Page 32 of The Enforcer’s Revenge (Untamed Hearts #4)

A new dancer took the stage, and different music played—harder, faster—more on pace with a typical strip club. He glanced over to the guy in the suit when Heather from the front walked up to him.

Tino had to play oblivious and look away when she gestured over to them.

He leaned his cheek on his hand, turning his head a little, making it seem like he was still caught up with the dance.

Then he watched out of the corner of his eye when Carmen showed up wearing her blue dress once more.

Heather hugged her and kissed Carmen’s cheek, looking as enthralled with Carmen as everyone else in the club.

The two of them spoke for a quick moment before Heather walked off, ponytail swinging as she went back to work out front.

Once Heather was gone, Carmen’s body language changed completely.

She stood taller, her shoulders tense as she spoke to her bouncer, and it was obvious the two of them were having a heated conversation.

She looked very Italiana as she gestured to their booth, making it obvious someone clued her in on who sent the large tip.

They had cameras everywhere, so he wasn’t surprised she chose to go in the back to spy on potential clients.

The bodyguard slapped her hand down.

Hard.

“ Deficiente ,” Nova whispered next to him.

“You need to chill.” Tino looked to his brother, seeing that Nova was playing the same game, watching the confrontation out of the corner of his eye. “Let’s just get her out. We’ll blow them up later.”

Nova wasn’t paying attention to him. He was watching Carmen instead. His body got tighter, like a live wire about to explode, and Tino glanced back to see that the bodyguard had grabbed Carmen’s upper arm, squeezing it tightly as he said something in her ear.

Lola would’ve gone limp and submissive for survival.

Carmen smacked him, open-palmed, hard enough that it would likely leave a mark. Then she stormed toward them. There wasn’t grace and deliberate sexuality in Carmen’s walk, just raw anger and determination.

Nova looked at her when she stopped in front of him, his dark gaze meeting Carmen’s icy one flecked with gold.

“Buy me a drink?” She didn’t smile when she said it.

And Nova didn’t flinch, but he glanced around the club, clearly very aware that they were likely being watched.

He just shook his head, face blank, his body still tight in defensiveness.

“He doesn’t speak English,” Tino explained.

“Sure.” Carmen looked unimpressed. “Is that what you’re selling?”

She shoved at Nova’s shoulder, forcing him to move over as she slid into the booth next to him.

Carmen tilted her head, a dark smile on her face as she slid her hand inside his shirt right there in the booth.

With her other hand, she pulled open the next few buttons and then traced blood-red fingernails down the line of his pectoral muscles before they disappeared beneath his shirt.

She made it look like a caress, something bold and playful. It wasn’t completely outrageous considering the tip Nova had just given her, but Tino knew it was something more.

Nova swallowed hard and asked, “ Parli Italiano? ”

“ Sì, parlo Italiano .” She leaned more into him, obviously reaching her hand under his shirt around to his back. Her body was plastered against Nova’s to the point that she lifted her head, arched an eyebrow, and went on Italian, “Enjoy the dance, bello ?”

Nova didn’t say anything.

Carmen kept herself wrapped around him, her hand still threaded underneath his shirt as she reached down, obviously slipping it beneath the lining of his pants and grabbing his ass.

Nova jumped. His gaze narrowed as he barked in Italian, “Obviously, I’m not packing.”

“You sure about that?” Carmen glanced down to his lap again.

Her Italian was much more refined than Lola’s had been, so much so that she could almost pass as someone who spoke it as their first language, like Tino and Nova did.

She gave Nova a smile as she went on, “Glad I could give you something to remember me by.”

Nova flinched.

So did Tino.

They were obviously going to have to tell her who they were, but it still felt awful.

“Ciao, Casanova.” She fell back against the booth, still tucked in right next to Nova, but obviously satisfied he wasn’t hiding weapons. She stared at him again, taking in his outfit. “Nice pants. Did you wear those just for me?”

Tino had to give Nova credit. He just nodded and admitted, “You’re the only one I’d wear them for.”

“Cute.” Carmen reached over once more, leaning into him like she couldn’t resist, this time grabbing Nova’s face and studying him.

She ran a thumb over his lips, and Nova grunted in a way that made Carmen smile as she confessed, “Too bad for me, I’m off gangsters, and my sister knows that.

There is no way in hell she would send candy like you to me.

So, who really sent you? Carlo? Is he hiding in the car?

