Page 30 of Teddy Sinatra: Go Your Own Way
That was why she spoke up. “Why were you running him away?” she asked Mick.
Teddy’s jaw tightened. He and Pop would brawl again if he laid a hand on Nikki.
But it didn’t go down like that. “Because I’m the one they’re all gunning for,” Mick said. “It’s dangerous working for me. I was pissed when Rarsi first told me about it, but that didn’t last long. Because I knew, if he went with Rarsi, he’d be in a safer place.”
“But why would you want to put Nikki in my spot, if it’s so dangerous?”
Mick was puzzled. “What are you talking about?”
“When you wanted to talk with Nikki last night. We assumed, well, I assumed that it was because you was going to make her boss of the family.”
Mick frowned. “Make her boss? Half of our men don’t even respect her as underboss, but you expect me to elevate her to boss?”
Nikki knew it too.
But Teddy had a different take. “Then why would you want her to stay back last night if you wasn’t going to elevate her?”
“I wanted to see where her heart was. The best tests are those given in the heat of the moment. I wanted to see if she was more about being the top of the food chain, or being with you. I saw what she was made of.”
“A blind man could have seen that,” said Nikki. Although she understood his rationale, she still didn’t like it. “You didn’t need to test my loyalty. I’m loyal to Teddy.”
“And I knew you would go wherever Teddy went,” said Mick.
“But that doesn’t explain why you would let our men dictate who ran your syndicate. They would either accept her as boss or hit the road, is what I think,” Teddy said.
“That’s because you’re thinking with your heart and not your head,” said Mick. “Or you’re thinking with the wrong head.”
Nikki almost laughed, but she knew Teddy would take it the wrong way.
“Say what you want, “Teddy said, “but that’s how I see it.”
“I don’t see it that way,” said Mick bluntly. “She’s capable. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying she’s not capable. But there’s no way I’m destabilizing my entire organization just to elevate her. There’s no way.”
When Teddy stared at him as if he couldn’t disagree more, he decided to explain himself. “There are only six people on the face of this planet that I would make boss of my organization. Only six. Myself, Reno, Tommy, and Sal Gabrini, Monk Paletti, and you. I would make Charles the boss of all of us, but he’s already got that title,” he added, and Nikki and even Teddy laughed. It was a welcomed respite from the tension.
But Mick didn’t smile. His look, in fact, became even more stern. “I’m a hard man to work for, to say the least. It takes a special person to do it. A very special person. And it’s dangerous assignment on top of that. You go with Rarsi, it probably won’t be so dangerous. But you won’t have the guardrails that being with me affords you either. Because it takes a real motherfucker to come after me and mine. Lesser guys will try to come after Rarsi’s outfit, and I believe those attempts will increase substantially if your name gets attached to that organization. Because you’re my son. Because,” he said as he looked deep into Teddy’s soulful green eyes, “you’re me and they know it.”
It was the kind of admission Nikki was pleased to hear. But Teddy was still digesting it.
“You’re my son,” Mick said, “and your ass may want to go everywhere to get away from me, and I don’t blame you, but you aren’t going anywhere. I’m fighting to keep your ass right here. Because I can protect you and Nikki better than anybody else can. And because you’re my son,” he added, heartfelt.
Teddy felt his heart. He felt it as if it was his heart too. And emotions welled up inside of him. He didn’t know what to say. They didn’t have that kind of relationship ever. “I don’t know what to say, Pop,” he said honestly.
“Say you’re staying with me,” Mick said.
Nikki’s heart was ready to soar. Unless Teddy blew it.
Teddy knew nothing was going to change. He knew, after this kumbaya moment, everything would get back to normal.
But normal sounded great to him. He extended his hand. “It’ll be my honor to stay with you, Pop,” he said. And Mick shook that hand.
He didn’t blow it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
They had stopped for breakfast, now they were on their way to school and the mustang was driving unusually fast as Duke turned another corner with a turn so sharp that Jackie had to lean sideways. “Slow your butt down, Duke. Why do you always have to fly? We’ll get there when we get there.” She sat back upright. “Dang.”
Duke smiled. He liked getting a rise out of her. “Sorry.”
