But that still didn’t alleviate Roz’s concern. She wanted to know that he was okay. She couldn’t dismiss that need to know.
Barry saw the concern in her eyes, and he felt for her. Although Mick didn’t hold him in any great esteem, he wasn’t sure if he knew how, he had a heart for Mick. He loved him like a son. “You’re a good, normal girl, Roz. And I know you don’t want to hear this, but find yourself a good, normal guy. Mick hits and run. He always has and always will. He’s rough around the edges. That’s his style.”
But Roz wasn’t ready to believe he could be that callous. Not the man who pulled her into his arms to shield her from harm. Not the man who rode the Subway with her. Not the man who made love to her the way he made love. But Barry wouldn’t understand. “Could you phone him? Maybe he’ll answer your call. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
But Barry declined. “I can’t do that,” he said. “I’m still Mick’s friend because I give him his space. As soon as I start intruding onto that space, he’ll cut me off. I like him in my life rather than out of it. I can’t do it.”
Roz didn’t want to hear it, but she couldn’t make him do what he didn’t want to do. So she said her goodbyes and headed down the aisle toward the exit door.
Barry watched her walk away. And he had the oddest feeling. He had a strange feeling that the best woman in this world for Mick was walking away. He hesitated still, but then he gave in. “Roz!” he called after her.
Roz turned, and saw Barry walking up to her. “I won’t call him, or get in his business that way. He’ll never forgive me if I do. But it’s public knowledge he’s staying at the Carson. If he’s still in town, that’s where he’ll be.”
Roz smiled. Thanked Barry. And headed for the Carson.
The Carson-Benning, one of the richest hotels in the city, wasn’t exactly the kind of opulent grandeur Roz was used to, but she entered the palace doors anyway. She was determined to make sure Mick was okay. She knew it was risky. She knew he could be avoiding her like the plague because he didn’t want to have anything more to do with her. Guys charmed their way into ladies’ beds all the time, only to dump them like bad habits as soon as they zipped back up their pants. Mick could be that guy. He could be that heartless. But her instincts were betting against it. She entered the massive hotel, so far outside of her comfort zone, on instinct alone.
But as Roz made her way to the front desk, Mick’s limousine pulled up outside. Deuce hurried from behind the wheel, and stood at the back passenger door, but Mick remained inside. His head was leaned back. His eyes were closed. He’d been in meetings all day, mostly concerning problems with security breaches, and he had a business dinner to attend in a couple hours concerning his offshore investments. His schedule was packed solid. But he was unsettled. Because with so many issues to think about, all he was thinking about was Roz.
During the course of the day, he pulled out his cell phone more times than he would ever admit, ready to answer her call or phone her himself. But he didn’t do it. Not for his sake. He knew he would do himself the greatest favor in the world by involving her in his life. But what would it do for her? She would go from being an uncomplicated woman in beautiful obscurity to becoming the woman of one of the most complicated men in America. His load would become her load. His enemies would become her enemies. His tortured heart would become hers.
He couldn’t do that to her.
He finally opened his eyes and got out of his limousine. Fairytales came true, they did for Reno Gabrini after all, but Reno’s blues were not like his. He was a bad man. Reno, deep down, had a heart of gold and would give a scumbag a break. Mick didn’t believe in giving breaks. He believed in taking breaks. He learned long ago that no fairytales were coming true for a man like him.
But even though fairytales weren’t going to come true for Mick, they sometimes dropped by. That was the feeling he felt when he stepped out of his limousine and saw Rosalind coming out of the hotel. He froze where he stood.
His sudden stop was so pronounced and unexpected that Deuce looked to see what his boss was seeing. When he saw Roz standing there, staring at Mick as if she was angry and pleased all at once, Deuce couldn’t help but smile. That’s how you do it, young lady, he thought. He believed Mick Sinatra was hers for the taking, but she had to be smart enough to understand it. She was, he thought happily. She was.
Mick lost his glide as he walked across the sidewalk toward her. He couldn’t pretend to be cool. The area was busy, with cars picking up and dropping off and people coming and going, but all he saw was Roz. He tried to plaster on his best business smile and play it off, but he couldn’t pull it off. Seeing her again was felt too deeply.