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But despite Roz’s understandable emotional outburst, Marco still didn’t understand his father. It made no sense.

“Pops, I don’t get it,” he said. “Why would you, Mister Cautious , trust a mobster like Potter Rarsi? That don’t sit right with me.”

“Me either,” Nikki admitted.

“Why this blind faith in a character like that?” Marco added.

Teddy didn’t respond. He didn’t have the energy. But Big Daddy finally spoke up. “A long time ago, your father and grandfather were in a turf war with the Bengino family. They were in a shootout inside some old building on the top floor, which was three floors high. Well the floor collapsed beneath their feet and everybody from both gangs dropped three flights and pancaked down to the bottom floor. Most of them died instantly, but Potter Rarsi was able to get himself out from beneath the rubble. But Mick and Teddy had bricks that had them unable to move at all. They were stuck and bricks were steadily piling on them threatening to bury them alive.”

“Damn,” said Marco. Nikki was in disbelief too.

“Everybody that was able to get out, which was only a few guys from the Bengino gang because they had been running up to the third floor when the collapse happened, ran out of that building because it was still unstable. And like I said, big bricks were still falling. And Potter Rarsi, once he got from out of the rubble, ran too. But then he came back.”

Roz looked over at Big Daddy when he said Rarsi came back.

“Mick was too proud to ask for help,” Big Daddy continued, “but that’s your grandfather. But Rarsi still came back and pulled Mick out of the rubble. And then he helped Mick pull Teddy, who was even deeper buried, out too. They looked at each other, and didn’t say a word. And then Rarsi left.”

“Wow,” said Marco.

“When Old Man Bengino retired, he made Potter Rarsi boss. He sidestepped his own son Denny and gave it to Rarsi. That’s was years ago. Although Rarsi is looking to retire now himself, and wanted Teddy to take over his outfit, he made a truce with Mick’s syndicate the moment he became boss that has never been broken. That’s why Mick and Teddy, and me as well, trust Potter Rarsi.”

It was one of those ah-ha moments for Nikki and Marco and everybody else in that room that would never again have them questioning that blind trust Mick and Teddy had in that particular mobster. Although a small part of Nikki still felt it was too blind because people were capable of changing over time. But she trusted Teddy and Mick with her life, and they trusted Potter Rarsi.

“But make no mistake,” Mick spoke up and said, “if we find out that his ass is involved in what happened to my children and our capos, he will be dealt with.”

Nikki nodded. And looked at Teddy. But Teddy was still too worried about Duke and too guilt-ridden to so much as nod his agreement.

Nikki spoke for him. She looked at Boreau. “Find out which leader in the Bengino family hired Hal Janantoni. We’ve got to have concrete proof before we approach anybody over there because if we get this wrong it could be world war three.”

“Right,” agreed Mick.

“They’ve got serious reach,” Nikki reminded Bo. “Nowhere near our reach. But serious enough to cause a lot of damage. We’ve got to be certain.”

“I’ll get right on it, Nikki,” Bo said, glanced over at a still-flustered Teddy, and then left the room.

As soon as Bo left, an eerie silence took over the suite.

And they waited.

Mick had calmed Roz back down, and they took seats side by side with his arm still around her, as they continued to wait.

Sal Gabrini, and then Reno Gabrini, and then Tommy Gabrini all arrived within a few hours of each other.

And they still waited.

Ameila Sinatra-Reese arrived, but without the man they expected to be with her. “Where’s Hammer?” Her big brother, Big Daddy, asked her.

“Don’t ask,” Amelia said and Big Daddy shook his head. Amelia and Hammer Reese. Always drama with those two!

And they waited some more.

Until, ten hours after Duke first went into surgery, the surgical team, along with the Sinatras’ personal physician, entered the suite. Instead of jumping up and bombarding them with questions, they sat there with bated breath. Nobody moved a muscle.

“The surgery went as expected,” the chief of surgery said.

Roz frowned. Her voice, though not that loud, sounded hysterical. “What do you mean as expected ? Tell us what that means. He’s alive, but he’s paralyzed? He’s alive, but he’s a vegetable? He’s dead? Tell us what that means!”

Their personal physician quickly moved in front of the renowned surgeons, many of whom that had been flown in from John Hopkins. Bedside manners were not their forte. “What it means, Mrs. Sinatra,” he said, “is that barring any infections or anything of that nature, Duke is expected to fully recover with no lasting issues whatsoever.”

He was talking a language their worried souls could understand and they immediately jumped to their feet with cheers and applause and high-fives. Even Teddy was relieved and smiling as Marco hurried over, grabbed his shoulders, and began massaging them in pure joy.

But Roz fell to her knees thanking Jesus. And shockingly, Mick fell on his knees too, and kept his arm around her. It was just the news they had been praying for.