Page 135 of The Enforcer's Revenge

Just like that, her father was gone from her life. He started over with a new and improved family, and Brianna was leftbehind with her mother, who was mostly broke with only minimal child support to keep them afloat.

Two months later, her mother went into rehab for the first time. Brianna stayed at Carina’s house for three weeks. Her father sent a check for two hundred and fifty dollars to Frankie Moretti for the inconvenience.

No phone call to see how she was doing.

Just a check to a known mafioso for two hundred and fifty dollars. Brianna was completely mortified, especially since she’d been hanging out with Carina in Tino’s room above the garage when Frankie Moretti walked in to tell her about it.

All three ofthem stopped working on their homework.

Tino dropped his pencil the second he heard someone coming up the stairs. When his father walked into the room, he kept his gaze down on his math. Brianna was sitting next to him, and she could feel the tension suddenly flowing off him, as if he was waiting for something terrible to happen.

“Hi, Dad.” Carina frowned since Frankie didn’t pay attention to them unless he needed something. “Why are you up here?”

Frankie walked around the couch to stop in front of the coffee table where the three of them were working. He dropped the check, and it floated over to land on Tino’s homework. “Your fancy lawyer father sent me that.”

Brianna glanced up, realizing he was talking to her, since she was the only one with a lawyer father. She reached out and picked up the check, looking at it in surprise.

“What for?” she asked.

Frankie shrugged. “I guess that’s how much he thinks you’re worth.”

“Oh,” Brianna whispered and glanced at Tino, who made a sound in the back of his throat.

“You gotta problem with that, pal?” Frankie reached over and hit the back of Tino’s head too hard to be playful. “You wanna say something to me about it?”

Tino shook his head, but his jaw was tight, like it was hard for him to hold it in.

“I wanna say something,” Carina barked right back. “I think that’s bullshit. She’s worth a million dollars ’cause she’s my best friend, and I love her.”

Frankie just rolled his eyes. “You must, ’cause you got your nonno forking out thirty-thousand-fucking-dollars a year for her tuition. This is an insult.” He pointed to the check. “And you better tell your pop that the next time you talk to him. Tell him to keep his chump change. We don’t fucking need it.” He glared at Brianna. “As for you, missy, you better do your job. You keep Carina happy, and if you ever betray this family, I’ll take back every fucking dollar we’ve invested in you.”

“I’d never betray Carina,” Brianna promised quickly. “Or this family.”

“Good thing, ’cause I guess we’re stuck with you now. Two hundred fifty bucks. You tell that motherfucker to kiss my goddamn ass.” He pointed at Carina. “Stop glaring at me. I’m sick of your attitude. You should be grateful we’re letting her stay here. Last fucking thing I needed was another kid. I already got one more than I want around this place.”

Carina looked to Tino and then seemed to bite the inside of her cheek rather than say anything.

“Nothing more to say?” Frankie asked Carina.

Carina shook her head. “No.”

“Okay.” He leaned down, grabbed the check, and ripped it up several times, then he tossed the pieces over their homework. “Tell him that’s what I think about it.” He stormed out of the room, and Brianna heard him as he stepped out, “Maybe she’ll be worth it. Her ma’s fuckable enough. I’m sure some dumbass from another family administration will want to marry her one day.”

Brianna cupped her cheeks, feeling the heat in them, and she glanced to the door as he stomped down the stairs. Her hands were shaking, and the fear made her heart race loudly in her ears.

For a long time, none of them said anything.

“Promise you won’t marry some dumbass from another family,” Carina whispered fearfully when Frankie’s stomping footsteps on the stairs stopped, and it was apparent he was walking back to the main house. “Don’t let them use you like that.”

“I wouldn’t,” she said quickly because that sounded horrible. “Is he gonna make me do that?”

“No.” Carina sounded confident about it. “As long as you don’t fall in love with some dumb boy, I promise I’ll never let them do that to you, but you gotta promise.”

“I already did. I wouldn’t…” She looked over to Tino, who was picking up the pieces of the check like he needed something to do with his hands.

“Fall in love with a dumb boy,” Carina repeated. “Say it.”

“Yeah, that.” She took the pieces of the check out of Tino’s hand. “Are you okay?”