The Time For New Blood

Forrest Westmore, better known by his middle name Jacen, was sitting at a table in the club his family had recently acquired in the city, looking over some papers, an almost bored look on his face. He was looking through the papers by choice, but he still wasn't very amused.He glance up at the clock, sighing, impatiently waiting for his buisness associates to arrive for a meeting.

"You're so impatient brother." Artemis said, chuckling as he watched Forrest glance at the clock for about the tenth time in the passed few minutes. "They will come..."

"I know, I know." Forrest said, sighing. "But I'm..."

"Looking for a way to get out of the paperwork?"

"Oh shut it!" Forrest chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Maybe I should bring someone you don't trust into the room, just so you shut up?"

Artemis stuck his tongue out at his twin brother before going quiet as one of their associates entered.

The first thing that many noticed about Nolee Lacroix was that she was a woman. It was an obvious observation. The second thing that many realized was that she was that Nolee Lacroix. Since the age of 17 she had led the Lacroix crime family and little by little she had made them the family that they were. She was responsible for half of the business that was stolen away from the other bosses, the other half being the young man standing to her left. To her left stood Teegan Barrett.

Teegan, while still young, was one of the coldest men in the city. He had no trouble going behind others backs to acchieve whatever he wanted. And right now, he wanted power. He was truly his fathers son, from the looks to the cold look in his eyes.

The two smiled as they entered the office of Jacen Westmore, a new boss in the city. Teegan offered Nolee the first chair, looking at her with a small smirk before she sat down. "Mr. Westmore, I believe you know my partner here, Teegan Barrett. My name is Nolee Lacroix. We were set to do business."

"Oh yes, I know Teegan Barrett," Jacen said, smiling. "He was over here to meet me almost as soon as we got here." He added, gesturing to himself and Artemis. "It is nice to meet you miss Lacroix, you can call me Jacen. My brother is Artemis."

He introduced Artemis as well, knowing his brother wouldn't do it himself. It was the reason why Artemis wasn't directly helping run the business, he refused to talk to and sometimes even around people he didn't trust.
Artemis watched the two who'd walked in, his face emotionless as he studied them from where he stood, leaning against the wall behind where his brother sat.

"And yes, we were set to do business, as was suggested to me..." Jacen said, nodding at Teegan.

A dark smile crossed Teegan's face, "Trust me, Jace, you'll wanna listen to her. She's so brilliant that she outshines me when it comes to her work." A compliment was not something that left Teegan Barrett's mouth often. He was not the kind to be kind, even to those he knew and trusted.

Nolee smiled and sat back in her chair, crossing her legs. "For to long in this city us young guns have had to watch while the men who were past their prime ran their businesses. They've stolen our business, they've killed our friends and the men who have worked for us. Well I say no more. I say the time for us is now."

Teegan removed a file from the inside pocket of his black jacket, "This is information on a business deal Nolee just made. She took it in retaliation for some of her family business being ripped off. From the Farrelly family."

"Oh, she is, is she?" Jacen said, smiling as he looked at Nolee. He nodded, agreeing with Nolee's words. "I know they've killed our friends, they've killed more than friends of ours..." He said, frowning. He reached out for the file, sliding it across the table towards himself before picking it up to read, looking impressed. "Farrelly? Really? I've heard of him, but I haven't met him yet."

"He's one of fathers...friends," Teegan chose his words carefully, knowing that letting on could be dangerous. He ran a hand through his spiked black hair before continuing, "but the bottom line is that he's powerful. One of if not the most powerful man in the city. Nolee here managed to take the Marella's out of his back pocket and into hers."

Nolee laughed, an airy sound that sounded almost menacing, "If your a beautiful woman, a warm blooded man will do anything you ask of him. Trust me, I know." she leaned forward in her chair, "We want you to join us Jacen. I've heard of your family, even if they are new in this city. You're powerful...wise..." her smirk deepened, "I only align myself with the best."

"Oh," Jacen said, nodding. "Aparrently powerful isn't good enough when you're around," He chuckled, looking at Nolee. "I thought he was smart? How'd he miss something like one of his deals being taken?"

He watched as Nolee spoke, elbows on the table, his chin resting on his hands, looking interested.

"Well not every man would do anything for a woman..." Jacen corrected Nolee. "Most of them would though I guess." He said, studying her eyes as she leaned closer, slowly nodding before he spoke again. "Of course you've heard of my family, our father did business elsewhere before he...had an accident..."

Artemis frowned slightly, folding his arms and rolling his eyes at his brother's choice of words. They both knew what really happened, but Jacen never admitted it.

