Page 46 of The Enforcer’s Revenge (Untamed Hearts #4)

Carlo scowled at Tino like he wasn’t sure. Then he glanced at his cards once more and decided, “Yeah, I’ll see your twenty and raise you ten.”

Tino winced, but he stayed quiet—about a lot of things.

By the time Tony got back, Carlo was pissed about something totally different than Tony’s sexual history.

“You are a cheater. You have to be a fucking cheater. You just threw away three fucking cards, and somehow you made a straight flush. That’s bullshit.”

“How else is someone supposed to get a straight flush in this game?” Nova asked while he sat there happily straightening out his money.

“You deal the cards, I throw some away, and then you deal me more. That’s how I make my hand.

There’s not a secret extra step to making a straight flush that you missed seeing. ”

“And why doesn’t he ever lose two hundred bucks?” Carlo pointed at Tino. “He’s in on it.”

Nova laughed. “You’re dealing, paisan.”

“Why don’t you just fold when I fold?” Tino suggested.

“’Cause you always fucking fold!”

“And that’s why I don’t lose two hundred bucks every hand.” Tino took his coffee and gave Tony a genuine smile, pleased now that he had a fresh one. “Grazie.”

“We could switch to seven-card stud if you’re so pissed off about it.” Nova gave him a dark smile. “Then you can see most of my cards.”

“Fuck you,” Carlo growled. “Only a fucking moron plays seven-card stud with you.” He took the drink Tony put in front of him and mumbled, “Grazie.”

“For the Zu.” Tony put the tallest cup in front of Nova. “Jamaican Blue Mountain. Black.”

“Perfect,” Nova said, like he could tell the difference. “Grazie. We’ll let Tony pick the next game.”

Tony sat down between Tino and Nova, a large cup in his hand, and took a long drink. “I’m game for seven-card stud.”

“Man, for real?” Carlo growled at him. “I’m trying to like you.”

Tony laughed, completely unapologetic. “I know how to lose for the right reasons.”

“Thank you.” Tino held out his hand, and Tony smacked it under the table. Then Tino pointed at his uncle. “That’s your problem. You don’t know how to lose. Instead, you fuck yourself trying to win something you know is impossible.”

Carlo obviously couldn’t argue with that.

So, they played seven-card stud.

And Nova annihilated them.

Six games in, Carlo had to bum money off Nova to keep playing, except Nova charged interest ’cause he was a motherfucker about these things.

Which made Carlo a motherfucker.

It was when Carlo was dealing their seventh hand that he finally blurted what all of them had been wondering, “Tony, can you please just ask him ’cause I’m tired of taking it for your goddamn favor.”

“You should probably ask. Things are about to go south,” Tino warned Tony. “He’s in over two grand.”

Tony had been playing his game the whole time, but it wasn’t cards.

Nova was in a really fantastic mood.

He just loved winning at cards. Tino wasn’t sure why it pleased his brother so much, but it did, and most people weren’t willing to lose to him for this long.

Now, there were three of them sitting there playing seven-card stud, letting Nova collect thousands just for the fun of it.

Tony could’ve asked him for anything.

Nova looked over at Tony while Carlo finished dealing. “Go for it.”

Tony shrugged before he confessed, “It’s actually not a favor, more like an offer.”

“Even better.” Nova left a few of the bills out but put the rest in his money clip, which was even thicker than usual. He placed a ten in the ante pile. “Let’s hear it.”

“I want in,” Tony said simply and threw in his ten dollars.

“In on what?” Nova glanced at his cards, still appearing very content and casual.

Tony looked at the two cards Carlo dealt him face down and then, like he was discussing the weather, said, “When you open the books, I want a spot.”

That stopped the game cold in its tracks.

And Tino mentally corrected himself.

Tony could’ve asked Nova for anything except that .

The Morettis didn’t need new blood. They had plenty of their own, and because of that, their books were rarely open.

Tino wasn’t usually in on that side of the business, so he wasn’t positive when the last ceremony was, but he was fairly sure the last two members of their Borgata to get made were him and Nova.

There were members of their own family bugging Nova for that honor.

For an outsider to sit down and ask… was unheard of.

Nova lifted his head and stared at Tony like he was nuts, which was probably exactly how Tino looked, but it was Carlo who said something.

“Check your driver’s license.” Carlo snorted as he turned to Tony. “You’re sitting at the wrong table, playing cards with the wrong fucking family. You want to get made? Go talk to your father.”

