Kassandra hung onto Camdyn's hand in a vice grip as they approached the loan shark's hangout, a hole-in-the-wall bar tucked away on a side street in downtown Philly. Cam was proud of his wife nonetheless, because it was the only indicator that she was scared out of her mind. Outwardly, she was cool as a cucumber, dressed in form-fitting jeans and a sweater on this unseasonably cool night. They walked into the place looking for all the world like any local couple out for a cocktail. Cam's eyes scanned the joint, and quickly landed on the man who'd loaned him the money, near the back, at his usual table. Kass was watching Cam's face, and knew when he spotted him. Her grip on him tightened even more as the pair approached casually. Tony remained just as casual as the couple drew near, but his goons did not. Suddenly a semi-circle of muscle was on their feet and moving their way.

"Hold on now, fellas," Cam said, all friendly-like and holding up a pacifying hand. "I'm here to set things right, and maybe we come to an understanding," he said, removing a large bundle of cash from his coat pocket and flipping it towards Tony, who caught it one-handed.

"The fifty I borrowed, the twenty-five interest, and another twenty-five, what do you call it?" He asked, glancing at his wife. Kassandra chimed in then.

"Gesture of good faith," she said, a hint of a smile on her lips. The goons were now looking at the money, Tony, and them, alternately. Tony narrowed his eyes slightly, shit like this didn't happen after you kidnapped and beat the crap out of someone.

"Good faith in what? What's to keep me from breaking your wife's lovely legs and using them as toothpicks for offing my people? Granted, I can't remember their fucking names, but it's the point of the thing," he said, lighting a cigar he'd drawn from his breast pocket. Kassandra didn't even flinch, but her grip wasn't letting up on Cam.

"Because those nameless assholes have been replaced by something better. Someone better," she said, that odd little smile on her face going nowhere. "You just upgraded your little crew, and made a profit in the process. You want people like us. We know how to use a gun. We know how to case a joint. We know how to rob a Goddamn bank, reverse a kidnapping, and elude both the law and the lawless. We're your new gold mine, and it would be a huge mistake to damage the goods. You're a smart man, Mister Tony. Think it through, we'll be over there enjoying a nice cocktail while you do just that. Take your time, I've barely had a minute alone with my husband since you took him," she said, turning to look at Camdyn and his still-damaged face. It hurt her to see it, but honestly, he looked impossibly sexier.

The couple turned away from Tony's table, and they slowly walked across the small club and took a seat at the bar. Once seated, Cam ordered them each a beer.

"Did I do okay?" Kass asked as she leaned forward into Cam's face. Her lips touched his cheek with every word. She could feel the stubble of his beard growth as she spoke. His hand came around her and stroked her back. 

"Just perfect, Darling. Remind me never to get on your bad side," he winked at her. It looked like it hurt to do so. She reached up and stroked his cheek with her fingers.

"I don't know. From the sounds you make while you're there, I think you really like being on my bad side," she grinned. Camdyn made a noise deep in the back of his throat that made her shift on the barstool a bit. "You better stop that, our lives are on the line," she giggled quietly.

"What if I say 'no'?"

"You never tell me 'no'."

"YEAH!" Tony yelled over at them from his table. One of his men was carrying a phone away in his hands and trying not to trip on the cord as he retreated. It was not graceful, and Kass took a moment to wonder about the quality of their new brethren.

"Just got off the phone with the big boss, you two are in. Welcome to the crew, and all that shit!" He hollered, his greasy smile forcing Kass to reach for her beer. 

Camdyn’s hand was already hurting. Kassandra had only been holding it for a few minutes but the bone crushing vice like grip was making him second guess ever playing a prank on her. They had just entered the bar that the loan shark, that Camdyn owed the money to, lived in and Kassandra was letting him see yet another reason why it’s probably not wise to piss her off. He loved her and still wanted to be with her for the rest of his life but damn, this will have been easily third or fourth warning that he’s seen in the space of 24 hours that she can be a very frightening lady when she wanted to be.

“Take your time, I've barely had a minute alone with my husband since you took him” Kassandra had finished having just verbally abused the gangster’s eardrums. Camdyn couldn’t help but stare in amazement at his wonderfully scary wife but had to snap himself back into reality when he was suddenly dragged away from the table to sit down elsewhere.

After a few minutes the loan shark strolled up to their table with his goons in pursuit. He informed them that their offer had been accepted and they were now officially working with a crew as fledgling gangsters and both of them could hardly contain their excitement once the loan shark had moved back to his own table.

They turned to each other with huge smiles on their faces and Camdyn lent in to give her a passionate celebratory kiss seeing as she had not only just saved their lives but had also managed to get them both ‘employed’. When he finally came up for air, he immediately turned around to get the attention of one of the waitresses and ordered a ‘Corpse Reviver’ for each of them, grinning to himself as he thought the name was very apt considering their recent troubles.

Having had one and enjoyed it so much they both decided to have another 4. By the time they decided to make tracks they were both having to hold each other up for support. Stumbling out of the bar giggling like school kids, Camdyn took Kassandra into his arms, kissed her again like he hadn’t seen her for years and whispered into her ear “It’s been a long day darling and I think it’s about high time I took you home and put you to bed”, before he had a chance to answer she had him in that vice like grip again and was dragging him home

The next day brought hangovers, sore limbs, and trouble.

Kass had given notice at the bistro she'd been working at, and was on her way to meet Cam for dinner at another location downtown. Her head felt like a jackhammer was attacking it, and her legs felt like rubber, but she couldn't help smiling at the causes of either. Gone was the model slash hostess- she was a legitimate gangster now, and feeling a little proud of herself. 

