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Post by Mateo "Teo" Rossi on Mar 27, 2011 10:28:55 GMT -5
He was doing this on purpose. Teo knew this, and he knew he couldn't allow himself to react. But he would have dearly loved to wring Marco's neck at that moment. No, in Teo's eyes, Marco was not family. He was an interloper who assumed too much and thought too highly of himself. But Teo had no say in the matter. His father trusted him, and if he said anything against Marco, it could very well be Teo who found himself on the outs.
"You will stay away from her," Teo said quietly, just a hint of menace in his tone. "I will keep an eye on her myself. She's my sister."
Maybe he should have been watching her all along. Maybe they should have had a guard watching her at all times, to monitor her activities. But their father hadn't wanted her to feel imprisoned by this life. She was not, as Marco suggested, naive. She knew how the world worked, and she knew of its dangers all too well. But she was fearless, and that was what worried Teo.
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Post by Niccolo Rossi on Mar 27, 2011 12:33:04 GMT -5
It was really Marco who influenced the way that Niccolo thought about the Santinos. Niccolo sighed. He didn't really want to force Sedona to move out, but he didn't want any Santinos in his house. Maybe he was too soft where Sedona was concerned, but Niccolo knew he wouldn't ever change.
"I don't want any Santinos in my house," he said as Marco entered the room. He knew that he was being soft, but after everything that happened, Niccolo wanted to give Sedona some kind of freedom. He hadn't really figured out who really kidnapped her, but Niccolo was still trying to figure it out for sure, even now.
"I'm sorry Dona," he said looking at her. "I'm not forbidding you from coming here. It's going to take time."
Niccolo looked up to see Marco. He was aware that Mateo and Marco didn't always see eye to eye. However, since Marco did come of age sooner than Mateo did Marco became the second in command. He let his eyes meet Marco's and gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgment before turning his full attention back on Sedona.
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Post by Sedona Rossi on Apr 6, 2011 16:54:04 GMT -5
Sedona was almost floored, and she shook her head instantly, still paying no mind to Marco.
"I didn't intend to bring any of them, even Gaby, to the house, Padre."
His next words should have made her feel better, but they only served to make her feel worse. He wasn't forbidding her from being here, but that didn't mean that he wanted her here, either.
When she sighed, searching for something to say, her eyes finally moved towards her brother, and she stopped when she saw Marco. She didn't want him to know what was going on, and she wondered if he heard, if he knew. He was very anti- Santino, and it was just more stress that Sedona didn't need.
"Teo..." She trailed off, looking for help or something, she didn't even know. She just didn't want this to get out of hand.
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Post by Mateo "Teo" Rossi on Apr 6, 2011 23:43:17 GMT -5
Teo didn't know what she wanted him to say, but he did finally turn his head ever so slightly in her direction. He was still angry and, secretly, wounded, but he didn't want her--or Marco--to know that. He had done all that he could to help her with this, and frankly, he thought she was getting off really easily.
Instead of speaking to her, he chose instead to address their father. "Padre, may I have permission to check up on her periodically? Just to make sure that she is safe and that the Santinos aren't taking any liberties with the business?"
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Post by Niccolo Rossi on Apr 7, 2011 18:57:33 GMT -5
In a way, it seemed that Marco influence the way Niccolo acted sometimes. At times, Niccolo could have a huge heart, mainly because his wife had made him become that way and he had stayed that way, even after her death. Then there were times when he could become hardened, and that influence was because of Marco. Of course, Niccolo never really thought about any of this, however.
"I can't control what you do Mateo," Niccolo said turning to his son. Sometimes, Niccolo would put on an act, especially if Marco was around. He felt that he couldn't be soft hearted when he was there. There was a hint of softness on Niccolo's face that he was sure that Mateo would understand that it was okay to go check on her. He wasn't dumb. He knew that Mateo would go visit Sedona, and quite frankly Niccolo wanted to make sure she was going to be doing okay too.
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Post by Mateo "Teo" Rossi on Apr 8, 2011 0:04:55 GMT -5
Mateo could handle the not-so subtle barbs that Marco often aimed at him. He could even handle the crap assignments he often got as a result of Marco's suggestions. But what he really resented about Marco was the way his father seemed influenced by him. He did not have the same influence over his own father and it bugged the hell out of Teo. Furthermore, there was something sinister about it all, but Teo had never been able to find any proof that Marco was up to something. It was just a gut feeling, and if he tried to bring that to his father, all it would accomplish would be letting Marco know that he was onto him. Which would only make him more secretive than ever.
Merlin, he wished Marco would get the hell out. Teo was positively twitching to throw him out at this point, and he wasn't even saying anything. If he said so much as one word to Sedona, Teo didn't think he'd be able to control himself.
