CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
When they arrived at Mick’s heavily-fortified mansion, and Mick went to open his front door, the door was locked. He put in the code, but he got a denial. As if somebody had changed the code.
They all knew who that somebody was, but nobody said a word.
Mick didn’t even say a word. He banged on the door angrily, but nobody opened it.
That was when he initiated code override, something nobody else could do but him, and the door unlocked.
Which made Reno nod his head in agreement for Mick having that ultimate control over his own front door.
Nobody was ever going to have the upper hand over Uncle Mick. Not even Roz.
Mick opened the door, and they all walked in.
Duke and Jackie were on the sofa, seated side by side like the close twins that they were, buried in their phones. But when Mick walked in they stopped what they were doing and looked at their father as if he was a stranger.
But Mick was pissed. “Didn’t you hear me banging on that gotdamn door?” he asked his two youngest children.
“Yes sir,” Duke said.
“Then why your ass didn’t open it?”
Duke didn’t want to give the reason. But Jackie was always direct. “Ma said don’t open the door for you.”
Mick’s jaw tightened. Reno and Tommy glanced at each other. They both knew Roz was out of line if that was true. But she was a woman fed up. “Hell hath no fury, Reno said.
“Is Sal here?” Tommy asked the twins.
“No sir,” Duke said.
“Has he been here?” Tommy asked.
“No sir.”
They tried to reach Sal and his underboss on the drive over, but his phone continued to go to voice mail. Now Tommy was getting worried. That was why he called Sal’s wife. When Gemma said the words he wanted to hear, he looked at Reno. “She heard from him.”
Everybody looked at Tommy. “Put it on Speaker,” Reno said.
Tommy placed the call on Speaker. “Where is he, Gem?”
“He said he was taking care of some business and that he’d be home later tonight.”
“Did he say what kind of business?” Reno asked.
“No. Why does that matter?”
“It doesn’t,” Tommy said and looked at Reno. The last thing he wanted to do was to worry Gemma. “How long ago did you hear from him?” Tommy asked her.
“A few minutes before you called,” Gemma said, and when she said those words all of them exhaled. Including Mick. He was starting to get worried too.
“Okay Gemma, thanks,” Tommy said. “When Sal’s handling business he keeps his phone off, so I wanted to make sure somebody had heard from him.”
“I did,” Gemma said. And then she and Tommy ended the call.
“Where’s your mother?” Mick asked the twins.
“In her room,” Jackie said.
Mick headed upstairs. Everybody else headed for a chair.
But when Mick got to the door of his own bedroom, he hesitated.
Roz was still pissed with him or she would have never told his children to ignore his knocks.
And to change the code? He gave her some space, and didn’t contact her for a couple days.
He was hoping that would help her calm back down.
Now he wasn’t so sure if that was a good idea at all.
All of his ideas seemed to be backfiring on him.
He closed his eyes, tried to wave down his messy hair although he knew he looked awful. And then he opened the door and walked on in.
Only Roz wasn’t in bed. She wasn’t in the ensuite bathroom either.
But when he looked out onto the terrace, that was when he saw her.
She was laying on one of the loungers. Big Daddy was laying on the other one.
Mick didn’t even know he was back in town.
But Roz undoubtedly called him crying and complaining about Mick’s sorry ass. And Big Daddy came running.
When Mick went out onto the terrace and his big brother saw him, he stood up from the lounger and began to go back into the house. Big Daddy knew the couple needed to have a conversation. But as he passed Mick, he said hello asshole, and then went inside.
Mick looked at his brother as if he couldn’t believe Charles would turn on him too. But there it was. His downfall was complete. He couldn’t even keep his brother, his biggest champion, in his tent. He was in trouble.
He looked over at Roz. She had on a bathing suit with a sheer sarong around her narrow waist, and her shoulder length wavy hair was smoothed back as if it had gotten wet earlier.
Mick assumed she did a few laps in the pool before coming upstairs.
Swimming had become a stress reliever for Roz.
Which didn’t bode well for him. He used to be her stress reliever. He wanted to turn around.
But he was there now.
He walked slowly over to the loungers and sat down on the edge of the one Big Daddy had just vacated. Roz didn’t move a muscle. She continued to stare straight ahead. Mick knew he had to come clean. Just tell the truth. And let the chips fall where they may.
“We had just met,” he said to her. “I hadn’t invited you to come to Philly yet. I didn’t know what was going to become of us. But I’m not going to make excuses for my behavior. I was wrong, Rosalind. I own that.”
But Roz shook her head. “I’m done, Mick.”