As she walked down the sidewalk, the evening streetlights began to illuminate her path. There were other pedestrians out and about, but Kassandra Devan owned that sidewalk in that moment, and the way the lights were popping on, they seemed to be highlighting her pathway. She felt on top of the world, and while she thought about a tasty dinner and a rich glass of wine while dining with the most amazing man on earth, her fingers occasionally reached over under her opposite arm and touched her gun. 

Big, bad gangster. 

A car careened around the corner behind her, pulling to a stop with one wheel up on the curb just inches from her foot. A greaseball of a man leaned out of the window, his leer not unlike that of a primate in a zoo.

"Hey Mama. Who you with?"

"What? I'm married, I'm with Camdyn Devan," she said, taking a step back. Her little spotlight of wonderful was slowly getting dimmer as she watched.

"No, you dumb bitch. Who you crewed with? No broad carries a piece around here unless they're crewed. Saw that lump under your arm a mile away. Who's your crew?" Faintly, Kassandra heard the cocking of a pistol. The greaseball leered harder- his hands were free, but someone else in the car wasn't kidding around. Kass could feel a cold sweat breaking out over her skin.

"I'm with-" And then she ran. Kass ran as far and as fast as her slender, aching legs could carry her in the direction of the restaurant where Cam was waiting for her. Please don't be late, please please please be there, Kass thought as she huffed it down the sidewalk, knocking through people as she passed them. Around the corner she went, and quickly as she could, through the restaurant doors on the other side before the car made the corner and saw where'd she'd gone. Wild-eyed, she sought her husband out in the dark. 

She found him by locating the large-breasted waitress trying to flirt with him. Pulling her gun, Kass slowed her walk and made her way towards the table, the gun hanging from her hand at her side, but quite visible.

"You're not his type, go fuck yourself," Kass grumbled as she approached. The waitress skittered away in a panic as Cam stood up.

"What's going on, Darling? You don't loo-"

"DURDENS!" Screamed someone near the front windows. Cam looked over Kass' shoulder- he knew the name, even if his wife hadn't yet had the pleasure- and tackled her to the ground just as one of the plate glass windows exploded inward in a hail of gunfire. Kass looked up at her man from her position underneath him- again- and couldn't help but smile up at him.

"Aw. Is this our anniversary or something? You really have to quit spoiling me like this, Baby," she said as an all-to-familiar shower of glass and wood splinters rained down on them. Cam smiled back, and kissed her while people screamed and tripped over each other all around them.

Camdyn realised the gravity of the situation about twenty seconds into the most seductive kiss considering their surroundings, he looked down at his beautiful wife lying on the floor under him, glass and wood flying all around them whilst numerous people ran for cover and he couldn't help but wonder what it was about this woman and trouble. It seemed to have a pretty good idea of where she was most the time and Camdyn had stupidly decided now of all times was the best time to reminese about their wonderful first few months together.

They had gotten married, been caught up in at least two gunfights, had risked their own lives to save each other, had killed people, robbed a bank and now they had managed to get themselves into a crime family to potentially do a whole lot more of the same! This might not have seemed like alot for the typical average gangster but prior to meeting Kassandra the most danger he had ever been in was having to defend himself against some oaf who had just lost all of their money in a poker game!

"Why are you just staring at me like that babe?" Kass queried.

Camdyn shook his head to dust off the daydream he had been having and looked at her again with the biggest smile on his face.

"Its going to sound stupid but I was actually just thinking about how happy you make me darling. I was thinking about all of the things that we've endured together this past few months"

"Awwwww I love you Camdyn" She beamed with a smile "But if you don't mind can we please get the fuck away from all these bullets and go think about all of that somewhere else?!" Kass said with a giggle.

"Oh shit... Yeah.. Yeah! Lets go! Quickly, stay low and follow me" Camdyn said snatching her by the hand and almost dragging her to her feet.

He guided her along the side of the resutarutants bar and headed for the kitchen, with a leap he kicked open the swing door and they both stumbled into the brighly lit room with a thud, scaring the waitresses and chefs who were there cowering behind the counters.

"Its okay! We're friendly!" Camdyn ordered as he marched through the kitchen towards the back door, Kass still following closely behind him. As they approached the door they realised that there was a huge bolt and padlock on it.

"Well thats fucking safe, isnt it?" he grimaced with a sigh.

Camdyn motioned for Kassandra to take a few steps back and kissed her hand as he let it go, winking at her he turned back round and flung himself full charge at the door shoulder first. To anyone watching it must have looked like he had just hit a brick wall and bounced back off but despite the pain shooting through his shoulder Camdyn was positive he had felt the door give way ever so slightly so he took a few steps back and again heaved himself at the door. This time it definitely weakened and he could even see the bolt screws starting to prise away from the wood. Encouraged, for third time he threw himself at the door and finally it broke free from the lock, unfortunately Camdyn ended up going straight through the doorway and landed on his ass with a thump.

Kassandra screamed his name and ran out of the kitchen to rescue him only to find him in a fit of laughter at how ridicuilous that must have looked. She held out her hand and helped him up to his feet and he dusted himself off. Suddenly they both heard some loud bangs as the kitchen staff charged past them up into the alleyway, Camdyn remembered that there was actually durdens not too far away still shooting their guns at people but he couldnt help him and he put his arms around Kassandra catching her off guard

"Oh! Hello!" she shreiked as his big muscular arms enveloped her

Looking down at her he took her lips into his and kissed her like he hadn't kissed in her years.

This past few months had definitely been a massive change to his life but he genueinly wouldn't change it for anything. Sure they might have became dangerous gangsters, committed some terrible crimes and almost been killed a few times but he knew when you found that perfect someone who you were willing to risk your life for time and time again then thats someone who you hold onto forever and you NEVER let them go for anyone or anything.