Page 77 of The Slayer
Romeo and Tino worked hard to teach them both languages.
Zio Tino had likely been a topic of conversation on the ride over, and the twins were expecting him. They weren’t even two yet, but they knew what they wanted.
Alaine sat on the floorboard of the van, her feet hanging out of the open door as she talked to the twins, who were beautiful boys, with light eyes and inky-black hair like Romeo. It was almost too long, curling over their ears and at the backs of their necks.
Jules had been procrastinating on their first haircuts. She said it was because she feared putting the poor hairdresser through that.
Alaine thought Jules wasn’t ready to let go of all those pretty black curls.
Tino burst out the doors, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. Alaine breathed a sigh of relief. If Tino was that upbeat, it meant Wyatt hadn’t charged them.
Jules had assured her he wouldn’t, but Alaine hadn’t been so sure.
Romeo cursed in Italian and then stomped across the parking lot, but Tino must have sensed what was coming. Tino took off running, as if playing a game of chase. He feinted left, and when Romeo followed after him, Tino went right and ran so fast Alaine thought he would have been an amazing football player.
“Move!” Tino shouted as he came barreling at her.
Alaine realized the van was home base for him, and she jumped out of the way just as Tino leaped into the van with an agility Romeo would never have.
“TIN!” the twins shouted in unison.
“I miei bambini.” Tino draped himself over both car seats. Freddy instantly fisted his hair, but that seemed to be the lesser evil as Tino begged, “Save your zio!”
Romeo reached into the van and grabbed Tino’s shirt, tugging so hard Alaine heard something rip. “Motherfucker—”
“Language,” Tino corrected, still fighting to stay in the van. “You can’t hit me in front of the twins!”
“The day you get arrested, I can beat you unconscious in front of the twins!”
“Ow, my shoulder!” Tino shouted when Romeo got a good hold of him. “Really, it hurts! You’re doing permanent damage and—” He ended up on the pavement and groaned. “Madonn’.”
The twins were squealing in excitement, but Alaine winced when Romeo dragged Tino to his feet and shoved him against the driver’s-side door. “Valentino, I swear. Youeverend up in jail again, and I’ll bury you myself.”
“Okay.” Tino’s voice became low and grumbly in a way Alaine only ever heard when he was around Romeo. “I’m sorry, Rome. I wasn’t friggin’ kidding about the shoulder. I’m suffering for it. I promise.”
“It was probably more Chuito’s fault,” Alaine pointed out, knowing she wasn’t revealing a big secret. Half of Garnet was talking about their fight in front of the Cellar. “Hewashaving a bad day.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Tino broke out of Romeo’s hold and glanced to the front door of the sheriff’s office when Chuito and Jules came out; then he dropped his voice and turned to her. “You gotta help him out with the anger issues. He’s thinking of moving back to Miami.”
Alaine glanced at Chuito walking toward them and then whispered in fear, “He said that?”
“Yeah.” Tino was whispering too as he stepped into her personal space, the carefree, easygoing air about him suddenly gone. “You gotta make sure that doesn’t happen, Alaine. Give him a reason to stay. It’s important. Life-and-death important.”
“Tino!” Chuito called, though Alaine knew he couldn’t hear their conversation.
“Make sure he takes care of you,” Tino said, this time loud enough soeveryonecould hear. Then he smacked Alaine’s ass, making her squeak and jump. She looked at Tino with wide eyes, but Tino didn’t seem apologetic as he warned, “If not, you know where I live.”
Chuito dashed across the parking lot, but Tino jumped past Alaine and crawled back into the van, using the twins as human protection again.
“Do you have a death wish?” Romeo looked at his brother just as Chuito got to the van.
“Touch her again, hijo de la gran puta,” Chuito started, his voice low and dangerous as he leaned into the van and glared at his best friend. “And I’ll do more than dislocate your arm.”
“We’re outside a sheriff’s office,” Romeo reminded the two of them. “You think Wyatt’s gonna let you off a second time?” He shook his head in disbelief as he looked to Jules. “Oobatz.”
“We clearly need to separate them,” Jules said as she came up to her husband and patted his chest. “I told you it’s fine.”
“It’s not fine,” Romeo barked back and then glared at Chuito. “I’m not too pleased with you either.”
