I'm sitting in my favorite bar drinking whisky thinking of how much I love the place. and begin to wonder how much this place makes daily.

I have done very well. Maybe I could buy the place. So later that day I talk to the owner and we agree on a Price

After I clost it for a while I have some guys clean the place up for me but not changeing anything. Not even the name.

Later that night I re-open the place inviteing some friends over as well as my boss

The sigh reads "welcome to bennys bar"

I walk in sitting down drinking whisky waiting for everyone to show up. Looking around at the old wood look of the bar feeling happy finely being able to say I own something of my own

Isabella had heard Vincent had finally taken the leap and was taking on a business.  She couldn't be more proud of how far he'd come since joining the Tower.  She looked around and smiled.  It had a very warm and down to earth sort of feel, the kinda place she could see working guys coming to throw back a few every night before going home.

She wandered up to the bar and ordered a gin & tonic and waited to see if Vincent was around to chat with.

Isabella shook Vincent's hand warmly.  "This is one hell of a place you picked up Vincent.  You got a good eye for a diamond in the rough."  she smiled and put a large bill on the table.  "If my money is no good in your till then I'll set your girls up for the night."  She winked at the waitress.

"I hope you don't mind that I invited a few friends down for a friendly poker game?"  She smiled thinking of William_Bowden and GavinAndTaraByrne playing poker across from each other and what that would look like after a few glasses of whiskey.  They were still working on finding Agent Garrett and the stress of things was pretty high - she figured they could all use a drink or two to unwind.  She glanced at the door, making note of her bodyguard entering with a large suitcase containing a poker set.

"Of course, since you're kind enough to host us... I'll be shooting a little bonus your way.  Hey!  And you know what... I'm sure some of the crew will be coming by eventually too.  Tenkai Jewel and Vela always running around the business district to say nothing of Lushie & Sullivan... hell maybe even the Dubliner will make an appearance.  Hell, I KNOW Calimero_DiGrazia and Stephen_Strange can't be kept away from checking out a new business run by one of our own.  I think this is the start of a really exciting night.  So..." She patted Vincent's arm, "Strap in!"

She kissed Vincent_Costello 's cheeks.  "Now THIS is something!"  she whistled looking around.  "Damn fine work.  Shit... send my guests down the moment they arrive.  I'll drink down here while I wait!"

Gavin entered the bar as silent as a cat; he prowled behind Isabella-Luciano and spoke nonchalantly.

"I seem to have fond memories of the last time we played poker, Bella. Hopefully you won't have to hit anyone with a bottle this time."

He grinned as he ordered a whiskey.

Isabella smirked at Gavin's sudden appearance.  "Was that what happened?"  She gave a facial expression that seemed to indicate she had trouble recalling it that way.  "I do recall there was a lot of glass... and blood." 

Nodding she said, "I'll warn folks that you're pretty hard on cheaters."  She winked at him. "Grab your whiskey and come claim your seat before all the others start arriving.  I suspect you'll want the one across from me?"  She chuckled at some unspoken joke.

Gavin winked as he slid into the seat next to her.

"Somehow I get the feeling that Montreal poker may be slightly different than any game here in Detroit. Wouldn't mind sitting next to you, though. Especially since I just know Will is going to sit on the other side."

He chuckled and raised his glass toward Vincent_Costello.

"Nice place you got here."

She tilted her head to the side and looked at Gavin somewhat surprised, "You want William to sit across from me?"  She blinked in the way that people do when they seem truly shocked.  Then, her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered conspiratorially, "Awfully generous of you, suspiciously so, if I'm being honest." 

Isabella smirked, "Tell me, how much money are you hoping to rob Will of tonight before this game is done?  And if I'm helping you in this way... what's my cut?"

Gavin was emphatically shaking his head.

"Nope. Nope. Nope. Said on the other side of you, meaning next to you."

He laughed as he sampled his whiskey, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"I didn't think you'd want to put on the same sort of show for your crew that you did in Montreal. I'm happy to change seats if I'm wrong."

"And 'how much money?' Please. You know me better than that. I want it all. Your cut we can negotiate later; I've got to warn you, though. I drive a hard bargain."

"If I can't act like myself in front of my own people... what the fuck is the point of all the stress and bullshit of being a Don?"  She smirked and snapped her fingers at the waitress.  "I'm going to need something a LOT harder than this and please, keep 'em coming until I say otherwise - it's been a long fucking week."

She turned her head and looked directly into Gavin's eyes explaining, "Dragon's don't ask permission, nor do they pretend to be anything other than what they are in the heart of their Den... and THIS... this is mine."

She leaned her head close to Gavin, close enough she might be going in for a kiss and she whispers:  "Rawr."  

Gavin grinned, snapping his teeth shut with an audible click inches away from Bella before laughing and draping an arm around her shoulder.

"Gods, I've created a monster... a very, very attractive monster, but a monster nonetheless."

Laughing, he took a long drink of his whiskey- and he enjoyed the burn.