"Dona," he said at last, forcibly turning away from Marco to look at his sister, "You're going to have to give everyone time to accept this. Padre isn't forbidding you to go, and he's not disowning you.... and Gio and I will check up on you whenever we can. I think that's the best you could have hoped for. I still wish you weren't going, but you are old enough to make your own decisions."
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Post by Marco Valentin on Apr 14, 2011 9:58:34 GMT -5
Mateo's subtle threat made Marco smile ever so slightly, but he said nothing more about it. Instead, he watched the rest of the scene unfold, quietly debating egging Mateo on by offering to also keep an eye on Sedona, or by making the whole thing much harder on her. While she thought her affair with the Lyons boy was a secret, Marco knew about it. He had his ways, and he made sure he knew what all of the family was up to.
He cleared his throat. "Niccolo... it's your affairs in the end... but you're not the least bit concerned that this may not all be as innocent as it seems? Forgive me, Sedona, but it had to be asked. You understand."
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Post by Niccolo Rossi on Apr 14, 2011 13:48:17 GMT -5
Again, Niccolo did feel pressure from Marco, but he didn't want his children to realize that although it was fairly obvious. As usual, Marco made Niccolo second guess himself. At his question, he looked to Marco. The man did have a point. What if this wasn't all that it seemed to be? After all, hardly anything was as it seemed, at least in Niccolo's mind at the moment. What if it really was a plan of the Santino's? Sure, Niccolo refused to have Sedona involved in the family business, but what if her friend was? He didn't know for sure, and he was positive that the other girl wouldn't tell Sedona if she was.
Niccolo was trying to think of what was best for his daughter. After her kidnapping when she was younger, he was wary about certain things. However, although he trusted his daughter and did not what her to think ill of him. At the moment he was torn. Niccolo wanted to forbid her to leave, but then again if he did that, she would never trust him.
"I am concerned Marco," Niccolo said addressing him. "However, I cannot forbid anything as much as I do not want her to go into business with the girl because Sedona will do what she likes. She will be checked on and if anything goes wrong, it will be stopped."
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Post by Mateo "Teo" Rossi on Apr 17, 2011 0:42:14 GMT -5
Teo twitched again when Marco spoke, and although he kept his face carefully expressionless, it was obvious to anyone who knew him that he was angry. Not only was he involving himself in a private family matter that in no way concerned him, but he was subtly questioning Niccolo's judgement in the matter. As always, the man was intrusive and presumptuous and really needed to be reminded of his place. And oh, how Teo would have loved to be the one to do that.
"I don't believe you have a say in this, Marco," Teo replied smoothly. Though he sounded calm, the threat was ever present in his tone. "It is my father's call."
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Post by Marco Valentin on Apr 19, 2011 13:03:08 GMT -5
Marco bowed his head at Mateo's words. He couldn't respond with the biting remark that he wanted to. All of the subtle digs at Matron could be just That... subtle. If anything ever compromised his position, it would be Mateo, and he would have to die.
"Of course... I would just hate if anything happened to Sedona. It's our family's best interest in mind, of course."
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Post by Sedona Rossi on Apr 19, 2011 13:36:51 GMT -5
Sedona sort of wished that Marco would just stop talking. There was nothing going on with any of this and she didn't want her father or her brothers to be suspicious of anything. But he was doing his job, right?
"Any of you will be welcome in the shop. I.. her family will probably also want to stop by to check on her." What if they came at the same times? What if things were better in the world than Sedona believed, and this actually brought the two families together on some level? It was too much to hope for.
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Post by Niccolo Rossi on Apr 19, 2011 15:48:13 GMT -5
Niccolo did appreciate Teo's comment. Of course, Niccolo did look to Marco for a lot of things, but he was actually set on what he was thinking at the moment. Sedona was going to do what she wanted, when she wanted. She was a lot like her mother, and that was what made Niccolo fall in love with her in the first place. She knew what she wanted and she went after it. How bad would that look to Niccolo if he were to punish Sedona for being that way? It would be as if he were being disrespectful to his wife, although she passed away.
"She will be looked after," Niccolo stated again. He knew that the Santino's would probably check on their daughter just to see how she was doing. "That's all I can do right now. She's old enough to do something on her own, at least she is not going to be living out in the streets somewhere. I can't say that I am completely happy with her decision, but she will be checked on."
