Page 120 of The Enforcer's Revenge
Carmen and the other guy were still holding their weapons on each other. The weird thing was, neither of them relaxed, even though it was clear they were all on the same side.
“We know her,” Tino told the man he came with. “That’s?—”
“I know who it is,” he answered before Tino could explain, and still didn’t lower his gun. “Are you going to shoot me, Carmen? Fantasizing about me dying with your secret?”
“They came to me.” Carmen’s voice was quivering. “And I tried to get them to leave. You can ask Tino.”
“But you didn’t tell them why?” he asked curiously. “Didn’t decide to clue them in?”
“What is going on?” Nova asked in a low and deadly voice.
“I was going to tell you.” Carmen looked away from the stranger to stare at Nova, whose eyes were narrowed in suspicion. “I was.”
“Before or after you fucked him?” the man asked curiously.
“This is just very inconvenient of you,” Carmen growled at him, still not lowering her weapon. “And I’ve had a really bad week.” Tears rolled down her cheeks unexpectedly. “I wouldn’t hurt them, Tony. You know I wouldn’t. I’ve been taking care of him.”
Tony snorted. “I bet you have.”
“Can we deal with this later?” Tino gestured to Brianna’s arm. “’Cause my girl’s bleeding everywhere.” He pointed to the dead guy on the ground. “And this is kinda happening right now!”
Tino turned back to Brianna to study her arm, dismissing them like whatever drama Carmen was caught up in didn’t matter.
“Look, itisa nail. It’s still in there.” Carina leaned over to look at her arm again. “See it.”
Tino studied it, gently pulling some of the skin back, making Brianna hiss in pain.
Tino winced with her. “Fuck. I’m sorry.”
“God, it’s gross,” Brianna agreed as she finally looked too, seeing the gash that was about six inches long running the inside of her arm down to the curve of her elbow. “It’s so gross.”
“Are you okay, boss?” Tony De Luca asked from the other side of the basement as he stared down at Nova, still sitting on the floor. “You’re looking pale.”
“Hungover,” Nova whispered as he slowly got to his feet. “I’m having a bad week too.”
Carmen went to help him, but Nova jerked his arm back with a glare at her.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to explain before things got complicated,” Carmen snapped at him. “And you’re not allowed to be pissed off at me about it. You’re the one who wouldn’t listen, and I tried—really hard.”
“Jesus, sit down. You don’t look good,” Tony said in concern and grabbed Nova’s shoulder to lean over and study his face. Something in his look must have confirmed it. “Do you know how many other guys there are in the house? I’m gonna help you with this, Zu. No arguments.”
“Carina says there are five or six.” Nova took a deep breath of defeat, and it looked like he was barely staying on his feet. “But her information hasn’t been super reliable. We should probably ask our pal over there.”
“Fuck you, Nova,” Carina snapped at him. “There was only supposed to be one. How could I know Tino offed the guy in the garage and brought a friend along for the ride?”
“Maybe because you texted him and didn’t think to tell me about it,” Nova suggested. “We could’ve killed each other.”
Carina sighed and looked back at Brianna’s arm while Tony De Luca and Nova discussed the issue in the house. Nova must trust him because he didn’t complain when Tony picked up the 9mm Tino kicked out of Nova’s hand and tucked it into the back of his pants, clearly deciding he might need a second gun.
“We didn’t off anyone in the garages,” Tino said in an even voice. “I never said that.”
“Whatever,” Carina huffed dismissively and poked lightly at Brianna’s arm. “You see that, Tino?”
Carina touched the nail with her finger, and the movement made stars burst behind Brianna’s eyelids.
She jerked her arm back. “Stop it.”
“Don’t,” Nova snapped at the same time.
