Page 65 of The Enforcer

“I’m a jerk,” Brianna whispered in horror. Tino was so easygoing she had temporarily forgotten about what happened. “I’m sorry. You must hate me. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay.” Tino sounded like he meant it. “You didn’t know.” Then he looked past her to Carina and laughed. “Or maybe you did.”

“I was upset.” Carina grimaced in apology at her brother. “And she’s my best friend.”

“I don’t fucking care.” Tino shrugged. “I didn’t do it. Why the hell am I gonna be embarrassed about it? He did it. He’s the asshole. Just like your father’s the fucking asshole. It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault either. I’m gonna take my shirt off all the time just so everyone can see what a stronzo he is.” He nudged Brianna’s hand. “You wanna see it? My back. It’s sick how bad it is. It’ll totally make you feel better.”

“Okay.” She nodded, because she had heard about the night in the shower, and she couldn’t imagine how someone could get beaten to the point that they nearly bled to death. Then he pulled up his shirt, and she could only stare in awe at the map work of scabs and stitches that covered the full expanse of his back all the way below the waistband of his jeans. “Why aren’t you still in bed? Doesn’t it hurt?”

“It mostly just itches now. The don had plastic surgeons work on it, so it’s a lotta stitches,” he complained as he pulled his shirt fully over his head and tossed it onto the trampoline. Then he turned around to lie down so that his head was resting near the center of the trampoline and his feet were hanging off the side. “It hurts a little. Sometimes more than a little. It’s been a long day. The don took us shopping after he got done chewing out the priest and that Brambino bastard.”

Brianna turned around and stretched out next to him. “Did you buy your school uniforms?”

Tino opened his eyes to stare at her. “I have to wear a fucking uniform?”

“You do.” She giggled. “I’m sorry.”

Tino kept looking at her, studying Brianna long enough that her cheeks heated again when he asked, “Do you wear a uniform?”

“We all wear a uniform.” Carina hopped to her feet and started jumping, making Brianna and Tino bounce with her. “So stop looking at her like that.”

“What? I can’t like a cute girl in a Catholic school uniform?”

“No, you can’t.” Carina jumped by Tino’s head, nearly landing on him, which was probably really dangerous when he was recovering like he was. “Morettis make babies. They leave them everywhere.”

“You’re a Moretti too,” Tino reminded her.

“Boys are disgusting. I will never, ever, ever!” Carina jumped higher and higher. “Ever!” she screamed it like she wanted her father to hear it. “Get married! NEVER!”

Brianna’s cheeks were on fire again, but she still admitted, “I don’t think boys are disgusting.”

Tino arched an eyebrow at her. “Even boys with scars?”

“Especially boys with scars.” She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. “Scars make them interesting.”

“Then I’ll probably be interesting as hell.” Tino laughed. “At least one girl won’t mind them.”

She laughed with him. “I won’t be the only girl.”

Chapter Seventeen

Reasons Neverland Sucks!

Romeo in jail

The basement

Nova barking and fetching for the don and Frankie

Catholic school

Blond Italiani

Being storage over the garage

Uniforms

Nova’s cooking