Page 149 of The Enforcer's Revenge

“Is it?” Tino asked for him.

“Of course, bad news is always easier with friends.”

“It’s kinda awkward, mama.” Tino held up his hands, giving Maria a pointed look across the kitchen counter as she went back to cooking.

“So, stop making it awkward.” Maria shooed him away. “Go get dressed.”

Tino turned back to Nova, who leaned his elbow against the table and was resting his cheek in his hand. “Are you hungry?”

Nova shrugged noncommittally.

“Great.” Maria sounded pleased and pointed to the living room with her wooden spoon. “Turn on the television for him. How do you like your coffee, Zu?”

“Just black.” Nova gave up, obviously deciding there was no point in arguing with an Italiana who decided he needed to eat.

Tino walked over to the television in the living room. It took him a bit to figure out how to get the cable working, but after he found the remote on the side table next to the couch, he was able to turn it on a local channel that was looping news stories.

“There you go, Zu.”

Tino sighed as Maria put a cup of coffee in front of Nova. He spotted the ashtray she set down next to the cup. “Don’t give him that. Casanova?—”

“I’ll go to the roof,” Nova cut him off. “Don’t panic.”

“You are such a pain in the ass,” Maria huffed at Tino. “Look at what he’s going through right now.”

“Hi,” Tino barked at her. “I’m going through it too. And I love this apartment. He doesn’t get to come in and ruin a safe space for me because he’s Zu.”

Maria stopped at that and put a hand over her heart as she looked at him across the room. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“Okay.” Tino walked back toward the bedroom. “Sucks I have to wear my clothes from last night.”

“Look in Tony’s closet. I’m sure there’s something that’ll fit you.”

“Doubtful. He’s got thirty pounds on me, easy.” He glanced around and stepped away from the bedroom door to frown at Maria in the kitchen. “Where is he?”

“I sent him to the bakery.”

Tino gave Nova a dark look. “I can’t take you anywhere.”

Tino fixedhis hair using some of Tony’s gel in the bathroom, snorted more blow, and then fucked around in Tony’s walk-in closet for a while. Tino discovered there were clothes in his size. Quite a few of them, and he settled on a pair of pressed beige Chinos and a white Polo. He went ahead and tucked it in and used his belt to pull it all off.

When he sat down at the table, Nova stopped eating his pasta and frowned at him. “What the fuck are you wearing?”

Tino leaned his elbow against the table. He put his chin in his hand and smiled. “I feel like I have no real-life issues in this outfit.”

“You look like you have no real-life issues,” Nova agreed with him. “Is that Tony’s?”

“No,” Tony answered for him as he put a fresh cup of coffee in front of Tino. “Those belong to one of Maria’s approved big fishes. He leaves them here.”

“He’s an investment broker,” Maria called out from the kitchen. “He’s taking me to Hawaii next month. First class. We’re staying right on Waikiki Beach. It’s a business trip, so I’ll have all day to myself to find trouble while he has meetings.”

“Very nice.” Tino nodded in approval and then frowned at Tony, who was opening the bakery box on the kitchen counter. “What the fuck do you do when she’s entertaining her free trip to Hawaii?”

“I find things to do.” Tony gave Tino a mischievous smile. “You want a cannoli first? Or pasta?”

“I’ll take a cannoli.” Tino took a sip of his coffee, which was impressively perfect. “Oh my God, Tony, you even got my coffee right.” He waggled his eyebrows as Tony put a cannoli on a napkin in front of him. “You keep being this good to me, and I will fuck you, even if I promised my brother I wouldn’t dip my pen in the Borgata’s ink.”

Nova choked on his food, which made it all worth it.