(The following is a continuation of West End Dissatisfaction )

The Core, Terminus. 2:58pm Terminus. The biggest city on the surface of planet Rhy"Din was built, and then expanded on, from what was known as The Lift " a gigantic Space Elevator directly in the center of the city. The Lift was designed to transport material to and from the surface, making Terminus a "port city' that connected into space, and living up to the definition of its name as "an end of a travel route." The elevator cable was made of super reinforced carbon nanotubes, capable of transporting thousands of tons in one trip, and each trip was roughly eleven minutes travel time. The elevator connected at the other end to an anchor in space, Gateway Station II; which was a multi-level, multi-docking space station for interstellar craft. From The Lift, the city continually expanded outward from this receiving point. This area became the downtown section of the city known as The Core, and where the wealthiest of citizens chose to take up residence. Bocca Felice was a genuine Italian restaurant just on the cusp of the outermost part of The Core, before the neighborhood started to fade into the central district. It was known for having a well thought out menu, good selection of authentic Italian food, and for abiding by the traditional Italian timetable. The restaurant was open for a brunch until early lunch and then closed for riposo, or siesta " a period of the day meant for those to rest. It would close until roughly four-thirty in the afternoon, when it would it open its doors for the dinner crowd and would stay open fairly late. A black town car with tinted windows pulled up in front of Bocca Felice. Without haste, the rear door closest to the curb opened up, and a man dressed in a sharp Italian suit made his exit. Black slacks, shoes and jacket accompanied a white dress shirt, black tie and sleek black sunglasses. Turning back into the car he leaned in and spoke into the back seat. "Stay here," he said calmly. "If anything, I'll call for you." With two taps of his hand on the metallic roof of the car he closed the door behind him. They were reassuring pats, letting the occupants inside know that everything was going to be okay, especially since he was going in alone. "Lofaszt!" A voice exclaimed from behind him. Liam turned around to see a man smiling ear to ear at him from in front of the doorway. He was shorter than Liam, about five-foot-five, skinny and of Hungarian-Japanese descent. He was sporting a Fu Manchu mustache, steely-dark eyes and a longer style black trench coat, with a large brimmed fedora. Pulling one last drag off of his cigarette, he threw it to the ground and stomped it out before approaching Liam. "Monsier Owens, desu ka"!" It was cityspeak, a mish mash of words and expressions from Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Hungarian and Japanese: the result of having so many affluent cultures frequenting the area. It was a street language, spoken heavily in the Outer Ring of Terminus, and those that weren't fluent at it stuck out like sore thumbs. Liam Owens however, was no sore thumb. "Como estai kana Mault?" Liam responded. Eduardo Malt. Soldier and professional hitman for the Terminus Syndicate. Short in stature, but what he lacked in size he made up for in lethality. He was a dangerous man. Quick to smile, quick to put a bullet in someone and not think twice about it. "Good, good." Mault replied, offering Liam a handshake and a smile, while he continued talking in Cityspeak. He was standing guard, for all intents and purposes, outside of the restaurant. Keeping a watchful eye for anyone that approached the establishment. After the two shook hands, he opened the front door and stepped to the side so that Liam could enter. When Liam passed through the entrance he was met by another soldier, Gino Capriotti. He was also dressed in a suit that complimented Liam's own choice of attire. He was much larger than Gault, clearing six-foot-three and built like a brick **** house. Clearly "muscle" for the organization. "Liam, Come stai?" Whereas Gault spoke Cityspeak, Gino was fluent in Italian. "Sto bene, e tu?" And Liam had no problem with that Language either. "Very good, thank you." Gino replied and continued in Italian. "Lips has been expecting you. Right this way." With a firm nod, Gino led Liam through the empty restaurant while Liam removed his sunglasses. It was very elegantly decorated, there were tables for two, four and much larger parties. Each had a pristine white tablecloth, sparkling silverware, immaculately clear glasses and dark wooden chairs. There was also a neat, triangular folded napkin placed delicately over each plate in the table setting. Soft Italian music was piped in through the establishment and a gigantic saltwater fish-tank was placed in the middle, separating one part of the Bocca Felice from the other. As the two men rounded the fish-tank, there were two more individuals at a far table that was all the way in the back of the restaurant. They looked up and made eyes with Liam and one of the men stood to leave. Gino waved his hand, finishing his escort and having taken Liam to where he had been requested. As Liam continued his approach to the table, Gino departed with the other man, leaving the the two remaining men alone for their private meeting. Luciano "Lips" Palladino, Caporegime for the Terminus Syndicate, stood up from his seat and opened his arms to welcome his Lieutenant " Liam Owens. He was about the same height as Liam, although he was older and much wider in stature, probably from eating his fair share of Spaghetti and marinara. He had dark hair, graying on the sides, clean shaven, and quite large lips that almost formed into the shape of a natural frown. One would easily see how he earned the monicker "Lips", a name which he seemed to embrace rather easily. "Liam, Liam, good to see ya," he said, wrapping his arms around the man. Liam hugged him back, both of the men patting one another on the back to further masculinize their greeting. "Good to see you too Cap," Liam offered back with a bit of a smile. "How ya doin" kid?" Lips asked, pulling back and taking Liam's face into the palm of his hands, patting his cheeks gently. Clearly, more of an Italian greeting. "Tired, but good." "I could imagine." He responded with a smile. "Please, please take a seat." Motioning towards the empty seat next to him. Liam responded, opening his suit jacket and pulled up a chair. "So, you made the news last night." "I made the news?" Liam asked, surprised. "Well not you," Lips leaned over, picking up a copy of the Rhy"Din post and plopping it in front of Liam. "But, yanno." Liam leaned forward and looked down at the headline. Suspects of West End Prostitution Ring Found Dead. "Cops are goin" crazy lookin" for suspects. They don't know who did it, but they're lookin"." Lips explained with amusement. He had been the one to authorize the hit. Due to the nature and the circumstances, Liam had to make sure the chain of command was aware of the steps that were necessary. The three men were all in police custody, it was a risky situation, but it was well worth the reward. Liam scanned over the article, thumbing through the pages as Palladino spoke to him. From everything that he read, the Police and the Watch didn't have any leads. The bodies weren't even discovered until almost daylight, well after they had made their exit. All good signs. "You did good kid, you did real good." "Couldn't have them yappin". These guys knew a little too much for their own good." Liam replied. "Exactly. That's my point. You made a good call," Leaning back towards his paperwork, Lips pulled out a small manila envelope from underneath the pile and slid it over towards Liam. "Here's your taste. The assets were liquidated before the fuzz could get their hands on them."

