Page 3 of The Enforcer

She ignored him standing there, drink in hand, as she bent down to plug up the tub.

“Who’s Valentino Moretti?”

Brianna physically jolted. She couldn’t help it. That name never stopped affecting her. Like the memory, it was something that was etched bone-deep. It also stunned her, because she had never mentioned Tino to David. Not once. That memory was just for her—something to fantasize about at night when she closed her eyes. He wasn’t supposed to know, and hearing Tino’s name on David’s lips seemed to tarnish it somehow.

“He’s, um—” She turned on the water, keeping her face hidden as she found her composure. “He’s Carina’s brother. Half brother. He lives somewhere else now. Like Kentucky or something.”

“Oh yeah?” There was a sharp edge of disbelief in David’s voice. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.” Brianna turned around and arched an eyebrow at him. “Is there a reason why you’re curious?”

“There sure is. I think you’re fucking him. I never needed your love. Never wanted it, but I told you when we got married that I wasn’t putting up with you screwing around.”

“I work six days a week, I have promotional obligations most dark days, and you think I have time for an affair?” She laughed incredulously, before she pointed to the bathroom door. “Get out.”

“No, I don’t think I will.” He set his wine down and leaned against the counter, his casual elegance looking more false than usual. “Tell me about him. Your Valentino.”

She glared at David, sensing the threat throbbing off him, and she was tempted to tell him everything about Tino Moretti. She had one gleeful moment in her mind where she admitted all of Tino’s dark, dangerous secrets just to take some of the arrogance out of her husband, who was always annoyingly superior because he was ten years her senior. Instead she remained stoic, reminding herself of the life Tino was making for himself now, far away from all the bullshit in New York that had been his burden for too long.

Knocking that arrogant smile off David’s smug face wasn’t worth it.

Not even close.

“We dated a long time ago,” she confessed, because it was obvious someone had said something to him. “I was young. He was young. It didn’t last. Now he lives in Kentucky. Look it up if you don’t believe me. He’s a professional MMA fighter. He’s easy enough to find.”

“An MMA fighter? Are you sure?” he questioned in that irritating way of his, as if he assumed she owed him an explanation. He’d read somewhere that men who demanded answers got respect, and he clung to that idea. “Hard to believe Carina’s brother’s not doing something a bit more…colorful. Especially with a last name like Moretti.”

“Why don’t you ask her about it?” Brianna suggested smartly. Carina always made David very nervous. “Since you’re so interested in the Morettis’ business, go straight to the source.”

Suddenly, David threw the glass of wine, making it shatter against the wall as Brianna screamed and ducked for cover on instinct. She had her head down, so she didn’t see him jump at her.

She ended up crushed against the wall like the glass.

David’s big, meaty hand was wrapped around her throat. For one long moment, when she realized he was actually cutting off her air supply, she considered letting him.

She was just sick of her life.

Of pretending that everything was okay.

And hiding from the world that she was married to a man with a rampant gambling problem who was drowning in debt.

Most of all, she was so very tired of pretending that her heart hadn’t been shattered a long time ago. As much as she loved her job, it wasn’t enough anymore. It didn’t erase the pain like it was supposed to.

Dying for loving Tino didn’t feel like such a bad thing.

She wilted rather than fight, though she was clutching at David’s hand on instinct, as if a part of her couldn’t help but cling to life even if it sucked.

“Want to know how I knew you’re fucking him again?”

Brianna blinked at him as she dug her fingernails deeper into his hand.

“’Cause Aldo Moretti told me to kill you in retribution for whatever the hell your Valentino did to piss his grandfather off.”

Brianna fought harder to pull his hand free as she stared at David’s flushed, triumphant face, trying to figure out why she thought he was Broccoli. She could see now he was nothing but undiluted poison, and he had been poison to her for four years, slowly sucking out her will to live, and she had let him.

She started dying the moment life ripped her and Tino apart.

“Just like Aldo told me to marry you to keep him in check. I don’t know what your Valentino did to make his grandfather so fucking nervous, but Aldo seems to think the only way to control him is you. I guess once you die, it’s over for both of you, and I get the life insurance as a replacement for the high-class ass the mafia handed me.”