Page 13 of Nikki Sinatra: For Her Lover
Teddy frowned. “Gate security? What you bothering them for?”
“Why do you think? I need to get to work and you do too.”
“I told you we need an extra car when you gave away the other one we had.”
“Three cars for two people is ridiculous,” said Nikki. “May I borrow your car, Marco?”
“No,” said Teddy. “You take my car.”
“Your car? And what are you supposed to drive?”
“Marco’s.”
“Mine? Ah come on, Pop. I don’t want you dogging out my Bugatti!”
“YourBugatti? My ass gave you that car when you wrecked yours. Don’t you forget that.”
“I didn’t wreck it. It was stolen.”
“Yeah, yeah. According to you.”
“It was stolen, Pop, why wouldn’t you believe me?”
“I think your ass lost it in a night of gambling.”
Marco shook his head. “Whatever,” he said. “But don’t get me wrong. I appreciate you giving up your Bugatti and giving it to me. But that means its mine now. And I don’t want you dogging mine out like you was dogging it out when it was yours.”
“Who said I care what you don’t want?” Teddy removed his key fob from his ring and tossed it to Nikki.
“Ain’t this some bull?” asked an exasperated Marco. “I don’t want either one of you driving my ride because you both drive recklessly, but I’d rather Ma drive it than you, Pop. She won’t dog it out as bad as you will.”
“Who said you have a choice, boy? Now give me the key.”
Marco held his head back and shook it. “I should have kept my dutiful ass in Peru.”
Nikki smiled.
“How can you stay married to a bossy man like Dad? How can you do it? I couldn’t marry you, Pop.”
Teddy frowned. “What the fuck kind of statement is that? Like I wanna marry your crusty ass. Just give me the key.”
Nikki laughed. “Say bye, Kimmie.”
“Bye fussing Daddy. Bye fussing Marco.”
They both said bye to Kimmie and she and Nikki left the room.
But then Marco, who still hadn’t given up that key, looked over at his father. Just as when Mick fathered Teddy, Teddy wasjust a kid himself when he had Marco. They looked more like brothers than father and son. “What happened with Ma?” he asked him.
“She said she got distracted and hit a tree.”
“She said? You don’t believe her?”
“It’s not that. It’s how she reacted to it. Pop always said Nikki has nerves of steel in tough situations. And that’s true. It’s always been true. But she was crying and getting emotional over a car wreck? That’s not like her. That ain’t Nikki. Something else is going on and I need to find out what.”
“Put a detail on her.”
Teddy shook his head. “No way. Whatever’s bothering her isn’t mob-related. This is something personal. So personal she can’t bring herself to tell me about it yet. I don’t want any of our guys getting involved. At least not yet.”
