Page 16 of The Enforcer

“Carina dropped everything to come get me.” Brianna couldn’t help but defend her best friend. “She left her gig and—”

Tino snorted. “Her nonno put out a hit on you!”

“That’s not her fault!”

“If you had never met her, where do you think you’d be right now?” Tino asked simply, as if he had asked himself that question a million times. “Where would you be if you nevermet me? If you never came to the walk-up with me that day? You think you’d have a price on your head? You think anyone in the Borgata would give a shit about one Broadway girl from Dyker Heights?”

“But I did meet her, and I did go to the walk-up with you.” She shrugged. “I try not to think about the what-ifs. I’d go crazy if I did that. I just deal with the shit as it comes. This included.”

Tino’s jaw flexed again as if he was gritting his teeth once more. “I should have left you in Garnet.”

“Why didn’t you if you’re so pissed off about it?”

Tino turned and looked at her when they stopped at an intersection, letting his gaze run over her for one hot moment. That look made all the fine hairs on her arm stand on end as a wild rush of need flooded her system.

Now she was the one gritting her teeth to keep from revealing just how much he could affect her. She didn’t want it to still be that easy for him. She wanted to believe she’d gotten stronger in the four years they’d been apart, but she was starting to suspect it was a lie. Not that it should be a surprise.

With Tino, there was always a lie.

So many lies.

And he never did tell her why he took her with him.

He let her sit and think about it instead.

Chapter Five

Somewhere in West Virginia

Four years without seeing Tino.

And over five hours spent in silence with him after they had both abandoned their phones and their lives in Kentucky.

The tension was so thick Brianna felt like she was coming out of her skin. In general, she wasn’t someone used to sitting still. She had a very physical job and was generally a high-energy person, who lived in a high-energy city and hung out with high-energy people.

Driving in silence through the Deep South was slowly making her crazy.

It didn’t help that Tino was every bit as wired as Brianna, jumpy and angry, at whom, she wasn’t sure, but it was affecting her already frayed nerves. Especially with the not-so-minor problem of the mob wanting her dead hanging over both their heads.

And she got the impression Tino knew why.

That didn’t make the trip back to New York any easier.

So when he asked if she wanted to stop in West Virginia for the night, she couldn’t agree fast enough.

“Oh my God, yes.” Brianna practically sobbed in relief. “If I never see another car again, it won’t be too soon. I’m walking or taking the subway from now until forever.”

“I’m actually right there with you.” Tino surprised her by laughing. “If you only knew how much time I’ve spent driving over the past week or so.”

“Was Miami fun?” she asked, noticing his tan again in the dying sunlight.

“Not really.” Tino shook his head. “Miami sorta sucked.”

“But you found a beach.”

“Yeah.” He gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I found a beach. Needed it too. We both did. Nova’s tanner than me.”

“How’s Nova?” Brianna asked, because now that they were talking, she was jumping on it. Anything was better than the silence. “Is he doing okay?”