Page 11 of The Enforcer’s Revenge (Untamed Hearts #4)

CHAPTER SEVEN

“ I ’ve got something to tell you about anal,” Carina mumbled as she took a long drink from the bottle of Irish Cream and then poured more over her bowl of ice cream in front of her. “As a matter of fact, I think we need to discuss your entire menu.”

Brianna grimaced as she watched Carina eat her second bowl of Irish Cream-covered chocolate ice cream. “I’m pretty sure I’d die if I ate that.”

“I’m pretty sure I’d die if I had to drink vodka and club soda to get lit.” Carina made a gagging sound. “Why is it always vodka with you?”

“It has the least amount of sugar. No carbs.” Brianna took a drink out of her glass pointedly. “I add lime. It’s not that bad.”

Carina made another gagging sound before she went back to her ice cream. “What was I talking about?”

Brianna blinked, realizing she may have had too much vodka and club soda. “I dunno, a menu?”

“Yeah, a menu,” Carina agreed, taking another bite of her ice cream. “I want cake. Do you think it’s too late to order something?”

Brianna picked up her phone and looked at the time. “It’s past midnight. Probably too late for delivery, but we could go somewhere.”

“Ugh, no thanks. I’m too stupid to go somewhere drunk. It’s amazing I manage it sober. Fuck Nova. I don’t have depth perception problems. I’m a great driver, right?”

“Sure.” Brianna nodded. “I mean, I don’t drive, but it looks like you’re doing it right.”

“Why don’t you drive?” Carina barked at her. “I want you to get your driver’s license.”

“I live in Manhattan now. Why do I need it?” Brianna shrugged. “I’m too busy to learn, and there’s always a car when we need it. I bet you could call ten people right now to get your cake.”

“I could,” Carina agreed with wide eyes. “And I need cake. If I get it, will you eat it with me?”

“No, thank you. I have rehearsal tomorrow.” Brianna took another sip of her drink. She tried very hard to ignore the look of hurt from Carina. “Come on, no. I have been partying way too much lately. I need to get back on track and?—”

“Your whole life is on track,” Carina warned her. “And one day, you’re gonna be old and gray and wish you’d enjoyed being young.”

“Carina, you don’t need someone to eat cake with you, just like you don’t need someone to drink with you. That’s irrational reasoning.” Brianna was really certain of it as she took another sip of her drink. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“We’re getting the cake.” Carina held up her phone as evidence. “We’re going to text him, and he’s going to bring it, and you know you’re going to enjoy it when you eat it with me.”

“You really want to text someone and ask them to bring us cake to eat together at midnight? There are already rumors about you eating cake.”

“That’s pie!” Carina shouted so loud that Brianna flinched. “There are rumors about me eating pie! Brianna, how are you my friend? You have to know the term for licking pussy is eating pie. My brother fucks you. I know he tells you these things.”

“I know it’s pie. It sounded right in my mind, but I do know it’s pie,” Brianna assured her. “Your brother loves pie.” She raised her eyebrows wistfully. “When he eats it?—”

Carina coughed over the Irish Cream she was drinking from the bottle. “I think you need to lay off the club soda, and I had something to tell you about that. I remember now.”

“About pie?”

“About him and your pie.” Carina picked up her phone and handed it to Brianna.

“Text him. If I try it right now, I’ll fuck it up, and he’ll be all judgmental after Nova’s shit.

Tell him no pie. Since apparently, he tells everyone my shit.

I don’t even like pie that much. I’m more of a salty sausage woman. ”

“No strawberry pie,” Brianna added as she started texting on Carina’s phone. “So, he understands that you don’t like my pie. You only like highly religious pie and salty sausage.”

“Right? Religious pie is a novelty. Everyone likes it, but no strawberry pie. Only cake. I want weed, too. Weed and pie sound good.”

“I thought pie was bad?” Brianna was still texting. “You told me to tell him it was bad.”

“Right, no pie. Only weed.”

“Did it taste like sacramental bread?” Brianna asked curiously, thinking about Carina and Sister Justina, which would never stop being scandalous.

Carina frowned at her in confusion. “What?”

“The pie,” Brianna clarified.

“She went down on me. I didn’t even eat her sacramental pie, but I guess Tino forgot that part.” Carina pointed at her phone in Brianna’s hand. “Tell him that.”

“I’ll tell him, but I think it’s bullshit,” Brianna whispered, even as she typed the opposite. “I would’ve tasted it. That means you did. You tasted it, Carina.”

Carina was quiet for a moment before she turned and gave Brianna a wide, unapologetic smile. “Yeah, I tasted it.”

“Was it good?”

