Page 33 of Nikki Sinatra: For Her Lover
Teddy flew through the gate and parked Roz’s Bentley around his horseshoe driveway. He hurried inside.
Marco, who had seen him drive up from the front window, was waiting in the foyer for him. “What are you doing with Grandma’s car? Where’s my car, Pop?”
“Where’s Kimmie?”
“She’s sleep. Where’s my car?”
“Where’s Nikki?”
“She’s upstairs. But where’s my car, Daddy?”
Teddy stopped walking and looked at his son. “I’ll have to buy you another one.”
Marco was floored. “Pop you didn’t! Youwreckedit?”
“Something like that, yeah.”
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Nobody was hurt.”
“Pop you didn’t!”
“I said I’ll get your ass a brand new one now shut the fuck up!”
But Marco noticed something odd. “Why’s the side of your face so red like that? Are you sure you aren’t injured?”
Teddy didn’t want to be reminded of Mick kicking his ass, so he hurried on up the stairs.
But when Marco realized he would no longer see the car he grew to love, his heart sank again. “Pop you didn’t!” he yelled after him one more time.
But Teddy had bigger fish to fry than his child waxing nostalgic about some car.
He made it upstairs and into their master bedroom. Nikki was seated up in bed, under covers with her reading glasses on, as she reviewed personnel files on her iPad.
Teddy closed and locked the door and made his way up to her.
“The baby still sleep?” she asked him.
“Marco said she was, yes.”
But Nikki could see the urgency in his movements. “What’s wrong?”
“No more bullshit, Nikki.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “I want to know everything there is to know about this Juda Gavin character and why he was iced tonight by a small army of men?”
Nikki was shocked. She removed her glasses. “Juda’s dead?”
“Yes! Now tell me who is he to you and why would an army show up to take him out?”
Nikki didn’t expect to have to go there this soon. “How did you know about Juda?”
“Answer my motherfucking question, Nikki, I’m not playing with you!” Teddy was screaming at her. “Who is he?”
“He used to work for this guy I knew,” Nikki said quickly. “Then he saw me in Jersey, asked if we could meet up, and we did. But he’sdead?” She was still shocked.
“Why would somebody want to kill him? And I want the whole story. So give it to me and give it to me now.”
Nikki was looking upward and her eyes were weary. “It’s a long story.”
