But when Ted walked in, and saw that his father was inside of his stepmother, and that she was half-dressed, he stepped back into the bedroom and knocked on the French door.

Mick was the first to hear the knocks, and he slowly slid out of his Roz and pulled down her bra and blouse.  When he was zipped up, and she was completely covered, Mick yelled for whomever to come out.  Teddy came out as if he was coming out for the first time.

“What you got?” Mick asked him.

“Santo’s crew is outside of our gate, Pop.”  Teddy said this as if it was an amazing turn of events.  Roz was surprised too.

But Mick wasn’t.  He patted Roz to get up.  She did, and he rose to his feet.

“How many of Santo’s men came?” Roz asked Teddy.

“Better be all of them,” Mick said as he made his way past Teddy, and back into the bedroom.  Roz and Teddy followed him.

“What do you mean by that, Pop?” Teddy asked.  “You ordered them to come here?”

“Yes.”

Teddy looked at Roz.  She was shocked too.  But then Teddy stopped, and pulled her back.  “What are you doing, Ma?” he asked her.  “You understand you can’t go with us, right?”

But Mick glanced back at his son with a look that made it clear he didn’t approve.

“I didn’t mean . . . I mean . . .,” Teddy started, and then gave up.  “What do you want us to do with Santo’s crew?” he asked his father.

“Put them across the street,” Mick responded, as he headed to the en-suite bathroom.

Teddy gladly left the master suite and headed back downstairs.  Roz followed Mick into the bathroom.  He lifted her up onto the vanity.  “Why, Mick?” she asked.  “Why would you order Santo’s men to come here?”

“They’ve been implicated in their own boss’s death,” Mick said as he grabbed a damp cloth and began cleaning up the mess he made between Roz’s legs.  “Then they tried to take Natalie out even though they had to know I was in that car with her.  They’ve got to tell me what’s going on, and face the consequences.”  Mick folded over the cloth, unzipped, and began wiping off his penis.

As he did, Roz stared at him.  “Mick?”

“Yeah?” He didn’t look up at her.  When she didn’t continue, he looked at her.

“I wanted to thank you for taking me with you to see Bella Caine.”

It was nothing, Mick wanted to say, but he knew that wasn’t the response she was after.  “You’re welcome,” he said.

“But I was wondering,” Roz continued, “why did you do it?  Why did you take me with you?”

Mick had to think about that question.  “It was a reminder that you’re the one I want,” he said.

“A reminder for her,” Roz asked, “or for you?”  She looked at him as if she was daring him to tell the truth.

“Both,” Mick said.

Roz nodded.  At least he didn’t lie, she thought.

Mick finished his clean-up, rinsed off the cloth, and then tossed it through the laundry chute.  Then he looked at Roz with a weary look and leaned his forehead against her forehead.  She rubbed his arm.  “Tired?” she asked him.

“Um,” he responded.

“What happens next?” she asked.

He stood erect.  “I question them.  I find out what the fuck is going on.”

“And when you find out,” she asked, “what happens then?”

Mick would only look at her.  He wasn’t about to say anymore.

Roz nodded her head and looked away.  She understood.

Mick lifted her down from the vanity, slapped her butt, and then headed for the bedroom.  Roz followed him.  “I want to go with you, Mick,” she said.

“Nope,” Mick responded as he headed for his nightstand.

Roz didn’t like that answer.  “I’m going with you,” she said more firmly.

“No, you aren’t,” Mick said just as firm.

“I was on the receiving end of their bullshit too, Mick.”

“I know you were.”

“Then you should let me go with you.”

“No.”

“I have a right to be there, Mick.”

“No.”

“But you told Teddy---”

“I told Teddy what?” Mick asked with irritation in his voice, and then stopped at the nightstand and turned and looked at her.  “I didn’t tell Teddy shit.  I looked at him sideways because he was out of line.  It’s not his place to order you to do anything.  But it is my place.  You’re going to stay inside, and let me handle this.”

He placed his thumb to the keypad that opened his locked nightstand drawer, and then the drawer slid open.  He pulled out a loaded gun, put it in his belt, and then closed the drawer back up.

He looked at Roz.  He could see she was frustrated by all of this upheaval too.  She wanted answers as badly as he did.  But he wasn’t changing his mind.  He left.  Roz folded her arms, and let out a sharp exhale.