“Tasted like the bar soap in Nonno’s shower.”

They both burst out laughing, and the conversation just went downhill from there.

Brianna wasn’t really sure how much time had passed because, in the name of being a good friend, she had started drinking right when she got home from rehearsal and skipped dinner.

She hadn’t had two bowls of ice cream like Carina, so it was all going to her head.

Most of the time, they discussed cake and texted about pie. Brianna was starving now. Fuck rehearsal tomorrow. When the door opened, she shouted, “Did you bring pie?”

“No, I brought cake.” There was a long pause. “And weed.”

“Oh!” Carina jumped up and ran to the front door, then pulled back in horror as she stared at her brother like she forgot until that moment how angry she was at him.

It was obvious that reaching out to him when she needed something had just been an instinct, one she got over as she shouted, “I told you not to come over! I hate you!”

“You changed your mind about that. I have about a hundred texts to prove it.” Tino held up his hands, presenting two pieces of cake in plastic containers. “How long has Brianna been sending your texts for you?”

“She doesn’t send my texts for me,” Carina growled at him. “You’re just thinking that because of what Nova said. He’s not always right, you know.”

“Really? ’Cause, uh, you’ve been talking about me eating your pie for at least the last thirty texts.

I really hope the government never gets hold of your phone,” Tino said with an arch of his eyebrow.

“Why didn’t you just tell me you have trouble reading, Carina?

You obviously told Brianna a long time ago.

Don’t think I don’t remember how she would read out loud when we were studying.

I get it now, and you know Nova would’ve helped you if you told me.

You think I didn’t have issues when I was a kid?

He knows all the tricks to make it easier. ”

“I can read, motherfucker. Just not fast. Or drunk,” Carina said defensively.

Then she walked back and yanked the phone out of Brianna’s hand.

She stood there staring at the screen for a while, then she raised her eyebrows.

“ Porca puttana .” She lifted her head and glared at Brianna.

“Your menu. What are you? An all-you-can-eat buffet? What the fuck do you have left for his birthday if you’re just laying it all out on the table? ”

“I like your menu, baby,” Tino assured her. “I’ll eat at your buffet any time.”

“And yet, no pie.” Brianna held up her hands as evidence. “Maybe I would like pie. I’m not boring, you know?”

“I never said you were. How ’bout I eat the pie, and you just provide it. Does that work? Since you’re more of a salty sausage person.”

“Strawberry pie,” Brianna added.

“That’s my favorite flavor.” Tino said it like he meant it. “I fucking love your strawberry pie.”

“What is this word?” Carina asked him as she pointed to her phone.

“Sacramental,” Tino said with a smile. “I think that’s the best part.”

“I could do that for your birthday. That’s new,” Brianna said thoughtfully. “I’ll steal the costumes from school. Except, oh my God, baby, your birthday already passed.”

“Or we could do it on Thursday after class.” Tino’s smile grew broader and more devious. “And pretend it’s my birthday.”

“Yes,” Brianna agreed as she took another drink. “I’ll be the nun on Thursday, and you’ll be the priest on Tuesday. We’ll take turns being different flavors of sacramental pie.”

“Madonn’.” Carina rolled her eyes. “I need the weed. I’m clearly not as fucked up as her.”

“Baby, you can’t text about weed.” Tino sat next to Brianna at the coffee table.

He placed the cakes in front of him. Then he leaned over and grabbed both Brianna’s cheeks in his rough palms. He kissed her forehead tenderly.

“Promise you won’t do that again. The last thing we need is another raid.

Especially if you’re going to start packing all the time.

I really don’t want to register a gun in your name in case you have to use it. Don’t text about weed.”

“I don’t even like weed,” Brianna reminded him as she picked up her drink. “Makes me feel lazy.”

“I know. Don’t drink any more of this.” Tino took her glass away and took a big gulp of it. Then he coughed and spat most of it back into the cup. He wheezed, “Cazzo, what is it? What the hell are you drinking?”

Carina burst out laughing. “That was so worth you coming over.”

Tino stuck out his tongue like the taste on it was making him sick as he looked at the glass. “Seriously, what is it?”

“It’s club soda and vodka with lime.” Brianna took her drink back when Tino set it down like it was toxic. “You’re overreacting. It’s not that bad.”

Tino wheezed and reached for Carina’s Irish Cream. He grimaced at the bottle like the thought of drinking it straight wasn’t much of an improvement, but it was clearly better than club soda and vodka. He took a long drink and then set the bottle down.

“This is the most fucked up pity party I’ve ever seen.” He reached into the back of his jeans, pulled out a small brown bag, and tossed it on the table. “Your weed.”