Page 50 of Teddy Sinatra: Go Your Own Way
Teddy pulled her into his arms. “Stop blaming yourself. You didn’t know what you didn’t know.”
“But I should have known just like Pop said. I should have known to deep dive anyway. To take no chances. Why did I overlook that?”
“Just like Marco overlooked Vivian. Just like I overlooked the risk I was taking when I ordered those ships to sail. Just like Pop overlooked updating the threat assessment on the twins after he found out about the issues in the syndicate. We’re human. We get tired. We cut corners. We make bad decisions. It was like the perfect storm this week for us.”
“Yes it was,” agreed Nikki.
And then she looked at Teddy. “But thanks for having my back when Pop was coming hard for me. That man still scares the shit out of me,” she added, and Teddy laughed. “For real though.”
But then they were still staring into each other’s eyes. “Are you still thinking about jumping ship?” Nikki asked him.
“Working for Pop has never been good for my health or yours.”
“That’s so true.”
“But if I leave him, it’ll feel like I’m actually leavinghim, not just his organization. And I don’t know if I can do that again. I have always felt, my whole life, as if I’m attached to that crazy-ass man and can’t break myself free from him. And I don’t know why that is.”
“Father. Son. Hello? You’re your father’s son. That’s all. That’s it. That’s powerful, Teddy.”
Teddy nodded, but it didn’t feel that way. It felt needy and clingy to him. But not him needing Mick, but Mick needing him. He felt as if he was his father’s protector just like his father, he believed, was his protector. But that was their own personal struggle. He wasn’t going down that deep with anyone.
But then they continued to stare at each other. And Teddy kissed Nikki. And Nikki returned his kiss. And before they knew it, they were hugging tightly and kissing harder and massaging each other and then coupling.
Teddy entered her. And they were in that bed making love in a deliberate way that was more relaxing than earth-shattering. That was more to ease tension than to release it. That took nearly an hour of pure pleasure before they came. And then they came and they went from slow and easy to hard. They came in a delicious dose of pounding, ejaculation, and pulsations that overtook them. They both throbbed with orgasm.
But as Teddy was still pouring into her, and as she was still feeling those sensations, knocks were heard on their bedroom door announcing another major problem.
“Teddy, Nikki, get up!” It was Sal Gabrini pounding on the door. “Stonegate has been breached. Stonegate has been breached!”
Teddy pulled out of Nikki so fast that he spilled on her. But their anxiousness overtook their cautiousness and they both hopped out of bed throwing on clothes. All they could think about was their prisoners escaping. All they could think about was starting from zero all over again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Tommy, Big Daddy, and Amelia stayed back at the compound, while Mick, Reno, Sal and Marco, and Teddy and Nikki, along with four additional capos in a separate SUV, all arrived to find carnage at Stonegate. Deep in the woods didn’t prevent its breach and all six capos that were guarding the outer perimeter were dead. Inside, the three capos that had been guarding the prisoners were also dead. But Potter Rarsi, though shot numerous times, was still alive.
“Who the fuck could have gotten this deep into your security, Uncle Mick?” a befuddled Reno was asking when they walked in.
“Renardo,” said Sal, which only reminded Nikki of her screwup. Teddy placed his arm around her waist as they hurried over to Rarsi while Reno and Sal began searching the entirety of the property inside and out to ensure no additional sneak attacks. Teddy got on his knees. Nikki crouched down beside him. Mick stood over all of them.
But Marco was confused. “Where’s Vivian?” he asked.
Mick looked at him. But they remained by Rarsi. If anybody was going to have that answer, it was going to be Rarsi.
“What happened, Potts?” Teddy asked the mobster. “Who did this?”
Rarsi spoke, but they couldn’t understand him. Teddy got down even closer. “Who did this to you, Potts?”
He clutched Teddy’s shirt. “D,” he said.
“D? Who’s D?” Then Teddy realized who. “Denardo? You’re saying Denardo’s gang did this to you?”
“They took Vivian. They took . . .” But Rarsi’s grip on Teddy’s shirt lessened, and then he passed out.
“Is he dead?” Nikki asked anxiously.
Teddy listened to his heartbeat. “Not yet.”
“Nikki, call Doc,” said Mick. “Get him over here now.”
