Truth be told, I didn’t want any part of any of the bullshit that Rom was part of. Unfortunately, I had already agreed to all of this and I certainly wasn’t one to go back on my word. I’d do the work, get the affairs in order like I said I would, but I’d be looking over my shoulder the entire time. There were people out there willing to take whatever shots they could at Rom, and I was just as much a target as him just from dealing business this way.

Part of next trusted Rom. He was just looking for what most of us here were looking for as well, a nice little nest egg to settle upon. He didn’t strike me as the type that was vying for power. He just wanted to be comfortable. Slip into the anonymity that the rest of us craved. Then again, I wasn’t expecting anything to happen but it did anyways, so, what the fuck did I know.

The time for subtly or looking over my shoulder had passed. If this was it, the final calling card, than so be it. I certainly wasn’t going to live the rest of my life in fear. That wasn’t anyway to live at all.

Hanging my jacket in the rack by the door, I made my way through the maze of tables over towards where Rom sat. I could see he was in a somewhat heated discussion with someone I didn’t recognize, probably someone who worked for him, so I waited until the man departed, leaving Rom alone at the table.

All of this was supposed to be nice and simple which immediately made me think that none of it would be. Nothing was ever easy in these parts. Still, I was going to do what was asked of me. I was never in the business of reneging on deals and I wasn’t about to start now.

”Hello Rom.” I stated matter of factly as I pulled up an empty chair to the table, “All taken care of.”

I passed the briefcase underneath his seat, pushing it the last foot or two with an outstretched leg.

After getting a steak dinner, he noticed that Grayson had walked in, and he wanted to devour the steak but it seemed business came first. Deciding to set it aside, he could eat it cold if he wished, he didn't really care. Actually he did, placing it back in front of him, he started divvying up the meat.

"Gray, it's good you're here. After this shipment, a lot of our business is going to be changing. I'll tell you the truth, I was in debt to a few people out of town. Bad fuckers, they were out west, Las Vegas types, and they decided that if I didn't pay, I would be well knocked and buried in a desert."

Rom continued talking, the way his eyes moved around the room with ease and now a slight worry. Seemingly like he had eyes in the back of his head, he was on the lookout for anything that could be the slightest threat to him.

"I owed them a few million, two million dollars. That debt has been squared away for now, it's been paid by outside parties who wish for me to become their distribution here in the United States. Starting in Michigan, specifically, Detroit. This family is known back in Mexico, a real bunch of bad cats...now, I need a partner, someone who understands their role and who's looking to make more than a few thousand bucks on a little dealing avenue."

Rom knew what he was implying, yet if Grayson wanted the job he could get it with ease. This was his chance to be by his side, of course, Gerry would have expected to get that promotion but after Chicago, the man had lost his trust, where the fuck had he been?

"I want you on board with me in this business, it's bigger. It's more dangerous and it's definitely a lot more lethal. We'd be the distribution of cocaine, heroin, and barbiturates. This is more than a briefcase filled with drugs, this is warehouses, trucks, and armed guards. I need you to be ready, if you want it, that is."

Leaning forward, he started devouring the steak, watching Grayson as he sat opposite him. The man had made it clear that he had some intentions of business, this was something DickGrayson could have easily made himself a true and well-earned king in the business. 

"I'm offering the chance of a lifetime, not because of fast cars and women. No cause there is only one way out and I need you to be fucking sure that you are here to be a partner and one that I can rely on..."

Giving the man a small smirk, bowing his head in slight respect as to relieve some tension...

"Nice threads..."

New in the city and still getting to acclimate himself with Detroit, Steve roamed the streets, meeting the residents that were true born and bred lifers of the city, picking up small nuggets of wisdom and learning the lay of the land.

To his surprise, one staple that kept coming up over and over again was the same recommendation for a long-established club in the city.  SteveRambo was a man with tastes; and it appeared that Motor City was more open to his preferences than what he was accustomed to in his travels across the United States.

Steve pulled out a card to verify the address of the building, making particular note to use the back alley, as it was much easier to access than the normal entryway that serviced the plebeians.  As he nodded at a young man that looked like a sous chef, he eventually was confused to find himself in a dining hall.