Jacen smirked back at Nolee. "The best huh?" He asked, looking at Teegan, then Artemis before nodding. "Well you seem to have that one right..."

Nolee smiled softly with a cute chuckle, "Oh, darlin' you aren't the best. I'm the best in the city."

Teegan rolled his eyes, looking at her and then Jacen, "So you're in or not? Because if you aren't in, that's a shame. You always do such good work my friend."

Nolee looked between the two men, smiling as she picked up that something had happened to Jacen's parents. Her own father had raised her to be rough and ready for anything. When she had turned 17, she had taken over the family. Harris Lacroix had moved on to bigger and better things, namely being an assassin. She couldn't imagine what it was like for her parents to...have an accident.

"Oh I was referrin' to the lot of us in the room miss." Jacen chuckled. "The new generation of the mafia. And of course I'm in Teegan, why wouldn't I be?" He said, smiling at Teegan's words. "So what exactly was it you had in mind...?" He asked them as he glanced back down at the file on the table.

Artemis stood up properly, taking a few steps closer to his brother, reading over his shoulder. To everyone else, he was just his brother's body guard, but behind the scenes, he actually made a lot of the decisions. People who he actually spoke to could tell he was the better choice of the two to be the boss of the Westmore business, besides the fact that he only spoke to the few he trusted.

Nolee smiled, "I plan on going to each family, taking their business away from them. Eventually Teegan here," she gestured to the young Brit, "will take over for his father."

Teegan smirked at her, "She's going to seduce Farrelly."

"Ugh, don't remind me," she shook her head, "I can't stand to think about touching him..."

"Take over huh? So does that really only mean take over, or does it mean actually getting rid of Barrett?" Jacen asked, wanting to get more details. He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Seduce Farrelly? You don't think someone like him wouldn't already be with someone?" He asked, chuckling at Nolee's response.

"That means getting rid of Barrett," sneered Teegan. "I just...father is getting older and the way he drinks..." he smirked a bit and sat back, "And we've checked, Farrelly is single. But...well...he doesn't have a taste for the type of person you pay..."

Nolee rolled her eyes, "It should be simple. He's a simpleton."

"Oh..." Jacen said, slowly nodding. "Got someone stalking Farrelly huh?" He joked. "I doubt he's a simpleton though, he is a boss afer all..."

Artemis frowned as he watched Teegan, not liking what he was saying about his own father.

Teegan laughed darkly, "You forget who my father is. The way he and Farrelly react to each other..." he looked sickened, "It's not natural..."

Nolee leaned back, "Anyways, he's a warm blooded male. Like I said before..."

"Not natural...?" Jacen asked, raising an eyebrow, wanting to make sure Teegan actually meant what Jacen thought he did.

Teegan sneered, "My father is a straight man and yet Sheamus pines for him like a school girl. It's wrong."

"Oh, he does?" Jacen asked, looking surprised.

Artemis frowned, fingers on one hand twitching slightly, tempted to respond to Teegan's 'it's wrong' comment.

"He does," Teegan nodded, rolling his eyes. "If I could kill my father while he was looking at my father with his eyes...my mother doesn't believe me..."

Nolee looked at Artemis, looking at him. He was silent, something that was unheard of in the mafia world.

"She doesn't believe her own child?" Jacen asked. "Why not? Has she seen him around your father?"

Artemis glanced at Nolee, sensing he was being watched before looking back at Teegan, frowning.

"She knows about father's past with that man and yet she lets them be around...together...in private," Teegan's face burned with anger just thinking about it.

Nolee smirked when Artemis looked at Teegan, "I'd watch what you say old friend, Artemis is gay."

"Oh..." Jacen said, frowning slightly, freezing at Nolee's words. He'd forgotten his silent brother was in the room and suddenly wished he'd stopped asking Teegan questions about his father's friend.

Artemis hung his head, letting his hair fall across his face to hide his blush.

Teegan stared at Artemis, very disapointed, "You're...you're gay? Tut tut Artemis, I thought you were different than that."

Nolee looked stern, "Teegan, I told you, it's not wrong for a man to love another man. Someday you'll realize that." she gave Artemis an apologetic look, "Forgive him.'

Artemis was glaring at Teegan, knife in his hand, ignoring what Nolee said.

"Calm down Artemis." Jacen said, turning to look at his brother, knowing how he responded to people who thought as Teegan did. He watched until Artemis had put his knife awaybefore tunring back to Teegan and Nolee, though he knew his brother was still angry.

Nolee broke the silence, "So are you in?"

Jacen nodded slowly. "Of course." he said.