Page 7 of The Enforcer

Look at what Tino had endured at the hands of the mafia. Was she really surprised they would consider her an easy pawn in the game? If they hurt their own blood that severely, one Irish Catholic girl from Dyker Heights wasn’t such a big loss.

Carina could make a new friend.

Brianna kept staring out the window, the lights blurring red and white through the rain as her eyes got heavy, and her heart finally stopped its constant pounding against her chest.

Simon and Garfunkel played on the radio, soft and melodic, lulling her into a false sense of security as if a bridge over troubled water was really something girls like her could still dream about.

She couldn’t talk about what happened, not until Carina swept the car for bugs, so as they approached the Lincoln Tunnel, Brianna gave up thinking about it and slept instead.

* * * *

Brianna had a kink in her neck, but she was warm and still so very tired she wanted to keep ignoring it. Instead, she shifted and blinked, surprised by the early-morning sunshine. She blinked a few more times, and it wasn’t until they drove past an old-fashioned horse and buggy that she woke up fully.

“What the fuck?” Brianna looked out the window, seeing nothing but farmland, miles of it, broken up with the occasional house, barn, or silo. “Where are we?”

“Good morning, starshine,” Carina said in response as she took a sip of coffee out of a Styrofoam cup. “Lancaster, PA. Quaint, right?”

“We’re in Pennsylvania?” Brianna gaped at her for one long moment before she asked, “Why?”

“I figured distance might be good.”

“Distance?” Brianna repeated as she gestured to another barn. “No shit, distance. When did you plan on stopping?”

Carina shrugged noncommittally, which sent up a million red flags. As if she sensed the suspicion, she took another sip of coffee and said, “It’smerda. This coffee. You wanna try and find breakfast?”

Brianna ran a hand over her face and winced at the sting in her cheek. She pulled down the visor to stare at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t help but grimace at what she saw. “Ilooklike merda.”

“Mmm,” Carina hummed in agreement. “Like a drowned rat. A little ginger rat who hasverybad taste in vegetables.”

Brianna just arched an eyebrow at her, deciding that only a true friend would be that honest. “Did you sweep the car when you stopped for coffee?”

“Yes, I did. Thanks to our taxpayer dollars, I found not one, not two, but three bugs. That never stops being annoying. That’s why I let Tony do it. He’s so sweet. He lies to me every time, and he does it so believably. Enforcers are, by far, the best liars in the Borgata.”

“No kidding,” Brianna said sullenly, wishing she wasn’t stuck on thoughts of Tino. “Why are we in PA? Where are we going, Carina?”

“Are you gonna tell me what happened?” Carina countered.

Brianna pulled up the jacket that had somehow found its way over her, and snuggled into the seat that was nice and warm thanks to Carina’s fine taste in luxury vehicles. “Did you sweep my side?”

“Yes, I did.”

“How did I not hear you?” Brianna asked in surprise. “How did I sleep all the way to PA?”

“Overworked, overstressed. Who knows? I was starting to worry you had a concussion.” Carina took another sip of coffee. “Maybe a part of you knew I’d get you somewhere safe.”

“Ominous,” Brianna whispered, though she was afraid she already knew the reason they were heading west through Amish country. “Did you know your nonno told David to marry me?”

Carina whipped her head around so fast the car swerved. “What?”

Brianna stared at her for a long time. Carina was as good an actress as just about anyone, but that was a genuine reaction. Brianna wasn’t sure what was worse, thinking her friend had somehow been involved with the attempted assignation or having to break the news that Brianna probably had a price on her head thanks to Carina’s family.

“When David was choking me, he told me your grandfather had him marry me to keep me and Tino apart,” Brianna explained simply. “I’m pretty sure he was telling the truth.”

Carina shook her head. “No. Bri—”

“Carina.” She cut her off. “Your grandfather’s guys were waiting for me in the lobby. I recognized one. They were coming up to either finish the job or to make sure I was dead and hide my body. Maybe take pictures and text them in typical fucked-up Cosa Nostra fashion. It has to do with Tino. Have you talked to him?”

“Yeah, he’s”—Carina held up her hand to the windshield—“living the good life in Bumfuck. He was in Miami for his friend’s wedding. He’s fine. He’s outta trouble. David’s gotta be full of shit.”