Page 17 of The Enforcer's Revenge

Manhattan, New York

January 11th, 2010

“Why do you suck?” Tino held his hand up to the silhouette at the firing range. “You didn’t hit it once! That should be physically impossible! We’ve been doing this for weeks!” Tino turned to Carlo behind him. “Look at this! You thought I was exaggerating. Do you see this? She emptied the entire clip, and thisfiglio di puttanais still alive.”

Carlo tilted his head, studying the target again. There were several bullet holes outside the bullseye, but without a doubt, this silhouette was going to live to be shot at for another day. “It’s sorta awe-inspiring.”

“I know I’m not that bad of a teacher.” Tino gestured to Brianna as evidence, and then he did a double-take at her target. “Wow, good job, baby.”

“Thanks.” Brianna pulled the target off and held it up. “I think I’m keeping this one.”

Carlo raised his eyebrows as he admired Brianna’s target. “You do it better than most of thecretiniworking for the old man.”

“So, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Tino turned back to his sister, who had folded her arms and gave him a silent, murderous glare. “You’re a Siciliana. It should not be this hard for you.”

“It’s the gun.” Carina gestured at the .38 lying on the shelf. “I don’t like that one.”

“It’snotthe gun.” Tino clenched his hands in annoyance. It had become a personal quest to make sure the girls could defend themselves. He was currently failing miserably, something he obviously didn’t deal well with. “You say that about all of them.”

“You’re being astrunzu,” Carlo chastised him. “She doesn’t like the .38. So, get her a new gun, like the 9mm.”

“We’ve tried a 9mm. That’s what she carries. The old man gave it to her two years ago.”

“Then that’s the one she should be practicing with. Go get it,” Carlo growled at Tino. “Let me help her. You yelling in her face isn’t going to magically correct her aim. Go work with your girl.”

“Bri doesn’t need my help!” Tino gestured to Brianna’s old target. “This motherfucker’s dead.”

Carlo grabbed Tino’s arm and yanked him around the corner before he asked in sharp Italian, “Why are you doing this?”

“’Cause she can’t protect herself.” Tino took a sharp breath. He felt like all the air was being crushed out of his chest. The problem had been getting steadily worse since he discovered his sister was easily the worst shot on the planet. “We just handed her a gun thinking she could shoot it, like knowing how to handle one was genetic or something. She’ll shoot herself first. We need to take the gun away from her.”

“Maybe it’s her eyes,” Carlo suggested reasonably. “Did you get them checked?”

“You think I didn’t have her look at a fucking eye chart after the first time?” Tino barked at him. “She passed it for her driver’s license. She can see, she just can’t fucking shoot. What if I’m not there? What if you’re not there? We don’t know who we can really trust in this family. Anyone could grab her and put her in a basement?—”

Carlo slapped him.

Tino sucked in a startled gasp and looked at his uncle in shock. “Did you just bitch slap me?”

“You’re acting like you needed it,” Carlo said without apology. “Just give your girl a gun and a high-quality holster. Teach her how to conceal it. Have her get used to wearing it when she’s out. They’re together all the time anyway. Hell, they live together. If for some reason Carina doesn’t have protection, your girl’s got her back.”

“That’s your solution? My girl sells her soul ’cause of the Borgata’s bullshit? Carina was supposed to be the one to do it. That’s why I brought both of them. I thought it was going to be reversed. Carina was supposed to be my insurance—now she’s my fucking liability!”

“You’re the one who wanted to do this,” Carlo reminded him. “She needs a change of pace. Let me try. Not everyone picks it up in a few weeks.”

“I did. Brianna did. Nova learned in ten minutes,” Tino argued.

“Nova probably mathematically calculates the wind speed and knows the distance between him and the target and divides it by the velocity of the bullet or some shit.”

“He is a really good shot without practicing,” Tino had to agree. “That’s very unfair. I just assumed Carina would be the same.”

Carlo gave him a look of disbelief.

“Okay, that was stupid. I admit that was stupid.” Tino shrugged and then gestured around the corner where the girls still were. “But come on. That is fucking epic.”

“I’ll teach her.” Carlo reached out and grabbed Tino’s shoulder. “I got your back. No one’s sticking her in a basement.”

Tino tried to take another calming breath. Carlo was easily the most effective firearms instructor Tino knew. Ice cold and confident, if Carlo couldn’t teach Carina, no one could.