“Because I’m loyal to you,” Micksaid.
“If you’re so loyal,” Bella asked,“why won’t you let me spend the night?”
“I’m not talking about that kind ofloyalty,” Mick made clear.
Bella laughed. “I know,” she said. Then her smile slowly dissipated. And she actually looked worried to Mick. “It didn’t go well,” she said.
Mick knew what she meant. “I thought it was going to be your bestcollection to date?”
“It was!” Bella said. “I put my soul into that collection,Mick. And I was at Madrid Fashion Weekready to take the world by storm again. But it didn’t go well. Now I canbarely meet my payroll.”
“Your boy Frankie doesn’t help you financially?” Mick asked.
“Not a dime! And I refuse to let him anyway. A man starts giving you money, they thinkthey own you. That’s why I don’t takemoney from any man but you. I want youto own me,” she said with a smile. “You’rethe only man on the face of this green earth that I accord that privilege. You also happens to be the only man on earththat doesn’t want the privilege.”
Mick exhaled. “How much?”
“To meet my payroll? Ten thousand. To live after that? Whatever you canspare. You know I’m good for it.”
“Like hell,” Mick said. “You neverpay me back a dime.”
Bella smiled. “That’s what I mean. You know I’m good fornot paying you back a dime.”
Even Mick had to smile aboutthat. Then he reached into his robe andhanded her a check.
“You had it ready?” she asked as shegladly accepted it. “Am I thatpredictable?” But when she looked at theamount, she couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Mick,” she said sincerely. “All these years, I don’t know what I would have done without yoursupport. And everybody and they’re mamaknows you don’t have to give me a penny. But you always come through for me. Thanks.”
Mick raised his glass to her.
“But how did you know I’d need thismuch?”
“I keep tabs on those I’m responsiblefor. You’re Gloria’s mother. My child’s mother will never be begging forbread.”
Bella exhaled. “I truly appreciate that, Mick. Thank you. Glo is about the only thing that I’ve ever gotten completely right. I’m glad you’re her father.”
Mick didn’t respond to that. It was veering into territory he wasn’t goingto veer into.
Bella, knowing his limits, saw ittoo. “So any instructions before Ileave?” she asked him.
“About?” Mick asked.
“My golf game. I can’t see the green.” She smiled. “About DiGenova, you idiot! Anyinstructions for me about Frankie?”
“Don’t ever let your guard down,”Mick said. “Keep him guessing. Keep him believing you and I are just casualsex partners.”
“Sex partners,” Bella said, “when wehave no sex at all. In this beautifulhotel room we could both be having ourselves a ball. But oh no. Not Mick the Saint! He getsmarried and suddenly becomes pious. Nobody would believe it!”
“That’s the point,” Mick said. “You want him to believe you still have thehots for me.”
Bella was offended. “Why can’t I make him believe you have thehots for me?”
“Whatever, Bella. You know what I mean. Keep him believing.”
“Until?”
“Until I make my move.”
“And what, pray tell, is your movegoing to be?”
Mick stared at her.
She didn’t understand his stare. “What?” she asked.
“Don’t fuck with me, Belle,” he said.
Bella frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t try to play both ends,” Micksaid. “You’re be the one who’ll lose. And it won’t be pain and sadness. It’ll be death. You’re be the onewho ends up dead. Don’t fuck with me.”
Bella could see that look in Mick’seyes. He meant it. But she was still offended. “I don’t understand what you’re implying. What are you trying to say?”
“Don’t think you can try to squeezeout intel from me to take to Frank,” Mick said plainly. “You will only give him what I want you togive him.”
“And that’s what I know. Why would you even think I’d want to do itany other way? I told you my loyalty wasto you and you alone. I told you that,Mick! Why would I try to two-time you?”
“Don’t fuck with me,” Mick saidagain. “That’s all I’m saying. Gloria loves you. I would hate to break her heart by taking youaway from her. But I am nosentimentalist when it comes to betrayal. You betray my trust and I’ll break her heart all day long,” Mick madeclear.
Bella swallowed hard. She knew he meant every word. He wasn’t called the boss of all bossesbecause he was a nice guy. “Don’tworry,” she said. “I’d never two-timeyou the way you two-timed me the entire time we were together. Don’t worry.”
But then Mick’s buzzer sounded again,and he and Bella both looked up at the monitor above the bar. Roz was just getting off of the elevator andmaking her way up to the penthouse suite.
But unlike with Bella, the guardsautomatically stepped aside, and allowed Roz clear passage in.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Roz understood why Deuce McCurry insistedshe come visit Mick at his suite as soon as she walked through that door. Mick was standing there, behind the bar in abathrobe no less, and Bella Caine was sitting at the bar counter. And when she turned to face Roz, she wassmiling that smug smile she often displayed, as if she was in on a joke, andthe joke was on Roz.
And almost immediately, Roz feltalone. It felt as if it was those twoagainst her. And she so wanted Mick toprove her wrong. She so wanted Mick tocome from behind that bar, pull her into his arms, and remind that Bella Cainewhose woman she truly was. But Mick juststood there.
“I didn’t expect to see you heretonight,” he said to her, still surprised.
“I didn’t expect to see you hereeither.” Then she looked at Glo’s gorgeousmother. “Hello, Bella.”
“Hey, Roz, how you doing? I haven’t seen you in a minute.” Bella stood from her stool. “But I was leaving.” She turned to Mick, fanning that fat check hegave her. “Thanks for the money, honey,”she said. “And thanks even more for whatyou said.”
Mick stared at her. “What are you talking about? What did I say?”
“That I’m yours. I appreciate that.”
Mick frowned. “Get your ass out of here. That’s not what I
