Rocky mutters before he grins. "Not a ride in the struggle-bug-"

"Just drive!" Ivy snaps and smacks his head.

----

They soon arrived at Calvin's home, allowing him to get out first before Paloma followed and helped her siblings out and allowed Ivy to climb into the front seat.

"I'll give you a ring if we are or aren't successful in obtaining new goods!" Rocky called out to Paloma once everyone was out. "Farewell madam, until tomorrow! Do not miss me too much!"

"Dramatic." Paloma mutters as the car drives off. "Alright, let's hope your mother doesn't mind these kids."

"I don't think she'd mind if you asked." Calvin said as they walked up to the door.

"Oh your home for dinner." They hear Nina say as the door opens. "Oh! Paloma, what a surprise! Staying for dinner?"

"Not today Nina, I have to head to work. I am so sorry for dropping by unannounced like this." Paloma says and gestures to her younger siblings, who stood behind her. "These are my younger siblings, they just came from Mexico unexpectedly."

"Oh my, that's where a war is going on isn't it?" The older woman gasps as she sets down the pants she was sewing and gets up from her chair to walk over to them.

"Yes, I was wondering, since I am busy tonight and my neighbor needs rest, if you could-"

"Say no more dear, they can stay with me for the day and whenever you need someone to look after them. Oh the poor dears, look how scrawny they are! Actually, if you're going to have the night shift, they can stay for the night too, you can take them up home in the morning after you had breakfast with us."

"Oh thank you so much, you don't have to!"

"Dear I insist, you have your hands full already."

Paloma smiles warmly before she turns to her siblings with a stern look and switches to Spanish. "I know your English is limited, but be nice to her and do not cause trouble. She's a friend of grandpa's, so behave yourselves. As much as I wouldn't mind leaving you three at my home alone, I think it'd be better to leave you with an adult who can be helpful. Now promise me you will be on your best behavior."

"Fine." Imelda mutters as Maria nods.

"Where are you going?" Leo asks.

"To work, I have to be at the hotel." Paloma responds as she pick him up and kisses his forehead. "Behave for Nina, please? Also you all will be spending the night here."

"Noooooooo!" Leo wails. "Don't leave!"

"Leo, she's coming back later." Maria says as she tries to pry the toddler off her sister. "Right?"

"In the morning, I promise." Paloma assures them as the wailing child is removed.

"Pinky swear!" Leo sobs, holding his tiny finger out to her.

"Fine, I pinky swear. And if I break that, may the archangels strike me down. Now go play with Calvin out in the backyard for the time being."

"I hate to be nosy and rude, but why are the boys dressed that way?" Nina asks as Calvin leads the kids away. "Did they not bring any clothes with them?"

"Oh! Umm, well all their stuff was dirty and smelly, so I washed it early this morning." Paloma explains. "I lent my sisters my clothes and my brothers are wearing grandpa and my neighbor's clothes. I may have to go shopping for things that properly fit them."

"Oh no need to worry dear, I can lend them some clothes, I still have Calvin and Roark's things from when they were wee lads. I'm sure Calvin wouldn't mind lending your older brother some of his clothes for now."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! What sort of Catholic would I be if I didn't? You go worry about work, I'll worry about your siblings in the meantime. If you're working overnight, they can stay for the night and you can come get them in the morning and have breakfast with us."

"Easy, you just sat in the same pew as I did. Now get going, you have work to get to and money to earn."

----

The house sounded way too quiet when Paloma got home, which for some reason reminded her of when she would come home before Mordecai did when they used to date. It was those nights where he'd stay behind to help Atlas with something last minute, promising he'd be home before the sun rose and she'd find him the next morning asleep on the couch or in his bed and wearing half of his suit while snoring loudly enough to almost rival Viktor. And speaking if, the said man was no longer on the couch he had been asleep on, probably moved himself upstairs to his room to sleep.

As she was walking to the stairs, Paloma then heard the phone start to ring. Who was calling at this hour? She heads to where the phone was kept and removed the earpiece off the hook.

"Hello?" Paloma calls out.

"Oh good, I thought you wouldn't be home at this hour, or asleep." She hears Mitzi say.

"Oh you caught me just as I got home." Paloma says with a soft laugh. "What's the matter? Did everything go well with your business venture? Or was it a flop?"

"Oh no honey, it's all good. I was just calling to let you know that...we got money now."

"Really? That's great but...you sound upset, did Wick-"

"What? No no, he didn't do anything. I just got into an argument with Zib earlier, and I think I'm still a bit drunk."

"Oh, I was just about to rough that man up. You need me to rough Zib up? Could put an end to his stupid rants about his artistic suffering - or add to it."

She hears Mitzi let out a tired laugh. "That's sweet, but no. Rocky called earlier, he said he was able to find someone willing to do business with us, so in the evening he and the others are gonna retrieve it. Do you think you can...you know?"

"Well, lucky for you I do have the night off, so I'll be good to go and help." Paloma says and gives a yawn. "I should get to bed, but now that we are hopefully gonna be back in business, I'm gonna have to be a jack of all trades until we hire more people. I can bartend if Viktor is still out of commission, I can be a sweeper and get rid of any enemies when you need to obtain some alcohol."

"Oh honey, you don't have to-"

"No I will, you do need the help. A good chunk of the lads have already left us, and all that's left are three kids, the band, our doorman and us. I can juggle as many jobs, you need the help."

Mitzi let out a sigh. "Alright if you insist, Rocky and his cousin are gonna be our muscle for now so you can help them and Ivy with getting the hooch. As for the bartender job, perhaps on nights when you aren't getting the needed spirits you can do that. Quite sure any male guests would be happy to waste more money on booze just to keep talking to the pretty barmaid so you'll have to wear a nicer dress for sure. But most importantly, we will have to remind the other gangs about what made us threatening, at least so they won't think we're being pushovers."

"So back to the triggerman job? Terrorizing gangs will be easy at least, apparently I may still have a bit of a reputation in this community."

"Well you did decapitate a rat that one time, nearly castrated a guest in front of everyone, and shot up a speakeasy with just two guns and a crowbar, but you're easier to approach than my husband's golden boy so that's a plus."

"True, I'm more charming, and approachable."

"Indeed you are honey. Now, get to bed and get a good night's sleep. Your old shotgun is going to need some polishing."

Just as she hung the ear piece up, the phone started to ring again. Okay, really who was calling so late?

"Yes can I help you?" Paloma says with an annoyed sigh. Nothing but silence. "Hello? Hello? If you are not going to talk I will hang-"

"Don't do anything foolish." Wait, she knew that voice.

"Why should I listen to you?" She snaps, anger lacing her voice. "After all what has happened, you have no right-"

"Just don't do anything foolish! I can't explain why over the phone, but just do as I say! Otherwise, your gang is going to have worse problems to deal with than pig farmers." The voice on the other line snaps back. "Please."

"Well you know what? You can take that warning and shove it up your - did I just get cut off?!" Palma mutters as the phone made a buzzing sound, indicating that whoever called her had hung up. Why was she even being warned in the first place?

Another thing to deal with in the morning, I need sleep for that pick up. She thinks with an annoyed sigh as she hung the phone's earpiece back on the hook. Well, I'm going to ignore that warning.