Page 102 of The Enforcer's Revenge
Maria ran to the window instead, lifting the curtain gently to peer out with a keen gaze. “Look at that. Right here on my doorstep, trying to scare the kids. That won’t do.” She dropped the curtain and turned back to Tony. “This feels veryUntouchables. I need a hat.”
“Maria,” Tino started hesitantly.
“You and Lola picked us.” Maria’s voice became icy. “That means we get to play, too. We’re a crew. We protect each other, and hiding from us doesn’t change the rules. You’re still under my umbrella, baby boy.”
Maria didn’t wait for an argument. She just breezed past Tino, leaving him to deal with the consequences of his past and current choices.
“At least you aren’t in lock-up,” Tony offered once Maria closed the bedroom door at the end of the hall. “I need you to flush your shit, Tino. She can’t see it.” He pointed to the opposite side of the apartment. “There’s a shower, too. We have plenty of extra towels in the cabinet by the sink.”
“Thanks.” Tino nodded, feeling embarrassed in a way he hadn’t for a long time. “I was clean for a little while, but then?—”
“No one’s judging you. Bad week. You’re safe,” Tony whispered. “Just flush it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Tino didn’t flush the blow.
He snorted it instead.
This was way too intense to be sober for, and he ended up sitting on the soft white bath mat in front of the shower and burying his face against his knees. His head was still throbbing, and that wasn’t helping the problem.
It was difficult for him to be around Maria and Tony. They were among the few people he truly trusted in this world, but that didn’t change the fact that some of his darkest memories had them in it.
Tino knew if it weren’t for Carlo being so deeply involved with Lola, he would’ve stepped away from her too, but he hadn’t, and look at where she was now. In the morgue.
It wasn’t really about the bad memories anymore.
It was deeper than that.
Tony and Maria had already sacrificed too much for him, and being here now felt like the deadliest of sins. The blow was throwing him in the past, replaying in his mind over and over again the hundreds of debts Tino owed both of them. Tino was high enough to physically feel the poison in him bleeding out allover their beautiful apartment like it was a real thing. It wasn’t just Nova who was toxic, with his memory and knack for power.
It was all of them.
Tino looked at the door when a knock sounded, hard and impatient.
“I don’t hear a shower running or a toilet flushing,” Tony called out. “Tino.” He knocked again, this time harder. “You are not allowed to off yourself in our bathroom.”
“I’m not gonna off myself,” Tino mumbled when he heard the panic in Tony’s voice, though he was starting to be kind of pissed off he hadn’t gone with Nova’s Plan A in Tampa. “I don’t think.”
“Open the fucking door,” Tony growled from the other side. “Right now. I’m not playing.”
Tino crawled over, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.
Tony stood over him, dark and ominous. “I forgot you have weapons on you. The Lola thing threw me off.”
“Yeah, threw me off, too.” Tino crawled back over to his spot on the mat and sat back against the tub.
Tony actually got down on the floor with him and sat with his back against the wall. “Tino, you’re a good team player. It wasn’t your fault. It probably didn’t have anything to do with you.”
“They slit her throat.” Tino choked on the words. “Left her on the doorstep naked. I took the duct tape off, but?—”
“You think it was the Brambinos?” Tony cut him off, his voice tight.
“I think so.” Tino nodded. “She was an open target. They’re allowed to kill their own, and they got to fuck us in the process. Jesus, Tony, you have no idea. I don’t know if Nova can get us outta this one. Carmine’s dead. Your shit’s settled. I can’t bring you guys into it. Just give me five minutes to regroup, and I’ll get out. Make her shelf the hat.”
“Yeah, sure, that’ll work out.” Tony snorted. “She’s been bored. Probably good for her to get out and play a little beforelosing Lola starts to become real. That’ll be the end of her cleanse.”
Tino was quiet for a moment before he confessed his real fear, “I have a girl.” He was still being selfish and greedy. A Moretti all the way, but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to hide all this from Brianna. “The same girl I used to tell you about.My girl.”