Steve got the attention of a nearby staff member, perplexed as to where he was.  As he began to utter his question, he noticed a waiter rolling by a tray of freshly cooked food.  As he looked on, the name of the establishment, Blackhawk Restaurant, greeted customers at the entryway.

"..It seems I've misinterpreted things."

Steve sighed, reached into his wallet, and gave the staff member a crisp $10 bill.

"For your trouble."

Steve walked out through the front entrance and shrugged.

"What a bust."

“Honestly,” I stared down Rom from across the table, “I don’t particularly care about the money. Or the prestige for that matter.”

It didn’t make much sense for me to be dealing with all of this. There were plenty of safer avenues that I could have taken, especially with Emma and Jason at home but there was just something about this work that called to me. I was good at this, even if I tried to fight against it. Sure, it was a pay check and it would get my name out there but there was more to this life than bank rolls and fame. I would probably be better off flying under the radar at this point. 

Even as I sat across from Rom, my mind was elsewhere. That was a dangerous proposition in of itself. As soon as my attention began to split, I knew that I was leaving myself open to a bad ending, for everyone involved. I didn’t know much about him, other than what I heard as gossip, but it was enough that I didn’t want to leave him out to dry. The last thing I needed were more enemies breathing down my neck. 

I finally broke my silence after a long sigh, “I’ll take care of what I need to Rom but, I don’t think that I’m the guy you’re looking for. I can’t do this half assed and that’s where my mind is at this point. There are far too many outside forces pulling me in each and every direction. That’s not fair to you. You’ve got yourself a nice little set up here, with the potential to expand. I’ve done enough bad in this world, spread enough fear and pain that I’d like to step away, make a clean break if you will.”

I studied the man as I spoke. He didn’t give me much, keeping that stone face look as he picked at his steak. The last thing I needed right now was to bite the proverbial hand that feeds. Rom had worked this to the last tiny detail, the last thing he needed now was someone only half paying attention.

”Like I said, I’ll do what I can to push things along, I've still got a decent amount of contacts around this country but, I can’t be as hands on as I’d like to be. There is far too much at stake now.”

I tried my best to not give away too much information. It was bad enough that I knew all the details, I didn’t need anyone else learning them as well.

”If you find yourself in a bind, I’ll still just be a call away but I can’t jump into the fire with both feet anymore. I hope you can understand that.”

To show him that I was serious, I slid my colt out of the waist band of my pants, ejecting the bullet in the chamber before popping the clip out and laying it in front of myself stop the table.

"I understand, there isn't the devotion to the service you have, you have other businesses and other people to attend too. I don't want it to seem like this is a must. So do not think this is anything you need to do, you have the role you were given and you're excelling at it. I don't think I want to give you any more than you have already currently. That wouldn't be right for either of us, it would put more pressure on my operation and you would not be focused on all that we need here."

His hands stopped for a moment, his food being forgotten. He knew that things were needed differently now, the way he had to work would be adjusted, but he had people in mind, Grayson was a good man and had a nice way of doing things. 

"I understand that, the way we're doing things, it's good to know that you're thinking about the future of your career. I know that I couldn't keep you here when you're not focused on what we want to do here Gray."

Grayson was a good man, he had a way of making money and keeping the operation but it was too much for things like this. If the man believed that he wasn't ready for the bigger commitments, he wasn't going to be pushed into making them, he would need someone else to assist him and as he said, he had someone in mind. 

"You put the gun back, there's no need for it and this place is class, if you were going to be wacked it wouldn't be on my terms. You're a good man and you've assisted me in this, so what do you want to do? Keep your role as it is or would you like to slowly ease out? You've helped with the first package..."

He smiled now, letting the man have a moment to himself. Gray could easily leave this now, he had a chance, he had been given the money after this job, he could afford himself luxury. After this entire job in fact, Gray had earned that, Rom only went back to eating his steak and potatoes. 

"Once you have a think about it, DickGrayson, don't think you have to do this. You've earned this kind of right, you've helped me in my small business now. We're moving into bigger territories now...so, how do you want to play this? Take your time, have your thoughts and let me know."

Bowing his head, Rom started eating and waited, understanding that Grayson could leave. He had to get people ready if one of his dealers had to leave. It was a big decision allowing them leave, but he could not let someone who was half in and out of the game work with him. 

