The Irish band had taken a break, so the bartenders had cranked up the radio. Gavin was pleased that he actually recognized a song, but his pleasure was short lived.

God damn it, people sucked. Can't even play cards without ruining the goddamn game. Maybe Red thought he could get away with it, but Gavin showing his Ace revealed Red's cheating without a doubt. As soon as Tattoo said "CHEATER!", Gavin was free to move. He stood- not just on his feet, but standing and setting his feet on his chair in one smooth motion, immediately followed by him leaping across the table like a panther and tackling Red. He'd already broken the man's nose and slammed his head back into the floor before a sound behind him made him turn over his shoulder. 

Black Hair had a knife on Bella's throat, but not for long, as he got a bottle in his face. Gavin saw the knife hit the ground, and he was tempted to make a move for it- but Bella was closer. Sticking one of his feet back, he kicked the knife along the floor in Bella's direction. 

The knife skittered across the floor to her hand.  She rose up and spun around just in time to catch the black haired man in the gut.  His face, a sheet of blood flowing from a variety of glass cuts.  His hands holding up a chair above his head ready to bring it down on her head.  Isabella rolled out of the way as he came down on the place she was sitting.  

"DARLING!"  She screamed knowing she'd just killed a man.  It was time to go.  "WE GOTTA GO!"

Gavin glanced at the door, then turned to punch Red one last time. As he and Bella started walking briskly toward the exit, they were greeted by two shotguns: one from the bouncer at the door and another from behind the bar. Gavin sighed and immediately put his hands behind his head, gesturing for Bella to do the same and drop the knife. They were marched into a back room that seemed to be a storeroom, with Gavin talking the whole time repeatedly mentioning a "McLean". The room was cool, damp, and silent as a grave. There were two chairs set up, which soon held Gavin and Bella. One of the boucers bound them both, Gavin first. He could sense Bella looking for a way out, but reassured her with a shake of his head.

"Guarantee we'll be fine. I know the, uh, manager here. These boys are just too new to remember me."

He turned to face the bouncer who was tightening the ropes around Gavin's wrists.

"I'll be honest, Bella, I thought that ropes wouldn't come into our relationship for at least a day or two..."

They were left alone for a few moments, although one of the bouncers seemed to be standing outside the door. Gavin turned to look at Bella with a wry smile.

"Nice job out there, by the way. Handled those punks like nothin'."

Then the heard the voice, enraged and growing louder as it rumbled down the hallway.

"Do you have any fucking idea what happens when someone gets stabbed in your fucking bar?! You lose customers, asshole. No one wants to go to a bar where people get fucking stabbed. Let me see these two motherfuckers who thought they could-"

The portly Irishman who turned the corner- perhaps sixty years old- immediate froze.

"Gavin Fucking Byrne. You son of a bitch."

The older man laughed for a moment, then immediately frowned.

"Why the fuck did you stab someone?"

"He was cheating at the poker table. Ask the Tattoo guy."

McLean turned to one of his bouncers. 

"Go ask him. Now."

He turned back to Gavin, letting his gaze wander to Isabella.

"Cheatin' at cards not a death sentence, boy. You know that."

"Well sure, but pulling a knife is holding it at someone's throat is. Witnesses'll confirm that too."

McLean nodded tentatively, then exited. Gavin turned toward Bella and smirked.

"Old friend of mine. Like I said, we're fine."

McLean returned in a moment, ordering the bouncers to untie Gavin and Isabella. Once they were free, he slapped Gavin on the shoulder and pointed to him while looking to Isabella.

"You're with this son of a bitch, eh? Although from the mess out there, seems like you can keep up with him."

He looked at Gavin quizzically.

"That reminds me... the Moreau job I set you up with you before you left. Someone told me you killed those three bastards with one bullet?"

"Third guy had a heart attack. "

He smirked before continuing.

"Mac, this is Bella. Bella, Mac. Set me up with a few jobs when I was passing through... what is it 9 years ago now?"

Gavin was smiling as they headed out to now almost entirely empty bar, but Mac was practically apoplectic.

"Those fucking bastards are going to ruin my fucking weekend. Look at this place. It's fucking deserted."

Gavin piped up immediately.

"Give us free drinks for a couple hours and we'll head outside. Pull in some new customers."

Mac gave them a once over and then nodded, gruffly adding on the condition that they had to do a good job. A few minutes later, Gavin and Bella were out on the corner of Rue Bishop and Rue St. Catherine. Gavin cracked his neck and undid his top button as a group of young, professional women approached. He flashed an easy grin.

"Ladies! Women as beautiful as you deserved to be as refreshed as the gods... this very bar possesses the bounty of Ireland..."

Bella, meanwhile, noticed a group of young men approaching. They were busy for quite a while. Most people could be persuaded to have a drink, and it tended to be easier when beautiful people were inviting you. Gavin was just finishing up before speaking to Bella.

"- oh, and you'll love the manager. A former priest, until he found true love. Became the stepfather of seven orphans from the Great War. Ask for Mac. Yes, bless you as well."

He smirked as his arm snaked around Bella, resting on her hip.

