Page 64 of The Enforcer’s Revenge (Untamed Hearts #4)

The Don still huffed. “Tino?—”

“If you can’t approve Tony, I get it, but we gotta have Gino or one of your guys drive out to the safe house in Jersey for me.

” Tino just went on like he hadn’t heard him, letting all his exhaustion and defeat flow out.

“They should probably change cars a few times, just to be safe. I’ll give you a list of the different garages and houses where we store our vehicles between here and there, but their last stop has to be a van because the barrels are big, very big , like big enough to fit bodies in without overflowing, plus all the chemicals that we store separately.

I’ll really need two guys ’cause they’re heavy after the bodies dissolve, and your guys don’t work out like Tony does.

They’ll need to grab the protective gear too, and?—”

“Okay, okay!” The Don put his gun in his shoulder holster. “Just, whatever—you’re hired, De Luca. Help Tino. Fix my place. Make this shitshow go away, and we’re good.”

“Great.” Tony smiled, looking thrilled that he got to spend all night dissolving dead bodies.

He walked up and held out his hand once more.

This time, the Don took it, letting Tony shake his hand enthusiastically.

“This is gonna work out.” He leaned down and used his hold on the Don’s hand to kiss his ring.

“You’re looking at your new, best soldier, Don. ”

The Don raised his eyebrows once Tony let him go. “We’ll see.”

He left Tony standing there and patted Tino’s shoulder as he stepped past him on the stairs. “I’m going upstairs to change, then I’m heading back to the other house. Let me know when it’s cleaned up.”

“Yeah, okay,” Tino said casually, but at the same time, he gave Tony a wide-eyed, nervous look, knowing that the Don couldn’t see his face as he started to walk up the stairs.

The two of them were deadly silent, standing there with the two dead Brambinos, until the door closed and the Don’s footsteps echoed all the way down the first-floor hallway.

“Well played.” Tony was the first to break the silence, his voice a low whisper. “I guess he doesn’t like details.”

“Yeah, they don’t like details. It’s ugly. Makes them uncomfortable.” Tino grinned at him. “And look at you, I thought you were gonna suck his dick for a second.”

“Bro wishes I would suck his dick.” Tony’s smile grew wide and mischievous. “He’ll never get that lucky.” He glanced up the stairs. “Whatta fucking sucker.”

Tino put his hands over his face and actually laughed, which was nothing short of amazing. Since raw honesty had gotten him this far, Tino found himself admitting, “I’m in a weird place with you.”

Tony just looked around, arched an eyebrow, and agreed, “True story.”

“I just mean, it’s weird to be so fucking grateful that you’re here.

” Tino had to say it out loud. “And feel so gutted and miserable at the same time. This is a horrible reality, Tony. It’s worse than the Brambinos.

I wasn’t lying about that, and you don’t deserve this.

You’re the last person who deserves it.”

“Look.” He walked up and grabbed Tino’s shoulder, forcing him to stare up into his dark gaze.

“My reality has always sucked. It’s the only thing that was really dependable when I was young, knowing that it all fucking sucked, but I did alright.

I met Maria. I made some friends, and I learned how to make the best of things. ”

Tino took a deep breath. “Yeah, you did. I can’t imagine how any of us would’ve survived all the Brambinos bullshit without you.”

“If you believe that’s true, and you know someone’s gotta be here helping you, why not me, right?

At least you know I got your back.” Tony smiled and admitted, “It’s not selfless or anything.

I can’t sit around crying over all my traumas like other people do.

It’d be nice if I could, but I don’t know how to care about what’s happening to me.

That part of me died way before I can remember having it. ”

Tino knew exactly what Tony was saying. He’d noticed it back in the day. He’d have to be an idiot not to. There was something profoundly wrong with Tony’s wiring, but still.

“That doesn’t make me feel better. If anything, it makes me feel worse. I care what happens to you, even if you don’t. You went through a lot of shit for me. Now this. Why should you have to keep suffering because of my bullshit?”

“That’s just it, though. I have to do something important outside myself, or I’ll go crazy.

