What she didn’t know was that Mickwas cumming and battling tears too. Because he loved that woman, and would die if he lost her. Yet he neglected her so.
The guilt was riding him just as hardas his dick was riding her.
Yet afterwards, neither one of themfound the words to express all of their pent-up emotions. They had been through too much to talk. They were spent! They fell asleep in their bed, in eachother’s arms.
And then a phone call came fromSal. They’d found Charlotte.
“You found her, or you have her?”Mick asked.
“We got her. She’s on Macon Street.”
Mick was glad to hear it. “I’m on my way,” he said.
“With all those reporters hangingoutside of your gate? How you figure onpulling that off?”
“I’ve got exits they can’taccess. I’ll be there.”
“And Uncle Mick,” Sal said. “You heard from Teddy?”
“No,” said Mick. “And you better not either. You know the drill.” Then he ended the call.
Roz looked at him. “What’s the drill?” she asked.
“Teddy’s my underboss. My second-in-command. I want him out of this. I want him off every grid until the heat iscompletely off. He knew what to do.”
“But what about Nikki?”
“She knows. I talked to her while I was downstairs. She’ll stay here with us, so that Teddy willknow she’s okay, until this all blows over.” He got out of bed. Then he lookedat Roz. “What are you doing?”
Roz looked at him. “What do youmean?”
“Get up! Get out of that bed. You’re going with me.”
Roz was shocked. “I am?” she asked as she was quickly gettingup.
“Yes, you are,” Mick said. “They found the woman who left me that voicemail, a woman I haven’t been with since before I met you. A woman you think I fucked. You’re going to meet her.”
Roz couldn’t believe it. She usually had to battle Mick to get him totake her to his safe house excursions. She was pleased.
“Now get dressed,” Mick ordered, andheaded for the bathroom.
Roz, still astounded that she didn’thave to beg, hurriedly put on her clothes.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The SUV arrived at the safe house andMick took Roz’s hand, as she slid across the seat, and they got outtogether. When they went inside, and sawReno, Sal, and Tommy Gabrini, Roz was surprised all three of them were waitingat the house.
“Even Dapper Tom’s here,” she said asthey walked over to the table where the Gabrinis were playing cards. “This has to be the most expensive group ofguards I’ve ever seen,” Roz said.
The Gabrinis laughed.
“How’s everybody?” Roz asked.
“Still stunned this shit is evenhappening,” Reno said.
Roz couldn’t agree more. “I hear you, Reno,” she said.
“Where is she?” Mick asked.
Sal nodded toward the hallway. “In the back. She resurfaced when she thought you were locked up.”
“Surprise, surprise,” Mick said as heand Roz headed down that hall, and the Gabrinis smiled.
“Uncle Mick got jokes,” Salsaid. “How about that?”
“But that’s him,” Reno said. “That’s how he’s wired. He laughs in the face of danger.
“You got that right,” Sal agreed.
But Tommy, who knew him best,didn’t. “He laughs in the face ofdanger?” Tommy shook his head and threwout another card. “That’s what youthink,” he said.
In the backroom, Charlotte Demple, arough-looking, razor-thin woman long past her prime, was seated in a chair, herstick-like legs crossed, smoking a cigarette. She was so nervous her hands were shaking. And when Mick and Roz entered that room, shenearly jumped out of her skin. “Youscared the shit out of me, Mick!” she declared, jerking back the blond hairthat was so dirty that it was more matted to her head than free flowing.
“Not yet,” Mick said as he walked infront of her.
Roz walked beside him, but she wasshocked by what she saw. That wasCharlotte, the infamous phone-caller? That was the woman she had been so jealous of? Why she looked like a meth head!
Mick backed up and sat on the edge ofthe bed that was less than five feet away from Charlotte’s chair. Emotions tended to sap his energy more thanany physical altercation ever could. Rozremained standing, but stood beside him.
Mick crossed his legs too. “Why did you make that phone call,Charlotte?”
Charlotte took several puffs on hercigarette. “I don’t know what you’retalking about. What phone call? I told the Gabrinis I didn’t know what theywere talking about either.”
Mick sat even more erect than healready was. “We can make this quick, orwe can make this painful. Your choice,”he said to Charlotte.
She began to frown, and then thetears started. And she began shaking herleg and her head.
“Just tell us why,” Roz said.
Charlotte looked at her. “Who are you?”
“Watch it, Charlotte,” Mick warned.
“You’re his wife, aren’t you?”Charlotte said to Roz. “You’re the onewho changed him, aren’t you? The Mick Iused to know wouldn’t have left me in the cold. Out here by myself, all these years, when I was his favorite girl for along time too! Beautiful. That was me. I was the most beautiful girl in the world, and he told me so. Everybody told me so. Now look at me.” She frowned and took more puffs on her cigarette.
If she thought she would soften Mickwith her hard luck story, she was mistaken. “Who put you up to it, Charlotte?” he asked her.
“If I tell they’ll go after myfamily,” Charlotte responded.
“Don’t tell and I’ll go after yourfamily,” Mick said.
“It was some man.”
“What man?”
“Some man, Mick. I don’t know him.”
“Describe him,” Mick said.
“Short. Stocky. The thug type. He’s new on thescene. Never seen him before in my life,how am I to remember details?”
Then she looked at Mick, her cheapmakeup pooling around her eyes in a black blob of mess because of the tears shecouldn’t stop shedding. “I needed thedough. They offered me a couple thousandto make that phone call and then disappear for a little while. I was in no position to turn it down.” She began rubbing her arm. Mick and Roz both knew the signs. She needed a fix so bad she could taste it.
“Where did they find you?” Mickasked.
“Where you used to find me. In Queens at Danny’s. Only I don’t work the backrooms