"You know, we're pretty good at this. If it wasn't getting as boring as shit, I might change my line of work. I think we've paid our debt to Mac there. So what do you say? Back in for a couple more drinks? Maybe a dance? They've got a good Irish band..."

The sounds of an Irish reel emanated from the door, interrupted by occasional hooting and stamping.

"-and they throw big band stuff on the radio when the band's taking a break. Or is too drunk to play. Last thing, not sure if you're comfortable, but we could try to get you a different dress, if you'd like. Or you could slice into that one with some scissors."

Gavin shrugged, extending an arm to Bella waiting to see what she wanted to do first. 

"Help me with it?" she said said motioning to her dress.  Gavin smiled, knelt, and pulled a knife from his boot.  Taking hold of the hem of her dress he slit the bottom and worked his way up the fabric slower than he had to and far higher than was necessary.  He let out a whistle as he could see the length of her bare leg, clad in stockings and a garter that concealed a small Derringer.  

"Like what you see?"

He stood up and took her hand and walked her back into the pub where a rowdy music got her heart pumping.  "I have no idea how to dance to this!"  She said over the din of people talking and the band wailing.

"Follow my lead.  It's not hard to learn - they all can do it drunk!"  He pulled her onto the dance floor and she began a dance that seemed to never end.  She laughed and leaned her head back as she spun on and on.  Her feet were sore and her head was tipsy from gin, laughing so loud, and spinning.  More than a few times she found herself falling over into Gavin's embrace and she was beginning to think that was the point of this Irish dance.  

Smart people the Irish.

The night wore on and a slow song found her in Gavin's arms, this time swaying slowly to and fro.  "I can't remember when I last laughed this much."  Her grin went ear to ear.  "My friends, my crew... they tried to cheer me up, but it ended *SO* bad."  she laughed.

"I love them all so much, and I want to be the best for them and my father - though Lord knows why."  She looked up to Gavin's eyes, "You had a shit father... but, mine wasn't around at all.  Didn't know I was alive.  If he had I'm not sure what that would have looked like.  Our kind of bonding isn't over the typically daddy and daughter shit.  It's over dead bodies and shit tons of cash... we both have a temper, and sometimes I feel like I could hate him almost as easily as I love him.  My mom must have had her reasons for keeping us all apart... and I kinda think I get it now."

"Why is it I can tell you stupid shit like this?  You make me... ramble.  What is it about you Gavin that loosens parts of me that should be as tight as a vault Mr. Byrne?"  She chortled at her own pun.

Gavin savored his whiskey; he'd lost count of which number it was, but he knew he was enjoying himself. He wasn't drunk, but the air had a pleasant buzz and the bar had a similarly pleasant softness. The sun had long since set, and Gavin had lost track of time. He and Bella had thrown themselves into the various dances, neither one having any real idea what they were doing but possessing enough grace and enthusiasm to make it work. They spun in the reels, clasped hands in the jigs, and tried their past to stay out of other peoples' way. 

As the band played a ballad, Gavin laced his fingers at the small of Bella's back as her forearms came to rest on his shoulders. He popped an eyebrow as she mentioned people trying to cheer her up and failing.

"Should I ask what they did? Or would you rather not recall it?"

When the conversation turned to her father, Gavin just listened.

"Why is it I can tell you stupid shit like this?  You make me... ramble.  What is it about you Gavin that loosens parts of me that should be as tight as a vault Mr. Byrne?"  

Gavin glanced down into her eyes, the icy blue of his meeting the warm brown of hers. He couldn't help but smile.

"Uh... charm? Rugged good looks? Sexual energy? Maybe just the fact that I don't feel the need to constantly be talking, particularly if I'm enjoying looking at you. Or drinking, but that first one sounds way better."

He shrugged. When the dance ended, they strolled outside, enjoying the coolness of the air hitting bare skin. God, they'd been drinking and dancing for hours. The moon was high in the sky, bathing the streets and sidewalks in moonlight. Gavin extended his arm and Bella took it. They walked in silence for a few moments before Gavin spoke.

"So a few options. There's a park- Mount Royal- but that's probably better during the day. We could grab a bottle of something and find a grassy spot by the river in the other direction. If you wanted more of what Montreal society has to offer, the only other places open now would probably be clubs. Jazz. Burlesque."

He froze for half a heartbeat before he continued walking with a smile.

"Just had another entire. We could still get a bottle of something, then break into the Sun Life Building. Tallest building in the city. Go check out the roof."

Gavin glanced at Bella, again perfectly content to let her choose their particular path. 

She smiled at all his reasons for why she might find it easy to talk with him.  She suspected the truth was more likely that he expected nothing of her, needed nothing from her... and all he wanted, was her.  She'd felt that once from someone else before.

She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes enjoying the feel of him holding her, just being a comfort to her mind and heart, a balm to her body and soul.  "I think,"  She said softly.  "I would like to see the city from get heights and take a picnic with us.  What's the odds of us sitting up there to watch the sun rise?  We could... take a deck of cards to keep us occupied if you think we'll grow bored and a blanket to snuggle in if we should get cold."

It was bold.  Breaking into a place and risking morning light to be seen... but what did she care?  Right now, she couldn't think of one damn good reason TO care about anyone or anything other than herself and that honestly felt pretty damn good.

