Romeo, Romeo Page 27

  “What rap sheet? You were a minor. You have no rap sheet. Hold on. You'd better not have a rap sheet. You said you cleaned up your act.”

  “I did. But Lee deserved to know the truth about everything, and I'd planned to tell her, but she didn't come home.”

  Rich tossed his bottle in the recycling bin and went to the refrigerator to get two more beers. He handed one to Nick.

  Nick popped the cap and shrugged. “I knew things were tense, but I thought we were doing okay. I knew you were coming home, and if she found out about me before I had a chance to explain, she'd dump me faster than week-old garbage. Instead of spilling my guts, I spent the night calling hospitals. I thought she was dead or something. I went out of my mind with worry.”

  “Where did she go?”

  “She didn't say. What the hell was I supposed to do? We'd made a deal when we started seeing each other. No commitments, no strings. She'd said we'd be together until it stopped being fun for one or both of us, and I guess it had stopped being fun for her, because she stepped out on me. She was the one who moved on. I was just the last one to find out about it.”

  “Shit, Nick. I'd have left too, but she did say she'd gotten scared and done something stupid.”

  “Then why didn't she tell me that she screwed up? She never called me, not a word, nothing. God, Rich, I waited for her to do something.”

  “Maybe she was waiting for you to do the same thing? Maybe because of that deal of yours, she figured since you left, if you wanted to see her again, you'd contact her.”

  “I sure as hell will now.”

  “Listen, buddy, you'd better check the attitude at the door if you want to get anywhere with my sister. Baby or no baby, she doesn't take crap from anyone. She doesn't need a man to have a baby. Sure, she'll never live it down, and my mother will disown her, but I don't think that'll bother Rosalie too much.”

  “I'll carry her to the church if I have to. It worked when I took her to the hospital. She ended up thanking me for that one. Just wait, you'll see. She's going to marry me. And damn soon, too.”

  The doorbell rang and rang again before Nick could reach it. “Coming! Jesus, what is this? Grand Central Station?” He opened the door to Lois and Tyler. Ty ran to Nick and clung to him, something the kid hadn't done since he was about eight. Ty was shaking.

  Nick caught Lois' eye. Shit, she looked scared, and Lois never looked scared.

  Nick rubbed Ty's back. “What happened? What's wrong?”

  “Tyler, tell Nick what you told me.”

  Rich cleared his throat and stepped into the foyer. Nick nodded to Rich but didn't let go of Tyler. “Rich Ronaldi, this is my assistant, Lois, and her son, Tyler.”

  Lois shook Rich's hand. “Ronaldi as in Rosalie's brother?”

  “Yeah, I am. It's nice to meet you. I can see you need some privacy, so I'll just be going—”

  Lois shook her head. “No, you need to hear this, too. I called the police—”

  Rich held his hands up. “Whoa, it was just a fight—”

  “Not about you. Tyler, tell them what happened.”

  Tyler stepped back and looked at his mom. Lois laid her hand on Ty's shoulder. “I was at Gianelli's body shop today,” he said.

  Nick bent down and looked Tyler straight in the eye. “Yeah?”

  “I was dropping off a driver's side mirror, but the guy working on the car wouldn't sign the order, so I had to wait for Mr. Gianelli to sign it.”

  “Okay.”

  “I was leaning against the wall next to Mr. Gianelli's office. It wasn't like I was trying to listen, I swear, but Mr. Gianelli was yelling, so I couldn't help it.”

  “Who was he yelling at?”

  “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 assistant Gina were on to them and that the bitches…” 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.

  “Shit.” 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 hell. “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 tel
ling 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. Shit, 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. Lassiter 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. Lassiter, 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,

  God, 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 piss 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 associate, 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. Damn, Rich, too. Nick was going to have one hell of a shiner 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 Godfather?”

  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 Romeo?”

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

  Gino seemed to be blind to the male posturing going on right in front of him—the man had obviously suffered too many blows to the head.

  “So you both banged little Rosie here, huh? My turn now?”

  Ooh, that was so not a smart thing to say. Dante took a menacing step toward Gino, while Nick pulled her behind him.

  Dante grabbed Gino by the collar, and Gino threw his hands up in surrender. “Just kidding, Dante. Leggo of me.”

  After a small shake, Dante put him down. Gino straightened his shirt and tucked it in over his protruding belly. 'As I was saying,” Gino continued,”Mr. Gianelli sent us to introduce ourselves and talk to Rosie here about a little problem we're havin' concerning one of her co-workers, Jackie Lassiter.”

  The tension in the room ratcheted up enough that Gino even seemed to notice. He cleared his throat. “See, we don't want no trouble, and we're sure you don't neither. We just come here to give you a friendly warning.”

