Page 43 of Teddy Sinatra: Go Your Own Way
“If he’s Denny’s guy, and Denny knows you’re conspiring with the old man to put me in charge when you retire, then why wouldn’t Denny want to discredit me in the eyes of Old Man Bengino so that he won’t approve my ascension.”
Rarsi laughed. “It’s nice to see a man who truly underestimates his worth. You, my friend, could fuck up beyond fuck ups and every syndicate from here to Rome will still want you as their leader. Discrediting you won’t work in the eyes of Bengino or me or anybody else with a brain. Which Denny does not have. Which means you may have a point.”
Then Rarsi thought about it. “However,” he said.
Teddy stared at him. “However what?”
“Have you considered your son Marco’s friend?”
Nikki looked at Teddy. Teddy was staring at Rarsi. “What friend?”
“Guy with a girl’s name. They call him Vivian. Have you considered him as a possibility?”
Teddy could feel his heartbeat quicken. “Why would I consider him?”
“It’s not public knowledge, and there’s been no reason for me to bring it up to you because nothing became of it.”
“Potts, what are you going on about? Break it down.”
“Vivian lives in Cali now, and there’s been no action that I know of. Until this happened. Until you had the nerve to tell me that one of my men was in that car that ambushed Mick the Tick’s kids. And that man was one of Denny’s guys. I figure it could be.”
Teddy frowned. “What are you saying? How is Vivian connected to Denny?”
“He used to do odd jobs for him before he moved out west with Marco.”
Teddy’s heart squeezed. Nikki’s did too. “Marco knew Vivian did jobs for Denny?” Teddy asked him.
Rarsi shook his head. “I doubt it. It was before Viv and Marco became friends I think. After he hooked up with Marco, I did look into it for your sake. I saw no jobs on the books with his name attached to them.”
“Since you knew he started working for Teddy’s son,” Nikki said, “did you ever ask Denny what Vivian was doing for him?”
“No need to. I knew what he was up to.”
“Drugs?” said Nikki.
Rarsi nodded. “And plenty of them too.”
Teddy exhaled. “Damn,” he said. “Marco claimed to be out of that shit.”
“He might be. Vivian works for him, but he’s always done his own side jobs too.”
And Nikki made the call. “Everything you say is well and good, Potts,” she said, “but you’ll have to come with us anyway.”
“Come with you? What the fuck for?” He looked at Teddy. “You better rein her back in or I’ll have to.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Potts. She’s still Nikki, she’s still my underboss, and you will still respect that.”
“But what did I do to deserve her disrespect? Telling me I’m coming with you like I’m nothing. Who does she think she is?”
“I told you who she was. And until we can figure this out,” said Teddy, “she’s right. You will have to come with us.”
“Like hell,” Rarsi said, which Teddy expected him to say. That was why, as soon as he said it, Teddy, who already had the tiny J-frame pistol in his hand, shot Rarsi in his side. Only it was a silent shot.
But Rarsi’s eyes widened as if he could not believe that Teddy would betray him. He even grabbed Teddy’s arm. But then his grip loosened, and he slumped over.
Nikki was stunned too. “Youshothim?”
“Tranquilizer,” said Teddy. “I knew he wouldn’t go willingly. Get behind the wheel.”
