Page 160 of The Enforcer's Revenge
“No, you’re good.” Tino shook his head as Tony kept walking in the direction of the car. “We’re friends, remember? I’m not judging you. He’s not either. Just have your sister call Maria, and you stay in touch with Tony.”
“I will,” Canner said quickly. “Thank you again, Mr. Moretti. Anything you need, for the rest of your life, I promise, I’ll be indebted to you.”
Tino turned to follow after Tony, waving at Canner one last time, and then jogging to catch up. Dealing with normies was draining for Tony. He tended to check out before the conversation was done, even if it came off rude as fuck.
“You scared our new little bro,” Tino growled at him. “You don’t just fucking walk off. You have to close out the conversation first. That shit’s rude.”
“I’m an enforcer. I’m supposed to be rude,” Tony said dismissively. “That’s why I like this job so much.”
“Yeah, but now he thinks you’re mad at him because he brought up the trafficking thing.”
“Why would I care?” Tony shrugged as he kept walking. “You’re the one being all sneaky about it.”
“’Cause guys like him would be embarrassed by shit like that,” Tino explained to him. “And he thinks you should be too.”
“That sounds like a him problem.” Tony turned around and glared at Tino. “I’ve been doing this job without you for two fucking years. Now you’re gonna show up and tell me how it’s done? Kiss my ass.”
“Fair.” Tino tilted his head at that. “Have you been rude to everyone like that since I left? Even associates?”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re complaining about. I was being nice. That was top-shelf, nice, normie Tony.”
“Is that really the best normie Tony you can do?” Tino asked him in concern. “Is that how you are with Chu? Speaking of, what the fuck is the deal with the eyeliner and your hair slicked back like that? Are we back to old, bad habits? I haven’t seen this shit in years. This is sixteen-year-old goth, emo Tony.” He paused and had to admit, “It actually still looks really good on you, especially with your Matrix jacket.”
“Yeah, Brianna liked it too.” Tony smiled confidently. “She said I should be on stage.”
Tino snorted. “You were on stage.”
“That’s what I said. She didn’t think it was funny.”
“It’s probably not, but still very true.” Tino held up a hand to Tony. “Anyway, what is this? You never change your look unless Maria gets bored, and I don’t think she’d do this.”
“I did it at the theater to blend in when the heat came to drop the bomb on your girl about her husband being in the morgue.” Tony walked up to his car and went around to the driver’s side to open the door. “Speaking of me doing a fantastic job at being a normie. They suspected nothing. I helped you kill that cunt last night, and then turned around and helped your girl deal with the cops today. Boom!” He tossed his binoculars into the backseat. “Who’s the most badass enforcer? That’d be me, son.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Tino pulled open the passenger side door and fell into the car next to Tony. “Some upstart from the government could’ve bugged the car while we were upstairs, though. We should be careful what we say.”
“Man, you’ve been outta the business too long. There’s no upstarts these days. Wearethe fucking government,” Tonyassured him. “You’re paranoid for nothing. Let’s talk about the blow you so kindly got for your new Turkish best friend.”
“You better not fucking tell Maria, I’m not kidding.”
“I got news for you.” Tony turned on the car and gave him a dark look. “Maria was the one who told me. She’s been suspecting it for the past week. She was onto you before I was.”
“Fuck.” Tino dropped his head back against the seat and closed his eyes in frustration. “I think she’s psychic. I’m serious. I really think that. I have for a long time.”
“She’s not psychic. She just knows her business.” Tony sounded sure of it as he looked behind him and worked on pulling out of his parallel parking space. “She knows her people, and you act differently when you’re on blow.”
“How would you know?” Tino asked him sharply. “This could just be how I act when I’m working.”
“Maybe we should ask your buddy Garcia, since you fucking love being clean around him.” Tony’s voice got sharp, like he was actually hurt by it.
Tino leaned forward, studying him with a narrowed gaze. “Are you jealous?”
“Of Garcia?” Tony asked, as though considering it. “Why? Because he shows up out of nowhere in your life, and you instantly get clean and turn into this great, upstanding guy with no issues after I’ve had your back all these years.”
“Is that what you think?” Tino countered. “Do you want me to be the guy I am with him when I’m with you?”
“I don’t fucking know,” Tony growled impatiently. “But you’ve been clean with him all this time. Now, the second you come back home and start hanging with me, here we are again.”
“I’ve hung with you and stayed clean,” Tino reminded him. “We spent a lotta weekends partying in Nashville. I never did blow in all that time. I swear. I was testing for my fights. I didn’t do any drugs.”
