Page 44 of The Enforcer

Tino stared at his brother, feeling something horrible lodge in his chest. “What do they want?”

“They want me to do for them what I did for Romeo. They want me to take what they make and triple it. Worse, they want me to launder their dirty money. Make it legal. I’m not doing it,” Nova assured him with an icy-cold certainty. “I will eat a fucking bullet before I put one penny in Frankie’s pocket after he did this to Rome.”

“Should we run away?”

“Yeah.” Nova nodded. “I think we’re gonna have to disappear, but I have to get everything with Romeo handled. I have to think. I have to figure it out. I need time. I can’t just leave him after he got stuck in jail trying to protect me from these motherfuckers.”

“We should take Carina,” Tino suggested and pointed in the direction of the house. “She’s our sister, and her life sucks.”

“Don’t get attached to her. She’snotyour sister.”

“Yes, she is,” Tino snapped at Nova and reminded him, “she’s yours too.”

Chapter Twelve

“So my ma’s making me try out for cheerleading this year. Friggin’ cheerleading. Do I look like a cheerleader?”

Tino lifted the manga book he was reading and studied Carina, who was decorating the bottom of his cast simply because Nova told her she was out of space. His foot rested in her lap as she colored with her metallic pens. Nova sat next to her, working on something involving Romeo and doing his level best to ignore her.

“Yeah,” Tino decided and went back to reading his book. “You lookexactlylike a cheerleader. One of those little ones they’re always tossing around.”

“Fuck you,” she snapped. “I’m no cheerleader. I’m not gonna go stand on the sidelines and wave my pom-poms for a group of sweaty, disgusting boys. No, thank you. That’s sexist. Don’t you think that’s sexist?”

“Not really.” Tino turned the page. “I don’t see what’s wrong with it, and it’s not just about cheering on the sidelines. It’s about competitions. The cheerleaders in East Harlem kick ass. We have a few girls in our building who cheer. They’re awesome, but the teams probably suck here. I doubt Dyker Heights girls know how to move.”

“My BFF forever. She rocks it out. You should see her dance, and she’s not a cheerleader.”

Nova lifted his head from the paperwork he was working on and frowned. “BFF forever? But—”

“I’m worth something more than just cheering for a boy. I have a talent, you know? A real talent.”

Nova gave Tino a look of pleading. “Where is the Off switch?”

“I taught myself,” Carina told Tino, because she was doing a very good job of pretending Nova wasn’t there. “I’ll show you sometime. My ma won’t pay for lessons, but I’m working on my nonno. I told him I’ll die if I don’t get lessons. Like actually die, ’cause I need themthat bad.”

“Must be so hard to be you.” Nova’s voice was biting and sarcastic. “That’s a real-life issue, princess.”

“Itisa life issue.” She apparently noticed Nova with that one. “I’m worth more than just cheering. I have a talent.”

“Oh, we’ve noticed. If there’s a record for talking incessantly, you’ll own it,” Nova offered as he went back to working on his paperwork. Tino kicked him with his good foot, making Nova’s pen skip across the page. “Damn it, Valentino, you kick me again, and I’m gonna shovemy talentup your ass.”

Tino dropped the book on his chest and flipped both hands under his chin with extra flair, mouthingvaffanculoand then giving Nova the double middle finger. He knew why Carina was so determined, considering Frankie’s great career plans for his only daughter.

Father of the friggin’ year.

“Hey, chief.”

All three of them stiffened. Tino looked over to see Nova mouthingchiefin disbelief. Carina scowled too, as if it sounded foreign to her. She turned around on the couch and said, “Hi, Daddy.”

“What the fuck, Carina?” Frankie sighed. “Your ma is gonna beat your ass if she finds you up here, and I don’t feel like hearing it.”

“You told me to stay busy.” Carina made no move to get up. “And they got no television in here and—”

“Out!”

“Fine.” Carina threw her pens in her box on the ground, and Tino lifted his foot so she could stand up. Then she seemed to think better of it and dropped back down on the couch between Tino and Nova. “But I’m bored.”

“Call your little friend.”