Break into the tallest building. Where else could one get a better view? And then...

"Well... there's probably some guards. There's sort of a vault. It's a financial... whatever, we're going up not down. We'll be fine. If we really want to enjoy ourselves, we'll just have to sneak in."

After taking a bottle from McKibbins, they started walking in the direction of the building, stopping only to quietly break a window to a store, where Gavin hopped in and grabbed the thickest sleeping bag he could find, tucking it under his arm as he walked. He returned with a smirk.

"No cards. We'll have to find some other way to amuse ourselves."

They were at the building with an easy ten minute walk. From the cover of shadows, Gavin looked across the street at the doors.

"So... how good are you at lockpicking?"

"Better than you, if you have to ask."

He grinned and headed across the street. It took the two of them a few minutes to get in, ascertaining where the guards were and pretending to be drunk on one occasion to throw off suspicion. Finally, they succeed in finding a window of opportunity. Bella was kneeling next to him picking the lock as Gavin pondered whether one would get less jail for having sex in public or breaking and entering when the lock clicked into place and they quickly moved inside. The next part of their task was thrilling; they both seemed to enjoy the tension as they listened for guards and slowly began their way up the 23 stories of the building. At one point, Gavin nearly knocked a lamp over with his sleeping bag and Bella had to catch it with her foot. With a shared wink, they continued on their way.

Security decreased as the climbed up; there was no way that they could have broken into the basement vault, but by heading up and avoiding corner offices, they largely avoided trouble. Every so often they'd hear footsteps and have to duck into a room. At one particular tense moment, they wound up in a broom closet. They remained there several minutes longer than they had to, before finally dragging each other out to the hall to finish their climb.

The moon was still shining when they emerge from the access door on the roof. Gavin broke off a lightning rod and stuck it through the door, preventing any unexpected guests, at least in this area of the roof. It was a huge, square surface of concrete; Gavin was thankful he'd gotten such a thick sleeping bag. He'd tested it on the hard floor of the store; it wasn't particularly comfortable, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. He laid it out on the roof, then folded it an extra time to be safe. Narrower, but more padding. With a grin, he walked over to Bella, who was standing a few feet away from the edge of the roof. Above them, the sky's starry canopy glittered; below them, the few remaining lights of the city echoed the heavens in a pale imitation. He could see Mont Royal park on one side, although they were largely facing the strip of buildings between them and the St. Laurence River

Gavin smiled as he moved to stand next to her, content to simply watch for a few moments. 

Isabella walked to the edge of the building and looked out over the city.  The wind was cooler up here and her skin prickled in that way that made it feel as though her feet might leave the surface of the building and she would lift up into the night sky.  Looking up at the sea of stars that blanketed the world left her feeling ever so small and insignificant - that all her problems, her fears and worries, were beneath the notice of God.  That all she'd been worried about ... loss and scars, the opinions of men, and the greed that consumed them; it was nothing.  Absolutely nothing in the face of all this wonder.

"You taught me the courage of stars before you left."  She said in a breathy voice,  "How light carries on endlessly, even after death."

"A poem?"  Gavin asked.

"Sorta.  A song."

"It's pretty."

"Was the first thing I thought of when I looked up at it all."  She admitted. 

He put his arms around her and pulled her back tight to his front.  His body warming hers, anchoring her to the spot.  He bent his head and kissed the crook of her neck gently.  

"Tell me about him."  He whispered against her skin and he kissed her again.  Of all the things she expected him to say - this playful fool, this enchanting charmer who had carried her off to a northern kingdom so that she could leave behind her past and live in the moment... this wasn't what she had expected of him.  The world seemed to be spinning around them, the moon a silver orb hung like a jewel in the night sky just for her and Gavin Byrne and here he was asking her to talk about Elias Landucci... now?  When he was on the verge of conquest?

"Why?"  She finally managed to eek out.

"You want to."  It was as simple as that really, she could hear it in his voice, but he went on.  "We said you were going to do what you wanted to do... live in the moment, remember?"

It was as if he'd stabbed her in the heart - as if he'd lifted a burden she hadn't known was there.  A massive crushing weight that was killing her was suddenly held up in his arms.  She took a breath she felt as though she'd been holding since the moment she'd identified Elias' mangled body.  Gavin, in response, held her tighter.  He kissed her again and what should have felt a gross betrayal of her would-be husband's memory, was in it's simple brilliance all that she felt she needed and more.

"How did you meet?"  He pushed further.  It wasn't enough that she now knew what she wanted.  She had to do it.  The question was put as if it were one of his lines - a seduction of sorts... and it was.  She couldn't have been more desiring of him than she was in this moment.  He wanted, genuinely, to hear her talk about the most important thing in her entire world right now.  Not how she lost it... but the bliss that it had been.  It was a thing no one had thought to ask her.  There just wasn't any way to understand it or describe it better than that.  Somehow, despite the maddening logic of it - she wanted to talk about him and his life with joy and he was giving her permission to do so.  It was then, that she found her voice.

