Along the Detroit River is a stretch of walkway lined with lush garden scenery and quaint storefronts that offer a quiet place to meet friends and take a moment for some quiet reflection during your time in Detroit:

The Detroit Riverwalk

This finely manicured walk features meandering paths through flower gardens, long storefronts housing cafés, souvenir stores, a pastry shop, newspaper stand and even a small penny arcade. Various ships can be spotted cresting the waters of the Detroit River on their way to Lake Erie. A tourist boat can be chartered for a pleasant ride along the banks of the city, some even offering sunset dinner cruises with an evening skyline backdrop. If you have some time to spend in Detroit, you could do much worse than a few hours at the Riverwalk.

Another trip to Detroit...this one pleasure, not business. After hitting a bounty with their car, Abbey had been struggling with some rather morose introspection and life-questioning thoughts. Michael thought it might be nice to return to Detroit and visit the riverwalk that he'd seen under construction on their last pass-through. There were plenty of things to do to occupy just about anyone here, and after the couple disembarked their plane and booked a hotel, a cab was summoned and they were on their way to an afternoon spent doing something other than work.

Michael took his wife's hand as they exited the cab onto the Detroit Boardwalk. It was a crisp December evening and Abbey was a bit more bundled up than most of the locals; still not quite used to the colder weather of the Midwest. For Michael, who had spent many a cold evening in New York City, it felt more like home, which brought on both a sweet melancholy and a bitter resentment all at once.

They wandered into the warm inside of a riverside cafe nestled in a well tended flowered section of the walkway and took a seat inside to gain a small reprieve from the chill outside. They waited for their drinks, and Abbey caught Michael staring at her across the table where they each had the hand of the other.

"Do you remember when we met, Abbey? I was twenty minutes from sleeping on a city bench when I bumped into you. You're the greatest bit of luck I've ever had in my entire life."

He was stuck looking at her, running his thumb over her fingers in his hand.

"There are some nice people left in the world, Michael. Perhaps not as...nice...as I was on that first night," she said with a coy twist of her lips, "but in my defense, you're not the average joe. You're not the average anything," she said, placing her free hand on top of his over hers, encasing it. People filtered in and out of the cafe, and Abbey simply sat, staring at her husband as her coffee got cold and she wondered how she'd gotten so lucky as to find the one thing others took a lifetime to find. 

"Sorry about the bounty deal. I guess it all came out alright in the end, but that wasn't very professional of me. I just...I didn't know. I still don't. There are some truly awful people out there and I know we're doing something to get them straightened out, but, damn. I hope either I harden up or they soften up," she said, watching as the riverwalk lights came on due to the setting sun.

Michael cracked a half smile. He knew the whole episode had been rough on Abbey, hell, it would have been rough on anyone, but the vision of Matteo flipping over the hood of their car was the first thing to pop into his head. He tightened his grip on Abbey's hand and leaned across the table to kiss her.

"You don't need to harden up, darling," he said as he stood from the table, waiting for her to follow, "you've got a wonderful heart and no reason to change it."

They walked through the gardens near the river as the chilled night crept over their cheeks and fingers. The blooms of the gardens were still vibrant even with only the artificial light to illuminate them, and suddenly Michael had a wash of feeling like everything was right in the world and there was absolutely nowhere on Earth he'd rather be in this exact moment that here holding his wife's hand in this garden. Lights and ribbons were hung from the lampposts along the path of deep greens and reds, hinting at the holidays to come.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Michael asked Abbey as she lay her head against his shoulder under one of the lights.

Before she could answer, two men passed them by, trench collars pulled high and hat brims pulled low. They seemed to think this afforded them some privacy, and perhaps weren't talking as quietly as they should have been. Abbey heard the word 'heirloom' as they went by, and she was pretty sure that, despite being surrounded by gardens, they wern't talking about tomatoes or roses. The words 'Los Angeles' and 'missing' and 'reward' floated back to her ears, and she quietly spun Michael back in the direction they'd come in order to follow the tip.

"For Christmas, I want a non-violent case," she said hastily.

Justin nonchalantly walked alongside the Detroit river, before halting his walk and sitting down on wooden chair overview the waterfront. The mob life wasn’t what he expected, if he would’ve know it was so bad he would’ve stuck with music. But no, he got fooled by the thought of money and hookers, leaving the killing part on the side.

