Well this sounded mighty interesting. She holds up a finger and tiptoes quietly to the wet bar. Pouring herself a glass of water, she looks for green olives...damnit, all gone...and returns to the recliner with a heavy sigh.

"Agreed. I'm all ears."

I want to tell you a story. About a man in his twenties. Out of the army- just like you. Found some shady work like you did, too. Yea, I did my homework on you, girl. Except instead of putting people in the ground, my job was keeping them out of it. 

I was a bodyguard in the business, first watching over a few low life club owners, then eventually making it big. I hitched my wagon to this woman in Detroit. She just showed up one day and started tossing the city around. Worked her way up to underboss fast, then had to take another step up even faster when her boss died. She had a decent run in Detroit. Things ran smoothly, for the most part, businesses were thriving, money was flowing- but it wasn't anything too special. Not unless you were there, maybe. Kate was special to me, though. And I was with her for just about all of it, keeping an eye on her.

Then she was dead. I never found out who. My sources don't go that high. I'm not spilling secrets here when I tell you I loved her, because just about everyone who knew her is gone now. And it doesn't matter. But I took it hard. Spent years in the bottle. Driving trucks to make enough to drink myself to sleep every night. Didn't have anything else. 

So I decide to put a bullet in myself. Went back to Downtown, DT to walk around, take a look at some of the old haunts. I was going to end it in her old office, the Tower, the distillery... but all those places are gone. Just not the same. So I get the bright idea to retrace her steps. Learn more about her before she showed up in Detroit. She was a decently well known name; in the right places, she was still remembered. Had to break a few teeth the way some people were talking about her, but I eventually found something that made me really follow her trail, patiently hunting down dozens of leads. A detour she hadn't mentioned. See, she'd mentioned Texas, being in Vegas for a while, bumming around the Southwest, going to Chicago. But she never mentioned New York. 

So I go digging for information on Kate Logan in New York, before she started her life in Detroit. And you know what I find? Jack shit. 

Then, on a lark, I try her real name. A name that... well, maybe five people ever knew, including her. And I find a couple arrest records, minor shit. Nothing too crazy for a nineteen year old. Then I find hospital records: broken arm, alcoholism, a suicide attempt, depression, solitary confinement... and pregnancy. 

Apparently, she'd gotten knocked up by some rich upper society college asshole. She didn't want a kid; the guy and his family did, so they had her tossed in an institution when she'd tried to drink herself out of the pregnancy.

Kate never talked to me about it. Never talked to anyone about it, as far as I could tell. Even those closest to her. Sometimes, I guess, it's easier to just pretend like the really bad shit never happened to us. At least for some people. 

Well, it didn't take too much work to track down the baby, who was thirteen at this point. Lived with her father, her stepmother had died, no other siblings. The college asshole, who was now an investor, was loaded- and he had a bodyguard for his thirteen year old daughter. Well, after her current security and a couple other applicants were all randomly discovered with drugs, I got the job- and I've been with her for seven years.

So why am I telling you all this shit? Because I want you to know how deeply invested I am. And I want you to know that it's not just a bunch of hot air when I tell you that if you get Kathryn killed, I'm going to put you down. I've tried to talk her out of this plan every way I know how, so all I can do know is try to keep her safe.. and punish anyone who hurts her. 

So don't get her into trouble she doesn't want to be in. And don't underestimate her. Girl has read a library's worth of books. Graduated college in two years. Double major. Can't fight worth a damn, but she's bright enough to run circles around people. The entire city tried to get a piece of her father's fortune when he died, and a twenty year old girl beat them all. You think she sat down next to you by accident? Please. She does her homework, too. And you were carefully selected. What I'm saying here is that she's goddamn brilliant- but that can get her into trouble, too. I want you to know the score, because I don't anticipate ever having this kind of chat with you again. If you're partnering up with her, you need to know her. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be around.

He stands, looking down at the revolver before placing it on the small table in between the two recliners.

This gun was a gift to her mother by someone very special to her. You should give it to Kathryn. Teach her how to use it. I offered to teach her how to shoot, but I'm better at protecting people than shooting them. And I don't think she trusts me to teach her about this stuff. She thinks I'd go easy on her. And she's right.

He glares, not entirely unkindly, at Merci.

Any questions? Because when we're done here, I'm going to sleep. And you'll most likely never hear this many words out of me for another decade. Kathryn doesn't even know some of this shit. Everything we said stays between us.

Merci looks at the gun, and then at Jack. This was a lot to take in, and her brain wasn't processing it very well. She'd walked into this casino a complete loner, and within a few hours she had two massive relationships to content with. Or not. She'd figure out the marriage later, but this? It looked like Jack wanted an answer, one way or the other. 

Like, right now.

"Mr. Crawford. If you've done your homework, you know that I don't give much of a shit about anyone. Myself included. I won't sit here and promise you I'll keep her alive, keep her safe. No one can promise that. All I can say for sure is that I'll do my damnedest. She's a nice girl, and I like her.  If she wants to throw work my way, I'll happily do it. She got a thing about her, as you well know. I won't push her in any direction or force her hand in anything. She's a leader, whether she knows it or not. 

"In the meantime, I'll do what I can to prepare her for whatever may come her way. It's all I have to offer, really. That and friendship. Which is...rare for me. If I screw up along the way, and you see fit to put me down, you're welcome to it. Just don't let her see or hear about it. Deal?"

"Deal. I think we're done here then. See you tomorrow. Or not. Kathryn's going to wake up early to try to sneak out without me knowing, and I plan on letting her. Nice talking to you."

With the hint of a smile, he started to slide his tie off before walking quietly to the opposite bedroom and shutting the door behind him.