Page 137 of The Enforcer's Revenge
“Nope.” Carina shook her head. “He can say his shit in front me. I can’t wait to hear it.”
Brianna huffed, feeling exasperated as she turned back to Tino. “The bleeding thing scared her.”
“It scared me too.” Tino swallowed hard and looked at her arm that was bandaged up. “It scared the shit outta me.”
“Yeah, sure, just not enough to be here,” Carina growled.
“I swear to God.” Brianna rounded on Carina. “Get fucking lost. Give me a goddamn moment with him.”
Carina looked back at her and just said slowly, “No.”
Brianna held up her hands and felt tears stinging her eyes. She couldn’t stop it when they rolled down her cheeks. She wiped at them, feeling embarrassed. “This medicine they’re giving me is making me shaky, and?—”
“Hey.” Tino hugged her, pulling Brianna tight against him. “Don’t cry.”
She buried her face in his chest and clung to his jacket. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t get yourself upset about it.” Tino kissed the top of her head. “It’s not worth it, okay? I’m not worth it.”
“You look really worn out.” She pulled back to caress his hair once more, but again, he jerked away rather than let her touch him. “Please don’t do that. I don’t like when you do that.”
Tino looked to Carina and then untangled himself from Brainna, unwrapping her arms from him as he took a step back. He swallowed hard and then asked, “Are you gonna be okay?”
She nodded and wiped at her cheeks. “They’re just keeping me an extra day for observation, and then I can go home. They said I can follow up with Dr. Acciai.”
Tino rolled his eyes and whispered, “Maybe he’ll write you a script.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Just handy to have a mob doctor in your pocket.”
Brianna looked at the open door because she couldn’t believe he’d said that out loud in a public place. “Tino?—”
“I’m fine,” he answered before she could ask. “It’s just been a long couple of days.”
“I know you haven’t slept,” Brianna understood, and then looked to Carina accusingly. “And you’re?—”
“I slept,” Tino said before she could give Carina shit. “I passed out in the kitchen of one of Carlo’s safe houses looking for blow and slept for about ten hours. Then, luckily, I found it under the grate of the refrigerator when I woke up on the floor, and I’ve been pretty successfully strung out since then.”
Brianna just looked at him, and then glanced at Carina, who looked as horrified as she felt.
“Keep her away from me,” Tino said to Carina, and then turned around and stormed out.
“Tino!” Brianna shouted. “Don’t you dare leave!”
“I’m leaving.” Tino snapped his fingers when he got to the door and barked, “Let’s go.”
Tony followed him, no questions asked, and the two of them disappeared down the hallway.
“No! Tino!” Brianna tried to get up, but Carina was suddenly everywhere, fighting to keep her in the bed, holdingher shoulders down, and the IV was making it so much more difficult to fight her. “Stop!”
“You can’t help him!” Carina got in her face and shook her. “Let him go.”
“I’m bigger than you!” She threw out her chest and shoved Carina too hard, making her crash to the ground and take the chair down with her. Unfortunately, Carina’s hand was caught on the IV, and she yanked it right out of Brianna’s arm. “Fuck!” Brianna grabbed the inside of her good arm when blood started gushing from the wound. “Are you shitting me? Go fucking get him, Carina! Go stop him.”
“I’m sorry, okay. I really am.” Carina jumped back up and pushed the button to call the nurse. “You gotta chill out. They could call the cops or something.”
“I know that.” Brianna clasped her arm tighter, digging her nails into her skin as tears streamed down her face. “I know that. Oh my God.”
