But Deuce took liberties thattime. “I think you should go see him,”he said.
“That’s not for you to decide,” Rozbegan saying, but then she looked at Deuce. He was staring at her through the rearview. And she knew him. He didn’t give his opinion unless hedetermined that it was vital information. Roz’s heart began to squeeze. What was it now?
“Take me to The Carson,” she said,and Deuce smiled, and did just that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Mick was standing behind his full sizebar, in his bathrobe, in the penthouse suite in his hotel when the buzzersounded. He glanced up at the TV monitorabove the bar. Bella Caine was gettingoff of the elevator and heading for the entrance. The two bodyguards on the door made her waitwhen she reached for the knob. Theirmeeting was supposed to have been two hours ago, but Bella being Bella, Mickthought, was always what she considered to be fashionably late. Mick just considered it late, and entertainedthe thought of letting her ass wait two more hours. But he pressed the buzzer.
“Let her through,” Mick said over theintercom, and the guards stepped aside.
Bella rolled her eyes at one of themfor not allowing her to just walk on in anyway, and she entered the penthouse.
“They are so rude,” she said as sheclosed the door, careful to make certain they heard her. But then she saw Mick, standing there allhandsome, and she smiled and made her way toward him. “Hey, good lookin’,” she said with a smile.
“You’re late,” Mick said as he took asip from his drink.
“You’re gorgeous when you’re pissed,”Bella said as she sat behind the bar counter in front of where he stood. “You know that?”
Mick glanced down the length ofher. Of all the women Mick had been within his life, not counting his wife, Bella was the best one in bed. And before he met Roz he used to crave herand how she used to do him. But then hemet Roz. And there was no comparison.
“I want one,” Bella said to him.
“You don’t know what I’m drinking,”Mick said to her.
“I’m not talking about a drink. I want a robe just like yours. Complete with nothing underneath it, justlike yours.” She smiled. “I want to be comfortable too.”
“Did he get my message?” Mick asked.
Bella shook her head. “You’re about as romantic as a rock,Michello,” she said.
“Did he get my message?” Mick askedagain.
“You threw his snitch out of thewindow,” Bella said. “Yes, he got yourmessage. Loud and clear. How could he not?”
“Good.”
“He’s still a fool,” Bella said. “I thinks I’m here getting intel from you,not giving intel to you. But hethinks I’m madly in love with him and hates your guts. I’ve got him exactly where I want him.”
“Don’t get cocky, Belle,” Micksaid. “He’s not as dumb as you think.”
“Don’t you dare underestimate myfeminine wiles. I found out for you thathe was behind the raid of your facilities in Rome and Belarus, didn’t I? Your ass didn’t have a clue until I clued youin. I didn’t have to do that. I could have kept on letting him thinkingfucking his fat ass was the highlight of my life. He think he’s got me exactly where he wantsme, as his snitch of all things Mick the Tick, which is exactly where I wanthim. I know what I’m doing.”
“Just be careful,” Mick said. “I know him better than you do. He expects loyalty unquestioned.”
“Oh, please. My loyalties will always be with you and youalone. Always has been. Even when you used to cheat on me likecheating was faithfulness, I was still loyal to you.”
She and Mick exchanged a glance. Mick sipped more wine.
“What I don’t understand,” Bellasaid, “is why would you want him to know that you know he’s the one who tippedoff the ATF? Isn’t that underminingeverything you’re trying to do?”
“No,” Mick said.
“But why did you send him thatmessage? Why did you throw Pauley Jayout of that window to send him a message?”
“Because there’s a lie about awounded dog,” Mick said. “They claim hebites. And eventually he does. But before that, he’s too busy licking hiswounds to bite. I wanted to make sure Ikeep him in the wound-licking phase until I can make my move.”
“But he beat you to the punch, didn’the? He blew up your cargo.”
Mick looked at her. “He didn’t mention it to you beforehand?”
“Not a word,” Bella said. “But of course I wasn’t around that weekend,or whenever the order was given. Atleast, not with him.”
“With who?” Mick asked.
Bella smiled. “Why is that your business?”
“You don’t think his ass knows you’resleeping around on him, Bella?”
“I know his ass knows I’m sleepingaround on him,” Bella said. “That’s thenature of our relationship. That’s whyhe knows it’s sincere. We keep itopen. When I’m not with him, I sleepwith whomever I wish to sleep with, and he does the same. Just like it was when we were together. Remember that, Mick? Although it wasn’t supposed to be that waywhen I was with you. But I learned longago about your problem. What would youknow about being a one-woman-man?”
“Anything else?” Mick asked her.
Bella smiled. “Oh, I see. You’re getting rid of me. You dorealize you’re missing out, don’t you?”
“Just be careful, Bella,” Mickwarned. “Frankie DiGenova is nobody’sfool.”
“Alright already, I get it,” Bellasaid. “But what do you want me to tellhim about this little meeting?”
“Tell him I plan to meet with thefamilies later this week, and he’s not invited. He’s probably already got the message, but he hasn’t told you.”
“No, he hasn’t.”
“He probably already heard, butthat’ll be a way for him to test your loyalty. To see if you mention it to him.”
“But you still won’t tell me what theend game is,” Bella said.
But Mick took another sip of hisdrink. That meeting he had Joey set upwith the families was a ruse all along. Mick had no intentions of meeting with anyone. He just wanted to pick his moment withDiGenova, and to keep DiGenova on edge.
“You aren’t going to tell me the endgame, are you?” Bella asked. “I alreadyknow that. But I keep on doing whateveryou want. I keep letting you use me
