“He could what?” asked Nikki.
“Take all our asses out. Mick didn’t give a shit when he was on his rampage. Why should Monk?”
It was a good question, and they all knew it.
“We need to stay strategic because that’s how Frankie thinks,” said Nikki. “We should have armies of our guys in different locations throughout the city. In locations Frankie won’t know about, and with everybody on radio. That way, if hehits one, we’ll all hear about it at the same time and stop him before he can hit anybody else.”
Sal nodded. “That’s a better idea,” he agreed. “Good thinking, Nikki. I see why Mick so in love with your ass.”
They all looked at Sal.
“I didn’t mean it that way!” Sal quickly cleaned it up. “She’s his favorite. That’s all I meant.”
Then they all looked at Teddy. It was his call.
“Set it up,” Teddy finally said, and Nikki quickly pulled out her phone and moved away from the table to make the call.
But Sal was still looking at Teddy. He knew how close Teddy was to Monk. “You tried to call him,” he said. “Didn’t you?”
Everybody looked at Teddy.
He didn’t deny it. “I did, yes.”
“And?” asked Amelia.
“He wouldn’t answer my calls. I left a voice message. He didn’t return it.”
“Well, there you have it,” said an exasperated Sal. “He could have stomped this shit out too. It’s not all on Uncle Mick. It’s on Frankie’s ass too. After he hit Dory, he should have called a truce then. Dory got them. They got Dory. That could have been the end of it. But he didn’t call a truce. He left that door wide open for Mick’s big-ass feet to walk right on in. Now the ball’s in his court and he won’t give in because he can’t give in. Neither one of them can now. And that should tell you all you need to know,” Sal added. And nobody could disagree.
“Anyway,” Sal said, standing up. “I need to get back to Vegas. I’ve got construction going on and that lazy-ass contractor is suddenly dragging his feet.”
“We’ll gonna miss you, Uncle Sal,” said Nikki.
“I’m gonna miss y’all big heads too,” he said and they laughed. “But keep me in the loop. I can turn my plane around and get back here if I have to.”
“Yes sir,” said Nikki.
Then he looked at Teddy. “Ain’t nobody gonna hurt Frankie, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Teddy nodded.
“And tell your old man . . .”
Teddy waited. “Tell him what, Uncle Sal?”
“Tell him nothing because I don’t wanna hear his mouth,” Sal said, they all laughed, and Sal left.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
When Mick made it to his guest bedroom, the door was locked. Because of the uniqueness of who he was in this world, every bedroom door was built so that it could not be forced open. But every door had a keypad. Mick typed in the combination and the door unlocked. He went inside.
He could hear the shower water running when he entered the bedroom. He took a seat on the unmade bed and waited. Then he shook his head. He couldn’t remember the last time Roz got out of bed and actually made up the bed. She was good about getting into one, and getting out of one. But he or their housekeeper always had to make it up. He complained about it their whole marriage, but she never changed. “I’m getting right back in it later,” was her excuse. To him it was lame as fuck. Just like a lot of his excuses were to her.
After several minutes, and despite wearing one of his expensively tailored suits, he laid down on that unmade bed with his large dress shoes hanging out over the side of the bed. He could smell her sweet perfume on the sheets. It made him even more drowsy and lonely. He couldn’t make it without Roz in his life. That was a reality he’d been admitting to himself long ago. Roz was his world. He nearly fell asleep thinking about her.
Until he heard the water stop running. Then he could hear Roz getting out of the shower and drying off.
When her slender, naked body enter the bedroom to head for the clothes she had laid out on the lounger, his penis began to throb. But when she saw Mick lying there and staring at her naked body as if he was seeing it for the first time, herwalk slowed but it didn’t stop. She was still pissed with him. That hadn’t changed. She began walking past him to get to her clothes.
