Page 133 of The Enforcer's Revenge
“If you believe that’s true, and you know someone’s gotta be here helping you, why not me, right? At least you know I got your back.” Tony smiled and admitted, “It’s not selfless or anything. I can’t sit around crying over all my traumas like other people do. It’d be nice if I could, but I don’t know how to care about what’s happening to me. That part of me died way before I can remember having it.”
Tino knew exactly what Tony was saying. He’d noticed it back in the day. He’d have to be an idiot not to. There was something profoundly wrong with Tony’s wiring, but still.
“That doesn’t make me feel better. If anything, it makes me feel worse. I care what happens to you, even if you don’t. You went through a lot of shit for me. Now this. Why should you have to keep suffering because of my bullshit?”
“That’s just it, though. I have to do something important outside myself, or I’ll go crazy. Legit. Just taking care of Maria isn’t enough. I’ve been so fucking bored, Tino. You saw how it was at our place. We’re on the edge of killing each other because she’s bored, too.” Tony shook his head, looking lost. “I wasn’t kidding when I told your brother I would turn into Bobby if he didn’t open the books for me. I’ve been seriously considering it. Bobby keeps bugging me about it. At least if it’s me, I know he’ll be taken care of. I don’t trust those guys he’s messing with. They’re not one of us, but still, that’s probably fucked up. The Zu got me out of that life. I don’t want him to think it was for nothing.”
“Who gives a shit what my brother thinks? He’s fucked up, too. We all are.” Tino looked over at the guy Tony just killed to make his bones. “And doing gay porn is probably better than dissolving dead bodies on a regular basis.”
“Are you sure about that?” Tony gave him a look. “Have you seen the shit Bobby’s been making?”
“God, I don’t want to hear about it.” Tino covered his face at that and shook his head. “Do you know how much money I have given him? How many beautiful fucking apartments I’ve put him in?”
“I do know.” Tony laughed. “He loves bragging about it. That’s what keeps him going.”
“Obviously not.” Tino threw up his hands. “He’s always shacking up with these skeezy guys and making whatever the hell you’re watching. Why the fuck are you watching that shit?”
“I was curious.” Tony shrugged, looking unapologetic. “And since we’re on the topic of Bobby’s recreational activities, areyoufucking him?”
“What?” Tino barked at him. “I have a girl, remember? The one I can’t get to at the hospital because of all these dead motherfuckers.”
“So you say, but he’s been living better than any trophy wife on the Upper East Side for a long time now.” Tony looked at him pointedly. “And after that kiss, I figured?—”
Tino glared at him. “You figured what?”
“You just showed the fuck up, that’s all. You didn’t do it like you’ve been practicing on a vanilla girlfriend. A little dick never hurt anyone. It’s better than a side chick, right? Not like I’m gonna tell your girl. Who are you talking to right now?”
Tino shook his head, knowing Tony would never get it. His world was completely upside down, and since he was an enforcer now, Tino could just tell him the truth. “I use Bobby’s identity to buy enforcer houses and cars. He has to be driving some of the nice vehicles and living in the upscale apartments or the Feds will think it’s bullshit. We need a huge amount of resources to do this job well, and we have a lot of money to work with, but I can’t put it all in my name. You’re going to have to do the same thing if you’re really sticking around. So, I hope you’ve got some very compliant, starry-eyed twinks in your pocket ’cause you can’t have Bobby. I’ve been looking for another alternative for a while now. He already owns too much.”
Tony was quiet for a long moment, as though considering the new piece of information, then he snorted. “Wow, that’s some shit, but I guess it makes sense.” He seemed predictably unfazed by something Tino considered a very dark sin. “He flat out told us you bent him for that new Lexus.”
“I figured. I know he lies about it. That’s why I use him, but I assumed you of all people knew it was bullshit.”
“I believed it, man.” Tony laughed. “Maria did, too. That’s why she lit up like Christmas came early when you got to our place.”
“Honestly, it’d be kinder to bend him.” Tino was genuinely ashamed of the truth of it. “I feel like an asshole using him for all the shit I’m buying to do enforcer work. It’s almost awfulhow easy he makes it on me. I’ve been doing it for years, and no one questions it. Bobby’s fucking gorgeous, so it works. Hey, has Maria been doing that?” Tino asked as an afterthought, thinking of the apartment again. “I never thought to ask him where he’s spending his spa days, but now that I’ve seen your apartment…”
“Yeah, he’s over at our place a couple of times a week now that he’s internet famous.”
“He looks great, even if he’s still got bad habits. Not that I can fucking judge.” Tino looked down at himself because he had never gotten that shower earlier. He glanced back at Tony, who looked cover model perfect in contrast, extra tan, with that designer haircut and teeth bleached white, but not to the point that his smile seemed fake. Like the apartment, everything about him looked natural and gorgeous because of it. “She does a good job on you, too. It shocked me a little when I saw you at the coffee shop a few months ago. I hadn’t seen you since your rebel, skater-boy phase. I mean, that worked in a different way. A party-boy way. It all works on you for some reason, but I like the shorter hair. She has you wearing casual Armani now. Even your jeans are designer.”
“Yeah, she’s got that old New York fixation going.”
“Less glitter, more soft filter,” Tino remembered. “You like it?”
“It’s whatever. It keeps her entertained. If her cleanse ends, the Armani is done. It’ll for sure be some sort of clubbing, party-boy look.”
“You just let her do whatever the fuck she wants. You don’t care?” Tino asked curiously. “You don’t look in the mirror and have an opinion about the guy looking back at you?”
“Nope.”
“Well, I care.” Tino looked down at himself again, feeling dirty and disgusting.
“She’d do it for you, too. She’s missed you—a lot. You were always one of her favorite projects.”
“I know, but I also remember what happens on spa days.” Tino arched an eyebrow at him.
“You used to like spa days,” Tony reminded him. “So did Lola.”
