Page 31 of The Enforcer

Nova set up the white chess pieces on Tino’s side of the board as the two of them sat at the table by the window of the two-bedroom walk-up they’d lived in since they were born. Nova took a drag off his cigarette and leaned down, blowing the smoke out the window, before he went back to setting up the board.

Tino stared at it uncertainly. “Isn’t chess about a queen or something? I never heard about a king.”

“You have to protect the king to win, but the queen is your most powerful piece. The game can be won without her, but for someone like you, I’d recommend keeping her safe.” Nova set his black pieces up in front of him, his right hand hanging out the window with the cigarette. “You have no chance of surviving an endgame without your queen.”

“I have no chance of surviving an endgame anyway,” Tino pointed out as he looked at his brother in annoyance. “Are you gonna let me win? At least go easy on me.”

“No.” Nova said it as if it was an insult to ask. “Is it gonna be fun for you to know I let you win? Where’s the challenge in that?”

“Casanova,” Tino said slowly as he raised his eyebrows. “I don’t wanna play your geek game. You’re not Romeo. You can’t make me do this.”

“This is good for you. It teaches you how to strategize. We can’t afford any more notes from school next year. You need to learn how to sit and focus this summer.” Nova gestured to the board with his cigarette. “This’ll help you.”

“You’re telling me what’s good for me?” Tino snorted and then coughed when smoke flew in his face. “Romeo’s gonna beat your ass if he finds out you’re smoking.In the house.” Tino took another breath and put a hand to his bare chest, doing a very good job of feigning a wheeze. “I think it’s giving me asthma.”

“Really?” Nova asked in disbelief. “We’re doing this again?”

Tino waved a hand in front of his face. “I need air.” He leaned over and pushed the window farther up. He took in a huge gulp of night air and made a move to crawl onto the landing, when Nova caught his arm.

“Hey, Tino!” his friend Paco called from the street despite it being past midnight. He had a basketball under his arm and held up his hand impatiently. Paco and Nova were the same age and had been in the same classes since kindergarten, but like most of the kids in their area, he got along better with Tino. “You wanna play a quick game?”

“Fuck off, Paco. It’s midnight,” Nova called out, but Tino was already halfway out the window.

Feeling the getaway in his bones, Tino used Nova’s distraction to punch him. It was mostly playful. They were both still in their karate pants from class earlier, so Tino thought it didn’t really count, except Nova’d been taking a drag when Tino hit him.

“Motherfucker!” Nova brushed at the spray of glowing ashes that hit his bare chest and then dived for the cigarette when it landed inside on the carpet.

“Ay carajo,” Paco said from below, and Tino agreed.

He cleared the window, nearly losing his pants when Nova tried to grab his ankle. Tino kicked back on instinct, catching Nova in the face.

Yeah, he hadn’t planned on that either.

“Oh, merda,” Tino cursed when Nova wiped at his face, coming away with a handful of blood.

“Run,avanza, pendejo!” Paco shouted.

Tino didn’t need to be told twice. He was already dashing down the stairs. When he hit the third-floor landing, he saw Nova was behind him.

A few other teenagers came out when Paco kept yelling his encouragement. It was summer. They all had the inclination to stay up late. Some just to hang out and play ball like Paco, others for more sinister reasons. Tino heard Jorgie say, “Que estúpido.He’s dead.”

That was predictable. Nova had a notoriously bad attitude since their mother died, and no one wanted to fuck with him in their neighborhood.

There was also the little matter of the parent who should not be named. Tino and Nova didn’t even talk about their father anymore. They didn’t know him too well, and they didn’t miss him, but he had left them with a last name that made people very nervous.

Kids didn’t fuck with Tino too terribly much either.

Even the gang members steered clear.

Plus, Tino could hold his own, and everyone knew it, but he’d rather not get into a fight with his brother on the landing at midnight.

Over fucking chess.

They were supposed to be playing nice in case of a surprise social-worker visit, so he flew down the stairs and shouted up to his brother in Italian so no one else understood him. “I’m going to dime on you about the smoking, Casanova! I’m telling Romeo when he gets home tonight!”

“Do it, bitch! Dime me out! I’ll tell him I forged his name on the last three notes you brought home before school ended.”

“Go for it,” Tino announced in English. “He’ll kick your ass first.”