Nova glanced to the side, looking suddenly paranoid and a lot less pleased about his big winning streak. Then he leaned forward and growled, “Did you talk to your old man? Did you make him that offer?”

“You think I’d go to the mattresses for my father?

I wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire,” Tony growled like he meant it.

“I’ve been working for the Savios since you got us out.

They offered me a spot, but once I commit, there’s no going back.

So I have to try. You’re the one I wanna work for, Zu. ”

“I want to know which Savio offered you a spot.” Nova leaned in closer, sounding really dangerous all of a sudden. “’Cause that’s like pissing on my fucking shoes. That motherfucker just said ‘fuck you’ to the agreement I made when I got you out.”

“What am I supposed to do? I got nothing now. I got no purpose. I need something to do before I turn into Bobby.”

“Why is this an issue with all of you? Why can’t you just find a fucking hobby?”

“Vengeance is my hobby,” Tony said darkly.

Carlo laughed. “Not so sweet now, is he?”

“You want to know what my hobby was? Protecting my family. My real family. The ones who didn’t have anyone else to protect them.

” Tony ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face, and the look in his dark gaze made him seem almost exposed, which was unusual for him.

“Then you stepped in and made sure they didn’t need to be protected anymore.

I’m grateful. We’re all grateful. Don’t think we’re not, but I can’t live like this.

I’d be a good soldier for you, Zu, you know I would. ”

Nova leaned back in his chair, and he considered Tony for a long time before he shook his head. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t, Tony. The Savios are fucking insane to make you that offer. You must be doing some amazing work for them because if your family finds out?—”

“They’re not my family,” Tony grated out through clenched teeth. “Fuck the De Lucas. They never helped me, and they never helped my friends. The Morettis did.”

“They didn’t know.” Nova held up his hand. “Or maybe they would have stepped in.”

“You think in all those years that I didn’t go through something with the Brambinos that made begging my father for help the better option?” Tony asked in a low, vicious voice. “He knew, Zu. He knew for a long time before you showed up.”

The raw honesty in his words was blatant, and they all flinched, because that was harsh—even for Cosa Nostra.

Luckily, Tino never had the balls to go to Frankie or the Don. He would never know how fucking pissed off he would’ve been if he asked them for help and the motherfuckers denied him.

“Dante didn’t know,” Nova said after a long moment. “I know he didn’t. I’m not making excuses for the De Lucas. That’s between them and God, but I do know your brother had no idea you existed until I told him.”

“So, you won’t help me? That’s what you’re saying? ’Cause of some fucking political loyalty to Dante?”

“Help you get made? No, Tony, I won’t. Even if it wouldn’t piss your brother off, which, incidentally, it would, I’m not helping you sign your fucking life away to a Borgata you’re not even indebted to.

I can’t believe the Savios are willing to do it.

They’re breaking the deal with me and using a motherfucking De Luca to do their dirty work. They’re nuts. How’d you get in?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yeah, it fucking matters. What? Did Maria Mazza get you in? She got you a sit-down with Daddy Mazza, the Consigliere? She probably told him all about how you protected her on the inside, using it as leverage to get you a job with the Savios,” Nova guessed, and something in Tony’s look must’ve confirmed he was correct.

“You’re not doing Maria any favors by giving Dante one more reason to hate her Borgata.

Things are already tense between the Savios and the De Lucas. Very tense .”

“Look, Zu, all I know is that the day’s gonna come when the Brambinos are at war with someone.

” Tony made it obvious he was very serious about his vengeance hobby.

“And I plan to be on the team I’m fucking certain will be on the other side.

The Savios don’t like them either, not even a little, but the Morettis are the front line. ”

“So, this is revenge against the Brambinos? You’re planning ahead, getting ready, putting all your pieces in the right places to strike?”

Nova had the balls to sound indignant about it, and something about that really grated on Tino.

If he wasn’t neck deep in Moretti bullshit every fucking day of the week, Tino would be working on an anger hobby and long-term Brambino revenge plan too.

He understood completely, and he honestly couldn’t believe Nova didn’t.

“Maybe he has a reason for it? Ever think of that?” Tino asked, knowing his voice sounded sharp. “’Cause you’re standing pretty fucking tall on that soap box, Casanova.”

“Okay, this is personal.” Nova sighed. “And I don’t want to play, I really don’t.”

“Yeah, how inconvenient for you,” Tino snapped at him. “Sucks when business gets personal.”

“You’re siding with him ’cause he used to wear a band? That’s how it’s going down?”