"He look like some kind of mountain man."  She laughed and Gavin lead her to the blanket, sitting her down and pouring them both something to drink.  "I was in a spa and he'd come in to talk to a mutual friend.  I told him he needed a trim.  I was rude... but he thought I was pretty so... he did it.  Next thing I knew, he was everywhere I went, I don't know if I just noticed him more or if he was trying to follow me - but our paths kept crossing like it was destiny.  He was everything my father would have sent away and it was everything I wanted."

"As so often happens with fathers and daughters, or so I'm given to understand."  He said, sliding behind her so she did not have to look at him while she spoke about Elias.  He rubbed her shoulders, and arms, warming her and helping her to slowly feel at ease again.

"He asked my father's permission to see me, but my dad never says yes easy... it's not about me, its about his pride... ego... and the respect he figures he's due; which is galling considering how much of my life he didn't have a say in - but what can you do when you're in the Mafia and your father's the Godfather?'

"Come to Canada?"  He offered.  They both laughed.

"Are you warm enough?"  he said in her ear, he was genuinely concerned for her... it wasn't a line.  The warmth of his breath on her skin, his body molded tight against her back, stimulated her appetites again.  For a moment her mind wandered away from Elias and to the enigma who had brought her here to save her.

"How is it you're still single?  A man like you?"

"Lucky I guess."  He quipped and Isabella decided to leave it alone.  Gavin had his own wounds and it was clear that while he was eager to expose his scars... he wasn't going to let her near the wounds beneath them.  She looked up and back at him.  As she did, she captured his lips and kissed him deeply.  His hands slid smoothly about her, turning her so that she could lay her down to look up at the night sky.

She focused upon the firmament of stars above them as she anticipated what he might do next, but where she'd simply "known" that he'd lift her dress and be about the task of satisfying all earthly urges he had... instead he simply looked down upon her, touching her here and there in the most innocent of ways. 

The frantic lover she'd suspected he'd be, tearing her clothing from her in a frenzy, was no where to be seen.  She imagined his eyes weren't that of a tender poet that he pretended at being in the ice cream parlor, but instead of a hunter with his prey in sight.  Carefully he was moving through the woods in an attempt to not make a sound and spook it.  She was the deer in his sights, timid and easily scared off.  She could feel that connection between them. 

The bond between hunter and the hunted was as much a sexual energy as anything.  As a woman who had killed before, even this very night, she knew that well.  Gavin might not have used this particular weapon before... but, he was intimately familiar with the animal before him and as such he was an apex predator. 

"So did you?" he whispered.

She swallowed, her mind scrambling to understand his question.  "Did I..."

"Did you do as your father asked?  You said earlier that you'd waited until everything was right... does that mean you and he never...?"

Isabella flushed, and while she was fully dressed still, she felt nearly naked before him.  Laid out on the roof, his fingers tracing the lines of her body while his smoldering eyes searched out the intimate details of her life - asking questions no one else dared to ask; helping her to speak about her most private and joyful moments in life - moments which she thought were dead and buried with the man she loved.  Never to be thought on again.

"No."  She admitted.  "I mean... Elias was a good man, and I'm a good daughter."

"Of course," he said.  "But?"

"There was this night... before the war.  I wanted to... to run away.  Something in me told me that what was coming would change everything.  I knew if I took Elias and ran, we could live happily.  My father is a powerful man but he's not a God.  So... I told Elias I loved him.  I told him standing on the shores of this pond... this lake we use to visit.  I did it under the cover of darkness thinking we'd run away together before my father was the wiser."

"But you didn't run?"

"No." She said, the memory of the moment played through her head again.  The perfection of it was not unlike this moment.  Her mind full of lust and joy and hopes for the future, but also stuck in a place she could not escape.  "Elias said something and I... I suddenly understood what my father was asking of us.  Why he wanted us to wait. I felt like running was the worst thing we could do."

There was a silence.  She expected Gavin would press for more, but instead he waited her out. 

"We went to a bolt hole he had.  We took shifts sleeping, but when he came to wake me for my turn... the last of my resolve melted.  He kissed me awake and it was like the first kiss I ever had all over again.  We just... melted into one another and it the most perfect moment of my whole life.  I knew then, that I would never love anyone like that again."

She looked from the sky down towards his eyes - for real this time.  The gentle way they were regarding her, it felt less primal than she'd imagined in her mind while she stared up at the stars.  As he came down towards her face, seeking out her lips, she let her eyelids droop and when her lips did not find his - she opened them again.

"Let me kiss you with your eyes open."  He said.  

Seeing no difference, she nodded.

Again he bent down to her and their mouths fused, tongues delicately probing in the same subtle way they had earlier - as if the kiss were more of a guarded greeting and not the passionate onslaught they'd experienced on the plane.  The pace he kept was steady, first claiming her and letting himself be claimed in return - back and forth like ebbing waves on the shore.

The kiss went on and on and before she knew it, the two of them had entangled their still clothed legs, pressing their scarred cores to one another.  Wound against wound - almost matched in their brokenness.  Their hands wandering across one another, occasionally shifting their body weight for better comfort, all so that the kiss could be prolonged. 

