Mick looked at Iggy as if he should have realized, given the cordiality of their greeting, that it wasn’t an issue. “I’m always available to see Mr. McCurry,” Mick made clear.
“That’s what the rest of them were trying to tell that newbie,” said Deuce. “But he looked at me like I don’t belong in the same space with him. Like I had no business breathing the same air he breathes.” Deuce said this as he looked at Iggy.
Mick slapped Deuce on the back and played it off. “Go on in, D, I’ll be right there.”
Deuce, a proud black man, looked at Iggy, a much-younger white guy again, but then he went into Mick’s office.
Mick went up to Iggy’s desk and gave him a look that brook no ambiguity. “If you ever so much as look side-eyed at that man, who happens to be my best friend, you will be terminated. And I don’t mean fired. Do you understand me?”
Iggy was shocked. He only knew Mick as his boss and as the Fortune 500 businessman he was. But he’d heard about the rumors of another side of his life. Rumors he usually dismissed. Not anymore. He had to will his voice not to shake. “Yes sir.”
“He has unrestricted access to me and my office and anything else or anybody else in this entire building. You didn’t know, and that’s the only reason why your ass is still above ground. Now you know. Don’t make that mistake again.”
Ignatius was nodding his head to avoid his entire body from shaking. “Yes sir. It’ll never happen again, sir. Never.”
He was overall an excellent assistant who didn’t know better, so Mick backed off. But he was not getting a second chance.
Mick went into his office, closing the door behind him. The other assistants were inwardly smiling and happy that Mick checked his arrogant ass. But they also knew Iggy was their boss, and he didn’t play either. They got back to work.
Deuce was already behind Mick’s desk reading over various papers. Anybody else and that would have been a problem. But Deuce, who was once special ops military and was Mick’s longtime driver before Mick retired him with a big paycheck that made Deuce an instant millionaire, hadcarte blancheperiod. “Your ass noisy as hell,” Mick said as he made his way around his desk. He took Deuce by Deuce’s waist and moved him aside.
“I’m just seeing what you’re up to,” said the older man. “But what you’re up to is never visible, is it?”
Mick smiled but did not respond as he took a seat behind his desk.
“I heard about Teddy. How’s he doing?”
“It was a nasty crash, but he’s fine. They kept him overnight for observation. He’s back at work already.”
Deuce smiled. “That’s my boy right there. Toughest man I know.”
Mick gave him that look.
“Don’t look at me like that. I mean it. Teddy has to put up with your crazy assandhe has to run the most powerful syndicate on earth. That takes balls of a different level.”
Mick chuckled.
“But are you certain it was an accident?”
“I certainly had my doubts too,” said Mick. “But the CCTV footage backs it up.”
“Good.That’s good.”
Mick looked at his friend. “You aren’t here to shoot the breeze.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Bella Caine called me.” Deuce looked at Mick. “You stopped taking her calls.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“It’s not about her, Mick. It’s about Dory.”
When Mick heard that name, there was a pause. Then he looked at Deuce. “What about him?”
“He’s been badly injured in a war with some rival gang. Bella was thin on details. But she was clear about this: He’s in danger, Mick.”