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Post by Mateo "Teo" Rossi on Apr 20, 2011 0:17:24 GMT -5
Teo wished that Marco hadn't been in the room when Sedona stated that "any of them" would be welcome at the shop. He was there, that meant Marco was welcome in her eyes. He was not welcome to Mateo, and after she left, he fully intended to pull his cousin aside and remind him yet again that he was to stay away from Sedona. He didn't care that Marco was "family." This matter should have been limited to the immediate family. In fact, Teo had arranged this meeting originally to talk about Shana without Marco present... kidnapping Shana had been Marco's idea. Teo had hoped to have this meeting without Marco, so that he could convince Padre that Shana should be released.
So what the hell was he doing here?
Sighing with frustration, Teo turned away from Marco again and looked at his sister. His beautiful, baby sister... Whether she knew it or not, this decision changed everything. And he was too much of a pessimist to believe the change would be for the better.
"Dona.... please promise me you'll be careful."
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Post by Sedona Rossi on Jun 6, 2011 22:09:32 GMT -5
Sedona sighed, quietly and to herself. This meeting had gone better than she could have hoped for, but seeing it like this, she sort of wished it had been worse. It would be easier to handle her father screaming and forcing her to get out than the quiet disappointment that she could practically feel around her.
Her attention turned to Mateo again, and she held his gaze for a long moment before nodding, and she gave him a big smile. "I'm always careful." This, of course, was about as far from the truth as she got, but she hoped it would make him feel better anyway. And stop looking at her like that.
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Post by Mateo "Teo" Rossi on Jun 29, 2011 23:51:16 GMT -5
No, it did not make him feel better, because he knew her well enough to know it wasn't true. If she were always careful, this wouldn't be happening right now. And although he didn't know about all of the things she had done, he knew that she was anything but careful in her personal life. About the only thing she was careful about was not getting caught. And if she could have kept a secret like this for so long, what other secrets did she have?
Teo forced that question from his mind and tried to smile back at her, but it ended up looking rather like a pained grimace. Then he pulled her into a hug. "No you're not," he said softly in her ear.
Releasing her, he sighed, then shook his head. "Call me if you need anything. You know I'll be there, no matter what."
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Post by Sedona Rossi on Jul 2, 2011 17:47:08 GMT -5
Sedona hugged her brother back tightly, even holding on for a couple seconds after he released her.
"I will. I'll call. And I'll come visit, so you should all come visit me too." She wasn't leaving the country, just the house, and they would be fine. She and Teo and her padre would all be fine in the end. She gave Teo another a smile, and then moved to her padre, hugging him.
"Thank you," she told him, before moving onto Gio, and lastly, almost hesitantly, Marco, who hugged her back, giving Mateo a look over the top of her head.
Sedona left the room. She needed to pack. Her padre made it clear that she was welcome here, but needed to get out, as well. She wasn't going to drag this out any more, especially when she felt tears stinging at her eyes.
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Post by Mateo "Teo" Rossi on Jul 29, 2011 0:07:34 GMT -5
Teo was silently imagining all the ways he could murder Marco and make it look like an accident. He wasn't even supposed to be here today; why did he have to show up for this? Why did he have to witness this, and why did he think he had the right to be involved at all? Sedona was not part of the business; this was a private matter. And bloodlines aside, Marco was not family. When he hugged Sedona, shooting him that meaningful look over her head, Teo would have liked to snap his cousin's neck.
But until Sedona left this house, Teo would not lay a finger on Marco. He could only glare hatefully at the interloper and keep his fists clenched at his side.
"Padre," he said, forcing his attention away from Marco, "do you think maybe we could have a guard put on her? To watch this store of hers? I just... I don't trust the Santinos not to try something. We could have them keep a discreet distance."
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Post by Marco Valentin on Oct 28, 2011 0:32:16 GMT -5
Marco almost grinned, but barely refrained, when he nodded to the patriarch. "I agree with Mateo. A guard would be a wise idea."
He hoped it drove the other man mad, or at least made him second guess himself, that Marco was agreeing with him. "And we would be foolish to think that the Santino's won't have a guard on their daughter as well." Especially since he planned on suggesting to them that they should. "We can't trust their guard not to involve naive Donna."
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Post by Mateo "Teo" Rossi on Oct 30, 2011 0:03:20 GMT -5
Marco's comment did, indeed, have the intended effect. It didn't make him second guess himself, because he truly believed it was necessary to make sure Sedona was protected. But having Marco agree with him enraged Teo, and he became visibly tense, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. It was obvious that he was imagining Marco as a punching bag, but he wouldn't throw a punch until Sedona was out of the house.
Forcing himself not to look at Marco, he spoke in a quiet tone that just barely hinted at the anger boiling within. "If the Santinos put a guard on the girl, then we must have one on Dona. We just need someone to keep a discreet distance. I don't believe Dona will get dragged into anything... my only concern is for her safety."
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