“The same thing that brought you to Vegas. I don’t appreciate you coming to my city and not notifying me.”
Teddy had opted to work his own leads when he got to Vegas yesterday. Since his father for some unknown reason preferred that he and Marco find Cleo,instead of Sal, he felt itwould be less pressure to stay in the dark while in Sal’s town. “It was supposed to be a simple grab and go,” Teddy said. “I didn’t know you knew I was in Vegas.”
“He knows everything,” Robby said.
“How did you know we left Vegas and was back here?”
“When Robby told me he told you about the sighting, I put a crew at the airfield. I figured you’d land outside of Vegas, Henderson probably, and drive in.”
Marco was impressed. “That’s exactly what we did, Uncle Sal. They don’t pay you the big bucks for nothing!”
Robby was impressed too. “I told you Boss knows everything.”
But Sal was dead serious. “She’s inside?” he asked Teddy.
“She’s in there.”
“Then let’s go.” Sal began to head to the front door.
“She’s inside, Sal,” Teddy said. “But . . .”
Sal frowned. “But what?”
“She says she won’t tell us anything if you come anywhere near her.”
Everybody looked at Sal. Even Robby wanted to know the why. He knew they had a beef, but he didn’t know what the beef was about. All of their inquiring minds wanted to know.
But Sal wasn’t telling. And when Mick’s big Cadillac Escalade drove up that long, winding driveway like he was on the Daytona speedway, Sal didn’t bother to even respond.
But when Mick stepped out of that SUV in his long white coat, his black trousers, and his black turtleneck, they knew he didn’t come to chat, or to ponder, or to discuss next moves or strategies. He didn’t come to fuck around.
He walked fast and deliberate as he headed straight for the front door. “Teddy, you and Marco wait out here with Robby,” he said without breaking his stride, and even Teddy knew not to object. Although telling him, the third mostpowerful mob boss in the world, to hang outside with an underboss and a capo was absolutely objectionable. But he saw that ice cold look on his father’s face. He held his peace.
And Mick and Sal went into the safe house, closing the door behind them.
CHAPTER NINE
Roz drove her big, black Mercedes-Maybach into the gate at the docks and parked in front of the small office building. Stepping out in her heels, her skinny slacks, and her sleeveless halter top tucked-in and highlighting her perfect figure, she was casually dressed on purpose. Although she’d already told Nikki last night that she wasn’t able to make the trip, her attitude changed this morning when she woke up to that heifer calling Mick’s phone. And then Mick suddenly had to leave. And all he could say was that she was the one he wanted as if that shit was going to ease her troubled mind. He didn’t tell her that he loved her and would never dream of allowing any other woman to come between them. He didn’t change his mind and tell her she could go to Essence the way she wanted to go, and go free of his goons. He didn’t do any of that. Typical Mick, he said all he was going to say and left.
Well Roz was about to be what used to be Typical Roz and just leave too. She was going to New Orleans with Nikki and she was going on her own terms.
But when she walked into the office expecting to find Nikki hard at work before she hit the road that afternoon, which she’d said was her plan, Gomez, the dock supervisor, was at the desk working away instead.
Gomez had worked there long enough to know that Mick Sinatra would fire you on the spot if you disrespected his wife in any way, shape, or form, and he wasn’t about to lose his good job. That was why he quickly jumped to his feet as soon as he saw her. “Good morning, Mrs. Sinatra.”
“Hey Gomez. How are you?”
“I can’t complain, ma’am. Just trying to check the roll this morning. We got the flu going around. We need to call in some guys that thought they were gonna be off today.”
“Is Nikki around?”
“Oh no ma’am. She’s out of town. And Teddy hasn’t come in yet.”
But Roz was confused. “Nikki’s out of town?”
“Yes ma’am. She’s going to that festival in New Orleans. I forgot the name of it.”
“But she wasn’t supposed to leave until this afternoon.”
