Page 190 of The Slayer
Because Chuito was here, and she would rather be in an uncertain life with him than in a stable one without him.
So she hung on for the ride, letting him lead and trusting that maybe there were happy endings for gangsters too.
“Look at that motherfucker.” Chuito turned Alaine around and pulled her against him so that her back was flush against his chest. “That’s his fourth dance.”
Alaine giggled as she spied Nova dancing with Sofia.
Nova actually wasn’t a bad dancer. Even more than a little drunk, he danced like he belonged there on the lawn in Miami.
“Why is everything so easy for him?” Alaine asked Chuito, because it seemed unfair someone that smart and that good-looking could dance too.
“’Cause we let it be,” Chuito said before he called out, “Hey, Casanova!” and for the first time, Alaine appreciated how ironically fitting his name was. When Nova looked over, Chuito held up four fingers against Alaine’s chest. “Go back to school, motherfucker. You can’t count.”
Alaine laughed again and turned around in his arms. “You’re no fun at all. Ruining his day after everything he did to put this wedding together.”
“That’s my mother,” Chuito said dismissively. “Let him find someone else to make his day better. A few more glasses of wine and he won’t notice the difference anyway.”
“Really expensive wine,” Alaine pointed out. “Did you notice that?”
“They’re Italian; everything’s really expensive with them. Spoiled.” Chuito pulled her closer to him and then wrapped an arm around her when Nova grabbed her hand. “No.”
“One dance with the bride. For tradition.” Nova gave Chuito another wide smile that made him look more like Tino than Alaine had noticed before. “Trust me, Garcia, having seen firsthand what happens to motherfuckers who mess with your woman,she’s safe.”
“One dance.” Chuito released her, as if he trusted that Nova knew not to go too far. “I’m serious this time.”
Alaine decided not to think about what exactly Nova saw to make Chuito so certain as she found herself swept into Nova’s arms. He was thick and muscular like Chuito and looked just as good in a suit. She twined her arms around his neck and grinned up at him.
“Why don’t you like love stories, Nova?” Alaine asked as Chuito started dancing with his mother, which she firmly believed was a good thing. She stared up at Nova, who was so handsome and charming it seemed a shame a perfectly good romance was wasted where he was concerned. “You’re not doing your name any justice.”
“I’m doing my name perfect justice,” Nova assured her. “There were no happy endings for Casanova, just a life of crime and pleasure.”
“Mmm,” Alaine hummed, because she was sure Nova knew the history better than her. “Then your mother did you a huge disservice?”
“More than you know, but we’re not gonna talk about me.” He looked down at her with an intense, contemplative expression. “Let’s talk about you instead. How are you, Alaine?”
“I’m good,” she promised as the two of them moved slower than the other dancers, which seemed okay, because if they got too into the music, Chuito might stop dancing with his mother, who looked so very happy. “Just living in the moment.”
Nova gave her a skeptical look. “Are youreallyconsidering a move to New York? Even knowing the risks?”
“Unless you have a complaint,” Alaine said and then asked, “Do you?”
“No, I like my associates to be happy. You make Chuito happy. So it makes me happy. I just—” He shook his head as if he was thinking about it. “I dunno. You’ve had a wild ride the past three days. I can’t see ever getting married and dragging someone like you down into this merda.”
“You told us wehadto get married,” she reminded him.
“That was probably bullshit.” He shrugged as if bluffing was second nature to him. “I would’ve just written it off as one more thing to fucking stress about, but you’re in now, and I’ve been thinking about it. If you’ve got a perfectly good law degree, would you consider taking the New York bar?”
“Do you think I could find clients in New York?” Alaine hadn’t really thought that far ahead. “After everything’s done, you think I could set up a real practice there?”
“One client.” Nova gestured to himself. “But he pays well.”
“You want me to work for you exclusively?” she asked him in surprise. “Don’t you already have lawyers?”
“I sorta like the idea of having one I can train. One who’s in. You’re young. You’re not set in your ways. Plus, you’re someone I can really talk to. Sometimes Tino’s smarter than me. Most of the time, in all the ways that count, he’s smarter,” Nova went on as if he had been contemplating it for a while. “And you have a trustworthy face. What judge is gonna argue with a face like that? With that sweet little accent you got going on, they’ll let my boys off just ’cause you’re so nice to look at.”
“Your organization is very sexist. That statement alone proves it.” She pointed it out because she had noticed that about the underworld in general. “You think they’re gonna put up with a woman lawyer?”
“I told you I’m a progressive gangster,” he reminded her and then leaned down and whispered in her ear, “And I plan to own the organization, sweetheart.”