The rough thing was shooting other people. It’s not like he had the choice thought, it was that or his death. Not long ago, three crews took control of Detroit and he was called at the front lines to start shooting some bodyguards in order to weaken them. Every shot he took felt like a bullet of guilt hitting him back, hitting harder and harder each time. He had barely killed any of them, two or three, but he still felt like a piece of shit.

He sat there, hands over his head, a single tear running down his face. Maybe if he was lucky, he would someone nice here.

Detroit.

Maddix had found himself wandering around Detroit. The Detroit Riverwalk to be more precise.

As he walked along the river, he observed the various "sheep" blindly move around, totally oblivious to the world around them and to the one who now walked amongst them. They really had no clue. What must that be like? God it must be so mind numbingly boring. While ignorance is bliss, it also gets you killed.

Why did no-one see that?

Coming to a stop outside a cafe, Maddix decided to take a seat and continue his observation of those around him. Sitting down, he pulled a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from his jacket pocket, he lit a cigarette, pausing for a few moments to watch the flame of his lighter before putting it out and returning it back to his jacket. Taking a long drag from the cigarette, holding it in longer than necessary, enjoying the burn before releasing the smoke into the air. 

A quick glance at his watch told him that it was still early but still a few hours until he could get back to Vegas. Turning his attention back to the Riverwalk, his "Jekyll and Hyde" mind quickly began to form a plan that would save him from the horrors of boredom. Taking another drag from the cigarette, he leaned back in the chair and waved over a passing waitress.

If he was going to be stuck here awhile, he needed a drink before the fun began. 

Still shaking her head at what she'd witnessed at the last stoplight, Briya cruised the outskirts of the riverwalk behind the wheel of her lovely, stolen '24 Rolls Royce boat-tail Silver Ghost. It was winter, and much, much too cold to have the roof down, but she found the icy breeze a pleasant smack to the senses. She had the heater turned on high and the vents pointing downwards, just enough heat blasting down her lap to keep her feet from freezing on the gas and brake pedals. A cigarette dangled lazily from her nearly-numb lips, which almost betrayed her and nearly dropped the damn thing when she spotted Maddix_Cruz seated at an outdoor cafe', nursing a cocktail and studying the sheep around him in a way that only he could. Nonchalant, yet purposeful and calculating. 

She'd had no intentions of actually stopping at the riverwalk; the entire place and everything in it reeked of happy couples and lovely beginnings. Briya wasn't morose, nor bitter, about such things (falling victim to the occasion ghost of someone else's memory notwithstanding), but she wasn't looking for them, either.

Maddix was different, though. He felt like a brother, or a playmate...and the whole country was their toybox. A grin spread her lips as she removed the cigarette from her mouth with one hand and waved frantically with the other to get his attention.

"MADDIX! Come for a ride! You must see what the silly sheep are up to today!" She yelled, knowing he'd get a kick out of what she'd witnessed at the Exquisite Heaven.

Nefer walked to the place where a small and informal meeting was held in Detroit. She found the place called "The Detroit Riverwalk" and there were some people sitting comfortably talking in small groups.

"Hi, can you tell me what time it is?" Nefer asked a seated gentleman holding a handsome pocket watch.

"It's 4:00 p.m. now, young lady," the lord replied politely.

"Oh thank you," Nefer replied, then headed for a yellow bench with blank details in order to sit and wait for the others. Apparently she had gotten too early for the meeting so that way had some time to read the newspaper and update herself on what had been going on in Detroit.

Thoros killed a gang of singers apparently. Oh lord that guy, she thought while some olds good memories came to her mind of adventures lived together when both were young and living in New York.

It was freezing cold out an Tony was walking alongside the lake on the Detroit banks looking across at the Canadian banks.  As he strolled along two black cars followed behind him to include he pearl colored Cadillac.  There were a few men in front of him and a few behind him.  They all were bundled up the sun was out but the wind off the lake held a bitter bite each time it crossed the lake. 

Tony wanted time to think time was precious and having it was a luxury to be cherished.  He wanted to see Sicily to see his brother and Little Katy Dicaprio.  To eat real Sicilian food the favors that roared with each bite.  He wanted to hear his native language hear his native songs and see the small towns history for some but home to him. 

