“I tell you what, Roz,” he said,rising to his feet. “You take a few daysto think about it. If you agree, I’llcome back to Philly and we’ll celebrate with a dinner party in your honor. And sign a contract that I guarantee willchange your life forever. Is that adeal?”
“For me to think about it for a few days?” Roz clarified. She wasn’t about to agree to anything beyondthat. At least not yet.
Billy smiled. “Yes. Will you agree to think about it for a few days, and then let me know?”
Roz smiled and nodded. “Yes. That’s a deal.”
Billy smiled too. He gave her his card, with his personal phonenumber on back, said his goodbyes, and left.
Roz sat back down and leaned backafter he had gone. She could still smellhis cologne and still felt the afterglow of his smile. There was a time, way back when, when shethought he was just about the best looking man she’d ever seen. And she had a bit of a crush on him. And he still looked good!
But that wasn’t here nor there forRoz. It was all about the offer. The chance to have a steady gig doing thework she loved. It was an offer she’d benuts to refuse.
Truth was, she would have alreadysaid yes had it not been for Mick. Because she knew without asking him that he was going to be a no. A resounding no. And he just might forbid her from going atall. Which, she knew, if he was angryenough, he was more than capable of doing.
She also knew, if he ever tried toexercise that kind of power over her, it could tear their family apart. Which wouldn’t be fair on so manylevels. Because Roz played by the rules. She was always there for their children. She was always there for her husband. She was always there for her friends andfamily members. But Mick? His ass could go as he pleased, sometimesstaying away from home weeks on end, and that was perfectly fine. But let her want in on the I’m my ownperson movement and Mick would move to shut it down. She knew him. She knew what he was capable of.
That was why taking Billy’s offerwasn’t going to be as easy as just saying yes. She had to consider other options, like a starring role on Broadwaywould be fantastic. She had an auditioncoming up. Maybe that one would work outfor her and render Billy’s offer unnecessary. Or maybe past was prologue and she wouldn’t be successful at thataudition either. Billy’s offer might beall she had to work with. His wife wasdead. He was ready to branch out bigtime. And he invited her along for theride. It was an offer she didn’t see howshe could completely refuse.
But then there was Mick, shethought. Which meant, if she stood anychance at all of getting him onboard, she had to tread very, very, verycarefully.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The plane touched down in Palermo, onthe southern coast of Sicily, and Mick and Teddy made their way down the steps,across the tarmac, and into the waiting limousine. They both sat on the same side. Denny Randazzo was already seated on theopposite side.
“Benvenuti nel mio paese,”Randazzo said to the two Americans.
But Mick wasn’t interested. “Speak English motherfucker,” he said.
Randazzo laughed. “You are Italian, but speaks no Italian. Shame on you, Michello!”
Mick smiled.
“I said welcome to my country,”Randazzo clarified.
“No security?” Mick asked him.
“Do I need security, Michello? Am I to be afraid of my friend? My dear friend?”
Teddy let out an impatientexhale. Friend my ass, he thought.
Mick thought the same thing. Although he had no beef with Randazzo, andthe Sinatra syndicate and Randazzo’s were never at war, Randazzo was about asdear to Mick as the seat he sat on. Hestared at his old acquaintance.
“What is it, Michello?” Randazzoasked. “You may speak your mind to me.”
“He gave your name,” Mick said.
“Who gave my name?”
“Pauley Jay.”
Randazzo seemed surprised. “In reference to those raids?”
Mick nodded. “Yes.”
Randazzo seemed shocked. “What did he claim? Did he insinuate that I, your true friend,would backstab you? That I would alertthe fucking Feds about your activities when I know next to nothing about themmyself?”
“Since you know so little,” Teddysaid, “ why did two of your goons show up at Pauley Jay’s apartment ready totake him out? Or maybe they were thereto take me and Pop out. But yet you knowso little.”
“What two goons?” Randazzo asked.
Teddy pulled out his cell phone. He had taken pictures of the two dead thugsbefore they left Rome. He showed them toRandazzo.
To Mick and Teddy’s surprise,Randazzo smiled. “Ah. Those two. They left my employ over a year ago.”
Mick stared at him. Teddy needed to hear more. “Why?” he asked Randazzo. “Other than Pop, you’re the biggest showgoing in Rome. Why would they give upthat prestige?”
“They had no choice. They were part of a group that disobeyed adirect order from my underboss. I firedthem.”
“Used to be a time Denny Randazzowould kill a fucker for disobeying him,” Teddy said.
“Yes. I used to be that way. And I did,let’s say, handle the main culprits. Those two? They were just thefollowers. They did as they were told bytheir capos. They were badlyinjured. Don’t misunderstand me. They were hospitalized for severalmonths. And they were fired too.”
Then Randazzo looked at Mick. “Everything I am saying to you, Michello, Ican verify. Although I am sureverification is never needed between friends. But I will gladly do so if you request it.”
“Why would a man, being dangled outof a window six stories high,” Teddy asked, “give a false name?”
Randazzo thought about it. “There’s only one answer for it,” hesaid. “Fear.”
Mick respected the man who sat acrossfrom him. Not because he was a greatman. He wasn’t. In the end Randazzo was weakfish to Mick. But he was a smart man, and sometimes brainstrumped brawn. Mick, everybody knew, hadboth. “Who, do you suppose, he feared?”
“More than you?” Randazzo asked. “More than the man who was dangling him outof that window?” Randazzo shook his fathead. “I cannot say, Michello. But I can say this: it was not me ormine. We would
