Page 75 of The Enforcer's Revenge
“I have to call 911.” Tino started to legitimately hyperventilate. “He’s gonna fucking die. I can’t handle that. Fuck it, I’ll go to prison. I’ll say I killed the motherfuckers in the trunk.”
“Hey!” Carmen pressed harder on Nova’s chest. “He’s not going to die! And no one’s going to prison because we arenotcalling the heat with those two coglioni in the trunk! I’m not going down for them, and you two aren’t either.”
“Nova could pass out, and we won’t know what the fuck to do!” Tino shouted back at her. “How do you know he’s not going to drop dead on the way there? How can you promise me that?”
“I have my hands on him. I can feel his energy, and I’m telling you he’s not going anywhere. He’s still strong. I know it.”
“Your magic hands aren’t good enough for me right now!” Tino growled at her. “If he passes out, we’re both fucked ’cause I’m not a doctor, and you aren’t either!”
“I’m a woman.” She pushed so hard on Nova’s chest that he grunted in pain. “Nature makes me bleed just for the fun of it. I can pack a bullet wound. I don’t need a road map from your Zu.”
“If we get pulled over, you tell the heat we kidnapped you.” Nova placed his hand over Carmen’s on his chest and squeezed her wrist until she looked back at him. “Everyone at the club will back it up.”
Carmen shook her head, making it clear that didn’t sit well with her. “I’m in this too. We both know why you killed Sammy. Besides, what happened after?—”
Nova cut her off with a stern look. “I’m trusting you to protect yourself, Carmen.”
Nova’s game was full throttle.
Zu voice and everything.
And he wasn’t playing it like a guy about to drop dead.
“Okay, then.” Tino got a renewed sense of optimism. “So, we’ll go to a drugstore for supplies, and Carmen will dothat.” He pointed to Nova’s chest, trying desperately to stay sane under the fear. “Then, we’ll stop at the hotel, grab our shit to cover our tracks, and she’ll drive back. I’ll make sure you stay awake.”
“That’s a great plan, except one thing.” Carmen winced at him. “I don’t drive.”
“What?” Tino shouted. “You just gave me your magic warrior woman speech! That doesn’t include driving?”
“I’m sure Icoulddrive, but that’s too much independence. I’ve never been allowed to get a driver’s license, and I have ten times more freedom not driving. It makes them feel safer thinking I’m trapped places.”
“Bella.” Nova sounded pained, like just hearing it hurt him.
“Nope!” She glared at Nova. “This bullet was enough from you.”
Now Tino felt like an asshole. “I guess I could drive.”
“Can you? How’s your head?” Carmen asked seriously.
“It’s okay.” Tino was still trying to breathe past the panic. “I’m a good driver. I can do it with a headache.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “You’re not going to pass out and kill us all?”
Carmen was looking for a good reason not to let Nova drown them a few minutes ago, but he decided not to point that out. “I’m solid.”
The two of them worked together to get Nova in the back seat. Carmen was still pressing the shirt to his chest. Rather than let up, she told Tino to pull Nova’s shirt off, too. Once he was bare-chested, she just put Nova’s shirt on top of Tino’s instead of replacing it completely and risking stopping the compress.
Tino knew there was too much blood.
Way too much blood.
“I won’t let him die.” Carmen sat straddled over Nova, both hands on his chest. She turned to look back at Tino and promised him, “For my sister, I can do this for you, Tino.”
He understood that protecting Nova represented a lot more to Carmen than just saving the guy who unnecessarily took a bullet to defend her.
And Tino found himself fighting tooth and nail to believe Carmen’s promise. A virtual stranger. A Brambino. A Lost Girlwho knew what loss felt like more than any of them wanted to. This was it for her, saving the bleeding gangster under her.
Carmen was them on the other side after Cosa Nostra took everything. That scary thing Tino thought about late at night when he was stuck staring at the ceiling hating his job: a Tino with nothing to lose and everything to gain by blowing the whole fucking thing up.
