Roz exhaled. She knew he wasn’t going to like it. “I’ve got to go back to New York and stay until the end of the semester, Mick.”
Mick frowned. “What are you talking about? We took care of that before you left town last week. You put your assistant in charge. Your assistant agreed. Why are you back on that again?”
“Because the students won’t agree. Marge called. She said the students are rebelling. They don’t want her.”
“Then tough! That’s who they have.”
Roz knew he wouldn’t understand. “It’s not tough, Mick. That’s not how this works. It’s something I have to take care of.”
“You took care of it. You put that woman in charge and they will have to live with that. I’m not having you in one state and I’m in another ever again, I told you that. I don’t care how close they are. That part of our life is over.”
“Everything is so black and white with you. But it’s not that simple. I can’t just leave those students hanging like that! They signed on to work with me. They don’t want to work with Marge. Since they’re paid up for this semester, it’s my duty to teach them until the end of term. Then they can either sign up with Marge next term, or go elsewhere. But at least I would have finished what I started and they can’t complain about that.”
But Mick felt frustrated. Because she wasn’t seeing this from his perspective at all. She wouldn’t just be going to those students, he felt. She would be leaving him. She would be alone in a different state without the same protections he could give her here. That was the part that stung. That was the part that she wasn’t addressing at all. “I thought we agreed that that part of your life is over, Rosalind. You are staying here where I can look out for you.” Then he frowned. “What’s with you anyway? Have you already forgotten what happened last week? Do you realize what kind of jeopardy you were in? What if I was out of the country and couldn’t get back before that DA filed charges? What if she couldn’t back down after she filed because the victim was a Broadway Director and the public wouldn’t accept the fact that she filed charges and then changed her mind? You would have been looking at years in prison, Rosalind.”
Roz nodded her head. “I understand what you’re saying. But everything you just said could have happened right here in Philly too.”
“No, it could not have,” Mick said. “Philly is my territory. I have businesses in New York, but I don’t wield the same power there. That’s why it took me nearly twenty-four hours to get you out of there, and I was on the verge of a heart attack the entire time. If it would have happened here, on my turf, you would have never been arrested. Be assured of that. You’re safe here.”
“It’s only for a couple months, Mick. Just until the end of the semester.”
But Mick was shaking his head. The idea that she could be away from him, and some calamity happened again, was too much. His number one job was to keep her safe, and that was what he intended to do. “No,” he said. “You aren’t taking that chance. You’re not going. Period.”
Roz was angry now. Who did he think he was? “I have to go.”
“The only thing you have to do is what I just told you to do. You aren’t going, Rosalind. Period!”
Roz knew what she had to do. If she didn’t stand up to him now, she would crawl through their entire relationship. He would come to hate that in the long run. She zipped her luggage.
Mick frowned. “What do you think you’re doing? I said you’re not going.”
“I’m not one of your men, Mick.”
“You’re not going!”
“Watch me,” Roz said defiantly, slung her suitcase off of the bed, and began heading out of the room.
Mick was so amazed by her defiance that it took him a few seconds to fully realize it. She was actually leaving? When he realized that she actually was, he was furious.
“Rosalind!” he yelled. “Roz!”
But she was already on the landing and heading down the three flights of stairs. Mick hurried behind her, but didn’t catch her until she was nearing the front door and the maids were coming out of the parlor.
“Roz!” he yelled, grabbed her by the arm, and turned her around. When he saw his maids, he barked. “Get the fuck out of here!” he yelled at them, and all three, terrified, hurried back into the parlor and slammed the door.
Mick looked at Roz. He held her by the chin. “You don’t defy me,” he said between clenched teeth. “Nobody defies me.”