Rom didn't know exactly how to feel, the moments like this in life, were few and far between. Ones where you would grasp life, taking that nose-deep dive and deciding, this is what you wanted. With everything and every single part of your body, he motioned for Finn, his driver to slow it down as he made it to Abby's Automotive, she worked out of here? So, she lived her as well? That was surprising, not entirely but now he understood a bit of this...

Stepping forward, he noticed Finn eying him ever so slightly faint amusement. The man clearly was holding back a little laugh at his boss' predicament, Rom shook his head, this wasn't the time for such things. Stepping forward, Rom knocked on the garage door. The sun setting and it was getting close to midnight, Abby-Whitehill had given him this address. 

He wasn't exactly dressed to the nines, yet Rom didn't wear his usual casual clothing. He opted for a simple two-piece tailored blue suit, the collar was up, ever so slightly tickling his stubble. His cool grey eyes, settled, yet there was that faint smile as he waited. The faint smile did not actually leave as he waited, he wished to see her...that moment, replaying in his head. 

And once he did, he was sure that no one could compare, the way she looked was stunning. Nothing compared to such a woman, he was sure that soon, Shakespeare's most performed play would have started to seep into his mind. With nothing more, he almost stepped forward, wishing to be much closer to her, as if wishing to sate something within him.

"I do not think, I have seen a more beautiful in my life, I did not know...perfection would look this enticing."

With that, a pinkish-hue came onto his hollowed cheeks. He took her hand, still watching her as he ever so slightly back step, with her hand still in his. Opening the car door for her, he would let her get in first as the trip to the Blackhawk would not be that long. Yet he found that he did not mind, as long he could be with her, something about this, well, it made him giddy...something he had not felt in a while.

Abby had lied.  She didn't have a dress she felt good about and so she had gone out shopping.  The cherry red satin dress flared at the waist which was sinched with a black belt.  The top was sleeveless but swooped only modestly above her breasts.  Her hands were covered in long black satin gloves that she immediately regretted when she saw the casual way her date was dressed.  Her red pumps took her demure height to a slightly taller level which she was sure would be comfortable for dancing if her partner decided they should try their hand at it.  One side of her chestnut hair was pinned back but over all her hair was kept long and to her shoulders.  Her face was painted up perfectly, if she said so herself, which she did.  In truth, Abby hadn't felt this pretty in a long time and when Rom commented on it, her blush matched his.

"You're too sweet."  She said in a soft voice.  "I'm really looking forward to this.  I can only imagine what it looks like inside that place.  I've driven past it quite a bit but never gone in.  Do you visit it often?"  She allowed him to hold the door of the car for her and she slid down inside.

Entering after her, he sat next to her as he looked her with a slight smirk. Still, his eyes had to admire the dress and how she looked, it was making him speechless, to a degree. Rom had never once thought of leaving it before finally, hearing her words and giving her the attention that he wished to give.

"It's amazing. I visit a lot, on business, I'm pretty sure that they would have a drink ready for him considering the reservation."

One thing he didn't actually hide, the way his brow raised at her seemingly as he could the ever so slight pinkish on her cheeks at his comment. He did not know what he could do, how he wished to ever so slightly reach out and touch her softly. Yet not trusting himself, he simply adopted for a soft look that reached his eyes. 

"You've never been, at all? Now that's just not fair, it is truly an amazing experience. It is one of the best experiences you can have on a night out, and since you did request, I have...prepared myself for some dancing."

With this, a roll of his eyes was all he needed to do, yet there was a smile, one that still held the excitement he had before. He didn't know to explain it, being here, feeling something that was truly inexperienced before. Only being this way in terms of his civilian-like career before, so it was foreign and it didn't know how to place it. 

"What are you looking to forward to most, Abby?"

His voice took a soft turn, as it had always during this moment. Finn was close to the Blackhawk, they had just passed The Tops, surprisingly, many people entering. He had never even noticed that the man had started driving his focus had obviously been elsewhere. Rom slowly began leaning forward, Rom placed his hand ever so slightly closer to hers, his lips twitching up in a small nervous smile

"Getting to know you.  Our talk at the park was nice but we're still strangers.  I'm sure there must be a million things we can share about our lives.  You're clearly witty, and willing to take chances - at least with dancing and dates with unknown women, but I suspect there's a good deal more about you to learn."  