Not since her first, most innocent kisses, had she looked into one man's eyes (let alone kissed a man) for so very long.  How strange it seemed to Isabella, that this act of meeting another person's gaze should feel so much a challenge.  A dance and in time, a measure of her partner's strength, and eventually a struggle for dominance.

Her heart palpitations seemed to increase as she felt his hand reach around her backside to take hold of her dress' zipper.  Still he had not taken his gaze from hers.  How long had this gone on between them, she wondered, as the zipper came down past her bra line.  His hands began to grope at he through clothing.  How long would she fight submission?  Deftly he spread the slit in her dress and let he hand linger upon the milky white flesh of her upper thigh - her breath shuddered from cold and yearning. 

It was then, the kiss finally ended as his lips pulled away from hers.  Her lips tingled in the way a limb does when you've laid on it too long, but she wanted more - no, she needed it.  

"How do you feel?"

Her chuckle was dry and slow, but it built up; it seemed such a silly question to ask while her body lay spasming beneath the weight of his.  

"Good."  she went with the understatement of the century - for his silly question deserved a silly response.

"Yesterday.  Did you think you would feel this way ever again?"  It was like being plunged into an ice bucket - the question was so jarring when compared to all that had brought her to this point.  A part of her was angry, stunned, unable to speak ... and yet, his fingers kept working beneath her dress and her body worked against her logical mind. 

"No."  She gasped as with a flick of his thumb.  Such a small movement, he made her forget that she was holding open her eyes in defiance of his dominance over her.  "I didn't."  And like that, the battle was won.  Her walls were down.  The hunter had claimed his prey.

"You will." He said promised in breathy whisper near to hear ear.

"What...?" She gasped as her back arched and her legs began to part a non-verbal pleading.

"Love like that again."  Her urged her onward towards her body's goal, but denied her access to his body.  It was as if he took pleasure in seeing his power over her now that he finally had her in the position which he'd hoped to get her for nearly twenty-four hours.  Not a sexual position, Isabella supposed in some distant still logical part of her mind, but vulnerable and truly present in the moment.  FINALLY she was here with him.  Just him.

"In time, you will love like that again."  He whispered putting a gentle kiss on her brow.  Her eyes clenching shut - the sound of his voice, their breath, and the distant sounds of the city were all that she could make out.  Everything else melted away into nothing, but the feelings of safety, trust and weirdly... love.  It was the last thing she thought she might have needed... but sex alone couldn't have brought her any peace.  This, compassion, human kindness, and at it's core a simple love... it was exactly what her grieving heart needed most of all.

Only after Gavin finished his work, and he'd given her a drink to wet her pallet, did they begin again.  This time, together in a way that she was sure couldn't have happened earlier tonight on the plane or at any time before.  They had connected in a way she hadn't expected that she could be willing to do, or capable of.  And for hours they danced this dance - lovers and friends, finding peace and bliss in one another's arms until the silvery jewel slid from the night sky and the golden sun finally made it's long awaited appearance in the east, illuminating Montreal and a new start in Isabella's life.   

They spent the night interspersing moments of pleasure through hours of dozing on the small sleeping bag. The night was cool, but the summer warmth didn't entirely fade by the time the sun had risen. Gavin remembered dozing off when the sky was a murky grey, but Isabella had woken him again with a mischievous, catlike tongue. A few moments later, he was looking up at her; she was rhythmically moving to a song he couldn't hear, but he was happy just to enjoy the ride. When they were finished, they watched the sun slowly rise over the horizon in the east. After a while, Gavin stood and stretched before starting to get dressed. Bella was lying on her stomach, resting if not sleeping. 

Gavin walked to the edge of the building and dropped down with his legs over the edge. He leaned back, resting on his outstretched arms and stayed there a few minutes watching the sun. When he'd seen enough, he carefully slid back and went to find his shoes.

"Don't want to wake you, but it's going to be a little harder to get out of here once the building opens. More people asking questions if we just start wandering down a hallway."

They dressed quickly, Gavin leaving his dress shirt haphazardly untucked beneath his jacket as Isabella got back into her dress. As they slowly made their way down through the building, they didn't hear a sound. The guards, no doubt, were ready for their shift to end. Reaching the ground floor, they were able to slip out a side exit and make their way to the sidewalk. 

Gavin draped an arm around Bella; the tension and build up from the previous day had been replaced by a comfortable familiarity. He yawned again as they stood at a street corner next to a young, professionally dressed man who kept glancing at them.

"Okay. Here's what I've got for a plan. Department stores'll open for a little while. I say we go buy some new clothes, then get a hotel room. And, ya know, actually sleep for a few hours. We can rest, shower, put on the new stuff, then I've got a good idea. What do you say?"

Sleep in a bed?  That was EXACTLY what she needed.  That and some ice for her knees.  Even through a sleeping bag the tar and gravel covered roof had done a number on them.  

"Hotel room.  Then, I'm afraid, I should check in with my family.  I didn't tell them I was running up here and God alone knows what shit they will get into if I don't get my hands to work on making sure they stay nose to the grindstone.  So... shower, sleeping... maybe some more fun... another shower and then phone call?"

She arched an eyebrow to see how Gavin took her need to focus on her work a bit.  She loved every second of this trip so far but there was so much yet to be done and a young crew wouldn't run itself.  It was why she hadn't planned a honeymoon with Elias and she'd already been gone more than 24 hours now.