Liam's payment for the job. He knew by now that Luciano already received his cut, and a tribute had already been sent up to the head of the organization. It was the way things worked in his profession. "Thanks Cap," Liam's hand moved over and took the envelope, slipping it into his jacket. "So tell me more about this new girl. Kerry' Kayla?" "Kaleigh." Liam responded with a bit of a smile. "Yeah, yeah, Kayleigh. That's it." "She's a good girl-" "You collared her?" Lips asked, taking a sips of his drink. That question came fairly quickly. "I did." "Liam Owens took a collar for himself" Say it aint so!" Palladino replied in jest. "She wanted it. So I gave her what she wanted." "You charmer you!" Lips said, holding his drink out with his hand as he spoke, chortling a bit. "She's a Nephilim." Liam smirked. "Bull****!" "And a Shadow Hunter." "Yer tellin" me you collared a Nephilim Shadow Hunter?" Lips asked, completely taken aback by it. "How the hell did you manage that?" "Some Angels, Cap, are Dark Angel's. They just hafta be shown the way." "So, keepin" her as yer pet?" "She's the one who performed the hit." Liam replied, a vicious grin displayed across his face. "You gotta be kiddin" me!" Palladino's eyes widened, chuckling harder now. "So that's how you got it done?" "Well, she had to prove herself to me Lips, and completely give herself to me. This was the perfect opportunity. I took out the electricity and she did the rest." Liam leaned into the table a bit before he continued. "When I gave her the job, there weren't any questions asked. Well " one. Just when I wanted it done." The look of delight was lit up all over the Captain's face. The pleasure he was taking in his Lieutenant's report was better than he had imagined when he called him on the phone earlier that morning. "When I found out that she was a Shadowhunter I asked her about her skills, asked her if she could be an assassin. It was the perfect transition. Gifts given from the good lord himself, and all" all for our benefit." The smile on Liam's face equally matched his boss. The two men were basking in their moment. Lips leaned in then, lowering his tone just a bit. "Yer a good earner Liam. I know you've heard that before, but yer always lookin" out and ya always make the right moves." Lips paused for a moment to pour a drink for himself first and then his Luietenant. "And look, the boss has been kickin" around the idea again of takin" in an underboss. If that's true, he's obviously gonna promote one of the Captains. Now, I can't say who'll get it for sure, but I'm tellin" you dis, If I get the slot, outta all of my Lieutenants, I could see you makin" the move up the ladder." Liam had his own crew, a few soldiers and a few associates. However, he operated under Palladino who was the Captain of the Terminus region of the Terminus Syndicate. He had started out as a hitman when he was younger, then moved into the drug trade and then his main moneymaker — slavery. When he proved himself, over time, he had been promoted to Lieutenant under Palladino.