"You love it and you know it."  she said laughing with him.  Taking a whiskey from the waitress she smiled at the woman who only briefly took in the sight of Gavin, but clearly knew it was wise not to let her gaze linger too long.  Isabella didn't bristle.  Not because she'd told Gavin things between them weren't yet exclusive, though maybe that should have been her reason, in truth she enjoyed watching other women want what she had.  At least... some women.  Her mind drifted back to drink Tara in the car who sounded none to amused by her 'problems' such as they were.  

Taking a drink of her whiskey she decided to take a page from Gavin's playbook tonight and she tried to forget about Tara for a bit.  There wasn't anything she could do for the woman at the moment so there was no point in wallowing in that mire.  After all, she had enough fucking problems for the time being and not all of them were attractive men wanting to be with her.  Just... most of them.

Isabella bounced her leg a bit antsy.  She'd been picking for a fight since the moment she'd found out about who was behind Elias' kidnapping.  This, of course, was what she was now calling it in her head.  It felt like he'd died... but he hadn't.  She needed to accept that truth wholly or she'd never be able to help him.  Not that resting comfortably in the crook of Gavin's arm was a great way to help Elias particularly.  Luckily he wouldn't be walking into this bar or any bar in the near future... so she had time to figure shit out.

Wrapping an arm around his midsection she let herself give him a half hug, and as she'd taken to do when they were alone - her fingers danced across his scars which she could feel through the fabric of his shirt.  There was something fantastically calming about it.  For a time she sat there listening to the music playing from some unseen Victorola, soaking up the smell and feel of Gavin so near.  With Will here it had been exceedingly hard to have a moment like this - she felt like she was flaunting it to be in the immediate company of (let alone touching) one or the other of them with the other around.

She rolled her neck a bit and made a grumbling noise.  Sitting up & away from Gavin at last, she reached her hand back and massaged her neck slightly.  "I'm a bundle of knots.  When this is done I'm going to find some little gal to walk on my back like they do at those resorts in the South Pacific.  I hear it's wonderful.  This stress is going to drive me to an early grave if a bullet doesn't catch me first."

Gavin's ears perked up at "bundle of knots". But at "South Pacific", his ears practically left off the top of his head.

"First of all, if you're a bundle of knots I'd be happy to relieve your stress. I seem to recall a few tricks that worked. And second of all... South Pacific. Yes. Yes. Yes. Pick an island. South Pacific. Caribbean. I'm there. Great plan."

He smiled ruefully.

"Grass skirts. Coconuts. Drinks with little umbrellas. Sandy beaches. Nice calming, ocean."

He sighed.

"I know we have stuff to do. Just... keep that in mind, huh?"

She walked right into that one.  She smiled though.  This was Gavin's true gift.  For all the horror and pain in his past, for those he loved, he seemed capable of putting all of it on a shelf and plunging into the shit with both feet and a smile on his face.  He'd march through hell singing a fine tune for her if she'd only give a smile.  She really believed that.

"Rub my neck and tell me more about these islands.  Have you been to them before?  Are they as nice as they show in the motion pictures?"

Gavin took a long drink and cracked his fingers before setting them dancing on Bella's shoulders. It was far from his greatest talent, but he was nimble, strong, and responsive enough to disperse most of the stiffness from her shoulders as he spoke. His hands kept wandering, forgetting the setting, returning back to her shoulders before they moved too far. Based on her smile, she understood his battle against his natural inclination.

"Well. Islands. Let's see. I was born on Newfoundland... which, from here, is practically Greenland. I've also been to Manhattan. Annnnnnnd..."

He paused, thinking.

"I'm pretty sure that's it for islands. I've got to admit that that's a big reason I want to go in the first place, see what all the fuss is about. I mean, you can imagine me down there- right?"

"You'd have half-a-dozen island girls fawning over you while the other half-a-dozen bring you drinks and dance for you.  I could see you full up on roasted pig and pineapples, drunk on rum the whole damn time."  Noticing his hands wandering she made a point to give him a flirtatious glance that ALMOST encouraged him to continue on his present course and NOT reign it in.  Isabella made a note to drink the next whiskey slower.

"And me... I suppose I'd probably spend the whole time in a room with a book while these flower-wreathed beauties ran off with you."  She, of course, was teasing.  She knew if Gavin got her onto a tropical island they'd both spend most of their time in the room and the rest of the time drunk on rum and quite possibly breaking more than their share of international laws (both on purpose and accident.)

"By the time we were done there, the women would be chasing you off the island with a stick and I'd never be allowed back because eventually I'd get bored and have to cause an international incident for the laughs.  And we BOTH know how that would end once we got back to the mainland." 

She shook her head.  "I'd have to take over the whole island chain just to appease my father to say nothing of your sister's wrath.  And, if we're being honest, I'm not entirely sure if your sister doesn't scare me more than my father."

"I agree with... 85% of that. I do think there's a slim chance that you and I would turn to piracy, and... wait, what?"

Gavin raised an eyebrow as he returned to his drink.

"Tara? What do you mean?"