Her Protector

by Mallory Monroe

  Joey was shocked his father would use that horrible situation as an example of his help. He

  frowned. “What are you talking?” he asked his father. “You beat the shit out of me! I had to

  spend what seemed like years in the hospital!”

  Gloria laughed. “Nobody spends no years in no hospital, Joey, get real!”

  “I beat your ass,” Mick responded to his son, “so that Sal wouldn’t kill your ass.”

  “And trust me, Joey,” Roz said, “you came just that close to certain death.” She

  demonstrated how close with her thumb and finger. “Your father absolutely helped you with

  way more than what money could have ever helped you with that time.”

  “But he didn’t beat Teddy’s ass like he beat mine,” Joey said.

  Gloria smiled. “What do you think happened tonight at Dad’s house, boy? Karaoke? He

  beat Teddy’s ass!”

  “But what I mean is: he didn’t hospitalize him like he hospitalized me,” Joey pointed out.

  “That’s because Teddy fought back,” said Gloria. “You just stood there and took it.”

  But Joey felt offended by his sister’s analysis. “He wouldn’t have let me fight back like he let

  Teddy,” he said. “He would have just stomped me through the ground!”

  “If that makes you feel better, go with that,” Gloria said. “I go with you were just scared.”

  “And what were you, Glo? All you did was cry when he beat your ass,” Joey pointed out.

  “You didn’t fight back either.”

  “Alright, that’s enough,” Roz said. “Nobody’s fighting their father,” she said. “Least of all

  the two of you. So change the damn subject.”

  Roz knew her husband better than both his children. She knew it wouldn’t take much to set

  him off again.

  “I still can’t believe that fucker jumped on me,” Mick said mainly to Roz.

  “You elevated him to run your syndicate,” Roz said. “He’s used to men taking orders from

  him, not the other way around. He can’t turn that shit on and off no more than you can. You

  two are too much alike.”

  “I know that,” Mick said.

  “Since you know it, smart ass,” Roz said, “why did you bring it up? You knew I was going to

  comment on it.”

  “That’s why I brought it up,” Mick said. “I like to hear you talk.”

  Roz smiled. And then she laughed. “Slick motherfucker,” she said happily. Her Mick was

  back!

  To Nikki, though, and to Joey and Gloria, too, it was odd seeing Mick displaying the slightest

  affection. It gave Nikki hope for her relationship with Teddy.

  When Teddy returned downstairs, with that satchel put up in a secure location, Nikki could

  see the change in his demeanor. He was lighter on his feet. His face was far less serious. His

  old man went from being his enemy to his hero again. A burden had been lifted.

  When he sat back down, the conversation had already ceased. And for good reason. It

  seemed to Nikki that all of the oxygen in the room was with Mick. Everybody seemed to be

  waiting for him to set the agenda. But she also saw it for what it was: that solicitousness again.

  The fact that Mick’s grown children still wasn’t entirely comfortable around their father.

  Because of her relationship with her own father, she knew what that looked like.

  But Mick eventually took the torch he probably was tired of carrying, and spoke up. “I

  apologize,” he said to all of them, “for causing upheaval in my home.”

  The Sinatras seemed shocked to get even that from Mick. Nikki found it woefully

  inadequate herself, if they were to ask her.

  But Mick wasn’t finished. “I do not apologize, however,” he continued, “for kicking Teddy’s

  ass for his actions, nor do I apologize for telling Nicole to watch herself.” Mick looked at Nikki.

  “My own children don’t talk to me that way,” he said. “And you won’t either.”

  Nikki didn’t know what to say. Mick had that chilling look in his eyes when he addressed

  her. It was a look that made her all the more aware of how his children felt around him.

  But Teddy couldn’t let his father’s admonition of Nikki stand without reminding him why

  they got into it in the first place. “But you will respect her,” he said to his father in that bold-ass

  way he was known for.

  Everybody looked at Mick. Mick stared at Teddy.