Scared enough to hide, not scared enough to stay away. That’s unfortunate .”

“You want me to buy you a drink? Fine, let’s get out of here. I’ll buy you dinner, and we’ll talk,” Nova said evenly. “Anywhere you want.”

“No way. Lola told me one of you might try to come get me, that you were worried about me, and I’ll admit, that’s very compelling, Casanova.

I dig it, but I’ll tell you what I told her.

That’s a bad idea. Morettis need to stay in their own lane.

” She gave him an icy look of warning. “So, if you have something to say, then do it and get lost. I didn’t blow your cover, but I will.

Considering you aren’t strapped, that could put you in an uncomfortable situation. ”

Tino arched an eyebrow at her. “Who says we aren’t strapped?”

“Oh, I see how it is. Give the gun to the charming, unsuspecting one. I heard about Heather, and I’m not impressed with that.

My sister says nicer things about you, Tino.

” She stayed curled into Nova, which left all three of them blending in perfectly.

She turned her attention back on Nova and asked, “What bet did you win to be the bait for this little endeavor?”

“I didn’t win anything.” Nova’s voice ached when he said it. “I’m actually here as a friend.”

“Yeah, I know what kind of friend men like you are. Yummy, dangerous friends,” Carmen said it like a woman who knew. “Unfortunately, I don’t get to have friends like you. I’ve been on a diet for a long time now. It’s here or nothing.”

“This isn’t a negotiation. You need to leave with us. Right now,” Nova said in a hard, firm voice. “It’s important.”

“ Not leaving with you is even more important.”

“It’s a safety issue,” Tino cut in since Nova looked so fucking uncomfortable. “We wouldn’t be here, in Tampa , unless it was an emergency.”

“Staying where I am, away from you, is a much larger safety issue.” Carmen sounded confident about it. “And sadly, I can’t explain why. So, you’re just going to have to put your macho bullshit in your back pocket and take my word for it.”

Nova huffed in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. He leaned forward, resting his elbows against the table, and buried his face in his hands. To all the world, he looked as absolutely exasperated as he was—again, completely ruining their cover.

Tino glanced over to the bouncer, seeing that he was frowning. More so, he saw Carmen glance at him, too. The two of them spoke the same language—one that Nova was clearly oblivious to.

“Hey,” Tino snapped at him in a low voice. “Look alive.”

Nova just grunted and fell back against the booth. “We’re at a stalemate ’cause I’m not leaving without you. There’s zero possibility of me walking out of this building unless you’re with me. What’re we going to do about that?”

“Oh, bello . It’s not fair.” She caressed his face again, seeming to really study him. “I know you live in a man’s world, and no one’s taught you to trust a woman. We’ll try something else. I’ll tell you a secret. You want to hear it?”

“I trust women,” Nova said sharply.

“Obviously not.” She held up her hands. “Do you want to hear my secret or not? You’ve come all this way. The least you could do is listen.”

Nova took a long, cooling breath and looked away from her. It was clear he didn’t want to be playing Carmen’s game. It was just very unfortunate that she was as good at it as she was.

“Sure, Carmen, tell me your secret.” Nova’s voice was a growl of frustration before he looked back to her. “And then we’re going to get you out of here, okay?”

She smiled like she didn’t think it was okay at all. Then, she leaned over and whispered in his ear, “I like you.” Her voice was sensual and breathy. Nova flinched like the sound of it affected him as she confessed, “I like you a lot.”

“Look, you don’t have to do this act with me.” Nova seemed unconvinced. “Not that you’re not good at it, but no one can understand us anyway. You can just be authentic.”

“It’s not an act.” She let out a laugh as if insulted. “This is me being authentic.”

“We all know how much you hate Carlo.” Nova raised his eyebrows at her. “He still believes you cursed him.”

“Are you Carlo?” She cozied up to him again and ran a hand down his chest, slipping her fingers beneath his shirt.

She glanced once to her bouncer, who was still watching, and then allowed herself to lean in closer.

She closed her eyes and breathed Nova in, clearly smelling his cologne as she said in a soft voice, “I know what you’ve been doing all this time.

I know you didn’t stop with my father. The rumor is you’ve bought out hundreds.

From the Yakuza. The Cartel. All over. How many have you saved?

I want a number. With that very interesting memory of yours, I know you have it. ”

“Okay, come on.” Nova’s entire body tensed, and he looked away once more, clearly surprised that that was where the conversation landed. “That’s not?—”