Page 56 of The Enforcer

Nova took another hit and blew it out the window again. “Are you staying?”

“Unless something drastic happens.”

“Cool.” Nova took three more hard hits, like he was trying to get the most out of it as quickly as possible. Then he put out the blunt with his thumbs and set it in the ashtray on the nightstand. “Frankie’s downstairs. Air it out a little. He’ll probably come up.”

“And we care what he thinks…why?” Carlo raised his eyebrows pointedly.

“Just, can you air it out? Please. I promised the don I’d try with him, okay?” Nova pulled his shirt over his head, showing off his own set of healing whip marks. “I’m taking a shower.”

“You’d try with him?” Tino repeated in disgust. “Try and do what?”

“He’s having some money-management issues. I said I’d help him.”

“Oh, money-management issues,” Carlo repeated, imitating what he probably thought an accountant was supposed to sound like and doing a good job of covering up that Tino had rolled over and looked away from Nova as he went on, “Is that what we’re calling it?”

Nova laughed. “Don’t smoke any more. Heiscoming up.”

Carlo pushed all the video game controllers over and crawled up on the king-size bed with Tino. “Stop looking at your brother like that.” He grabbed Tino’s face when Tino tried to turn away, and whispered in his ear, “It’s not his fault. You know it’s not his fault.”

Tino knew it wasn’t Nova’s fault. He had firsthand knowledge that in this family, there were no choices, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be angry about watching his brother being turned into a trained dog for the mafia.

A really smart trained dog.

But still a fucking lap dog regardless.

It pissed him off so bad he almost wished Nova would go back to being that terrified, furious pit bull in the shower instead.

Tino was angry about a fuckload of shit, and he’d be damned if they took away his fury too.

“He doesn’t have to look so happy about it,” Tino mumbled, knowing Nova was still standing there listening.

“The don saved your life. You would’ve died in that shower if it wasn’t for him,” Nova explained without an ounce of apology. “I would lick his boots if he wanted me to.”

Tino groaned in disgust when he heard the absolute honesty in Nova’s words. He also noticed Nova was choosing to ignore it was Carina who saved Tino by telling her nonno her cosmic twin was bleeding to death in the apartment above the garage.

“Dark pope,” Carlo whispered in his ear and repeated, “It’s not his fault.”

“The don’s not my pope,” Tino told both of them. “He’llneverbe my pope.”

Because Tino didn’t consider saving his life just to turn his brother into a trained dog a favor worth licking boots over.

“Please be polite if he comes in here,” Nova said imploringly. “He’ll protect Romeo when he goes to prison. He’ll make ita loteasier for him. The don has a few judges in his pocket. We could get Romeo off with just a couple of years if we’re lucky. Be respectful, Valentino. For me.”

“Fine,” Tino whispered but then reiterated, “But he’s not my king. He’s not my pope. He’s not my nonno either.”

“Then lucky you.” Carlo laughed and squeezed Tino’s cheeks. “You think you’re better than us, tough guy? You walked out of that basement, and now you’re a badass?”

“Yeah.” Tino jerked his head away from Carlo’s grasp. In other families, they might ignore the giant elephant in the room. That Tino’s father tried to kill him. In this family, it had turned into a weird badge of honor that was highly fucked-up, but he owned it anyway. “Iambadass. So step back, motherfucker.”

“You did break Napoli’s nose.” Carlo laughed at that. “I respect the hell outta that, and I’m pissed off I missed it. Just like I’m pissed off I didn’t get to see Nova kick the shit outta Frankie. That made my life.”

“Your voice when you smoke,” Nova hissed at him. “It getsreally loud.”

“Whaddayou mean?” Carlo shouted so loud Tino flinched, considering Carlo was still in his face. “Your father can suck my—” Carlo was cut off when Nova grabbed his shirt and yanked him off the bed, but then he caught Nova’s ankle, bringing him down hard. Nova scrambled to throw a hand over Carlo’s mouth, but it was too late. He screamed at the top of his lungs, “Sucami a minchia, Frankie!”

“Coglione.” Nova was laughing, as if the pot chose that moment to hit him.

Carlo grabbed Nova’s face playfully. “You wanna know what happens to wiseguys who try to get the drop on me?”