Page 57 of The Enforcer's Revenge
Nova held up his hands, as though ambivalent to his own suffering. “I guess we’ll find out.”
“I should go, especially if all you've got is leads. I should be the one to protect her,” Carlo said softly. “Now I wish I hadn’t been such a dick to her. Maybe it was a nocebo, but I swear to God, Nova?—”
“It was definitely a nocebo,” Nova cut Carlo off before he could dig deeper, and then took another long drag off his joint. He blew out the smoke, and his voice was raspy when he spoke. “I know you’re gutted, but please do not give this poor girl shit about her coping mechanisms for this shit life the same week she has to bury her sister. I can’t let you do that to her.”
“I’ll go, Zio. It’s easier if I do it,” Tino volunteered when Nova started coughing. “I’ll keep her safe. You hold it down here.”
“That’s a good idea. I have to set things in place to get the Don out.” Nova gave Tino a look of relief. “And then Tino and I will tell Carmen together, okay, paisan?”
Carlo was silent, and Tino could almost hear the argument, but he nodded instead. “Okay.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Tino nearly drowned himself in the shower.
Then he dragged his zio to the bathroom and got him clean too, which was no easy task. Tino encountered a lot of horrific shit in a very short period of time, but dealing with Carlo collapsing naked in the shower, sobbing and cursing him out in Italian for washing the last of Lola off him, was easily the worst of it.
Tino had just gotten Carlo into bed when the girls came back into the room. Carina’s hair was still wet, and she held one of the expensive crystal tumblers from the Don’s study. The dark amber liquid glimmered under the lights in the bedroom. Carlo gave them shit about drinking it, but after he did, he passed out cold.
Tino was one hundred percent certain there was more than booze in that cup. He was just about to ask Carina to make him a drink like that and fuck his promises when Nova texted him to meet in the kitchen.
It figured.
He rolled out of bed, leaving a snoring Carlo to be watched by Carina and Brianna, who were sitting together on the couch, doing nothing and saying even less. They weren’t even on theirphones. Carina just rested her head on Brianna’s shoulder, as if making conversation was too painful.
“I love you,” Tino whispered against Brianna’s lips when he kissed her. “I’ll be back.”
Brianna caressed his cheek rather than say anything, rubbing her thumb over the stubble there. Carina squeezed his hand before he could walk away, like she was scared to let him go, but she did anyway.
It was late now.
Most of the families crammed into the house had gone to bed, but there were still soldiers mulling around. Tino found Romeo and Nova sitting alone in the kitchen in front of the large, open bay windows facing the darkened grounds behind the Don’s mansion.
The first thought Tino had was an insane worry that anyone could shoot either of them through the glass. He felt like everyone and everything he loved in this world could be yanked from him at any moment.
Crashing off the blow probably wasn’t helping his problem.
Tino walked fully into the kitchen, shirtless and wearing only the basketball shorts he had borrowed from Carlo. He immediately went for the pot of coffee because he needed it desperately.
“How’s your uncle?” Romeo asked.
“His girlfriend was murdered,” Tino reminded Romeo as he poured himself a cup. “So not that great.”
They were all quiet while Tino put cream and sugar in his coffee.
Then Romeo said, “I’m sorry about Lola. I know she was your friend. The world lost her too young. It’s too unfair to process.”
It wasn’t hard for Tino to process.
He’d been dealing with horrifically unfair shit most of his life, but all he said was, “Yeah,” as he sat down next to his oldestbrother. Then, he leaned over and hugged Romeo tightly on reflex because Tino knew how precarious this life was. “Ti voglio bene.”
“I love you too.” Romeo kissed his forehead with brotherly affection. “What can I do? Tell me.”
“I called Lola’s sister,” Nova confessed to the two of them. “What I told Carlo was bullshit. She was deep in the network, but I did find her number. Old-school landline, just like Carlo.”
“And?” Tino asked because he knew if Nova lied to Carlo, there must be a reason.
“I talked to her roommate. She said Carmen was at work.”
