Page 85 of The Enforcer's Revenge
Brianna stared at him, knowing Tino was hoping the boots Carlo had here at the Don’s mansion were the same as the ones he got busted for at the Mills Basin place.
He wasn’t looking for boots.
Tino wanted the cocaine hidden in them even though he’d been clean since his fight with Carina.
“Just go get the boots. I’ll get my clothes from Nova’s room.” Tino walked back into the bathroom and grabbed a towel off the rack. He wrapped it around his waist and went to the door without looking back at her. “If you want me to do this without dropping dead, I need the boots, Bri.”
Tino walked out the door in nothing but a towel. Maybe he didn’t want to hear Brianna put voice to it any more than she wanted to hear herself agree to get him the drugs she knew were slowly destroying him.
After he left, Brianna went for the drawer she had in Carina’s dresser and pulled out clean clothes. She didn’t even bother witha bra before she raced to the other room. She was quiet when she opened Carlo’s door, but Carmen peeked out from the bathroom like she was still very on edge.
“How is he?” Carmen asked quickly. “Have you heard?”
“I haven’t heard anything.” Brianna noticed Carmen was alone in the room. “Where’s Carina?”
“She left to find me something to wear.” Carmen stepped out from the bathroom with a blue towel wrapped around her and a second towel twisted up on her head. With the last traces of smudged makeup washed away, she looked more vulnerable with her light eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot. She walked over and sat on the bed. “She’s very sweet.”
Brianna looked past the door, wondering if they were talking about the same Carina. “Are you okay, Carmen?”
Carmen just looked at her rather than answer, and Brianna flinched, knowing how inconsiderate it was to say under the circumstances.
She was obviouslynotokay.
“I’m being rude,” Brianna decided out loud. “But I need to get some things for Tino, and?—”
Carmen nodded toward the closet, clearly giving Brianna permission to get whatever she needed.
Brianna quickly ran to the walk-in and grabbed the boots. She thought of picking up something else to cover the sin because she suddenly felt very exposed for a lot of reasons.
There just wasn’t time.
“I’m sorry, I have to go.” Brianna held up the boots to Carmen when she came out of the closet. She was too exhausted to think of excuses, but she tried. “He didn’t have his, and?—”
“Is Tino leaving?” Carmen jumped up, looking concerned all of a sudden.
Brianna nodded, feeling sick. “Yes.”
“Did he tell you he was knocked out earlier? And I mean, knocked out cold for a long time, well over ten minutes, and we couldn’t wake him up. He can’t afford to be makingbad decisionsright now. I didn’t save one so the other could go out and get himself killed or arrested. That’s not how it’s going down.”
Brianna felt a knot of fear tighten in her stomach. It was so powerful she could barely breathe as she managed to whisper, “He didn’t tell me that.”
“I’m sure there’s someone else in this big Moretti compound who can solve those other problems for him tonight,” Carmen said seriously. “Keep him here, pretty girl.” She tilted her head and eyed Brianna once more. “Find a way.”
Brianna thought of telling her Carlo had left, but suddenly, seconds mattered. She wasn’t happy about the plan before she found out Tino likely had a head injury on top of no sleep for days now.
“I have to go.”
Brianna turned around and dashed out of the room, intent on keeping Tino indoors for the night. They could fight a new battle tomorrow after she knew he was truly okay. Right now, she wanted him safe in the mansion, where they had doctors if it turned out he needed one.
By some miracle, she beat him back to Carina’s room. She hadneverwon a race against Tino, not once in the two years they’d been together, nor in the six years they’d been friends before that.
Tino was always one step ahead of her.
First to the finish line.
Always.
“Shit!” She turned and ran to Nova’s room, but she wasn’t truly surprised to find it empty. The window was open, the warmnight breeze blowing in past the curtains. She threw one boot at Nova’s made bed and then the other as she screamed, “Fuck!”