Abby turned her knees toward him so they were facing one another.  "So, maybe should start at the beginning, proper introductions and all that... maybe tell each other a little about where we come from - family and all that."  she tilted her head to the side slightly.  "Tell me... who did I get into this car with?"

"Well there is...some things, a lot of things I am not proud of and others that are my greatest achievement."

He smiled at her, how much should he tell her? Just the other day he had told a practically unknown man that he was a gangster, parts of his life were shrouded in unknown mystery to some and here he was. A man who was once the shining jewel of Chicago and now he was nothing more than one of Detroit's biggest distributors. 

"My name is Romulus, Rom for short. I....used to be a basketball player in Chicago, I won a few championships with my team. From there, I was riding a wave after wave of popularity, I was untouchable in the eyes of the news and the radio, I was relatively a man who surpassed others in the basketball arena. I ran into some trouble, I racked up quite a few debts."

He sniffed, ever so slightly turning his head from here. He didn't know how exactly this was going to go, he knew, Rom could see it in her eyes. She was observant, the way he stated it, past tense. How exactly did he get all of this? How did he get a driver? All of that was something that he didn't know how to explain. 

"There is more, just depends on how much you want to know, lass. Now I'm...overseeing a Casino in Detroit, I have investors, partners, and people who look to me as a man of means. Who can get a job done."

A now bitter smile played at his lips, he didn't smother it at all. It was best she saw it, he didn't wish to hide too much and seem as if he was holding out on her. 

"I have parents in New York, a family to look after, really. They don't know about this though, me and being the one that people come to. Tell me about you, Abby, what should I know about the woman of mystery who is sitting with me in this car?"

He matched her, tilting his head, curious but also with a slight playful intent as he watched her.

Abby listened as Rom talked.  She nodded at a few things he said and seemed engaged with everything he offered.  When he asked her about herself she took a breath.

"Well first, let me say I love your name.  I mean, it sounds old and fancy.  I like that.  Romulous.  Rolls off the tongue.  Secondly, I've never played basketball before, maybe sometime ya can take me to a game and teach me a bit about it?  I hear the games can be quite exciting but I admit I know nothing about how it's played or how one wins."

She crossed her legs and looked thoughtful.  "I'm from Utica orginally.  Not far from here.  Factory rat.  I worked on the floor of a textiles place for a long time, well, at least until the fire.  A few folks I knew didn't get out.  That was the final straw for me.  I just couldn't do it no more.  I figured that livin' wasn't worth doin' if all I was doin' was waitin' to die.  So... I'm getting busy living before the reaper catches me.  I got an investor and he helped me open up my garage.  I do a lot of different kinds of work there.  Learned the trade from my father.  He died a few years back.  Damn happy he left me knowing a trade though."

She nodded to herself.  "Not a lot of women in that line of work... come to think of it, not a lot of women in anything I do with my time these days.  I got friends, ya know, they look out for me now and make sure I'm safe out there.  Or, if I'm not, you can bet they'd have somethin' too say about it."

Blushing ever so slightly at the praise, he only now noticed that Finn had arrived. He noticed a few people watching him, he shook his head, wondering why they had to be here now? Deciding not to remove the ruin, he stepped out of the car, giving them a simple nod in passing as he moved to Abby's door, opening it as he helped her step out, taking her hand as he did with softness. 

"My name is...often a curse for me. My parents chose it because they expected big things from me, I think I did them well. I'd loved to teach you, of course, Basketball isn't something I do that often buut....yeah, maybe you can school me."

With that, he chuckled, placed an arm around her waist as they slowly made it towards the front doors of the Blackhawk. This was definitely not what he expected, due to them being here, of course, just when he wished for normalcy, once. Given Finn a look, the man nodded and went on his way to talk with them.

"Heh, I love that, Abby. It's....amazing actually, I did the same. I couldn't sit back and make the same money I did in the league, so I broke out and now I'm making so much that sometimes I don't know what to do with it."

He hummed, there was something there, in which the way she spoke. He would not lie that it drew him certainly, the way she obviously made herself become a different person that wished to live for herself. One that did not wish for the repair to take her without having a good time at the very least. It was something that he could respect and connect to. 

