It was... interesting

Scrawny turned out to be the big winner... no big surprise... and it took him a while to collect his winnings, have six or eight drinks with his friends, unsurprisingly including Miss Oklahoma, and then finally heading for his rusty pickup truck.

Rick had discovered another benefit of his bio-DNA. He'd never been able to pick locks before despite understanding the theory but he was now more sensitive to just about everything including the tiny wiggles when pins are being stressed. And Scrawny's old pickup lacked electronic locks so picking paid off. He waited in the passenger seat for Scrawny to crawl out of the casino.

"What the fuck."

Rick smiled at him from the passenger seat. "Hi, Scrawny. I thought we would have a little chat."

"You broke into my car."

"Oh no. You invited me. We're friends, remember. I mean, you introduced me to Miss Oklahoma and all. Quite a hotty. She wanted to blow me but somehow we all got busy and that didn't happen."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Listen, asshole. We don't have to play games. I figure this casino is big enough for both of us but if you don't want to share, maybe we just have to come to some other resolution. So, what do you say, Scrawny. Share or find out my other solution?"

"Name is Mike."

"And I'm Rick."

"I'm listening but frankly I don't know what you've got to offer me."

"Maybe staying alive." Kat had been in the extended cab. Now, she sat up and pressed a sharpened nail file to the pulse on Mike's neck."

"You don't seem like killers to me."

"Really? I'd think your poker skills would give you a better read on people."

"Go ahead. Kill me. The cops will track you down in no time."

"And that helps you how? Not to mention you're talking about Oklahoma cops. You think they care what happens to someone like you?"

"I said I'd listen."

"Okay, Mike. Here's how it's going to go. I've got an entry to the poker tournament starting next Saturday. You're going to find a reason to visit another casino or maybe just stay home with the wife and kiddies."

"And what do I get."

"Besides staying alive," Kat growled.

You contact me when you want a big win and I don't play. No reason we should step on each other's toes."

"Like you could take me in a head-to-head."

"Seems to me you were worried about that when you sent Miss Oklahoma to distract me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You think we haven't been checking on you? I wonder what your pretty wife, Donna, right? What Donna would think of what you and Miss Oklahoma did in the bar bathroom an hour ago. Boy that chick can suck dick like a jet engine. Wouldn't be surprised if she left lipstick all over your cock, though. Hate for poor Donna to see the photos."

"Bullshit."

Rick turned on Mike and gave him a stare. "Look, Mike. I'm a desperate man. And frankly, I don't give a shit about you. You put yourself on my radar and I'm planning on taking you off of it. We can do it easy and friendly, or we can do it ugly. I'm lazy so I'd prefer easy but really, Donna would cut off your balls for me, wouldn't she. Or do you think she'd be understanding?"

"Okay, I get it. I back off when you're here and you back off when I'm playing. I can live with that."

Kat pressed the sharpened file harder into his neck. "You hope you can live with it, Scrawny. Because Rick here spent a lot of time begging and pleading with me before I agreed. You see, you sent some whore sniffing after my man. That's shit I don't tolerate. So, anything happens to my man, or I get word you're not playing straight, I'll kill you and frame Donna for doing it. 'Cause she was just so mad at you for fucking around on her. You get it?"

"Shit man. You married that bitch?" Mike looked a little green.

"It's been a pleasure dealing with you. And Kat, don't kill him while I'm next to him. I don't want to spend half the night cleaning blood off of myself."