Page 29 of The Enforcer's Revenge
“You don’t think I can enjoy good, clean fun in the sun?” Carina asked innocently.
“Maronna.” Carlo laughed as he took a bite of his prosciutto. “She wants to fuck Romeo.”
Carina just smiled wider rather than arguing.
“Carina!” Brianna snapped at her. “No way.”
“I don’t think it would be the weirdest thing that happened in this family.” Carina shrugged and held up a hand to Carlo and Lola as evidence. “She is my cousin, and he’s my zio. That’s slightly fucked up. Mind you, not the most fucked up hookup in our family, but it’s still on the list.”
Carlo lost some of his good humor. “That’s different. I didn’t know she was your cousin when I started seeing her, and she didn’t know who I was either.”
“But you didn’t stop after you found out she was,” Carina countered as she jumped up on the counter to sit next to her uncle.
“I was already in love with her,” Carlo shouted passionately, sounding very Sicilian. “That’s like asking me to cut off my own friggin’ arm ’cause she’s your cousin.”
“Aw,corazon.” Lola reached up and grabbed Carlo’s face, forcing him down until she could kiss him. “Ti amo anch'io.”
Carina just held up her hand to Brianna as evidence while Carlo and Lola had a moment. “If he can hook up with my cousin in secret, a Brambino cousin, when we’re one step away from a war, I think their brother’s fair game.”
“No.” Brianna gave Carina a stern look. “That’ll make everyone uncomfortable.”
“It won’t make me uncomfortable,” Carlo said with a smile, content once more. “Maybe it’ll loosen him up.”
“No. Just no.” Brianna held up her hands. “This is about Tino. It’s important to him, and if you do that?—”
“Oh, come on,” Carina whined, since playing the Tino card obviously struck a chord. “His biceps are like friggin’ tree trunks. If I don’t get to take my cigarettes, I feel like I deserve the chance to climb their brother.”
“If you love Tino, you won’t try to fuck his brother,” Brianna said firmly. “Promise.”
Carina was silent for a moment, then she folded her arms and looked away. “Then I vote for his idea with the wine. We all know he hates Carlo. Nothing to lose there.”
“Right?” Carlo hit Carina’s shoulder. “Just let me take the fall.”
“What Italiano doesn’t like wine?” Carina asked, sounding mystified.
“He’s only half,” Carlo reminded them.
Lola pulled back and looked at him because her mother was Dominican. “I’m only half.”
“Yeah, but you’re fucking perfect.” Carlo leaned down and kissed her again.
Carina rolled her eyes at Brianna, not nearly so optimistic as she added, “I’m taking my cigarettes, too.”
“Ehilà!” Tino’s voice echoed through the mansion from the direction of the front door. “Who’s ready to party?”
“Without wine,” Carlo said dubiously under his breath.
“Or weed,” Carina added.
“We are!” Brianna called out, hoping to cover up their grumbling. “Took you long enough!”
“You know Nova drives the Bentley like an old woman on Quaaludes.” Tino’s voice still carried as he made his way to the kitchen.
“Oh!” Carina jumped off the counter.
“Forgive me if I don’t want to give the pigs a reason to search me.” Nova walked into the kitchen with a bag over his shoulder. He must’ve read Carina’s hopeful look because he quickly said, “No.”
“I think we need ice,” Carina argued.
