Page 31 of Star Crossed
“Anger issues?” Romeo deflected another hit from Nova, whose strikes were flying at him almost faster than he could keep up. “What’s your friggin’ problem?”
“You’re my problem.” Nova attempted another strike that Romeo blocked. “Stop talking ’bout dying.” He changed course and kicked back at Tino, catching him in the thigh, dangerously close to his crotch. “And you’re always encouraging him.”
Tino grunted, frowning at the back of Nova’s head. “It’s a joke, dumb-ass.”
“It’s not a joke to him.” Another furious punch aimed at Romeo, who was being forced to the edge of the mat from the force of Nova’s anger. “That’s what he wants, to face death smiling, doing something stupid for a ridiculous ideal like integrity.”
Tino jumped on Nova from behind, getting him in a choke hold as he announced, “You have betrayed me. I will die beside my true brother with honor.” He smiled at Romeo. “Do it.”
Romeo punched Nova, doing it harder than usual because his preaching was getting old and Nova had been in a genuinely bad mood since Las Vegas. But all Tino’s speech and Romeo’s punch served to do was to anger Nova further. They were playing, but Nova wasn’t.
Despite the split lip from Romeo’s punch that was bleeding badly, Nova dipped down, throwing Tino over his shoulder. He stepped on Tino, using the extra leverage to aim a kick at Romeo’s face. This time Nova didn’t miss.
Romeo bit his tongue on impact, tasting blood once more from the blinding power of Nova’s kick. Before Romeo could retaliate, Tino did the dirty work by grabbing Nova’s foot, forcing him to fall hard against the mat over him. Then Tino rolled out from under him and jammed his elbow into Nova’s chest before he could catch his breath.
Somehow the teams had changed. It was still two on one, but Nova was to the disadvantage and for some odd reason Nova seemed to like it that way. It was as if he wanted to be beaten, and in their family if you asked for a beating—you almost always got one.
* * * *
New Year’s Eve in Times Square. How the fuck Romeo had ended up there again, he didn’t know. Every year he swore he wouldn’t spend the next holiday freezing his ass off watching drunken fools acting like idiots, and every year he ended up in the same place, with the same assholes doing the same dumb shit.
Aldo was having a private party, which was a small bonus, being in a crowded bar rather than a street corner in the snow. It still didn’t make Romeo feel any less suffocated, and he found himself making his way to the door, searching for fresh air despite the cold.
Romeo leaned against the wall outside the bar just as two women in short skirts came up to him. He eyed their legs covered in nothing but black stockings, amazed they’d endure the freezing temperatures just to look sexy. They wore long, fur-lined overcoats, but they’d left them unbuttoned to keep all their assets on display.
“Hey, sexy.”
Romeo rolled his eyes because he knew one of them. Cara Stefano was a mafia wife waiting to happen. Born into the mob, she’d eventually marry into the mob and have little mafia brats to complete the circle.
“Hey, Cara.” Romeo stuffed his hands into his pockets and eyed Cara’s legs once more. “It’s cold out. Button your coat.”
“I didn’t know you cared.” She grinned, flipping dark hair behind her shoulder, and then gestured to her friend. “Pia, this is Romeo. He’s Nova and Tino’s brother.”
“Hi, Pia.” Romeo gave the other girl an uninterested look before he turned his head, making it obvious he was done with the conversation.
Cara leaned into him, obviously not taking the hint. “When are we gonna hook up, huh, Romeo?”
“Never,” he said without hesitation. Nothing about this woman appealed to him. She was Tino’s age, and even if he was interested, he’d never get past that. “But I’m sure there are plenty of willing victims inside.”
“You’re such a fucking buzzkill,” Cara announced. “I’m starting to think you got something to be ashamed of.”
Romeo snorted. “Yeah, that’s it.”
“No way,” Cara’s friend said, studying Romeo as if she had an eye for these things. “I’ve been with Tino. If this one’s built like his brother, he’s got nothin’ to hide. Tino rocked my world. Seriously, believe what they say. He’s got skills.”
“He’s only Tino’s half brother,” Cara said, still looking pissed by the turndown. “And not the better half.”
“What’s the other half? Incredible Hulk?” The pretty, dark-haired woman tilted her head back to study Romeo. “What’d you do? Do you work for Nova?”
“No, he’s a fighter,” Cara answered for him. “You know, one of those cage fighters on pay-per-view that beat the shit outta each other ’cause they’re too dense to get a real job.”
“You’re hurting my feelings, Cara,” Romeo said sarcastically. “I’m gonna sit on the curb and cry knowing you don’t approve.”
Just in time, a group of revelers walked by and waved to him. “Gladiator!”
Romeo waved, giving the partygoers a genuine smile because he couldn’t have planned that better if he’d tried. The large group of twentysomethings started chanting “Gladiator” as they walked down the street, waving their cheesy hats and plastic glasses at him. Romeo waited until they were gone before he turned and arched a smug eyebrow at Cara.
“Fuck you.” Cara pushed past him and walked into the bar, leaving her friend behind without a backward glance.