There were two other Caporegime's. One for the Stars End Sector and the other for Rhy"Din City. The Terminus Syndicate was incepted after three of the major crime organizations on the planet agreed to put their differences aside and combine their power and influence to increase business, profit and revenue. Some of the old influences remained but as it stood now, the Syndicate had operated efficiently in the shadows for over twenty years. There were rumors that the head Crime Boss was a Hutt but that information was a secret to anyone outside of the organization. "Well, if that all pans out, I'd appreciate the opportunity." Liam said, matching the tone of the conversation. "This conversation doesn't leave this table though." Lips replied, tapping his index finger into the tablecloth firmly. "I don't need Briggs or Fuketsute gettin" the wrong idea." "Nah, of course not. I know you called this closed door meetin", and I know why they're not here." "Good Liam," Lips took another sip of his drink now. "Good. So, when do I get to meet this Kayleigh?" "She's outside in the car with Vinny." "Well, send "er in! I'd like to meet this....miracle woman that Liam Owens acquired."

Liam smiled as Kayleigh explained her position. He reached for the drink that was poured for him previously and took a sip as he continued to listen. This wasn't the first time he had heard this. No, he had went through this quite thoroughly over the last month. Those same questions. Those same assurances. All before he collared her and before she had accepted becoming his — belonging to him.

When he had first met her, in the Red Dragon Inn, it was a chance encounter over a drink and some flirtation. But nothing more, nothing out of the ordinary for Liam — who could be considered somewhat of a playboy when a woman caught his eye.

It was that second chance encounter however that had them where they were today. Liam had some business to settle, in the back alley of the Red Dragon. His weapon was drawn at a female vampiress, who had already taken one shot to the chest in warning, and she ineffectively tried to rob him moments prior that Kayleigh Silverheart had walked back into his life.

She stepped right in. And by the looks of the scene she was presented, she didn't go to the Woman's aid. Perhaps it was the fact that she was a vampire, or perhaps it was the fact that she had been drawn to Liam. That feeling was mutual.

He had found her scent intoxicating, more-so than a glass of of his favorite top-shelf bourbon. Her beauty was stunning. The confidence in which she carried herself was invigorating. He knew right there that he had to have her, and right there, in that alley, was the first time he had her. That first seed planted into making her belong to him. Both figuratively and actually.

It was time for the Caporegime to understand just who Kayleigh Silverheart was.

"Shouldn't you be goin' after guys like us" After all, aren't we monsters?" Asked as he pointed back and forth between Liam and himself. In true Italian fashion, Lips was using his hands to accentuate his conversation with her.

She paused for a moment before she careful answered his question.

"If you were downworlders, or supernatural beings, yes. I would be. Back home, we don't involve ourselves with the mundanes. We stay out of their business. They know nothing about us." She paused, and grinned. "I think the perspective as to who the monsters are, changes, depending on the person. On what side they're on. Little kids have monsters under their beds, teenagers have monsters lurking in their heads. And Adults" Monsters can be anywhere. The one that threatens a loved one. The man with a gun pressed to the back of your head, or the one with a blade to his throat." She tapped once on the table in front of her, before she leaned in.

"What's to say, after last night. There are people who think I'm the monster?" Another tap. "Perspective."

Those words sunk in as Lips took to his drink as well, sipping and nodding. Perspective. If he hadn't known any better, he would've assumed that she was raised around a made man — or maybe that made man was Liam.

"So what happens if these...," he paused as his hands wafted upward slightly as he spoke, trying to explain himself. "Beings, the people you previously were employed by, come lookin' for ya" What then" Hm?"

"Nothing. I have no allegiance to them now. I avoid them, and continue as I am now. Serving Liam, and to a degree, through him, you as well, Yes?" She was intuitive, and had rather quickly picked up one the fact that there was a pecking order, a chain of command, and Lips was just a touch higher than Liam. With that, she took a wild guess that it was him that had given Liam the task of disposing of the three men, which in turn, Liam had turned to her for. Though after a moment, she realized that her words were perhaps a little too bold, and ducked her head.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong."

"No, no," Lips held up his hands slightly in protest. "You've got the right idea. Liam has the best interests of the organization at heart. I trust his judgement. If I didn't, he wouldn't be where he's at. So, allowin' you to prove your loyalty to the organization speaks volumes."

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when he explained that she was in the general right idea with what she said. She didn't mention anything in response though.

He turned to look towards his Lieutenant then.

"It was a risk that was well worth the reward. Both in the the style in which it was carried out, and in who you chose to take care of our little dilemma."

