Page 32 of The Enforcer's Revenge

Once they gotout on the water, it felt like the real world was a million miles away. The music was beachy and lazy, the kind of stuff Carina loved because they were using her phone for the playlists.

Carlo had his captain’s license. Nova and Tino were a perfectly capable crew, so there were no henchmen. No mob muscle, except the ones they loved. Just the sun sparkling like diamonds across endless blue water on a perfect spring day.

Brianna and Tino were the only ones dancing.

UB40was playing, and Tino was singing, being weird as usual, but all it did was make the afternoon more magical. Brianna could see her smile reflected in Tino’s sunglasses as the two of them moved together, Brianna in her bikini, Tino bare-chested and barefoot in his bathing suit, both of them enjoying the nice weather.

Everyone else was lying out on the deck getting tan. Unfortunately, the other couple on board wasn’t having the same magical time.

“Dacci un taglio.” A loud smack echoed over the music. “You don’t deserve it.”

Brianna turned in Tino’s arms to see Carlo had straddled Lola’s deck chair because Morettis didn’t handle being ignored very well.

Lola had been pretending he didn’t exist since they left.

Now he sat behind Lola and tried to take over her task of rubbing sunscreen into her shoulders. Instead, she reached back and shoved him away when he wrapped an arm around her bare stomach, since she wore only a bright yellow bikini. Her long, dark hair was pulled back, but when Carlo tugged one of the stray curls that framed her face, Lola shoved him once more.

“Come on,Amuri, you gonna stay mad at me the whole trip?” Carlo asked, sounding genuinely hurt.

“Sì.” Lola leaned over and worked on her smooth, shapely legs, rubbing the sunscreen in with more force than necessary. “I’m already upset about my sister, and you knew that. Then you had to go and start trouble for no reason. You wanted me to be mad at you, so enjoy it!”

“Lola, you know it’s not a big deal,” Tino cut in, like it was physically impossible for him to ignore his uncle’s need for help. “He doesn’t care if Carlo’s starting shit, do you, Rome?”

“No.” Romeo laughed, too. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself when guys start merda with me. Did you go to school with Tino and Nova in Brooklyn?”

Romeo looked at Carlo when he said it. He didn’t mention the age thing again, but it was obvious he was thinking it.

“I did.” Lola didn’t even hesitate with the lie. “For a few years.”

“We went to school with lotsa Brambinos.” Tino choked on the name when he said it.

Romeo obviously noticed because he asked, “If your families hate each other so much, how’d you get to be friends?”

“Well, you know, Lola’s different.” Tino shrugged, looking uncomfortable again. “She’s?—”

“A bastarda,” Carlo finished for him, saying it like a challenge. “It means she got shit on like the rest of us. That’s why I’m overly, irrationally protective to the point of being a massive strunzu.” Carlo touched Lola’s shoulder softly and whispered, “Especially around other men. I don’t want anyone to hurt my baby. Not anymore.”

Lola’s arms had been crossed over her chest, her body stiff in anger, but some of it seemed to slip out of her. She reached up to push Carlo’s hand off her shoulder, but she kept hold of him rather than shoving him away. She squeezed his big palm in her smaller one and then pulled his hand onto her lap.

“Sorry.” Carlo sounded like he meant it.

Lola reached back and caressed his cheek, making it obvious she couldn’t stay mad at Carlo for long, even if he was a big, scary, extremely territorial Sicilian who got in trouble more often than not. “I know the problem is me. I’ve been in a bad mood. I thought I’d have the summer with Carmen, and now I don’t. I’m taking it out on you. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“The summer’s not ruined.” Carlo leaned forward and smiled at her. “You’ll still have a sexy Siciliano to keep you company by the pool.”

“Yeah, papi, I know.” She used her hold on Carlo’s arm to pull him closer to her. “But that doesn’t stop me from missing her.”

“What happened with your sister?” Tino asked, clearly still trying to save Carlo. “Are you fighting?”

“Not fighting, really, but she told me yesterday she’s not coming home for the summer. I’m disappointed.” She hit Carlo’s thigh lightly with her hand. “And you being so happy about it isn’t helping.”

“She still calls you.” Carlo wrapped his other arm around her waist, hugging her to him. “And texts. You’re always talking to her one way or the other.”

“It’s not the same. She just got back from Palermo for the winter, and now this. Why the hell did she have to go all the way to Tampa? It’s always something with her.”

“Lola, why is your sister in Tampa?” Nova interrupted her. “That’s a cold spot, asoutherncold spot that I’m certain Carlo knows about. Not a great place for a Northern girl like your sister.”

“She said Florida. I assumed Miami,” Carlo said defensively, since Nova’s accusation was obvious. “Maybe Daytona Beach for Spring Break. I didn’t even think about Tampa.”