Page 66 of The Enforcer's Revenge
“I’m ready,fratello mio,” Tino said with a grim smile as he played with the straw in his drink again. “You light the match, and I’ll bring the gasoline.”
A new dancer took the stage, and different music played—harder, faster—more on pace with a typical strip club. He glanced over to the guy in the suit when Heather from the front walked up to him.
Tino had to play oblivious and look away when she gestured over to them. He leaned his cheek on his hand, turning his head a little, making it seem like he was still caught up with the dance. Then he watched out of the corner of his eye when Carmen showed up wearing her blue dress once more. Heather hugged her and kissed Carmen’s cheek, looking as enthralled with Carmen as everyone else in the club. The two of them spoke for a quick moment before Heather walked off, ponytail swinging as she went back to work out front.
Once Heather was gone, Carmen’s body language changed completely. She stood taller, her shoulders tense as she spoke to her bouncer, and it was obvious the two of them were having a heated conversation. She looked very Italiana as she gestured to their booth, making it obvious someone clued her in on who sent the large tip. They had cameras everywhere, so he wasn’t surprised she chose to go in the back to spy on potential clients.
The bodyguard slapped her hand down.
Hard.
“Deficiente,” Nova whispered next to him.
“You need to chill.” Tino looked to his brother, seeing that Nova was playing the same game, watching the confrontation out of the corner of his eye. “Let’s just get her out. We’ll blow them up later.”
Nova wasn’t paying attention to him. He was watching Carmen instead. His body got tighter, like a live wire about to explode, and Tino glanced back to see that the bodyguard hadgrabbed Carmen’s upper arm, squeezing it tightly as he said something in her ear.
Lola would’ve gone limp and submissive for survival.
Carmen smacked him, open-palmed, hard enough that it would likely leave a mark. Then she stormed toward them. There wasn’t grace and deliberate sexuality in Carmen’s walk, just raw anger and determination.
Nova looked at her when she stopped in front of him, his dark gaze meeting Carmen’s icy one flecked with gold.
“Buy me a drink?” She didn’t smile when she said it.
And Nova didn’t flinch, but he glanced around the club, clearly very aware that they were likely being watched.
He just shook his head, face blank, his body still tight in defensiveness.
“He doesn’t speak English,” Tino explained.
“Sure.” Carmen looked unimpressed. “Is that what you’re selling?”
She shoved at Nova’s shoulder, forcing him to move over as she slid into the booth next to him. Carmen tilted her head, a dark smile on her face as she slid her hand inside his shirt right there in the booth. With her other hand, she pulled open the next few buttons and then traced blood-red fingernails down the line of his pectoral muscles before they disappeared beneath his shirt.
She made it look like a caress, something bold and playful. It wasn’t completely outrageous considering the tip Nova had just given her, but Tino knew it was something more.
Nova swallowed hard and asked, “Parli Italiano?”
“Sì, parlo Italiano.” She leaned more into him, obviously reaching her hand under his shirt around to his back. Her body was plastered against Nova’s to the point that she lifted her head, arched an eyebrow, and went on Italian, “Enjoy the dance,bello?”
Nova didn’t say anything.
Carmen kept herself wrapped around him, her hand still threaded underneath his shirt as she reached down, obviously slipping it beneath the lining of his pants and grabbing his ass.
Nova jumped. His gaze narrowed as he barked in Italian, “Obviously, I’m not packing.”
“You sure about that?” Carmen glanced down to his lap again. Her Italian was much more refined than Lola’s had been, so much so that she could almost pass as someone who spoke it as their first language, like Tino and Nova did. She gave Nova a smile as she went on, “Glad I could give you something toremember meby.”
Nova flinched.
So did Tino.
They were obviously going to have to tell her who they were, but it still felt awful.
“Ciao, Casanova.” She fell back against the booth, still tucked in right next to Nova, but obviously satisfied he wasn’t hiding weapons. She stared at him again, taking in his outfit. “Nice pants. Did you wear those just for me?”
Tino had to give Nova credit. He just nodded and admitted, “You’re the only one I’d wear them for.”
