“Mommy!” even the more sophisticatedJackie yelled, and both children ran to Roz.
Roz got on her knees, to be at theirlevel, as they ran into her arms. Sheclosed her eyes she was so happy to see them again. They were slated to stay at Teddy’s housewhile Mick was supposed to have headed out of the country, while Roz washeading to California to meet with Billy, who claimed to still want her in hisplay, and the casting director. Butafter Mick got arrested, Roz still let them stay overnight at Teddy’s. But then she made the executive decision tobring them home. She knew how to shieldthem from bad news better than anyone.
Nikki smiled, too, as she stood thereand watched Roz squeeze her children tight, but then Jackie leaned back andlooked at her mother. “Are you home forgood now, Mommy?” she asked her.
Roz placed her hand on the side ofJackie’s beautiful brown face. Roz hadbeen staying in Jericho, Maine with Charles for over a week, ever since her bigdustup with Mick, and the twins had been back home in Philly with their father. “Yes,” she said, tears in her eyes. The idea of being separated from herchildren, and Mick, too, another second, seemed impossible after everythingthat had happened. “I’m home for good.”
“Daddy says it’ll be okay,” Dukesaid.
Roz, and everybody in the room,looked at him. “You spoke with your father?”Roz asked him.
Duke nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“When, Duke?”
“When he took us from Big Daddy’shouse and brought us back home.”
Everybody exhaled. “Oh,” said Roz.
“I asked him if he was going to letyou come back home,” Duke said.
Ordinarily Roz would have said, letme, in defiance of the idea that Mick ruled her life that thoroughly,although, in a lot of ways, she knew he did. But she never went there with her children. She let him talk.
“And he said, yes,” Dukecontinued. “He said it’ll be okay foryou to come back home. So you can comeback Mommy, and we can be a family again.”
Roz smiled and ruffled his hair. “I’m back, baby, and we are a family.” And she hugged them tightly again.
When she had finished, Nikki askedthe question she was dying to ask. “Anyword from Teddy?” she asked Roz.
Roz looked at her, and then stoodup. “I was going to ask you thatquestion,” she said.
Nikki shook her head. “I haven’t heard a word,” she replied. “I tried to call him, but his phone was off.”
“He’s Pop’s number two,” Joeyexplained. “It’s his job to go inhiding. Don’t worry, Nick, he’sfine. He’ll be in touch once we get abetter read on what they plan to do with Pop.”
“Release him, I pray,” Nikki said.
“So do I,” said Roz, and then sheexhaled.
“Have you heard from Miss Gemma oranybody?” Nikki asked.
“No,” Roz said. “That’s what’s so infuriating about this.”
“We may as well get used to it,”Charles said. “It’s going to be a long,drawn-out waiting game. And I use theword game loosely,” he added. “They’regoing to try to see if they can break him before they even entertainbail.” Then he remembered the twins werein the room.
Roz was already on it. She looked at Joey, and Joey quicklyobeyed. “Come on, guys,” he said to thetwins. “There’s a video game waiting forme to beat you at.” And the twins,always happy to hang out with Joey, followed him out of the living room andtoward the family room.
Roz placed her hand on her hip andrubbed her forehead. “Lord, have mercy,”she said. And nobody in that roomquarreled with that.
But later that night, after the twinsand Joey were asleep in their respective beds, and Charles had finallysuccumbed to sleep, too, and was in bed with Jenay, Roz had taken another longtub bath and had put on a pair of jeans and one of Mick’s big dressshirts. She wasn’t sleep at all.
She sat outside, on the balcony offfrom their bedroom, with security visible all around the estate, and she triedto read a book as a distraction but could barely focus on the words. She was too busy thinking about Mick, and ifhe was okay, and how she would never leave that man again as long as shelived. She saw how he saved her lifefrom that burning limousine. She saw howhe was going to die trying to save her. And how he nearly died saving Teddy that day at the docks too.
She knew he was not perfect. He was, in truth, a badly flawed man. Bad temper. Bad mood. Bad outlook on lifemost times. Mick was not Mister Nice!
But he loved her, Roz thought, as shesat the book on her lap and leaned back on the lounger. And even though he wasn’t home the way heshould have been as a husband and father, he still treated her better than any manever had. And he loved their childrentoo. And he took care of them, andlooked out for them, and made certain they were safe. Mick, for all his flaws, was the best man Rozhad ever known.
And when she saw the security gateopen, and a convoy of SUVs racing toward the main house, where she was, herheart leaped. She dropped that book,stood up, and hurried to the railing. When she saw Tommy and Sal and Reno Gabrini get out, and Sal’s wifeGemma, she at least knew they had some news.
But when she saw Mick get out, too,his suit coat over his arm, looking worn out but otherwise just fine, her heartsoared. And she didn’t hesitate. She ran off of that balcony, through theirbedroom, across the landing, down the stairs, and out of the front door beforethey had moved any further than when she first saw them.
Usain Bolt had nothing on Roz thatevening.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Mick and the Gabrinis were headingtoward the steps when they all saw Roz burst out of the front door, run downthe steps, and began running straight for Mick.
“Well damn!” Reno said, when he sawRoz coming.
But she wasn’t as surprising a sightto see as when Mick himself began running toward Roz. Now that, to the Gabrinis, was a shocker.
But Mick didn’t give a damn. All he could think about was Roz, and how thrilledto the core he was