Gavin frowned. 

"I know you have responsibilities. But hey- there's a shot that when you call you'll have to run out of here. Give it just a little bit longer; I've got a surprise lined up for you. My counter-proposal: shower, sleep, surprise, then phone call. And you can throw in some more fun during any or all of those. Besides, the surprise is an extra hour and it's right here in the city; not like you'll be stretching it out for an extra day."

She narrows her eyes and then smirks.  "Alright.  You had me at surprise.  I love a good surprise... and this one sounds good.  Bad ones... not so much but I think I can trust you to delight me."  She snuggled in tight to his embrace while they walked.

"Thank you for this, Gavin.  I really needed to get out of my own head for a bit.  Out of my clothes was pretty nice too though."  She chuckled.  "So... I'm yours, now, what hotel are we going to and who's paying?"

Gavin grinned.

"I'm paying. You know, I called Tara last night when you were in the bathroom at McKibbin's and asked her how much money I had. I have way more money than I thought. I'm not trying to brag here. You know lots of people with more cash than me, I'm sure. But still. I thought I'd drank way more of my bank account in the last decade."

They strolled towards the hotel, stopping only to hit a department store with more clothes for each of them. He had no idea what Bella got, but he'd picked up another two suits and accompanying dress shirts. No ties. The hotel was only a short distance away, and they had no trouble checking in.

They took the elevator upstairs; Gavin stopped kissing Bella's neck in the split second before the door opened, but he still managed to look guilty at the maid who was staring at him. With a shrug, they made their way to the room. Gavin decided to shower before sleeping; it always tended to feel better that way. He had closed his eyes when he heard Bella open the door to the shower and join him.

Well, he hope that was Bella. Could be the maid, he supposed. Nope... definitely Bella... he felt a pair of arms reach around his waist as a catlike tongue traced one of the scars on his back. 

Twenty minutes later they were both asleep; Gavin had an arm lazily tossed across Bella and lightly snored. 

Five hours later the alarm bell went off and Gavin reached for his gun, as he always did when he was woken up. He resisted the urge to shoot the clock, and instead turned it off and tossed it into the trash. He stood up and quickly walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he returned, Bella was looking up at him with doe-like eyes- and this time he made the first move. 

Forty five minutes later they were dressed in their new clothes and standing in front of the hotel. A bellhop smiled at Gavin.

"Your car will be here in just a minute, sir."

Bella looked at Gavin curiously before she spoke.

"I wasn't aware you had a-"

Her voice halted as she saw it, gliding like a shark through the ocean, but with a powerful accompanying rumble. It was red and silver, and it was gorgeous. Sleek lines, accented by the white rims of the tires- including the spare on the side. As the Duesenberg Model SJ rumbled to a stop in front of Bella, she couldn't help but notice the shit eating grin on his face as he opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.

"I hear it can hit 140 miles per hour. Come on Hot Rod, let's take a spin. Once we get out of the city, there are some highways you can really let loose on." 

Isabella squealed and snagged the keys - her hand sliding across the candy apple red metal in the same way it hand luxuriated on Gavin's flesh.  THIS was what she lived for and she hadn't done it in a dog's age. 

"The only way this could be better," She said laughing, "Is if we had stole it... nothing like going fast in someone else's car but ... oh God Gavin this is amazing.  I am going to drive so fast I promise you WILL regret ever letting me have the keys."  

With that Isabella shut her door and started the engine.  It was powerful.  There was nothing like it on the roads.  State of the art, precise, deadly and fast as hell!  "I know no one ever uses those things... but you MIGHT want to strap in."

Her foot went hard down on the accelerator, far too hard than was right for city streets but THIS was exactly what she'd spent a good portion of her life doing.  THIS was her area of expertise, more than picking locks and leading other men even - both of which she had become arguably fair at.

Some men used automobiles like they were tools, Isabella imagined that she WAS the car.  Every turn, every spin of the wheel was done with the same thoughtless immediacy as most people lift an arm or leg.  Thought.  Action.  Result.  She delighted in the extension of her will manifest in such an intense and visceral result.  She laughed as wind ripped through the open windows.  

Twice she blew through intersections she might have thought to stop at - but didn't.  It was reckless in the extreme.  Why had she NOT thought about doing THIS to get Elias out of her mind?  As she round a curve almost too sharply, she knew the answer:  She probably didn't really want to die.  She only ever wanted the pain to stop.  For it to dull at least.  She deserved pain for leaving Elias behind, or so she thought, but not death.  Behind a wheel... death would have been a lover she could no sooner reject than she did Gavin.

As they began to cruise down more open roads, out of town, she asked:  "Where did you find this beautiful beast?  She's sweet as sugar and strong as bathtub moonshine!"  

"The only way this could be better is if we had stolen it..."

Gavin smirked. Well, that was the original plan. But he'd accelerated his timeline due to a sneaking suspicion that Bella would be bolting back towards Detroit. He could hear the responsibility in her voice. Gods, didn't she know that she could live like this all the time, if she chose?