  “You don’t allow me to be disrespectful to Roz,” Teddy continued, “and I’m not allowing you

  to be disrespectful to Nikki.”

  As Mick continued to stare at Teddy, Joey frowned at his big brother. “You don’t talk to Pop

  like that,” he said. “You don’t tell him what you won’t allow!”

  “I told him,” Teddy said defiantly.

  “And he’ll beat your ass again,” Joey said defiantly.

  But Mick wasn’t saying anything. He was staring at Teddy.

  Then, when he began moving around in his seat, everybody seemed to tense up.

  But there was no lash-out. Mick merely sat up in his seat. “You are correct,” he said to

  Teddy. “I do not have the right to disrespect your lady.”

  Roz was shocked by Mick’s admission. Teddy was pleased. “Thank you,” he said to his

  father.

  Nikki waited for the zinger. There had to be more to it! But Mick didn’t go there. When

  She realized he wasn’t coming for her, and was going to let Teddy’s request stand, she was

  pleased too!

  But then the door to Teddy’s home opened, and one of their lieutenants hurried in.

  “What is it?” Teddy asked as the capo made his way to where they were sitting.

  “You aren’t going to believe this, Boss,” he said.

  “What?” Teddy asked.

  “Gio’s outside,” the capo said.

  Mick looked at Teddy. Teddy frowned. “What do you mean he’s outside?” he asked his

  man.

  “He’s outside,” the capo said. “He’s outside of your gate right now!”

  Teddy looked at Mick. And then they both rose quickly and hurried out of the front door,

  with the capo following them.

  Gloria was immediately distressed. “I can’t,” she said, and everybody looked at her.

  “What’s the matter, Glo?” Nikki asked her.

  “I can’t face Gio. I can’t. I just can’t!” She stood up and ran into the back of Teddy’s house:

  to the guestroom.

  Roz rose, too, and hurried behind Gloria.

  But Nikki hurried across the other side of the house and into Teddy’s home office. She

  typed in the code to his gun cabinet and unlocked it. She pulled out a loaded Magnum.

  As she was locking it back, Joey’s voice could be heard. “What are you doing?” he asked.

  Nikki turned quickly to the sound. When she realized it was just Joey, she kept locking the

  cabinet. “What do you think I’m doing?” she asked him.

  “We got this, Nikki,” Joey said. “We don’t need no girl helping out.”

  But Nikki ignored him and left the room, with the gun on her person.

  Joey hesitated. He thought Nikki was being way too presumptuous for his taste. But he

  followed her out anyway.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Outside, Mick remained near the front door while Teddy made a swift walk to the end of the

  driveway, to his security gate.

  The gate was opened by his security team, and, to his shock, Gio Savarino was standing on

  the other side, with two of their lieutenants, Craig Nucci and Paulie Bryce, on ei
ther side of him.

  “Where did he come from?” Teddy asked.

  “I just received a call from this guy I know who knew we had the look-out on Gio,” Craig

  said. “The guy says Savarino’s up the street. He says he saw him with his own two eyes. I’m

  going are you insane? I don’t believe it. And I didn’t believe it, but I grabbed Paulie and went

  to see anyway. And there he was, Boss. Coming out of Micky D’s like it’s nobody’s business.”

  “Who was he with?” Teddy asked.

  “He was by himself,” said Craig.

  “I don’t know what you heard, Teddy,” Gio had the nerve to say, “but it’s a bunch of

  bullshit. I’m no fucking turncoat!”

  Teddy didn’t respond. He wanted to tear Gio apart, limb by limb, not hear his excuses. But

  he needed answers. “Bring him inside,” Teddy ordered as the guards reopened the gate. Craig

  And Paulie grabbed Gio, and followed Teddy inside.

  They followed Teddy up to the entrance where Mick was waiting. Even the capos tensed

  when they saw Mick, and Gio tried to pull back against their hold. But they pulled him further

  on, and into the house.

  Nikki and Joey were anxiously waiting when they all walked in, and Nikki was surprised to

  see Gio unharmed. She would have expected Teddy, and Mick too, to have been all over that

  betrayer.

