Page 114 of Star Crossed
Nova held up his hand as Gino fell onto the couch. “What are you? Fucking twenty questions?”
Nova pulled his gun out and set on the coffee table and then sat next to Gino, willing the coffee to give him a fresh surge of energy.
“Heard you had a sit-down with Frankie,” Gino started casually, looking around Romeo’s apartment as if he wasn’t nosing into issues that didn’t concern him. “How’d that go?”
Nova gave him an annoyed look. “Again with the questions.”
Gino grabbed the remote, obviously giving up on getting answers. “Mind if I watch the game?”
Nova took another sip of coffee, asking against the rim, “Is there something I don’t know?”
“Why?”
“You don’t got shit to do besides hang out here watching TV?”
“Aldo’s worried about you. He suggested I keep you company.” Gino shrugged. “You went to a sit-down looking like that? When’s the last time you shaved?
“Merda.”
Nova closed his eyes against the barrage of questions, knowing Gino was going to be on him like glue until Aldo told him otherwise. He picked up his computer as a distraction and started tracking Romeo’s phone. He was desperate for this whole nightmare to end. He wanted a reason to sleep well at night.
“You wanna help me with my portfolio?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“’Cause you peeve me.” Nova lit another cigarette while he waited in vain for the phone to be located.
“You’re in a shit mood.”
“That makes you a fucking genius.”
Nova took a drag off his cigarette and stared at the screen. For one heartbeat he thought he was seeing it wrong. Then he blinked at the tiny, red pin sitting on the edge of West Virginia. His heart rate picked up as he clicked to zoom in, making the map bigger and bigger, taking in the different images until he had an address.
He tossed his computer on Gino’s lap and snatched his cell phone off the coffee table. The surge of adrenaline gave him a surplus of nervous energy to the point that he started pacing as he listened to the phone ring.
“What’s going on?” Gino asked.
When the phone clicked, Nova answered Gino’s question by telling Wyatt, “I found Romeo.”
“Where are they?” Wyatt asked, all business, obviously incredibly focused now that he had somewhere to direct his attention. “Do you have an address?”
“Yeah, you got some way to write it down?”
After Nova was done giving him the address, Wyatt groaned. “West Virginia. You’re closer than me.”
“I’m leaving now,” Nova promised. “I should make good time. I thought they’d head west, get as far as possible from both known locations.”
“West is too obvious. If you hadn’t thought of tracing their phones, we’d have never guessed West Virginia. That’s pretty darn close to in between the two places they’re not supposed to be, but you’re still getting there before I am.”
“Don’t worry.” Nova paced on the mat behind the couch. “I’ll keep tracking his phone on the road. I’ll call you if their location changes.”
“Then get going, boy,” Wyatt said with annoying authority. “I’m already in my car.”
Wyatt hung up without another word, and Nova turned and went back to the couch. His laptop was still open on Gino’s lap, and Nova slammed it shut. He slipped it under his arm, then stuffed his keys in his pocket next to his wallet and tucked his gun in the back of his jeans.
Gino stood, holding up his hands in disbelief. “Just like that you’re leaving?”