At these words, a grin bloomed across her freckled face, and something in her eyes lit up. She couldn't help but to bask in the praise she could hear in his voice, not only for Liam, but her as well.

The captain knew there was risks involved by waltzing into a police station and taking out three targets, three men that had business dealings with the Terminus syndicate. There would've been other opportunities, future opportunities to take out the men. Whether it was to or from trial, or even after sentencing. There were individuals on the inside who could've easily taken them out in their jail cells or the yard.

But no. This was a direct message to anyone who even thought about slipping up, that there was a price to pay. The Terminus Syndicate wasn't an organization that would stand for sloppy associates or careless business dealings. Their reach was far, their influence was deep. No matter where you were, they would find you, and they would kill you.

And perhaps even, this was a message to law enforcement.

"So then, Kayleigh. What do you get outta all a dis?" Lips asked, looking around the Bocca Felice as if it were an empire. "What's your goal" Your end-game, hm?"

These words". well they made her blink a couple of times. And she thought for a moment.

"Liam's protection. The satisfaction of accomplishing things, that are much more...exciting to do, then just running around, chasing off leeches that I can't really do anything about, because they always have a way to escape." There was a glance sent Liam's way, before one corner of her mouth ticked up in a small smirk. "The sex is great."

Liam couldn't help but pull a smug smirk on his face as Lips turned to look directly at him when she said that. The Captain chuckled then and thought to himself 'With a body like hers I'd imagine so'. Shaking his head gently, as if to shake off the thought, he looked back to her; and once he broke eye contact, Liam looked to Kayleigh and offered her a very flirtatious wink followed by a sly smirk.

With that, she paused again, to consider his second question. "I haven't thought about that. But it would be how ever high Liam wanted it to be. How far he cares to lead me, as I am still new to all of this."

"And you've seen, well, you've been directly responsible for seeing to what happens to those who ***** up, am I right' You know that satisfying Liam in the bedroom won't save you from any forms of punishment that would be handed down, if you were to try to get away with any *****, correct?"

She had heard this similarly from Liam before, though to not quite an extent. Palladino could be a stern and vindictive man when the situation called for it.

But something about his words made her cheeks burn with a blush, and for a moment, she pressed the tip of her tongue to the back of her top front teeth to keep from saying anything immediately. Then she nodded, once, twice, and let her eyes tick up to meet Lips". "Yes. I know."

"And that's a risk you're willing to take?" His eyes remained fixated on her for her answer.

"Yes." This time when she spoke, she sounded more definite, determined.

"Alright," Lips said, leaning back in his chair now and looking back to Liam once more. "I've got nothin' else. Everything you said, is just like you said it."

"You expected somethin' else?" Liam asked in jest.

"Nah. Not that," he glanced back at Kayleigh then. "A Nephilim, I just had to see it for myself."

Liam nodded, still smiling that Lips had approved.

"Well, Kayleigh, good work. You've impressed me, and by the looks of things, you've impressed Liam as well." He offered her a small nod in appreciation and then one to Liam.

"Thank you for your time, boss."

Returning the nod, Liam moved to stand. He reached for Kayleigh's chair, continuing to be that dapper gentleman.

At Lips" words, she dipped her head in a singular nod. "Thank you. I plan to continue to keep the both of you impressed, as time progresses." She offered a smile, and when Liam reached for her chair, she used her feet to nudge it out enough for her to to stand, and let him pull it out the rest of the way. She took a step to the side so he could push it back under the table, and waited quietly.

"Lookin" forward to it myself," Lips said with a nod and a smile.

At his words, Kayleigh flashed him another smile.

Nodding to his Captain once more, he placed his hand on Kayleigh's lower back again and proceeded to escort her through the restaurant, and towards the front door. Gino joined them about midway through, walking a bit ahead of them to ensure that he grabbed the front door. With a push of the the front door, Gino walked out, holding it for the two.

When Liam's hand found her lower back, her attention turned completely over to him, and he was flashed a smile as well. After that, she was silent, the whole entire time he led her back through the restaurant, and then through the doors that Gino held open for them. The whole entire time, there was a slight bounce in her step. She was pleased with herself. Liam's Dark Angel had done well, hadn't she"

Gino opened the door to the car and held it for them as well, while Mault stole another look up and down at Kayleigh. He bit his lip a little, shaking his head as well as his hand, as he admired her figure one last time.

Once the car door was opened, Kayleigh, ducked in through the door, and sat, far enough over so that Liam could sit.

"Buonanotte, Liam."

"Altrettanto Gino." Liam replied as he ducked into the car after Kayleigh. After the door closed he looked to his companion with a boyish smirk.

"So," he began. "The sex is that great??