“Maybe you can talk some sense into him, Roz,” said Big Daddy, “because we can’t.”
“Mick, what are you doing?” Roz asked him again urgently. She grabbed him by his muscular bicep and turned him toward her.
Reno and Sal flinched when Roz grabbed Mick so aggressively. They just knew he was going to pull out one of those handguns and put it to her forehead the way he would have done anybody else in that room who dared to handle him that way. But with Roz, he let it slide.
“What are you doing?” she asked him for the third time.
“Monk sent me a message by snatching my son,” Mick said, “now it’s my turn to send a message to his ass.”
“By doing what?” Roz asked. But Mick continued to suit up. “By doing what, Mick?” she asked him again.
“But Pop, I thought you said Frankie wouldn’t kidnap Duke and then just hand him back five hours later,” Teddy said. “You said that.”
But Mick didn’t respond.
“Answer him, dammit,” ordered Big Daddy just as Robby Yale came into the office. The fact that he didn’t knock surprised everybody. Especially Sal Gabrini, his boss.
But Robby’s entire attention was on Mick. “Mick?”
Sal frowned. Why would his underboss look past him to talk to Mick? “What are you talking to him for?” Sal asked. “What do you want?”
They could tell Robby seemed rattled. Reno used to think his emotional states were because he was a gay man in the verynon-gay friendlymob world and had to work doubly hard to suppress his feminine tendencies, but Sal told him that was a bunch of bunk. Robby took everything to heart. He loved the Gabrini/Sinatra clan like they were his own family. That was why any crisis they were going through affected him too.
But when Robby spoke his next words, they all also understood why he looked so rattled. “Monk Paletti’s here,” Robby said.
When he said those words even Mick stopped what he was doing. But Teddy was angry. “What are you talking, Robby? What kind of sick game are you playing at?”
“Robby don’t play games,” Sal said. Sal Gabrini used to be the most homophobic and racist member of the entire family. Now he was married to a black woman and was Robby’s biggest defender. “If he says Monk Paletti’s here, then Monk Paletti’s here.”
“He’s where?” asked Big Daddy.
“He’s downstairs,” Robby said. “The man is downstairs in the lobby right this very moment.”
They couldn’t believe it. They started looking at each other for clues on what they should do next.
But Teddy was still doubtful. “You’re certain it’s Frankie?” he asked Robby.
“Of course I’m certain, Teddy. Even down to thatgotdamn hat he always wears, and those oversized suits. It’s him. It’s Monk Paletti!”
It was great news to all of them, but concerning news too. “Why would Monk just show up like this when he made clear already he was not interested in any truce?” Teddy asked. And they all looked to Mick.
Mick was still standing there, taking it all in. But then he continued to arm himself to the teeth.
Big Daddy took over. “Bring him up, Robby,” he ordered, “but under heavy guard.”
“I got his heavy guard alright,” said Reno. “I’ll go down and bring his ass up personally.”
“And I’ll go with you,” said Sal.
And both men hurried out with Robby.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
By the time Frankie “The Monk” Paletti walked into Mick’s office, you could hear a pin drop. Mick was now seated behind his desk, and Big Daddy was standing against the wall with the sole of one of his shoes against that wall in case he had to push off in a hurry should Monkor Micktry something deadly.
Roz was standing beside Mick to one side of Mick’s chair, while Teddy and Nikki were standing beside Mick on the other side of his chair. Reno and Sal, who escorted Monk in, assumed they were standing beside Mick like three prison guards to keep him from making any quick, earth-shattering moves.
That was very much a part of their decision to stand there. Mick could lose his temper at the drop of a hat. But mostly they were concerned that Monk could do so too, since Mick took out so many of his men, and they were going to protect Mick. But it was also because they were still confused. He kidnapped Duke, returned him after only five hours, and now he was showing up at Mick’s hotel?Why?