"Same with my old man, he taught me the game and got me ready, it was a pleasure learning from him in that area. He passed things onto me that no one else ever taught me, things that I wouldn't have learned elsewhere."

It was good that she still had connections, he didn't. Rom didn't wish to leave connections where people could be used against him, yet, with her here. A connection, one that was obviously forming here. There was no fear for him, nothing that would have held him back.

"At least they're making sure you're safe, lass. They want to make sure that you're doing well and following what you want, eh? Because that's what this is all about, the excitement, the enjoyment of the big cities....am I right?"

Rom finally made it in with his arm still attached to her waist as he found himself standing opposite the maître D'. The man looked at him with something like respect, then fear, it was most definitely a mixture of both...

"Romulus-"

Coughing ever so slightly, the maître D' caught his eye. Bowing his head in respect before correcting himself, at that moment, Rom gave Abby a soft smile, hoping that she didn't exactly catch on. 

"Rom, we have your booth, privacy or slight as you wished. Would you like some wine to start you off, for you and your lovely date this evening?"

Rom's brow rose ever so slightly, giving Abby a little look, asking what she wished for with that boyish grin a little more prominent on his lips.

"Wine sounds great."  Abby said with a nod.  As they walked toward their table Abby couldn't hide her amazement at the decor and all the fancy people dressed up for their dinner and entertainment.  She'd never been anywhere like this and certainly never with a date quite like Romulous.  

She allowed her chair to be pulled out for her and then sat down smoothing out her dress as she did so.  "This really is a remarkable place.  I don't know what I was expecting to be honest but this wasn't it."

She picked up the menu and glanced at it.  For a moment she was horrifed to find the new menu didn't feature prices on food.  She didn't want to take advantage of her date and buy the most expensive thing on the menu so she'd have to be wise about it. 

Chicken is often cheaper than steak or seafood so I'll order chicken...

"This all looks so delicious.  You must never get tired of eating from this menu."  She looked up at him and met his eyes, "What's your favorite?"

"It never does really, I come here often and enjoy my time. It finds me with a little moment to enjoy what I can do in my business, tell me, how do you find working in the automotive business? I'm curious. I've never quite met someone like you..."

He sat down opposite her, noticing the few looks he was getting from the people. Yet he never really paid that any mind, he could see the way she eyed the menu. Was she worried again in some form? Rom didn't like that, nothing should be worried about right now. 

"Order what you wish, lass. This is going to be on me, alright? No need to worry, as you've seen, I'm something of a personality here."

With that, an ever playful grin rested on his lips as he found himself leaning forward. He didn't know exactly what it was but he looked around, now noticing the waiter coming towards them. 

"Really? This place is often my go-to, I don't wish to sound a little privileged. You can understand that, right? Wishing to earn your place in the world, working so hard to get there, taking every single opportunity to do so. Deciding then, you could let the good times roll?"

Releasing a small sigh, he didn't know what was going on. Yet that statement had proven to be truthful for him, opening himself up ever so slightly as he couldn't help but do so. Something just continued pushing him to let her know, with that, the waiter had stepped to up to the table. Settling glasses as he offered them a choice of white or red wine. 

"Which is your choice, Abby? And for me, my favourite has to be the Breaded Pork Chops, it's absolutely exquisite."

Giving her a little look, he had to wonder something, yet maybe that was a little intrusive, he did find himself daring in these moments. 

"Abby, what brought you to the park earlier? I'm assuming it has to do with your many interests in...duck feeding and saving me from quacked."

Again, there it was, a playful grin settled on his lips as he asked her. His dull grey seemingly had much more than a hint of life in them as he watched her.

Frank sat in the restaurant looking at his glass of wine, Frank had been sent to Chicago outfit to work.  His pal Sonny-Black had been killed in a drive by just blocks from his home.   Franks fried breaded pork chops were getting cold along with his fries and gravy.  Frank sat there with Rosa and Rita they didn't say anything because they knew he needed to work through it and find his way.   Frank finished his food and paid for the meals of Rosa and Rita along with his.  They walked out heading toward the car.  The goal was to ensure Frank got some sleep.

