He loves the rush; the adrenaline that hits his system like a heroin high with each and every spin of the wheel. The stakes are higher than they've ever been. The cards have already been dealt and the dice are in freefall. Everyone is holding their breath, waiting to see if they come up snake eyes.
Just because it might kill him in the end doesn't mean that he wants to stop.
Maybe that's what he should tell her when she looks at him with that questioning expression. That he wants her because having her would be like fuel on the fire...like every christmas come, hand in hand with a .44.
Instead he'll just move onto the next game. Move the pieces. Hatch his grand plan and up the ante until he's standing on the edge. This time around maybe he'll find that every piece is expendable...even his red headed 'Queen'.