Page 119 of The Enforcer's Revenge

His foot was shaking, reminding Brianna of Tino, especially when he looked toward her and Carina and held up a finger. He mouthed, “One?”

Carina held up one finger and agreed softly, “Just one.”

Nova nodded and got very still when the elevator clunked to the basement.

They all did.

For that one brief moment, between when it stopped and the elevator slid open, Brianna didn’t think any of them took a breath.

Nova stayed against the wall so that he was the last thing visible as the door slid open. They were all waiting for it, but Brianna still gasped when she saw the very tall, broad, and menacing man standing there, and she wasn’t the only one. Carina did too, and the response was instant. The stranger in the elevator turned, pointing his gun at them, which was why he didn’t see Nova.

Nova shoved his 9mm right against the back of his neck.

He might have even pulled the trigger… if a second man in the elevator they hadn’t anticipated stepped forward. The other gangster had been hiding the same as Nova, waiting for the door to completely slide back before revealing himself.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

It all happened extremely fast.

In the blink of an eye.

The second gangster they hadn’t planned on stepped out and used a long pole to sweep Nova’s feet right out from under him.

Just like that… Nova was on the ground.

Carmen rushed to the open elevator, clearly intent on helping Nova as she leveled her gun at the first guy.

He had his weapon pointing back at her.

The two of them were in a stalemate while the second assailant attacked Nova. He pressed the top of what looked like a mop handle against Nova’s throat, hard enough to choke him, and stepped on Nova’s hand that held the gun.

Except Brianna recognized him and shouted, “Tino! No!”

Tino turned, and Nova used his free hand to yank the stick out of Tino’s grasp and throw it across the room.

“Dio!” Tino dropped down to his knees when Nova rolled over and started coughing. “Are you okay?”

Nova was still coughing. His hands were shaking, and he covered his face with palms. “Minchia.”

“What the hell? Why are you attacking us?” Tino sounded like he was shaking too. “You knew we were coming.”

Nova dropped a hand to look at him through one eye. “I did?”

“You texted, ‘Auito. Under attack. Trapped in laundry chute.’” Tino looked over to the laundry chute for confirmation and sucked in a hard breath. “Bri!”

“I’m not shot,” Brianna said when Tino came running over to them. “It was just a nail. Carina dropped the phone before she could tell you.”

“Jesus, baby.” Tino cupped Brianna’s face and pushed her hair off her forehead as he glanced at her arm. Then he turned back to Nova, sounding frantic. “We have to get her to a hospital. She needs stitches.”

“Really? You think so, doctor?” Nova barked back at him. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”

“Okay, you’re being a motherfucker.” Tino glanced around the basement, from the dead body to the guy sitting very quietly by the stairs with his shirt stuffed in his mouth, and said slowly, “Casanova, what are you doing right now?”

“Dying badly,” Nova answered as he stayed on the floor like he was considering going back to sleep.

“You just fucking bash a guy’s head in with Brianna sitting here? Have you lost your mind?” Tino’s voice was shaking as he gestured to the man by the stairs. “And what the fuck is that?”

“No, Valentino,what the fuckis that?” Nova pointed at the other man in the room. “You brought Tony De Luca into the middle of our war? For a guy desperate to live, you’re trying really fucking hard tobury us!”