"Technically, it is someone else's car. So drive it hard enough to beat the hell out of it."

"I am going to drive so fast I promise you will regret ever letting me have the keys."

"Doubt it, but I'm curious to see."

With a grin, he buckled his seatbelt. He was reckless, not stupid. He felt the engine kick into another gear as they hit the open road. 

"Where did you find this beautiful beast? She's sweet as sugar and strong as bathtub moonshine!"

Gavin yelled back to make sure she could hear him.

"I MET HER WHEN SHE WAS EATING ICE CREAM!"

Smiling, he settled into his feet. He felt like he was flying.

Isabella blushed at Gavin's charm.  He had a way of making her smile even though she knew he was so full of shit they could legally label him an outhouse.  BUT, he was a bullshitter who knew what he wanted out of life and he knew how to get it.  That night with Elias wasn't the only time she'd considered leaving it all behind... but it had been her last chance, realistically speaking.

The roar of the street under the wheels was soothing.  She watched Gavin put his feet up on the dash and recline in his seat.  He wasn't scared, not even a little.  She was almost offended.  She put the peddle down further.  The engine kicked into a gear that rarely got much use.  Gavin smiled but remained unmoved.  She figured he was playing with her, but he'd never own it, surely she was one of the few people who enjoyed barreling down the highway at almost 100 miles an hour in a large mass of steal on rubber wheels.

As this thought crossed her mind, the most impossible thing she could have ever dreamed up, actually happened:  A Moose.  1,500 pounds of moo and death, with horns, stepped into the road!!!

Gavin screamed.

She screamed as she pulled the wheel as hard as she ever had, "LEAN!"

She threw her weight against the car's roll and was happy Gavin had the good sense to do so too.  The Moose, didn't move - thank all that was holy but the beautiful car tore off the road into the dust and dirt of the shoulder hitting a ditch HARD lifting the side of the car nearly to rolling before it settled down on the opposite side of the ditch from the road.  The engine kept running.  Isabella panted, tears in her eyes, shaking - hands still gripping the wheel white-knuckle tight.  

Her breathless panic slowly turned into a hysterical laugh.  She looked to Gavin as the Moose walked calmly right in front of their crashed car and began eating long grass.  Part of her imagined him getting out and shooting the thing.  Isabella laughed harder at the thought.  A priceless car... crashed over a damn moose and now they were a long walk back to the city. 

"FUCKIN' MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!"

God, those were horrible last words. That's what he was thinking as he threw himself against the roll he knew was coming. <font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)">Thirty years. Countless adventures. How many men had tried to kill him? And he gets taken out by a fucking Moose?</font>

<font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)">Then it was chaos as they skidded off the road. Gavin started laughing at the same moment Isabella did. When the moose approached, however, Gavin exploded with anger.</font>

<font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)">"HEY! MOOSEFUCKER! YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THIS COSTS?!"</font>

<font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)">The moose looked at Gavin and chewed some grass. Gavin had crossed paths with a moose many times in his life, and he knew they could be dangerous, but he'd lost his temper. By the time Bella could say anything, Gavin had already climbed out of the car and punched the moose in the nose- as the animal bellow, he followed up with seven quick bullets into its brain. As the moose dropped, Gavin reloaded his gun and holstered it. He turned back to Isabella, slightly</font> embarrassed<font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)">.</font>

​​​​​​​"Uh... that was a danger to other motorists... whatever, it fucking deserved it and I don't feel bad at all."

With a sigh, Gavin returned to the car and opened the door for Bella. As they walked away from the car, he turned to look at it one last time over his shoulder.

"Still fuckin' worth it."

With a grin, he slipped an arm around Bella for a moment.

***

They'd driven a long, long way in a short time- unsurprisingly. Following the road for hours, they eventually heard the sounds of a river; traveling through the woods for a short while, they found it. Moving a bit further upstream, there was an idyllic grove at the riverbend. A nice place to take a break. Gavin threw himself down on the green grass and looked up at the sun breaking through the maple leaves above. Resting with his hands behind his head, Gavin sighed contentedly.

"Alright, what's on the wish list? Food? Drink? Conversation? Recreation? I'm up for all those, in no particular order."

He smirked. ​​​​​​​

Isabella found a patch of grass took off her shoes.  Her feet were killing her.  She put them into the ice cold stream with a squeal.  "Oh Lord!"  She laughed.  "I didn't think it would be that bad."

She sighed.  "Neil must be beside himself."  She said leaning back to look up at the sky through the trees letting her feet go back into the water.  "He's utterly devoted to me.  I helped save his mother's home and the kid hasn't left my side since.  Stupid as the day is long but violent as hell... could break a man in half I think with his bare hands and a nod from me."

"Has no clue what to do with himself when I'm not around anymore.  I almost feel bad for him... I mean what with how the others take advantage of that forcing him to be the one to face my dad in times that shit needs to be told.  Fucking assholes.  I'd replace them but finding good help isn't easy."

"He was so sweet about Elias.  Always wanted to make sure Elias was treating me right, guess the kid might not have much book learning but he's damn sharp about people.  Knows how much I value a good romance.  A guy ain't worth nothing if he isn't paying attention to the details and touching on the little stuff.  You know, the things that you say you care about that sometimes people just... gloss over."  

