When he got in the backseat of thelimo and his driver closed the door behind him, his fury couldn’t betamed. And he was shaking his head. “Don’t worry about me,” he said again in whatwas mumbling sounds. “He’ll gethis. Man, will he. And for turning on me like that? She’ll get hers, too. She just signed her own death certificate.”
But inside, Mick was on Roz’smind. She was upset, but she understoodwhy Charles did what he did. Billy was atough guy, too, but Mick would have killed him.
And Roz was angry by Mick’s inabilityto go high. He always went for thejugular. “What’s the matter with you?”she asked Mick. “You didn’t have to gothat far!”
But Mick was still reeling about thatso-called great role. “London?” he askedher. “You plan to live in London for twofucking years? Are you out of yourfucking mind?”
“It’s a guaranteed two year run,Mick. A run-of-play contract, that’sall. And it’s a great role.”
“And while you’re playing this greatrole, what about our children?”
“What do you mean what aboutthem? They’ll be living in London withme.”
Charles and Jenay both knew thatwasn’t going to happen. And Mick knew itmost of all. “Like hell!” he said.
“I would have thought you would gowith me,” Roz said. “I would havethought you’d be willing to sacrifice for me for a change. I’m always sacrificing for your ass.”
Mick got right in Roz’s face. “Charles,” Jenay said nervously. “Get him,Charles!” And Charles hurried to Roz’sside.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” Micksaid to his wife. “I’m the one in chargeof our family. You, nor the children,are going anywhere.”
Roz frowned. “You can’t make that decision for me!”
“I just made it!”
“Boy, please,” Roz said angrily,pushing Mick away from her. “Get out of myface with that bullshit!”
But Mick grabbed her by the arm,prompting Charles to react. “Mick, becareful,” he said. “This is your wifeyou’re handling now. Not one of yourthug friends!”
But Mick kept his grip on Roz’sarm. “What’s your relationship with thatasshole?” he asked her.
Roz frowned. “What?”
“Are you sleeping with him?”
Roz couldn’t believe it. “Go to hell!” she said angrily. The nerve he had!
And Charles knew it was now ornever. He had to break it up before theyboth went to places they couldn’t come back from.
“Okay, Mick, that’s enough,” he said,taking Mick and forcing him toward the exit too. “Time for you to hit the road.”
Mick and Roz were staring at eachother, both in pain, as Mick was being forced out. Jenay hurried and hugged Roz, as tears beganto fall from Roz’s troubled eyes.
But just as Mick and Charles made itnear the staircase in the foyer, struggling with each other, Mick felt as ifhis heart was going to explode. He feltas if his beloved wife and children were being snatched away from him and therewas nothing he could do. But he wasn’tthe kind of man to just let it happen. He wasn’t that kind of man!
That was why he panicked, easilybroke away from his brother, and bolted upstairs. “Duke!” he yelled with pain in his voice ashe climbed those stairs two at a time. “Jackie!”
Charles, Roz, and Jenay ran up thosestairs behind him. But Mick would not bedenied. “Duke! Jackie!” he yelled, as he hurried from room toroom, searching frantically for them.
The two children ran out of a roomonto the landing, just as their mother and uncle and aunt ran upstairs too.
The two children, bewildered, lookedat their father. “Let’s go,” Micksaid. “You’re coming home. With me.”
But they looked at their mothertoo. “They aren’t going anywhere,” Rozsaid. “Stop this at once, Mick!”
“They’re my children, and their coming with me. Let’s go!” he yelled.
“Mick, don’t be ridiculous,” Jenaysaid. “You’re never home. How are you going to take care of thesechildren?”
“I’m going to take care of thembecause they’re mine!” Mick hit his chest with his own fist as he said thosewords so forcefully that tears appeared in his eyes. “I take care of mine!”
Everybody was stunned. They’d never seen Mick so emotional. And Roz knew, right then and right there,that she was wrong. She wasn’t wrong byleaving him, and she wasn’t going back to him. He had hurt her too deeply, and she still had to decide what she wouldand would not take in her life for herself. But he hadn’t did a thing to their children. She was wrong to keep his children away fromhim.
“Go get your things,” she said to thetwins. “You’re going with your father.”
Both of them seemed relieved by theirmother’s decision. Not because theywanted to leave their mother. Theydidn’t. But they knew she would be justfine. Their father, both of them felt,needed them more.
They hurried into their bedrooms,grabbed the little they had, and hurried back out onto the landing. The sadness on that landing wasdevastating. But they were brilliantlysmart twins. They knew their mother madethe right call.
They went to Roz, who was fightinghard not to break down in front of them, and hugged her. “Come home soon, Mommy,” Duke said as hehugged her.
Roz wasn’t going to lie to him, soshe just squeezed him tightly. And thenDuke ran to his father, and hugged him.
Mick felt like shit taking thosechildren away from their mother, but he wasn’t going to let her take them awayfrom him either. Because he loved hischildren dearly, and they weren’t going to be living in anybody else’s home buttheir own.
But he also knew he loved theirmother even more, and he wanted her home too. But there was too much hurt and anger within him to want her home rightthen. She had some thinking to do. But so did he. Billy Lancer was behaving like a jiltedlover, not some long lost friend. AndRoz was moving to London? For two longyears? Was she insane?!!
He was so in love with his wife andso angry at his wife and so disappointed in his wife that he couldn’t hardlycontain his emotions. That was why heknew he had to get out of there. He tookhis children, both clutching to him on either side of him, and walked them downthe stairs.
“I’ll see them out,” Jenay said, andhurried down too.
Charles, heartbroken too, looked atRoz, and
