She had every intention of divorcing him and sticking to that decision before he showed up. She’d made up her mind to stick to it this time. Now he pulled this trick out of his ass?
She couldn’t bear it. She was so confused that she didn’t know how to unpack her confusion. Mick on his knees? Mick on his kneesbeggingher? She couldn’t even fathom it!
It was so out of left field that Roz suddenly couldn’t breathe. She felt as if she was going to have a panic attack if she didn’t get away from him. So she stood up quickly to hurry back inside.
But as she was rushing past Mick, he grabbed her by the arm. And then he stood up, still holding onto her.
At first she thought he needed her arm to help stand up. He looked just that drained. But then she realized he had something more to say. She stared at him.
“The best thing you can do for yourself, Rosalind,” he said to her, “is to leave me.”
Say what? She didn’t expect to hear that either.
“The best thing you can do for me,” he said, “is to stay.”
Tears filled his eyes. It was a sight to behold. “I recommend, for your own sake, that you leave. Being with me is never going to get easier. If anything, it’ll probably get harder. I will completely understand if you want more out of life than this. Than me. You should want more.”
She just stood there. She’d never felt more torn in her life. And when Mick finally released her from his grasp, it felt as if he was releasing her from his life, and his problems, and all the trouble his mere existence unleashed. Like a son who wanted him dead. Like an entire police department offered millions to get rid of him and they gladly accepted. Life with Mick was in many ways a hellish life.
But what was life without Mick going to look like? Was it going to be better, or just different?
That was why she had to get away from him. She thought she had it all figured out! She would divorce his ass and move on with her life. There was nothing he could say or do or come up with to change her made up mind.
Until he said plenty that left her so uncertain that she could hardly bear it. She left his side and hurried off of that terrace.
And Mick’s heart dropped. He’d never felt that kind of pain. And the emptiness he suddenly felt when she left his side was cold as ice. She was the best thing he’d ever had. And he didn’t know how to keep her. He’d never felt so alone. And so lost.
But because of who he was, life didn’t wait for the weather to break, or even for him to pull himself together. Teddy came rushing out onto the terrace.
“Pop! Pop!”
But he stopped in his tracks when he saw what looked like tears in his father’s eyes.
Mick quickly turned his back to his son, pulled out his handkerchief, wiped his eyes and nose, and then turned back around. And, miraculously to Teddy, his father’s eyes looked hard and cold again. “You wanted me?” Mick asked him.
“Yes sir.” But Teddy was still shocked by what he’d seen. Ma had brought his old man totears?
Mick was irritated because he knew why Teddy was suddenly hesitating. “Well what is it, Teddy?!
“Oh!” Then he focused again. “We found Cleo.”
It was all Mick needed to hear. He hurried off of that terrace, speeding past his son.
Teddy was still reeling from what he’d just seen. But he hurried behind him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
When Mick’s Escalade pulled up to the small house on Bluebond Road and he and Teddy, along with Reno, Monk, and Tommy stepped out, Tommy was the first to see that his brother had already arrived.
“How do you know that, Tommy?” Reno asked him.
“Robby’s over there.”
They looked over on the far side of the house and saw Robby laughing and talking with another made man in Sal’s organization.
“Hey Robby?” Reno yelled out.
“What’s up, Reno?”
