Page 198 of The Slayer
“This is bullshit,” Wyatt said in denial. “I know it’s bullshit. It’s my business to smell bullshit like this.”
His daughter, Emma, started babbling, “Bu, bu, bu, bu,” to Wyatt as she patted his face.
And Wyatt groaned and glared at Chuito. “Now you’re making me teach my daughter how to swear.”
“I did that?” Chuito asked in disbelief. “I haven’t done anything but tell you that I’m taking a year off and moving to New York. You are the one freaking out.”
“I can help.” Wyatt sounded pleading now. “Tell me how to help. Does Nova need help? Why didn’t he ask me instead? I owe him more than you do.”
“If that’s true, if youreallyowe him, then you should probably trust that Nova’s doing what’s best for his family instead of making it harder for him. Peel Jules off his back instead of helping her fight this losing battle. We’re leaving, Wyatt.” Chuito just reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Let it go.”
Then Chuito got up, because like Alaine, he probably realized this wasn’t going to get any easier. They weren’t going to convince anyone here to be happy about them leaving.
Together the two of them walked over to the cage in the center of the room. Chuito opened the door to Tino lying in the middle of the mat, with one twin sitting on his chest and another tugging his hair.
Tino had been talking to them in Italian, looking at the ceiling, his dark eyes glassy, but when Chuito led Alaine into the cage, Tino just turned his head and looked at them. “So this party sucks.”
“Pretty much,” Chuito agreed. “I’ve been hearing it from Wyatt.”
Tino pulled Charlie to him, hugging him while Freddy kept playing with his hair. “You should’ve been at my house last night. That was fun. I’m pretty sure Nova is on his way to a nervous breakdown. I hate that they’re blaming him. I keep telling them, but they aren’t listening to me. I wish I could just take the heat off him somehow. If there’s a God, he’ll find a way to take the heat off Nova, ’cause he can’t deal with Romeo hating him like this.”
“That’s blasphemy, Tino,” Alaine chastised.
“I’m just saying,” Tino said without apology. “It’s too unfair. Life is officially a bitch.”
“Bitch,” Charlie repeated with stunning clarity, and Tino groaned.
“Mama taught you that,” Tino whispered in his ear. “Say mama taught you.”
“Zio!” Charlie announced, making it very clear he knew where he heard it.
Alaine burst out laughing as Tino rolled over with Charlie, letting out a monster roar, making both twins squeal.
Chuito and Alaine sat with Tino for a while, watching him play with the twins, because he looked like he was on the verge of having a moment like Jules did in the bathroom.
Then Tabitha showed up, carrying her daughter she had obviously taken from Wyatt, and said, “I think she wants to play with her cousins. She’s been pointing at the cage for the past ten minutes. She loves it in here. Must get it from her daddy.”
“Let her come play,” Tino said as he waved her over. “I’m gonna get some air anyway, but I won’t be long.”
Tino rolled back and sprang to his feet with remarkable agility.
Tabitha set down Emma, who walked on unsteady legs toward her cousins.
When Chuito and Alaine got to their feet, Tabitha said to Chuito, “Wyatt asked to speak with you.”
Chuito groaned, but he waved Alaine and Tino off. “I’ll meet you outside.”
So Alaine followed Tino outside, and the two of them stood in the crisp autumn air, wishing for the warmth and understanding of Miami.
“I could just take him out by myself,” Tino said as he leaned against the wall. “I mean, how fucking difficult could one old man be to take out?”
“Isn’t he like Nova? Doesn’t he have a million bodyguards?” Alaine asked.
“One bullet.” Tino whispered it like a prayer. “One more bullet and all my problems would be solved. I’m so tired of Romeo acting like it’s Nova’s fault. He doesn’t know. He just doesn’t know, and I can’t fucking tell him. I can’t tell him what it was like when he was in prison. He can’t know why Nova got stuck.”
Alaine leaned back against the wall with him. “I sort of told Jules you were awe-inspiring, and they should probably stop babying you.”
“What?” Tino groaned in false disappointment. “I like being babied. Are you trying to ruin my gig?”
