Part 30 (1/2)

”Some guy he called Jackie. And Jackie sounded scared. He said that they were in more trouble than just losing the money from Premier Motors. He said Rosalie Ronaldi and her a.s.sistant Gina were on to them and that the b.i.t.c.hes...” Ty ducked his head ”... sorry, Mom. He said they were talking to his girlfriend, and she knew everything. He'd be finished if it came out. He'd not only lose Premier Motors; he'd lose everything. His wife and his home, and he'd spend the next fifteen years in jail.

”Mr. Gianelli said he'd take care of them. All three of them. Isn't Rosalie Dave's owner?”

”Yeah, buddy, she is.”

”I got out of there and ran all the way back. I'm sorry I didn't get the order signed.”

Nick grabbed Tyler and hugged him close. He and Lois never lost eye contact, and volumes were spoken with one long look. Nick rubbed Ty's back, still not letting the boy go. ”Did anyone see you standing there?”

”I don't think so.”

Nick tried to rein in his emotions before he let Tyler go. He felt so many things at once-relief that Ty was safe, anger about what the boy had heard, thankfulness that he'd heard it before it was too late. Those were understandable, but nothing could have prepared him for the cold terror he felt knowing Rosalie was in danger.

Lois hugged her son. ”We just got out of the police station and came right here. I don't know if they took us seriously. I'm worried, Nick.”

It was Friday night. Rosalie should be home. He called the apartment. The machine picked up. ”Lee, it's Nick. I need you to call me. It's urgent. Please.” He left the same message on her cell, and at her office. Then he called Gina's cell, thankful he still had her number memorized. The call went straight to voice mail.

”s.h.i.+t.” Rich grabbed his jacket. ”I remember Rosalie saying something about working late.”

Nick grabbed his jacket on the way out. ”We'll start at her place, and if she's not there, we'll try Premier Motors. Let's go.”

Chapter Eighteen.

Nick and Rich jumped into the Mustang and sped to Rosalie's. Henry and Wayne opened the security door for them and unlocked Rosalie's place. Dave was all over Nick before he grabbed his leash and went to the door to stand guard. Rosalie was gone, and so was her briefcase. The place looked the same as it had before Nick had moved in, with one exception-there were tissue boxes everywhere. Some held tissues; others served as tissue garbage cans.

”Do you know where she went?” Rich asked. ”It's important.”

Wayne tapped his pointer finger on his top lip. ”She called and asked if we'd take care of Dave. She said she was going to be late.”

Nick smiled. ”Thanks. Look, is it all right if we take Dave with us?”

Rich stepped up. ”Why?”

Nick attached Dave's leash. ”Dave is a regular attack dog if he thinks Lee's in danger.”

Rich smiled. ”Works for me. And since she's my sister, I say we take the dog. You boys have a problem with that?”

Henry dropped the protective neighbor facade. ”She's in danger? We're going, too.”

Wayne started dithering. ”We are? Don't you think we should wait here in case she comes back?”

Nick thought, what the h.e.l.l. ”Wayne, you stay here. Call Henry if she returns. Henry, you're in the back with Dave. Let's roll.”

The Mustang broke the land speed record all the way to Manhattan. Nick parked illegally in front of Premier and had Henry stay in the car as the lookout, with instructions to text message a warning should anyone suspicious come by. He took Dave's leash and motioned Rich to follow.

It had been years since Nick had worked at Premier, but he knew the only way to get in without anyone noticing was through the back. He ran down the alley and swung himself onto the delivery bay. Nick had wondered if he'd have to haul Dave onto the platform, but the pooch made the jump without a moment's hesitation. It was as if Dave sensed Rosalie was in danger.

It was like old times. Nick and Rich used the same hand signals they'd used as kids. Strange, after twenty years, they'd fallen back in synch, as if they'd never been apart. As the three of them skulked to the backdoor, Nick cursed under his breath. The door had been left open. That door was never left unlocked. Ever. Someone had already broken in.

