Page 77 of Always Be True: Tino
Meanwhile, the other two faced off against Clarence, fists flying. The scuffle didn’t last long, because Tino appeared out of nowhere. With a bellow of rage, he grabbed the nearest punk and flung him skidding across the pavement. The one with the pipe hit the ground next. Tino jerked the makeshift weapon out of his hand and immobilized the kid by twisting his arm behind his back. The teen fought to get free, but Tino held him prisoner with frightening ease.
Meanwhile, Clarence took the second teen to the ground and sat on his back to keep him there. The one who had attacked Natalie took off running, but she made no effort to stop him. It wasn’t until he was almost out of sight that she realized he’d stolen both her purse and briefcase in the process. It was tempting to chase after him, but that was the adrenaline talking. Her hands shook as she picked up Clarence’s phone to call 9-1-1.
While she relayed the necessary information, Tino kept his eyes pinned on her. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Not really. Her face throbbed with pain while her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. “How about you, Clarence? Did they hurt you?”
The older man dabbed at a bit of blood on his face with his sleeve. “I’ll be fine. These two aren’t man enough to do any real damage.”
When the pair in question started cursing, Tino jerked harder on the teenager’s arm, knocking the breath out of him. “Shut your mouth before I shut it for you permanently. There’s a lady present.”
By that point, she could hear sirens. Seconds later, a pair of patrol cars tore into the parking lot with tires screaming and lights flashing. Two police officers took custody of the teenagers while the others took statements from the three adults. Natalie was proud of how calm she sounded as she answered their questions despite the fact that her teeth had a tendency to chatter. What really worried her was that the kid who had escaped had her keys and her wallet. If he wanted to come after her, he would have no problem finding her.
The waves of chills rolling across her skin had nothing to do with the cool evening air. Having finally relinquished his prisoner to the police, Tino moved up beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Just that quickly, she felt warm and safe. There was no missing the tension thrumming through his big body even though his touch was gentle and meant to comfort. That didn’t mean the man wasn’t enraged by what had gone down. No doubt she’d hear about it later. For now, she instinctively leaned into his strength.
The EMTs checked her for a concussion before offering her an ice pack to control the swelling on her face. After assuring them she was only a bit shaken up by the encounter, they turned their attention to Clarence. The older man had sustained a couple of minor bruises and a small cut on his chin. Otherwise, he was fine. All things considered, the encounter could’ve had a far worse outcome.
When the EMTs finished with Clarence, Tino asked him, “Would you like me to drive you home?”
The older man shook his head. “My ride will be here any minute. In fact, there she is.”
To Natalie’s surprise, Rosalie pulled up and jumped out of her car, ignoring everyone except for Clarence. “What happened? Are you all right?”
The man in question gathered the woman into his arms. “Now that you’re here, I’m a whole lot better, Rosie girl. I’ll explain on the way home.”
Natalie watched the pair in stunned silence. She’d always suspected there was something brewing between the pair, but Rosalie had insisted that Clarence had loved his late wife too much to look at another woman. Obviously, that had changed. Finally, her friend released her death grip on Clarence and turned her attention toward Natalie and Tino.
Rosalie’s expressive eyes widened as she took note of Tino holding Natalie so close. “How about the pair of you? Are you okay?”
Tino gave Natalie a slight squeeze. “We’re both all right except that a third kid took off with Natalie’s purse and briefcase, which had her wallet and keys in it.”
Rosalie shuddered. “Sweetie, that’s not good. Maybe you should come home with us for tonight.”
Seriously, when had Rosalie and Clarence gone from sparring with each other to becoming an “us”? This wasn’t the time for an inquisition. “I appreciate the offer, but that’s okay.”
The policeman who had taken charge of the situation joined the discussion. “I’m sorry to say it, Miss Kennigan, but she’s not wrong. These two gave up the identity of the third member of their crew to avoid being charged with the theft. With luck, it shouldn’t take us long to find him. However, until we do, you’re at risk. We can ask the police in your area to keep an eye on your place, but you’d probably rest better if you stayed with your friends.”
Tino stood a little taller but maintained his hold on Natalie. “I’ll be making sure Ms. Kennigan is safe. You have my number if you need to get in touch with her.”
Maybe she should object to Tino answering for her, but right now she was too tired to argue. She noted that he didn’t exactly say that she’d be going home with him, but she was willing to bet that everyone had jumped to that conclusion. There would be time enough to decide where she would crash for the night once they were away from nosy friends and busy policemen.
A second officer approached them. “Ms. Kennigan, I am sorry this happened. We’re all aware of the good work being done here at the center, thanks to the support of your foundation. My cousin’s boy is on the basketball team Jay Tobin has started, and I know a couple of the kids taking the computer course you’re teaching. It’s a damn shame that these idiots want to screw things up for everyone else.”
Her face hurt, and she ached from head to toe with exhaustion. Still, she mustered a smile. “Don’t worry. Nothing that happened tonight will affect the foundation’s willingness to support the center and this neighborhood.”
That seemed to reassure everyone concerned, and the police said they could all leave. She didn’t resist when Tino led her over to where he’d parked. Seconds later, they drove out of the lot with the police cars right behind them. Tino still hadn’t said where he was taking her. Right now, she really didn’t care.
All right, that was a lie. She didn’t want to go home nor did she want him to drive to her parents’ house. It was too much to hope for that they’d never find out about what had happened, but she wasn’t up to dealing with them tonight.
Tino finally broke the silence. “Here’s the way I see this all playing out. You have two choices. Well, actually three, but I’m operating under the assumption you don’t want to go running home to your folks. If that’s true, the first choice is that we can upset your grandfather by showing up on his doorstep to see if we can crash there for the night.”
The lights from a passing car outlined Tino’s face with stark clarity. The man was definitely furious and spoiling for a fight. She hadn’t yet decided if she was going to give him one. “And the second choice?”
“My place.” He shot her a quick look. “You can bunk in my room, and I’ll crash in my brother’s. Or I’m sure my mother wouldn’t mind if you slept in her guest room.”
Decisions, decisions. “I would rather not bother my grandfather. I will tell him and my parents what happened, but I’d rather not do it when I’m tired.”
“And frightened?”