Detroit was a city that seem to keep him coming back over and over again.  The Detroit Combination was not small in terms of power but tight because the numbers were small so they truly knew each other as a brotherhood should.  Much like Vegas Philly and LA.  Tony spent time in Chicago and New York those cities had a lot of action but the population large with great money making potentials.  Chicago and the five families six if you include Buffalo. 

Breaking into the rackets was never easy because whatever you do you well either step on someone toes or draw someone's attention.  Either way it will require tact and force.  The key is when to use each and with full force without going overboard.   Tony shook his head as he wondered why his cousin Frank wanted to come to America.  Why live in such a volatile place get ahead means get dead.  In Sicily that share ideas its has wars but never like here every three to five years to cleanse the bad blood.   

Tony stood facing Canada again and then he saw a four small boats arrive and men on the Detroit side jumping out of trucks running to the boats.  Then returning carrying boxes and repeating that process over and over again.  His Canadian Whiskey had arrived and he wanted to know who's toes did he just stepped on.  He gave a wave of his hand and returned to the cars as the warm air from the heated car hit his face he then realized how cold it really was. 

Dam take me home Cecil. 

Comes in and do a MoonWalk so Detroit will have some fun again soon.

Atom was on clean up duty and still in training. After long hours in the alleyways of Detroit, popping the bodyguards of the infamous Durden gang, Atom stopped by the business district to grab some refreshments. 

At the the Detroit Riverwalk, he sat one of the benches along a path in their gardens. After taking some sips from his flask, he tightened his coat a lay down on the bench for a nap.

Briya stopped along the riverwalk and looked over the menu posted in the glass of one of the windows. The bistro inside had several light fare options on offer, so she pulled open the door and stepped inside. Greeted immediately by a young hostess, she was directed to a table near the windows and offered a seat. 

"Thank you. May I have a club sandwich and a bellini, please?" She asked, then reached inside her purse for a cigarette. Lighting it from the candle on the table, she leaned back and exhaled, watching as seagulls spun circles in the sky outside. The water was choppy today; it looked as if weather was coming. Even still, this place had the edge over Vegas in one way...the water. Back home, she would be staring at an ocean of sand.

When Briya had told him on the phone she was planning to check out the Riverwalk in Detroit today; Brancer made an immediate mental decision to change his flight back to Vegas. Instead he wished to surprise her. The cool air of the water was refreshing. 

After strolling through most of the riverwalk, Brancer caught a glimpse of his knockout wife looking through the bistro window. She was smoking a cigarette watching the seagulls whose songs had been entertaining Brancer from overhead. He made for the door hoping she was too lost in thought to notice him. Once inside he walked up from behind her at her table. He leaned in as if to whisper to her from beside her. When she turned to look he smiled and kissed her lips immediately.

"I'm starved. How is the menu?"

Brancer said as he made use of the chair across from her and pulled out a cigarette. 

"Everything looks good," she replied, staring at him, rather than at the menu. She slid it across the table to him as her drink arrived and, after Brancer ordered, the waitress departed again, shaking her head. The pair were giving off an air of pure lovesickness, and she'd only ever encountered two types of people who did that...adulterers and newlyweds. With a smirk, she'd find out when she loudly presented them with free desserts later on for 'the happy couple'.

"How was...where the hell were you again? Chicago? Philly?" She asked, then downed half her bellini. "I wonder if it's safe for me to go back there yet," she wondered aloud. She kinda liked Philly, and hated the idea of not being able to return once in a while.

"Was doing a little clean up in Philly."

A smirk formed across his lips as he thought about the recent trip. Philadelphia was recovering quickly from the recent outbreak of dead Mafioso. The police there had their work cut out for them with the body guards piling up in the streets.

"I think with all the recent action in the city of brotherly love; the incident the other night will be cold soon if not already. Trust me the towns in a scramble."

The waitress had returned with Briyas club sandwich and Brancer's reuban he had ordered.  He picked up his Bellini that was sparked by Briya's order. Normally he would have gone with a mimosa, but he trusted her tastes. He took a drink and was pleased with the choice. He had been staring over at her lost. His sandwich would be feeling neglected if it had the ability.