She wiggled her toes.  "When you're the daughter of the head of a Mafia empire, it's a hazard.  There's always another pretty man in a suit making a play... trying to act like he really cares about you but what he cares about is Salvatore and how close to him he can get.  Me... I'm, at best, a trophy to be won."  She shakes her head.  "Elias wasn't like that.  One of the few I've ever met who wasn't like that."

A fish, one of hundreds it seemed to Isabella, had came up and tagged her baby toe.  She pulled her foot out of the water.  "OH MY GOD... Gavin look at all these fish!  There's a ton of them.  I think I watched something about this at the motion picture show.  They said all these little fish swim back to their homes to have babies every year.  Do you think that's it?"

Gavin had taken off his jacket some miles back, and he spread it on the ground for Bella to sit on before plopping down besides her and tossing his shoes over his shoulder. Soon his feet were in the water as well. He nodded as he listened to her speak.

"You know, you don't need anyone. You don't need a man- any man- to have any control of you in the slightest. And I appreciate romance as much as anyone alive... but marriage? That's control. There's a reason why rings are in the shape of a collar. I'm glad he...

It felt weird to say the name of someone he'd never met.

"... never treated you that way. I'm not tellin' you what to do. I'm just sayin' that you should do what you want. When you were dancing last night? Or hitting that asshole with a bottle? Or fucking? Or driving that car today? You're wild. And hey, I've only known you for a couple days now- but how often do you really let loose like that?"

He grinned.

"You're a devil, Bella. Why not act like it?"

Gavin smirked and was about to bring up something else, but she suddenly pointed out some fish. 

"We could catch some, if you like. Cook them over a fire? Not the fanciest meal you'll ever have, and we'll have to eat with your fingers... but actually, I'm fucking starving. Fish and water sounds pretty damn good to me right now."

In a few moments, Gavin was sharpening a stick with his knife. Stabbing a few big fish was something he'd had a lot of practice with. And honestly, it was way more impressive than wading in with his jacket. Once you adjusted your aim for the refraction of the water, it wasn't too hard. As he stripped off his shirt and pants, Bella raised an eyebrow as he got completely naked and waded into the water. Turning around, he shrugged.

"I don't want to wait for my shit to dry."

The first two attempts failed, and he could hear Bella's laughter. He ignored her, trying to calculate the refraction.

The third attempt was successful. So was the fifth, sixth, and ninth.

It took a little while for him to get his pants and unbuttoned dress shirt back on, gut the fish, skewer them, and gather some wood for a campfire. But before too long, a small fire was crackling and they took turns rotating the fish over the flames. 

When the fish were finally cooked enough, Gavin and Bella used his knife and their fingers to eat. It was messy, and they occasionally burned themselves on a hot piece, but it was one of the most delicious meals Gavin had ever had. As they were eating, he glanced over at Bella. 

"So. What's the plan when you get back to Detroit?"

The meal was exquiste... so was the company.  She'd never known anyone like Gavin before.  So sure of who he was and yet - so ... alone.  She couldn't fail to use the word when she described him.  He seemed lonely and as much as he was giving a friend advice, she couldn't help but hear in his tone the unspoken other side of his advice.  'Don't marry.  Be free.  With me.  We could have so much fun.'

"Maybe I'll raise a little hell in Motor City?"  She smiled.  "The princess is dead.  Long live the Devil of the Ivory Tower."  She sighed.  "I don't know.  I've always had this idea of who I was, and the irony is that I can't say why.  What do I know of happy marriages?  My father knocked up my mom, my mom hid me from him... family isn't exactly something I'm a pro at and there's the heart of it I suppose.  Maybe I just... want to know what it's like?"

She looked to Gavin, "I guess I'm scared of being alone.  When my mom was dying I went running to find my father.  I told myself it was to take better care of her but after losing Elias it seemed like maybe I did it more for me.  A Don shouldn't admit she was scared of anything, but I was.  I mean, I really really was."

"Alone means you don't get hurt, I suppose, but ... you're right in that I had a lot of fun and I don't normally live like this.  You make this life seem perfect and yet... I can't help but think maybe you like having someone around to share it with sometimes too?"  She arched an eyebrow.  "I've known you for as long as you've known me, but since we're making observations and giving friendly advice... I hope I'm not insulting you when I say that you're a great guy Gavin.  And whatever shit you saw in your young life... I don't think all relationships have to play out that ugly."

She picked a bit of fish off the needle thin bones, "But, what do I know?  Like I said... I'm hardly an expert on families."  She looked over to him and forced a smile.  She was worried she might have gone too far, but it felt like she might be able - in this moment at least - to safely touch on something of his personally and return his kindness with some good advice of her own.  

"So," She decided to leave things alone and not pick at his wounds, if her words were helpful there was nothing he'd probably have to say about it today.  "If I were... to call you from time to time; maybe for cards or drinks or joy rides... or something else... maybe to break up the monotony of it all, and to kill some of the lonely; do you think you might meet with me again?  Assuming you don't have other plans on the day in question, of course.  I can't expect someone like you to wait around for a phone to ring."