  But it appeared as if they hadn’t touched him at all. Teddy, instead, told his father what the

  deal was.

  “Craig says one of his contacts just called him and said Gio was in the neighborhood,” Teddy

  said. “They went and checked it out and found his ass coming out of McDonald’s.”

  “McDonald’s?” Mick asked, surprised.

  “Like he wanted us to pick his ass up, sir,” Paulie said.

  “He had the nerve to claim it’s not what it looks like,” said Teddy. “In other words, we

  shouldn’t believe our lying eyes.”

  Mick looked at Gio. Did he really think that dumb shit was going to work on them? He

  wanted to fuck that fucker up too. But they needed answers and he was pleased Teddy realized

  that too.

  And once they all made their way further into the living room, with the two capos dragging

  Gio along, Mick allowed Teddy to take the lead.

  Teddy kicked an ottoman away from a chair and motioned for Craig and Paulie to sit Gio

  there. They shoved Gio down onto the seat and stayed beside him like prison guards.

  Teddy removed his suit coat and tossed it aside. His white dress shirt served to highlight to

  Gio, and anybody else who needed reminding, just how muscular he was. How powerful he

  was. Even Gio’s already tense demeanor seemed to become more concerned when Teddy

  removed his suitcoat. “It’s not what you think, Teddy,” Gio said.

  “We’ve been looking for you, Gio,” Teddy said.

  “Yeah? I didn’t know that. What you want with me?”

  Teddy’s out-of-nowhere anger came out of nowhere and he leaned back, lifted his shoe, and

  kicked Gio as hard as he could in the face. Nikki nor Joey saw that coming and both

  automatically backed up. Mick didn’t move. He would have kicked that cocky-ass

  motherfucker too.

  When Teddy kicked him, Gio violently flipped over the ottoman and landed with a hard

  thump on the other side. He looked up at Teddy, holding his now-bruised face, as if he was

  dumbstruck. “What did you do that for, Teddy? I answered your question!”

  “Lie to me again,” Teddy said, pointing at him, “and I’ll kill your ass. What do you think this

  is? Fun and games? Cut the bullshit. Do we understand each other, Gio?”

  Gio knew what Teddy could do. He was his old man, just with a better ride. “We

  understand each other,” Gio said.

  Teddy motioned to Craig and Paulie and they grabbed Gio again and sat him back down on

  the ottoman.

  Teddy had his hands on his hips. Nikki and Joey stood just behind Gio and the two capos,

  but Nikki’s entire focus was on Teddy. He had endured that crazy-ass fight with his father. Now

  he had to deal with Gio. It was like it never ended for him.

  “Tell me what you know,” Teddy said to Gio.

  Gio shook his head. “I know I’m screwed,” Gio responded.

  “Why?”

  “You know why.”

  “I want you to tell me,” Teddy said.

  Good, Mick thought. He was pleased with Teddy’s response. Never assume the enemy was

  on the same page. Always assume they weren’t.

  “I had no choice,” Gio said. “They gave me no choice.”

  “Who’s they?” he asked Gio.

  “Whoever they are, I don’t know. All I know is they have dirt on me.”

  “What dirt?” Teddy asked.

  Gio didn’t respond.

  “What dirt?” Teddy asked again.

  “They knew I stole from the family,” Gio said.

  Mick’s jaw tightened when Gio confessed. Not only had that motherfucker beat his

  daughter and betrayed them, but he stole from them too? Mick was inwardly seething.

  “What did you steal from the family?” Teddy asked.

  “The arsenal,” Gio said.

  Joey frowned. “The arsenal at the hotel?”

  Gio frowned. “What hotel?”

  “What arsenal?” Teddy asked.

  “The shipment from Amsterdam. I intercepted it in Anguilla.”

  Joey was shocked. “You stole Pop’s shipment? You? Why you two-faced motherfucker!”

  Joey jumped on Gio, beating him down.