  Rosalie tried to push Nick to the side, and when he didn't budge, she went around the desk and got right into Dante's face. “You call this a friendly warning? You have some nerve, coming into my office after all these years and threatening me. Does your mother know what you do, Dante?”

  Gino again must not have been listening, because he picked up the conversation where he'd left off. “Yeah, real friendly-like. You see, Mr. Gianelli ain't too happy that you and that cute little secretary of yours are sticking your noses in business that don't concern you.” Gino shook his head. “Not happy at all.”

  Nick was about to blow. Not that she wasn't at least as pissed off as he seemed. Shit, it wasn't everyday your ex-lover came to threaten you and did it in front of the man who recently stabbed you in the back.

  “Well, you can just go back to Mr. Gianelli and tell him where he can stuff—”

  Nick turned when he heard Dave bark and then growl. Rosalie shot him a what-the-hell-were-you-thinkingbringing-him-here look. Dave strolled in growling, teeth bared, ridge of black hair on his back standing up. Dave glommed onto Gino—the one with the gun—and began herding him toward the open doorway.

  Gino paled. “Mr. Romeo, Dante and me, we don't want no trouble.”

  Gino moved a hand slowly toward his holster, and Nick felt like growling, too. “If you don't want trouble, you better keep your hands where Dave can see them. Once you do, I'll tell Dave to play nice.”

  Dante nodded to Gino, and Gino held both his hands up high. Dante looked right over Rosalie's head and spoke to Nick as if she weren't there. “You named your dog Dave?”

  Nick bit back a smile when Rosalie poked Dante in the chest. “No, / named Dave. He's my dog.”

  Rosalie was so mad, she was shaking. Nick wasn't sure who she was madder at, Dante and Gino, or him.

  Nick took a step toward her but didn't take his eyes off Dante. “If you don't want any trouble, then why are you here threatening my fiance?

  Rosalie turned away from Dante and glared. “Nick—”

  Then all hell broke lose. Rich skulked in and hit Gino over the head with the fire extinguisher. Gino's body crumpled to the floor. He was down for the count.

  Nick turned to pull Rosalie away and when Dante reached into his jacket, Nick saw red.

  “Gun!”

  The next thing he knew, he was tackling Rosalie to the floor, holding her down. He covered her body with his as Dave barreled into Dante, knocked him to the floor, and planted his paws on Dante's chest. Dave stood there, growling and frothing at the mouth.

  When Nick was sure Dante wasn't moving and Rich had collected all the guns, he helped Rosalie up and pulled her into his arms.

  Rosalie, shaking, held onto Nick, wondering if she could have imagined this whole fiasco. No, she blinked a few times, and Nick was still ther
e. Unless her imagination came equipped with Touch-a-Vision and Smell-a-Vision, she was holding the real thing. Nick, who'd put himself between her and a guy with a gun. The dumb ass had tackled her, trying to protect her. He could have been killed.

  Rosalie pulled away and took a good look at him. He was fine—well, except for the black eye. His eyes were so much bluer than she remembered, even the one that was almost swollen shut. She felt the familiar sting of tears, so she did the only thing she could to keep them from falling. She hit him.

  “Who the hell do you think you are? Superman? You idiot. You could have been killed!”

  Rich put his fingers between his teeth and whistled.

  Rosalie faced her brother. “What?”

  “Where's Gina?”

  Rich was definitely frazzled, but curiously, not the least concerned about his little sister. Hmmm. “She went home with Sam and Randi.”

  “Who the hell are they?”

  “Sam is her brother-in-law, the cop. We thought Randi, Jack Lassiter's secretary and mistress, might need protection until we could take all the evidence to the police.”

  Nick turned on her. “Oh, yeah. You thought Randi needed protection, but you didn't?”

  Rosalie planted her hands on her hips and stuck out her chin. “You're the one who almost got killed!”

  Nick looked as if he was going to throw an embolism.

  That's when the sirens drowned out his mumbling and the cops stormed the room. After a few very uncomfortable minutes while New York's finest sorted out the good guys from the bad, things calmed down. Rich turned over the guns; Gino got a trip to the hospital to make sure he didn't have a concussion before going to jail; and the police put out an APB on Jack Jr. and Tony Gianelli. Everyone was taken to the police station for questioning. Well, everyone except Dave. Dave got to go home with Henry.

  “Would you hold on a minute, Dave?” Rosalie called out. “I'm moving. I'm moving already. You know, it's not like you can't go out in the garden and take a leak. Why do you have to get me out of bed at the crack of dawn?”