Dory’s reflexes were nowhere near as sharp as the man he was just moments before ridiculing for believing he was his son, and that knife tore into him.
Toscano screamed out when Dory slumped over. When he saw that his son was dead, he jumped up to jump on Mick, but Mick had pulled out his Glock while Monk was throwing that knife, and he shot Toscano several times. His timing was too slow for Mick too.
Toscano fell backwards and dropped dead right alongside his dead son.
Bella was already crying out when Monk’s precision throw pierced Dory’s heart. That was her son. She was screaming.
Roz felt her pain because she knew she would have been crying out for her child, too, no matter how terrible he was. That was why she pulled Bella into her arms. That was why she was shedding tears too.
Mick took his handkerchief and wrapped the cut that was still bleeding in the palm of his hand, staunching the blood flow. But as painful as that injury was, it paled in comparison to how painful Mick felt about what he’d done in the name of Dorian Toscano’s honor.
Nikki and Teddy escorted Bella outside to the SUV, with Mick, Roz, and Monk following them. They were all eager to leave that place for good while their men cleaned up the mess.
But while the others got into the Ford Expedition that would take them back to the airfield, Mick pulled Frankie aside. And he looked Frankie dead in his eyes. “Why did you stop me from taking Dory out?” Mick asked.
“Because he was Bella Caine’s son,” Monk responded. “And you and Bella will always be, how can I say it? In communication. Let’s put it that way. You didn’t need that over your head.”
Mick nodded. “Thanks. But as insignificant as it is now, I do owe you an apology.”
But Monk was already shaking his head. “You thought you had legit proof that he was your son. I even was certain he was your son. No apology needed, Mick,” Frankie said. “You did what any father would have done.”
“And I played right into their hands.”
“And they overplayed their hands.”
Mick attempted a smile but couldn’t pull it off. He stared at Monk Paletti. He was such an honorable man. Such a good man. But Mick couldn’t get over himself. The pain of what his no-holes-barred approach to every single major problem, an approach that caused Monk and especially his men everything, was strangling him.
Roz saw it too. That was why she got out of that SUV, went over to Mick, and pulled him into her arms.
And the great Mick Sinatra, who never showed any depth of emotions in public, didn’t show any depth of emotions that time either. He’d be damned if he let those people see him cry!
But inwardly, he was as vulnerable as a dove. And Roz knew it. His eyes were tightly closed, but so were hers, as she held him.
EPILOGUE
He could not believe he was subjecting himself to this. All of those eyes watching his every move as if they could read his mind just by looking at him. And everybody was there: From the Sinatras and Gabrinis and all of their wives and children, to Monk Paletti and his family, to billionaire Alex Drakos and his family, to Greek mob boss Oz Drakos and his family, to their half-brother billionaire Marcellus Drakos and all of his family too. Even Trevor Reese and his brother, the legendary Hammer Reese, were seated in Mick’s huge backyard back in Philly with their families, staring at him too.
Bella Caine arrived with the Drakos clan: Gloria was married to Oz, which made Bella Oz Drakos’s mother-in-law. She was often included in family get-togethers because of Gloria. Same for Teddy’s mother. She was there as well. And both of his baby mamas, whom Mick still supported financially, were staring at him as if they would never believe for a second that this man standing before them in a white tuxedo, was the same hard as steel man they used to know in every way possible.
Kelly Cochran wasn’t there however. He was the only firm no from Mick. He was just too fond of Roz for Mick’s taste. Not that Kelly coming would have been the only bad idea. It was probably a bad idea allowing his baby mamas to come too, although they were there. It was a bad idea allowing any of those staring-behind people to come. It was the most uncomfortable moment of Mick’s entire life.
And the crazy part?
The absolute looney-toon, barking mad insane part?
It was Mick’s idea!
He was still getting over that flub. But it started innocent enough. Roz’s Broadway show was back in business again, and a huge success, and after the show they decided to drive back to Philly from New York rather than stay the night at Mick’s Manhattan hotel. It was simple enough.
Hall and Oates came on over their limousine’s stereo system and started singingManeater. Roz started laughing and talking about how Teddy and Nikki called her that very name the night they had that intervention in that restaurant. “The time you walked out on me,” Roz said.
And when she said those words, and although she was smiling, he could hear the pain in her voice. They had come a long way since that night. He was improving immensely with his long hours at work. But they still had a long way to go.
But when he looked over at Roz, and saw her swaying her sexy body from side to side as that music played, looking so desirable and youthful and fun, yesfun, it took his breath away. All the shit he’d put her through down through the years had taken a toll on her. It had taken away her joy. It had made her almost as vicious as he was because that was the only way she could keep up with him. Now she was doing all she could to get her happy back. And what was he doing to help? What special thing was he doing for Roz? Or ever did for Roz? Absolutely nothing!
And that was when it occurred to him. And as soon as the thought popped into his head, he knew he had to speak it into existence or he would never speak it ever. So he spoke it.
“Rosalind,” he said.