Finding something to eat while out on the towns was a more difficult task than one might imagine, especially given how much heat Nutmeg was finding himself in after accidentally joining the mafia. That's when he heard that a mob ran business named The Blackhawk Restaurant was being ran out of Detroit that he decided this would be a good time to try out their particular fare-- so hopping into a car, he ended up there at around six which was the perfect time to eat.

"So what kinda... what kinda food we got here?"

Staring at the menu for a few moments he opted to have something light and pointed at the picture in question. As the waiter went back into the kitchen there was some downtime where Nutmeg could think about the life that he was now leading; was it something that he should be proud of? Could he even get out of it now if he wanted to?

While the thoughts compounded and expanded deep within his mind, he finally was snapped back to reality once the first plate of food was brought out to the table. It was all pretty good, and it kept coming out. Plate after plate, how much did he even order? The man couldn't rightly remember, but he wasn't going to complain about good food.

Once the check arrived he took it in his hands and nodded. This was a lot of money, but he had that to spare these days and so with pulling out a wad of cash he left it all out on the table itself and walked away.

"Good food, thanks.", nodding to the person at the front of the place he left with a full stomach and emptier mind. All was well in the world for this moment, and that's all that mattered. Now it was time to find something to do, what kind of night life did Detroit have?

Rose had made her way into the restaurant prepared for a night of music and dancing. After finding work in Philadelphia and finally getting out of that small town she grew up in, getting sent to a big City like Detroit and being told to have a good time while she was there certainly wasn't hard. She donned a silver dress, and had a matching clutch. Her hair was pinned up so that it wouldn't get in the way while she was dancing. She made her way over to the bar as soon as she walked in. An exquisite place this was too, she expected to pay top dollar for real alcohol, and she did. It wasn't watered down or unsavory like so many of the places she'd been to before.

And so there she sat, scanning the room, looking for a friend, or a gentleman to come and whisk her away for a night of fun.

Issei never had really spent much time in Detroit, one of the places where he enjoyed himself for a while before finding that he could enjoy himself again. He had done so in New York, finding that things just seemed to be a heck of a lot looser and allowed him to not worry too much. Without any more thought, he walked into the Blackhawk, immediately going to the bar as he ordered himself a bourbon, noticing a woman in a silver dress. 

Giving her a small smile, he nodded, already turning his head as he noticed the barkeep giving him a look. What was the problem with barkeeps and their problem with him? Did he earn some of the kind of rep he didn't know about, scoffing, he turned his head. Paying the man and looking around, it seemed like the Blackhawk seemed to have better days, something that was obvious by the way the barkeep was being relaxed and outright bitchy.

Turning his head, he greeted the woman again, noticing the way that she too scanned the room. Only she was probably looking for something else, compared to him at the very least, approaching her with a hand outstretched. He gave her a tiny smile. 

"Hello there, my name's Issei, who are you? Would you like a drink?"

Issei expected, he didn't exactly know if that would work but he found himself offering. Maybe he could strike up and find himself a good friend in the motor city, he found that you could never have enough of those it seemed.

Motioning to the barkeep, letting her get whatever she wanted, it was on him. 

Rose looked the man up and down as he approached, hand outstretched. it was nice to see someone actually introduce themselves rather than just sit down next to her and assume she wanted him there. So, she smiled and shook his hand with a dainty sort of grip.

"Nice to meet you Issei, my name's Rose." She turned and nodded to the bartender. "I'll just have a Gin Rickey." She calmly ordered before turning back to the stranger. "I have to say Issei is an odd name, I've never heard one like that before, you must not be from around here I guess?" Rose patted the stool beside her to invite the young man to sit with her and changed her posture to cross her ankles so she could face him instead of the room at large.

Lucy settled into a seat at the bar.  Brushing a vibrant red strand from her face, she dug into her purse and pulled out a dollar bill that immediately caught the bartender's attention.  "Whiskey, neat please?"

"Absolutely, Ma'am." 

Lucy sighed.  Before her trip to the pen, she'd been Miss.  Now she was a Ma'am.  She never thought growing old would feel wrong, but it did.  Entirely too much.  

Turning her attention to the band she tapped her foot to the tune being played and let her mind wander off to the last time she'd been in Detroit and the madness that had been happening that day so long ago.