"Oh, right food."

He said with a chuckle and shake of his head. Brancer had better be careful; otherwise, his new bride might get him caught off guard one day. He began to eat the sandwich. It tasted delicious. Anything might when you hadn't eaten in so long.

A bit of silence descended as they ate, but it wasn't uncomfortable by any means. In between bites, Briya would point at something outside the window that she found interesting. Almost anything was, when you weren't around large bodies of water on a regular basis. Seagulls dove for fish, the occasional watercraft floated past. 

'I wish we had an ocean back home," she said, then blinked. Wouldn't that be something? A man-made lake, out there in the middle of Nevada? Lake Mead wasn't far, sure, but what if they could put one right there in Summerlin? She backburnered the thought for now; there were so many things she'd like to do, but whether she ever would find the time or money or even the patience to do them all was another thing entirely.

"Are you satisfied? I mean, have you done all that you dreamed of ever doing? I wonder that, sometimes. If you hadn't blazed this trail with me, what would you have done differently...?" Everything that she'd achieved, everything she had, weren't things she thought of in terms of herself. It was always 'they'. But that didn't mean Brancer didn't have his own hopes or plans.

"Where would Fiorenzo Brancer be today, what would he be doing if he wasn't married to a godfather?" She reiterated, then snorted into her drink. Under the table, her heel moved forward until it came to a rest against his leg.

The idea of an ocean in Las Vegas made him smile. He looked out at the water. There were a few things he missed about his original home in New York. The thought was quickly brushed aside when he thought of Vegas once more. Summerlin had rapidly taken its place as home.  So many new memories had already been set in stone.

Briya's question had stopped Brancer from throwing out a few names for a desert ocean. He cocked his head to the side when asked if he were satisfied. Their sandwiches a thing of the past, Brancer pulled out another cigarette and lit it with his treasured lighter as she asked again. Smoke flew out in spurts as he laughed.  "godfather wife?" He thought to himself. His eyes went wide for a second and he squinted his eyes at her playfully when her heel found his leg.

"Here in all likelihood. If you wouldn't have came into the Flying Ivories and hustled me at dice... Yeah Paulie told me bout your pro showing of your hand before picking up the dice.  I guess I was just as distracted by your presence back then... I would have shortly thereafter made the move with the Lower Class Brats. Anything could have happened. I dont ever think about it really. I didn't have much choice in the matter."

Brancer took another drag from his cigarette. He was studying her as he spoke. He wondered what made her ask about the matter. Was she worried or just curious?

"Once you came into the picture I stopped thinking in that mindset. I knew all hope was lost of me pulling away from you."

His eyes darted down at the table and he smirked as the waitress made her way back with fresh drinks.

Briya thought it through, and he was correct. He would indeed be a Detroit resident, and likely an upstanding member of Serana's godfather crew. 

Whether or not he'd have married her, well...Briya didn't want to go down that rabbit hole.

"Seems the Detroit curse is broken, at least. Good news, there. Remember when you couldn't even set foot in the city because of all the murders? I know a lot of people that lost good men here. A lot of good men," she said, shaking her head. Back in those days, she didn't have a boatload of men surrounding her, she simply couldn't afford it. It wasn't hard to slip in and out of the city for the occasional drug deal or sweep, but there simply weren't enough people around to make anyone want to stay. The city had no heart, or vitality to it. 

All that was different, now, Briya thought as she watched the hustle and bustle of the city beyond the riverfront. 

"Feel like tying one on? There's this bar I never got to visit while the owner was still alive. Not sure if her next of kin is keeping it going, but I wouldn't mind paying it a visit, if you're up for it. I'm sure it's five o'clock somewhere," she said with a wink.

"It's called the Muscle Lounge? I hear they have all these drink specials...but honestly I just want to watch the bartender's head spin when one of us orders a negroni," she smirked. The waitress came back around with their new drinks, and behind her, the chef carried a platter with two Devil's food cake slices that were large enough to give someone diabetes. 

"You look like you two are celebrating, so desserts are on us!" The woman chirped, waiting for some sort of dramatic fallout. 

"Well, thank you!" Briya answered happily. "How'd you know? We just got married," Briya replied, totally confused by the flicker of disappointment that crossed the woman's features. Weird.