Page 9 of The Enforcer

“What the fuck am I supposed to do in Kentucky?” Brianna snapped at her. “And don’t you think the Borgata’s gonna know that’s where we went? Your nonno knows. Nova knows. They all know because that’s what I always do. Run back to Tino. They even sent David to marry me, because they know, no matter what, I can’t stop myself.They know that.”

Carina shrugged. “Probably, but—”

“I am not ruining Tino’s life there,” Brianna cut her off. “He’s out. He’s happy. You’re always telling me how happy he is.”

“Happy is relative.” Carina took another puff of her cigarette and blew out the smoke again before she admitted, “He asks about you. All the time.‘Is she happy, Carina? Is he buying her pretty things? Does he take her out? Does she take time to dance offstage? Just for fun?’”

Brianna stood there as Carina became a watery blur, and choked out, “What do you tell him?”

Carina shrugged, her eyes glassy too. “I tell him you’re happy.”

The tears rolled down Brianna’s face without warning, and she wiped at them as she asked, “Why’d you lie?”

“’Cause the truth would just hurt him.” Carina wiped at her cheeks like Brianna had. “It would hurt you too.”

“But you said he’s happy with Romeo. That he loves his nephews and—”

“It’s not his life, Brianna,” Carina whispered. “It’s Romeo’s life. Tino’s just, you know, doing what Tino does. Lying to his brothers. To me. To everyone. He makes us all believe it’s enough. Like I said, enforcers are great liars. The best in the Borgata.”

Brianna turned around and walked back to the car. Then, because the pain was more than she could bear, a welling wall of agonizing unfairness, she screamed into the open air, yelling at the fields across the street.

It didn’t make her feel better like she’d hoped, and she was starting to think she needed to pick up a bad habit like the Morettis were apt to do, because their lives were just too excruciating to endure without an escape, and the pain seemed to burn anyone who got close enough to care too much. She got into the car and let out another sob, burying her face in her lap as she cursed the day in ballet class when she befriended the loud Italian girl who was too short and a little too brash to succeed at being the graceful dancer her mother was trying to mold her into.

But even as she thought it, knowing without a doubt that all the most painful things in Brianna’s life were attached to taking Carina under her dancing wing, Brianna had to admit all the most beautiful things were also connected to that one defining moment in second grade.

Carina got into the car and reached past Brianna, letting her cry as she opened the glove compartment and fished out a bottle of Chanel lotion. She put it on, making the car smell like the dark, heady scent Brianna always associated with her best friend. Then Carina asked, “Do you want breakfast, sweetheart?”

“Fuck breakfast,” Brianna whispered into her hands. “And fuck my life. You lied to me. He was supposed to be happy all this time.”

“Okay.” Carina tossed the lotion aside and started the car. “Kentucky it is.”

Chapter Three

It wasn’t until they crossed the Kentucky state line that Brianna started to panic over seeing Tino for the first time in four years.

It didn’t help that she looked like hell.

She picked up some concealer at one of those travel stops while Carina filled up the tank. Then Carina met her inside and grabbed more supplies, things Brianna hadn’t thought of in her frazzled state.

Travel kits.

Snacks.

T-shirts. One was a University of Kentucky shirt. The other simply saidY’ALLin big block white letters printed across the blue material. “I guess they dig blue here,” Carina said as she tossed theY’ALLshirt at Brianna. Then she picked up one that said,Kentucky Born and Breaded, with a picture of a chicken wing on it. “Yes?”

“Are you serious right now?” Brianna asked with a glare.

“When in Rome.” Carina put theBreadedT-shirt back but picked up a camouflage hat and stuck it on her head. Then she helped herself to a pair of cheap, gold-rimmed aviator sunglasses that swallowed her whole face. “I’m buying these.”

Brianna just shook her head, letting Carina do what she needed to do, until she had a whole stack of things on the counter. She had swapped out the green camouflage hat for a pink one in the pile and was still too attached to the aviators to take them off.

Carina grabbed a tank top hanging by the register and held it up to Brianna for size. Written on it was the claim,Straight Shootin’ Country Girl.

“Yes,” Carina announced and tossed it on top of her other merchandise. “You think my boobs will fall out of that thing if I buy myself one?”

“How would I know?” Brianna shrugged. “I’m not blessed with that problem.”

“What do you think?” Carina turned to the guy at the counter, who looked down to the V-cut shirt Carina was wearing beneath her open jacket, showing off a set of tits half the male population of New York City had catcalled at one point or another. “I’m a lady who’s gotta wear a bra, and this tank top has a T-back. You think that’s sorta tacky? Or will I blend?”