Nikki slumped into a booth at a coffee shop, likely spared simply because she'd been off in Detroit when Marco died. She'd not been surprised, as the rumors had been flying for a while now and it was only a matter of time. 

She just hadn't expected to live. 

The former Right Hand sat staring at the untouched coffee before her, now cold. What were her options? Not surprisingly, no offers of housing or condolences had come from the remaining New York crews...as much as everyone had spouted on about unity, that had proved to be a joke. 

There was Chicago. There was Vegas. If she had the money, she could even have a go at Detroit or Los Angeles, as enough of the crew remained to make a nice start. Most of her funds were gone, though. Millions upon millions had been spent to back her former boss. 

Losing the title didn't sting; her line had only ever served as a CL or Hand when a close friend or partner asked her to, not because she sought it out. 

The rank, though. Goddamn, she'd worked harder than any Don in her lineage to make this rank. Would anyone let her keep it? New policies made her wonder if that was even an option. 

Nikki laid her Colt on the table, much to the alarm and dismay of the other diners. A couple actually got up and left as she grabbed the barrel and spun.

Insanity walked into the coffee shop and sees Nikki in the back cornered booth. He sprints over and grabs the colt before tripping and falls face first on the wooden floor. He gets up and looks at Nikki then unloads the colt till he looks at her. "Don't kill yourself please, You were a great hand. Marco wouldn't want you to take the coward way out. I think you should go to a new crew and maybe become the next Marco as a Leader instead of just a hand.

He puts one round in the chamber and slams it on the table. He turns around and heads for the scared employee hiding in the back.

"COFFEE MAN, I NEED SOME HOT CHOCOLATE!"

"Where do you plan on pointing that, signora Swango?"

The pair had crossed paths on multiple occasions over the last few days. It seemed obscenely unlikely that the same two random people would pass each other so many times in a country like America, however here they were. It helped that they were both related by profession, not that either had disclosed this information at present. Still, Luca fought every inclination he had to put it down to fate, which was nonsense on any other day, that they came face to face on this day.

"It seems New York had more in store for me than I originally thought."

He smiled, looking at the ground. Creases formed in his face where they rarely formed before and he felt, for a moment, relaxed.

"I almost drew the line at co-incidence when it was your name I saw over that noodle joint."

Nikki snorted at the always calm, reserved, tea-sipping Insainty as he bombarded the poor wait staff with threats of bodily harm if no hot chocolate was forthcoming. She turned as LucaGiordano spoke, no longer surprised at his appearance, or anything, for that matter. When he smiled, his entire face transformed, and her previous thought vanished. 

Okay, so she could still be surprised.

"Ah yes. The noodle joint. One of my dearest friends insisted on it. She practically lives there," she says, wondering idly what would become of it. Of all her fronts, and the connections she'd made through them. Not a lot of people respected the way she ran around to each one like her ass was on fire, but they didn't understand that it got her line into good families with respectable positions and titles. Most used coffee shops much like this one, but Nikki chose the business districts. They were her lifeblood. Her attention returned to Luca once more.

"You seem to be an exceptionally efficient man, Mr. Luca. No wasted words, movements, or intentions. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intensely curious about what you might say next," she says, sliding the Colt away, momentarily forgotten as she clears the space across from her in case he chose to sit.

The smile lingered for a moment more, then passed. His face fell to one of neutral contentment, his mind re-organised and the structure returned to the pre-programmed state he was comfortable in. 

"Only ever as much as I need to say, signora Swango."

His voice curled with the Italian tongue, it was deep and raspy, possibly attributed to the smoking. He eyed the seat up for a moment, though the thought seemed to pass soon enough and they reconnected with the young woman.

"I'm not much of a social man, however I feel your particular etiquette and dedication could be ...invaluable to what I'm trying to achieve. It would please me greatly if you were to settle in the west coast with us. I am a business man, that's what I know, and I know you'll be a significant part of the business."

Concentration flooded his features. His brow curled and he bit his lip, focus on the woman's more personal or moral dilemma filtered into his considerations. Suddenly, he found himself adjusting his stance.

