Page 33 of The Enforcer’s Revenge (Untamed Hearts #4)
“I like you as much as any of the others you tried to save. Maybe I like you more, saving all my circle brothers and sisters like that, and you have such nice energy because of it. I admire you very much,” she cut him off, making it clear she didn’t care how awkward her gratitude made him feel.
“He let me keep the money, you know? I can’t spend it, but I’ve still got all these pretty little dollars in a bank account to look at.
I get to log into it and think about you.
Now here you are, all warm and spicy. I don’t want you to get hurt.
You matter.” She touched his bottom lip again and said with a stunning amount of sincerity, “You matter to all of us very much.”
“If I matter so much, you should believe me and leave with me right now,” he whispered, not fighting her touch, even if it was clearly leaving him on edge.
“And what do you mean by ‘ he let you keep it ’? Who’s he?
Why can’t you spend it? Is someone trying to take your money away from you?
Is someone controlling you? Threatening you?
That’s against the agreement. You shouldn’t even be here.
I have every right to drag you out of this club. ”
“Well, my goodness.” Carmen’s smile grew broader, making her face light up. Like Lola, when her smile was genuine, it made her almost too beautiful to be real. “Yummy.”
“It’s not yummy, Carmen. It pisses me off,” Nova warned her in a low growl. “According to the commission, you’re mine to protect.”
The more Nova worked himself up, the more enamored it seemed she became.
“Oh, bello. You have to know, if I’m not walking out of here with you, there’s a very good reason.
You need to leave. Take Tino and go back to New York, where you’re safe.
I know what a good partner he was to Lola once upon a time.
My sister will never forgive me if I don’t look out for him—and you. ”
Tino nearly blew their cover at the mention of Lola.
It felt like she’d stabbed him and turned the knife.
Nova looked ill, too. He considered Carmen for a second before he leaned up and reached into his pocket, pulling out his money roll.
“What are you doing?” Carmen choked as Nova slipped several hundred-dollar bills out of the fold and held them up.
She glanced back to the bouncer and then whispered under her breath, “You’re not listening to me.
They’ll make me go back with you. They’ll expect it.
Fine for the ordinary, but that doesn’t always end well for pretty Siciliani with interesting last names.
Get it? Just tell me here if it’s so important. ”
“I’m done playing this game with you. Leave with us.” Nova was unflinching as he said it. “Right now.”
She shook her head, eyes wild with panic. “No. I can’t leave with two Morettis—especially you two. It would ruin everything. How many times do I have to tell you? You’re going to get hurt. I thought you were smart.”
“Listen to me,” Nova said in his Zu voice, low and commanding as he leaned into her, “on my mother’s grave, this is important, and what I have to tell you needs to be done in private.
So, it’s either leave with me now, or we’re going into that room, and I don’t want that to happen.
Not even a little. I am easily the most uncomfortable person in this situation. ”
She couldn’t respond because the waitress showed up and looked between them curiously. “You want me to give it to the bar to book a room?”
Carmen’s breathing was harsh. She glanced behind her, looking to the bouncer.
Then she reached up and touched Nova’s face again, caressing his cheek.
Tino realized she was trying to decide if she should expose them, leave with them, or go in back with Nova to keep the secret of them being there without pissing off her Borgata.
“He watches, and he has had his eye on you from the moment you walked in.” She glanced down at his lap. “He doesn’t know who you are, but you look very pretty in those pants, like you’re just waiting to be taken advantage of. It’ll do it for him, I promise.”
“Please leave with us,” Nova begged, sounding anxious. “I’m not good at this.”
“I can’t leave with you.” Carmen grabbed the money out of Nova’s hand and handed it to the waitress as she said in English, “Give us the VIP room.”
“Sure.”
The waitress leaned into Tino and asked, “Does he want to buy her a drink?” because that was the game these clubs played. Nickels and dimes added up, too, and most strippers had quotas on the drinks.
Tino shrugged, feeling gutted for both of them. “I guess.”
He was the one who paid for the drink while Carmen and Nova slid out of the booth.
“Does he speak Italian?” Nova asked.
Carmen nodded. “Not like you, but he does pretty well.”
Nova grabbed her arm gently, holding her back, and asked, “?Qué pasa con el espanol? ”
“No.” Carmen looked stunned as the two of them started walking again. “ Solo Italiano. ”
Tino wasn’t sure if she was shocked he spoke Spanish, which really, she shouldn’t be. Or if she was surprised he sounded Dominican when he did it. Lola obviously didn’t mention that Nova could do that little trick when she told her sister about his memory.
Tino watched them stop at the bar.
Carmen picked up the drink Tino brought her before they headed into the back.
The bouncer left the floor, too, as if the other girls didn’t matter.
Tino glanced around, seeing another guy in the corner keeping an eye on things, making Tino think the first guy may be there to manage Carmen exclusively.
That was strange.
Exclusive muscle was expensive. Carmen was drop-dead gorgeous, but even still… Tino was very nervous.