  Teddy, unable to suppress his anger with Gio, too, joined in the beat down. Teddy and Joey

  looked like two thugs going at it, Nikki thought, which wasn’t the image she had of Teddy at all.

  Joey, with his gold chains bouncing against his chest with every lick he threw, and his pants

  baggy on his thin frame, looked at home in a beat down. But to Nikki’s surprise, Teddy looked

  the part too! He looked as if he could get down and dirty with the best of them.

  And he was getting down. He kicked that slimy, two-timing dog several times. Mick didn’t

  intervene. He was pleased to see his sons exact justice for their sister. That had to be done.

  But he was also counting on Teddy to know when to say when.

  Teddy knew. He pulled Joey back when Gio looked as though he could lose consciousness.

  Joey stopped, but gave one last, hard lick to Gio. “That’s for my sister, you perverted pile of

  shit!” Joey said.

  Joey was about to step away. But as soon as he was, Gio, who viewed Joey as a rival

  anyway, threw a punch at Joey that didn’t land, but caused Craig and Paulie to have to hold Gio

  back while Teddy held Joey back.

  It became so chaotic that Craig Nucci’s cell phone fell from his pocket as he forced Gio back

  onto the ottoman. Nikki picked up the cell phone as the men continued to scuffle.

  When they all were able to pull Joey back, Teddy flung him away from Gio. “Control your

  ass, Joey!” Teddy ordered him. “This shit ain’t over yet!”

  “His ass came for me though!” Joey yelled as he hit one of his hands with his other hand like

  some street gangster. “His ass came for me!”

  “Joey!” It was Mick. Which was the only reason why Joey responded. He looked at his

  father.

  Mick didn’t have to say another word. Joey knew what he wanted him to do. He didn’t’

  want to do it. He wanted to finish Gio’s ass, but he knew he had to do it. He made his way to

  Mic
k, and leaned against the wall too: out of Teddy’s way.

  Nikki handed Craig back his cell phone, and Teddy continued his interrogation. “You say you

  stole Pop’s shipment,” Teddy said. “Why would you make a stupid move like that?”

  “Handle your brother,” Gio said, still reeling from Joey’s attack.

  “Just keep talking,” Teddy said. “You don’t tell me who to handle!”

  “I kept it stashed there,” Gio said.

  “Where?” Teddy asked.

  “In Anguilla. I was going to sell it when the heat was off, and that was going to be my

  retirement nest egg. But these people found out about it. I knew if they told you guys, I was

  dead. So I made a deal with them. I’d provide intel, and they’d keep my secret. They took over

  that shipment, though. I had to turn that over to them. But they wouldn’t snitch on me.”

  “How did they find out?” Teddy asked.

  “I don’t know all that,” Gio said. “I just know they did.”

  “You told whoever these fuckers are about my meeting with Sammy Matanzas,” Teddy

  stated as if it were a fact.

  Gio nodded. “Yeah,” he said.

  “What’s it to them what I’m doing?” Teddy asked.

  “It was a miscommunication,” Gio said.

  Teddy didn’t understand. Neither did Mick, but he let Teddy handle it. “What was a

  miscommunication?” Teddy asked.

  “They thought Sammy would pay the full amount when we met him at that bakery. That’s

  why MJ’s men were there.”

  “So you’re saying MJ’s a part of this group?” Teddy asked.

  “I guess so. They have the goods on him too. I don’t know what they have, but they have

  something.”

  Teddy glanced at his father. He remembered that fear he saw in MJ’s eyes. It fit. “So it was

  all about the cash after all?” Teddy asked.

  “Yeah. It’s hard times. Everybody’s strapped for cash. Some dons, like MJ, are nearly

  broke.”

  Teddy exhaled. He didn’t know that shit!

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Joey said even though he was in what Nikki could only

  describe as timeout.

  Gio looked at him. “Forgetting what?” he asked.

  “My sister, you asshole!” Joey responded.

  But Gio looked lost. “What you keep bringing her up for? What about Gloria?” Then he