Nobody could have said it better than Sal Gabrini. He was on Mick’s level. He spoke Mick’s language. That was why everybody, especially Teddy and Big Daddy, looked at Mick for a response.
But Mick, being Mick, didn’t give them one. “Has anybody heard from Roz?” he asked them instead.
Amelia was floored. “Roz? You’re thinking about Roz at a time like this? That’s what’s on your mind?”
“Don’t you worry about what’s on my mind,” Mick responded. “Just answer my question. Has anybody seen my wife?”
“We need to know what the game plan is, Mick!” Big Daddy yelled at him. “Are we or are we not going to take out Monk Paletti? Just answer that question!”
“His organization attempted to kill my son when they knew he was my son.” His look was fierce. “What do you think is the answer to that question?”
It was a chilling response. But one they knew Mick believed with all his might. It wasn’t just that Monk’s organization was in danger: which was bad enough. But Monk was in danger too! And they would have all believed rightly so had it been any other mob boss on earth. But it wasn’t any other mob boss. It was Frankie!
“I saw her earlier this morning,” Nikki said to Mick. She knew how concerned he was about his wife last night. And how hurt he was to see her in the arms of another man. Nikki didn’t tell that part to anybody. Not even Teddy. But she saw Mick’s reaction. She knew he wasn’t going to discuss anything about anything until he had Roz back under his thumb.
Mick looked at Nikki. For some reason, he always viewed her as his ally. “Where is she, Nikki?”
“She’s in the guest bedroom. Number three downstairs. She slept in there last night.”
Mick was surprised to hear it. “She came home last night?”
Nikki nodded. “Yes sir. A few hours after we got back. You were upstairs asleep so we didn’t disturb you.”
But Mick had to see her for himself. He jumped up and made his way to his guest bedroom. The idea of his wife sleeping in a guest room infuriated him, but the fact that she didn’t stay out all night withwhat’s-his-facekept the lid on.
But Teddy’s lid was simmering. When Mick left the dining hall, he looked at Big Daddy and Sal. “I don’t care what Pop says, but he’ll take Frankie out over my dead body.”
“Then you’d better prepare to die,” said Sal bluntly. “Your father never says words he doesn’t mean.”
“Facts,” agreed Amelia with a wave of her hand as if she was in a black church shoutingamen.
“He’s not talking out both sides of his mouth,” Sal continued. “He’s not playing games. He’s not bullshitting us. This is not a test.”
“Then what are we going to do about it? Pop will take Monk down and all of us right along with him. And for what? Some son none of us ever even heard of before last night? I mean Pop’s not thinking straight. Is he still in love with his so-called son’s mama? Is that what this is about? Some woman? What’s going on here, Uncle Sal?”
Sal leaned back in his chair. He was Teddy’s cousin, not his uncle, but that title of respect had been bestowed on certain members of the family. Sal was one of those members. “I agree with everything you just said, Teddy. But you aren’t listening to me. We aren’t changing his mind. That will never happen.”
Nikki looked at Big Daddy. She was as worried as Teddy. “Will you talk to him again, Big Daddy? He’ll listen to you.”
“He listens to me in many things,” Big Daddy agreed, “except how he runs that criminal side of his life. That side he’s stuck in and will never be able to get out of. That’s his domain alone. Sal’s right. He’s not changing his mind.”
Teddy and Nikki looked at each other. The frustration on their faces was palpable. Then Teddy looked back at Big Daddy.“What about Frankie?” he asked. “Is he interested in a truce? Did you guys even bring it up?”
“No, Teddy,” said an insulted Amelia. “We went all the way to Jersey to talk to him about the weather and if I should repaint my house. Of course we mentioned it, you idiot!”
“And?” asked Nikki.
“He’s not interested in any truce. None. He’s as dug-in as my brother is.”
“He already gave us a warning with that tanker,” said Sal. “What he’ll do next isn’t up to Mick or any of us. The ball’s in Monk’s court.”
“My men will not be sitting ducks for him to pick off the way Pop picked off his guys,” said Teddy.
“Then round their asses up and bring them here,” said Sal. “You need to get all of them over here. If he’s going to hit back as hard as Mick hit him, he’ll have to hit all of us.”
They all were looking at Sal. They all respected the mob pecking order and Sal was second only to Mick. Teddy, as head of Mick’s organization, was third. And although the underboss of Mick’s organization would have been next in that pecking order, nobody in the underworld was going to put a newcomer like Nikki over a seasoned veteran like Monk Paletti. Monk was just behind Teddy. Which meant he was uniquely qualified to do some serious damage to them.
“He could you know,” Amelia said.