She seemed so certain. Which kind of pissed Mick off. “You’re done because of something that happened that long ago?”
“Because of everything, Mick. That’s just another thing.” She looked at him as if he was dumb. “Don’t you understand that by now?”
He was losing her. He could feel it in his soul. “Yes, I understand it, Roz. I’m well aware that it’s virtually impossible to be with a man like me. I understand that.”
“I don’t think you do. But it doesn’t matter. I’m done.”
“Please Roz,” Mick found himself saying.
“Nope. I’m done.” Then she removed her shades and looked him dead in the eyes. “I called my attorney. I want a divorce, Mick. I can’t take any more of your shit!”
Mick’s heart sank. She meant it this time. He saw it in her eyes. And his life flashed before his own eyes. “Roz please,” he pleaded. He even slid off of the lounger and fell on his knees.
Roz was shocked when he got on his knees.
“Don’t leave me, Roz.” His voice sounded frustrated.
Desperate. “You’re all I want. I’ve never been unfaithful to you since the moment you landed in this town and proved to me you were willing to give us a try.
I messed up with Cleo before I was certain about where we were headed.
I take ownership of that. I don’t tell lies, Rosalind, you know I don’t.
Please don’t give up on me. You’re the only one who never has. Please don’t now. I’m begging you.”
Her heart felt those last three words. It seemed so genuine and so heartfelt that it threw Roz for a loop.
She never expected to see him this distressed.
His entire face was a mask of anguish. She didn’t know what to do, or say, or how to even feel.
Men were always apologizing for their bullshit and telling the women it’ll never happen again.
And it always happened again. But Mick never did that.
He never got on his knees and bared his soul to her.
He rarely ever apologized, let alone beg her.
She had every intention of divorcing him and sticking to that decision before he showed up. She’d made up her mind to stick to it this time. Now he pulled this trick out of his ass?
She couldn’t bear it. She was so confused that she didn’t know how to unpack her confusion. Mick on his knees? Mick on his knees begging her? She couldn’t even fathom it!
It was so out of left field that Roz suddenly couldn’t breathe. She felt as if she was going to have a panic attack if she didn’t get away from him. So she stood up quickly to hurry back inside.
But as she was rushing past Mick, he grabbed her by the arm. And then he stood up, still holding onto her.
At first she thought he needed her arm to help stand up. He looked just that drained. But then she realized he had something more to say. She stared at him.
“The best thing you can do for yourself, Rosalind,” he said to her, “is to leave me.”
Say what? She didn’t expect to hear that either.
“The best thing you can do for me,” he said, “is to stay.”
Tears filled his eyes. It was a sight to behold. “I recommend, for your own sake, that you leave. Being with me is never going to get easier. If anything, it’ll probably get harder. I will completely understand if you want more out of life than this. Than me. You should want more.”
She just stood there. She’d never felt more torn in her life.
And when Mick finally released her from his grasp, it felt as if he was releasing her from his life, and his problems, and all the trouble his mere existence unleashed.
Like a son who wanted him dead. Like an entire police department offered millions to get rid of him and they gladly accepted.
Life with Mick was in many ways a hellish life.
But what was life without Mick going to look like? Was it going to be better, or just different?
That was why she had to get away from him. She thought she had it all figured out! She would divorce his ass and move on with her life. There was nothing he could say or do or come up with to change her made up mind.
Until he said plenty that left her so uncertain that she could hardly bear it. She left his side and hurried off of that terrace.
And Mick’s heart dropped. He’d never felt that kind of pain. And the emptiness he suddenly felt when she left his side was cold as ice. She was the best thing he’d ever had. And he didn’t know how to keep her. He’d never felt so alone. And so lost.
But because of who he was, life didn’t wait for the weather to break, or even for him to pull himself together. Teddy came rushing out onto the terrace.
“Pop! Pop!”
But he stopped in his tracks when he saw what looked like tears in his father’s eyes.
Mick quickly turned his back to his son, pulled out his handkerchief, wiped his eyes and nose, and then turned back around. And, miraculously to Teddy, his father’s eyes looked hard and cold again. “You wanted me?” Mick asked him.
“Yes sir.” But Teddy was still shocked by what he’d seen. Ma had brought his old man to tears?
Mick was irritated because he knew why Teddy was suddenly hesitating. “Well what is it, Teddy?!
“Oh!” Then he focused again. “We found Cleo.”
It was all Mick needed to hear. He hurried off of that terrace, speeding past his son.
Teddy was still reeling from what he’d just seen. But he hurried behind him.