Page 190 of The Enforcer

Brianna was on such a high over Tino, she totally forgot about the incident at school the day before. That was until she was called into the administrator’s office and made to sit down for a disciplinary meeting.

“I don’t understand,” Brianna said as she looked at the three men glaring at her from the other side of the table. “It was just a slap.” She held up her hand. “That happens all the time.”

“It’s more than a slap, Miss Darcy,” the dean said, his voice stern. “It’s come to our attention that you’re tangled up with a certain element we don’t want to be associated with at this school.”

Brianna narrowed her eyes. “What element is that?”

“We weren’t aware you were sharing an apartment with Carina Moretti.”

She laughed in disbelief. “Is that applicable? It’s a free country. I can be friends with and share an apartment with anyone I want.”

“It is a free country, and we can also give scholarships to whom we deem fit,” the dean countered. “We’re a private school, and it’sourchoice whom we sponsor. There are plenty of students who would love to have the same opportunities you’ve been given.”

“I don’t understand what you’re telling me.” Brianna looked from the dean to the two other administrators. “Are you going to pull my scholarship funds because of my association with Carina?”

“We’ve heard that you’ve had other visitors from the Moretti family here at the school.”

“I have.” Brianna nodded. “Tino Moretti is my boyfriend. Carina Moretti is my friend, and the Morettis in general are my family more so than my own is. I will probably have more visits from all of them. If that’s an issue, then wedohave a problem. They’ll be at my performances. They’ll stop by to take me to lunch. They’re a part of my life. That’s how a family works.”

“We’ve had students complain about your dangerous associations,” one of the other administrators said, “and we can’t tolerate it. I’m sorry, Miss Darcy. You’re an extremely talented dancer, but if you’re saying that you refuse to reevaluate your associations, then we’re going to have to discuss what actions need to be taken for your assault on Miss Hover. You’re free to go to classes until Wednesday. Then we’ll meet after the holiday to discuss our decision. I suggest you do some very deep thinking until then about your future and what matters to you.”

Brianna opened her mouth in stunned horror, because it all seemed so unfair. Her hands were shaking from her fury, but she took a deep breath and put her bag on her shoulder as she stood.

She didn’t say anything until she got to the door. Then she turned around and said, “I’m not turning my back on the Morettis. They’re my Borgata. My family. So you make sure you know my stance while you make your decision, ’cause I don’t like being blackmailed. Where I come from, it doesn’t go over too well.”

“This isn’t blackmail,” the dean said in a hard tone. “These are cold, hard facts. It’s your reality. Either you get new friends. Or you find a new career path.”

Brianna stared at these men who held her destiny in their hands. She didn’t even consider lying. “I’m not getting new friends,” she promised them as she stormed out.

She started crying when she got into the hallway.

It was so totally unfair that everything with Tino had clicked beautifully into place and the rest of her life went to shit.

Just like that.

After working since she was a little girl to get where she was.

All the hours and hours of practice.

All the injuries and sore muscles.

All the perfect eating to keep her body as strong as possible, and those assholes were going to yank it away from her because they didn’t like her friends.

She slid down to sit against the wall in the hallway and cradled her bag in her lap as she searched through it, looking for a lifeline. She fished her phone out and called Tino while she tried to catch her breath, but it didn’t work very well.

When Tino answered the phone with, “Hey, baby,” she came unglued.

“They want me to flip or lose my scholarship, and I just told them, fuck you, ’cause who the hell do they think they are? Where the hell do they come from? They want me to turn against the Borgata. I’m not gonna do that. I’ll give it up, but it’s not fair and—”

“Whoa,” Tino cut her off, and his voice got low and concerned. “Do we gotta go to pay phones? Someone’s trying to flip you?”

“Just the school officials.” Brianna took another shuddering breath. “They took me in their office and told me I need to move out of Carina’s apartment and promise not to associate with the Morettis. They’re using that one tiny slap with Miranda as leverage. They’re blackmailing me. They’re gonna take my scholarship money.”

“What the fuck?” Tino sounded as shocked as Brianna felt. “That can’t be real.”

“I tried to explain it to them that your Borgata is your family, and you don’t just turn your back on your family because someone told you to. How fucking far are we from Brooklyn? I feel like I’m on another planet here.”

“I’ll give you the money,” Tino said in a soothing voice. “I’ll pay for your school.”