Nick fought the urge to scream Lee's name. He kept telling himself it hadn't been long since the threat was made, and Gianelli would most likely try to intimidate her first. But no matter what he told himself, it didn't stop the terror from threatening to overtake all rationality; it didn't stop the worst-case scenarios from running though his mind; it didn't stop the copper taste of terror; it didn't stop the regret. He should have seen this coming; he should have taken care of her; he should have done whatever it took to get her back; he should have said the words. He'd never told her he loved her.

Dave nudged Nick out of his terror-induced lightbulb moment. s.h.i.+t, he was such aputz. Hugging the wall, Nick slid down the hallway, pausing to grab the fire extinguisher. He handed it to Rich and motioned him to stay.

There were two ways into his old office. He just hoped his old office was Rosalie's new office. Rich would cover the back entrance, and Nick would take Dave through the front.

Rosalie knew no father would be happy to learn that his son was a lying, cheating embezzler, but she hadn't expected Mr. La.s.siter to deny the evidence. This was exactly what he was doing. She gripped the phone a little tighter and took a swig of Mylanta.

”Mr. La.s.siter, I'm sorry. This is not something that can be hushed up. The Board hired me; I have a meeting with them Monday morning. I'm sharing this with you today as a courtesy.”

She heard someone clear his throat and looked up to find two goombata entering her office. One man took the phone out of her hand and hung it up. The other swiveled her chair around to face him.

The big goombah in front of her looked like he was a few biscotti short of a full box. He pasted on a fake smile as Rosalie stood. ”Hey, you don't belong in here. Who are you, and what do you want?”

He put his hands in the pockets of his jacket, opening it far enough to show a leather shoulder holster. Oh, G.o.d, this so couldn't be happening. All the blood drained from her face, and most likely her brain, too, because she couldn't think straight. That alone was enough to p.i.s.s her off.

”Now Ms. Ronaldi, there's no need to get excited. My name is Gino, and this here,” he pointed to the guy on the other side of her desk, ”is my a.s.sociate, Dante.”

Rosalie ignored the dumb schmuck with the gun and took a good look at Dante. She couldn't believe her eyes. ”Dante? Dante DeEsposito?”

Sure enough, the man before her was none other than her old boyfriend. The boyfriend who'd joined the seminary after she turned down his marriage proposal. The first man she'd ever slept with.

”I guess the whole priest thing didn't work out, huh, Dante? What'd you do, leave the seminary and transfer to Cosa Nostra University?”

Gino snorted at that. ”Ha, the seminary. Good one.”

Dante cleared his throat. ”Gino, you never told me we were coming to see Rosalie Ronaldi. You said she was some chick named Rose.”

”What are you talking about? She's a chick, and her name is Rose. You gotta problem with that?”

”Yeah.”

”So do I.”

Rosalie heard Nick's voice and closed her eyes. She was almost afraid to look at him. He looked great for a guy who'd been in a fight recently. d.a.m.n, Rich, too. Nick was going to have one h.e.l.l of a s.h.i.+ner in the morning. Leave it to Nick to pull off looking hot with his eye almost swollen shut.

”What is this-ghosts of boyfriends past meets the G.o.dfather?”

Nick walked around the other side of Rosalie's desk, rolling her desk chair out of the way, and pulled her to his side. ”What are you talking about, boyfriends?”

Rosalie motioned to Dante. ”Ex-boyfriend number one, Dante DeEsposito, meet ex-boyfriend number four, Dominick Romeo, and this,” she pointed to Gino, ”is a co-worker of Dante's named Gino.” Rosalie watched Nick and Dante stare each other down and measure each other in the great alpha male tradition. What a joke. Nick's hold on her tightened, and though it felt really good, she had this overwhelming urge to smack him.

Nick nodded toward Dante. ”You're the one who ran off to join the seminary?”

Dante shrugged ”Not for long.” His chin rose in a Sicilian acknowledgement as he looked over Nick. ”You're the the Romeo?” Romeo?”

Nick made the same tough-guy movement. ”You're Tony Gianelli's muscle?”