CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

That night, Roz was lying in bed after bathing three separate times. She got the filth off her, but not the memories. She couldn't stop thinking about what Patrick was willing to do to her for money. For money ! She knew he was vain and flirtatious, but she always viewed him as harmless in the end. She never dreamed he was capable of something that heinous.

She looked across the bedroom at Mick. He had gotten in the tub and bathe her himself the first time, and then he put on his bathrobe and made tons of phone calls. He was still on the phone pacing the floor and talking. He didn't have it on Speaker, but she could hear Teddy's loud voice.

"They ran the prints on that camera."

"Let me guess: nothing."

"Not a thing. Need me to do anything about it?"

"Nothing can be done, so no. You just focus on your assignment. I want you to handle that personally."

"Don't worry. I know he's gonna bitch and moan being forced to come all this way. Which safe house you want me to take him to, Pop?"

"None. Bring him here first thing tomorrow. Bring him to me. Frankie too."

"Monk's not gonna like it either. He's already pissed you dragged him to your office. Neither one of them are gonna like it."

"You think I like what that bastard so-called director tried to do to my wife? I don't give a fuck what they like and don't like. Bring their asses here as fast as you can get them here."

"Yes, sir." Then she heard Teddy say: "It's just so bizarre, Pop. Why would Trev do that? And why would Beppie say Monk's guys tried to intercept our cargo? Monk's got absolute control over the Bonaducci family now. He wouldn't allow his guys to do that."

"I told you to trust no one but your family. And sometimes you can't even trust those motherfuckers. Bring them in," Mick ordered, and ended the call.

Then he paced a little longer, made more phone calls to Reno, Sal, and Tommy Gabrini to put them on alert, and then he called his security chief.

Mick stepped out of the room to talk with his security chief. "Pull up Monk Paletti's recent contacts," he said. Monk's syndicate was under Mick's protection, but Mick made it his business to keep tabs on everybody he was in alliance with. He had an inside guy keeping watch over each organization to make sure they weren't plotting against his.

After a minute or so, the chief spoke up. "It was only a handful of people."

"Name them."

The security chief began naming the people Monk had been doing business with lately.

But one name stood out to Mick. "Carlton Rickie? Did you say Carlton Rickie?"

"That's right. He now works for The Monk."

Mick frowned. "I thought his ass was still locked up."

"He just got out."

"When?"

The chief had to check the date. "A couple months ago."

"Find out where he is," Mick said. "Text me as soon as you locate him. And call Nikki and tell her I want her on standby."

"Yes, sir," the chief said, and Mick ended the call. Carlton Rickie, got damn, he thought. He was out? And this shit at the docks and with his wife and even with Bella Caine was suddenly popping off? No way Mick was going to believe that was a coincidence.

"Mick?"

It was Roz. He reentered their bedroom.

"You need to get some rest," she said to him.

"I told you to stop worrying about me."

"I told you to stop worrying about me. Has that stopped you?"

"No."

"Then it's not going to stop me," Roz said, "now come to bed."

Mick smiled. If any other woman even thought about talking to him the way Roz did, he'd be out of there. But she knew his bravado was full of shit when it came to her.

He removed his bathrobe, his naked body as perfect as it was the day Roz met him, and he lifted his body over her and got in bed behind her.

When she felt his arm encircle her own naked body as he spooned her, she intertwined her hand with his hand. She could feel his other hand between her legs, massaging her. They weren't on great terms before that ordeal at the hotel, but they were, at least for now, on the same page again.

But she was confused. "I know we saw Trevor Reese showing up at Patrick's hotel room, but what does Monk Paletti have to do with Patrick?"

"I don't know that he does. It's the money that's the connection. The offshore account is the connection too. Whoever is behind this seems to be going after guys who they know will take the money and run."

"But Monk denied any involvement with your cargo, right?"

"They always deny it. That don't mean shit to me."

Roz liked that Mick took nothing at face value. "I want to be there tomorrow when you meet with them."

"You will."

Roz was surprised to hear him give in without a fight. "Really?"

Mick had his eyes closed. He was drained. "Really."

"Why?"

"I won't hear the last of it if I forbid you from being there. That's why," he said.

"In that case," a happy Roz said as she pushed her butt closer against his penis, "you've earned the right to have at it."

A small smile escaped Mick's hard face, but he hesitated. "After what happened tonight are you sure?"

Roz frowned. "Hell yeah I'm sure. I'm not letting that bastard stop my life. Besides, my boot and that Glock stopped him."

"In that case," Mick said with a smile of his own. Then both of their smiles turned into satisfied looks as he entered her and began moving inside of her with slow, easy strokes. So slow and so easy that Roz fell asleep. Which was exactly Mick's goal. He knew she was more emotionally spent than she was letting on, and she was the one who needed to rest.

He had hoped to pull out once she dozed off, because he was drained too, but he didn't have the willpower to do so. He kept stroking and stroking her until he came. Hard. He couldn't stop himself.

But then, after that release, he dozed off too.

A little over an hour later, he was still awake when the text from his security chief came through. After reading it, he eased his penis out of a peacefully sleeping Roz, then he eased his body out of bed. And then he suited up.