"Listen, it was your duty to die for the late signore Vendetta, however the ones that took him, riposi in pace, have been put in the ground too. Your duty is now to yourself."

He maintained a firm gaze for a moment, a look of concern and hope, that he had found the right words.

The coffee guy handed Insanity two cups of hot chocolate. Insanity walked back over to the booth and sees Luca and Nikki talking instead decides to throw the hot chocolate everywhere. I yell "NEW PERSON!!!!!!" Steals that sit and stares at the new person right as I take out a cup of tea. 

Nikki had run across a stack of journals once; some fool had casually tossed them in a wastebasket in the alley behind one of her fronts. One of them told of the adventures of a boy which read like Clyde Barrow. He'd grown up in terrible conditions, was subsequently imprisoned...but still managed to come out a respected, loved man. She wondered what he would do in her shoes. She'd give anything to get that kid's advice. Instead, she asked the man before her.

​​​​​"That's what you would do, if you were I, Mr. Luca? Vegas or bust?" she asks with a weak, tired smile.

Catching a glimpse of a couple of familiar faces in the cafe as he passed by, Carlo decided to stop in for a cup of coffee before he moved his business to Philadelphia. Upon opening the door, Carlo was greeted by the sight of an excited Insainity tossing two cups of what he could only assume was a piping hot drink, all the while screaming about new people or something.

"Uhh...Escuzi, may I have a word with you, Signora Swango?" Seeing her nod in return, Carlo took the opportunity to remove his hat and sit down in the booth next to a man that looked vaguely familiar, perhaps he was an associate of his father or some other Don back in the old country.

"Signora, I must express my deepest regrets for the loss of Don Marco...as for my time working together with your clan, I...uhh, how you say, I am very...grateful, si, grateful is the word, for your help in establishing a foothold in America for my father's clan to do business."

Carlo paused for a moment, seeing how she was clearly distraught at the loss of her close friends and her business. His thoughts were interrupted by a young waiter waiting patiently for him to order.

"Uno caffè, per favore..." the waiter nodded and walked away to fulfill his order as Carlo returned to address Nikki, "Signora, if you desire to find more work, might I suggest the city of Philadelphia, I myself have manged to secure a place working for Signora Tenley in her organization."

Finding what he hoped was just the right amount of human, or as much as he could muster, Luca offered a response to the young woman.

"If I were you, I'd take the path which leads me to what I want. Say you come to Vegas, say we work long into evening of our lives and die standing for what we built for this city. One chapter ends, another one begins."

He removes his hat, defines the creases in it, and returns to his head.

"Or, a chapter resumes."

More customers scatter as a young, wild cat jumps into the booth next to her. Nodding at Carlo, she smiles. 

"I believe you know Takum. And I thank you for your kind words, and the offer, Carlo," she says as a newsie can be heard hawking outside. Everyone stops to listen; apparently Detroit wasn't the dangerous free-for-all it once was.

"Huh. Well how about that. Too bad I'm broke," she says with a laugh.

"Mr. Luca, there are a few war orphans that might need housing. It would be irresponsible of me to not help them find homes as well. Is that something negotiable?"

Makavelli could tell by Nikki's earlier reaction to him in Downtown DT, that she was very surprised about not only his appearance but where he she figured he'd now called home after the bloodshed that happened in his home of Brooklyn and her home of The Bronx. He decided to follow Nikki, he felt he owed her a conversation or several. She had become a friend and made his days in New York bearable and after everything that had happened, they were still standing, broken, but still standing.

He followed Nikki into a little coffee shop type place. As he walked inside, wondering what he could possibly say to her, he noticed there was quite a few people inside but that didn't matter he just needed to find Nikki. After a few moments of searching, he found her towards the back of the coffee shop. It was now or never. He headed in her direction and after what seemed like an eternity, he arrived at her table and noticed Takum laying on her lap. He smiled to himself, glad the lil guy also made it out of New York.

"Hey..."

He took a deep breath and continued.

"You look as lost as I feel."

He hoped Nikki wouldn't tell him to go away. They both needed someone to talk to, both needed someone to listen and understand.