Legit. Just taking care of Maria isn’t enough.

I’ve been so fucking bored, Tino. You saw how it was at our place.

We’re on the edge of killing each other because she’s bored, too.

” Tony shook his head, looking lost. “I wasn’t kidding when I told your brother I would turn into Bobby if he didn’t open the books for me.

I’ve been seriously considering it. Bobby keeps bugging me about it.

At least if it’s me, I know he’ll be taken care of.

I don’t trust those guys he’s messing with.

They’re not one of us, but still, that’s probably fucked up.

The Zu got me out of that life. I don’t want him to think it was for nothing. ”

“Who gives a shit what my brother thinks? He’s fucked up, too. We all are.” Tino looked over at the guy Tony just killed to make his bones. “And doing gay porn is probably better than dissolving dead bodies on a regular basis.”

“Are you sure about that?” Tony gave him a look. “Have you seen the shit Bobby’s been making?”

“God, I don’t want to hear about it.” Tino covered his face at that and shook his head. “Do you know how much money I have given him? How many beautiful fucking apartments I’ve put him in?”

“I do know.” Tony laughed. “He loves bragging about it. That’s what keeps him going.”

“Obviously not.” Tino threw up his hands. “He’s always shacking up with these skeezy guys and making whatever the hell you’re watching. Why the fuck are you watching that shit?”

“I was curious.” Tony shrugged, looking unapologetic. “And since we’re on the topic of Bobby’s recreational activities, are you fucking him?”

“What?” Tino barked at him. “I have a girl, remember? The one I can’t get to at the hospital because of all these dead motherfuckers.”

“So you say, but he’s been living better than any trophy wife on the Upper East Side for a long time now.” Tony looked at him pointedly. “And after that kiss, I figured?—”

Tino glared at him. “You figured what?”

“You just showed the fuck up, that’s all. You didn’t do it like you’ve been practicing on a vanilla girlfriend. A little dick never hurt anyone. It’s better than a side chick, right? Not like I’m gonna tell your girl. Who are you talking to right now?”

Tino shook his head, knowing Tony would never get it.

His world was completely upside down, and since he was an enforcer now, Tino could just tell him the truth.

“I use Bobby’s identity to buy enforcer houses and cars.

He has to be driving some of the nice vehicles and living in the upscale apartments or the Feds will think it’s bullshit.

We need a huge amount of resources to do this job well, and we have a lot of money to work with, but I can’t put it all in my name.

You’re going to have to do the same thing if you’re really sticking around.

So, I hope you’ve got some very compliant, starry-eyed twinks in your pocket ’cause you can’t have Bobby.

I’ve been looking for another alternative for a while now. He already owns too much.”

Tony was quiet for a long moment, as though considering the new piece of information, then he snorted. “Wow, that’s some shit, but I guess it makes sense.” He seemed predictably unfazed by something Tino considered a very dark sin. “He flat out told us you bent him for that new Lexus.”

“I figured. I know he lies about it. That’s why I use him, but I assumed you of all people knew it was bullshit.”

“I believed it, man.” Tony laughed. “Maria did, too. That’s why she lit up like Christmas came early when you got to our place.”

“Honestly, it’d be kinder to bend him.” Tino was genuinely ashamed of the truth of it.

“I feel like an asshole using him for all the shit I’m buying to do enforcer work.

It’s almost awful how easy he makes it on me.

I’ve been doing it for years, and no one questions it.

Bobby’s fucking gorgeous, so it works. Hey, has Maria been doing that?

” Tino asked as an afterthought, thinking of the apartment again.

“I never thought to ask him where he’s spending his spa days, but now that I’ve seen your apartment… ”

“Yeah, he’s over at our place a couple of times a week now that he’s internet famous.”

“He looks great, even if he’s still got bad habits.

Not that I can fucking judge.” Tino looked down at himself because he had never gotten that shower earlier.

He glanced back at Tony, who looked cover model perfect in contrast, extra tan, with that designer haircut and teeth bleached white, but not to the point that his smile seemed fake.

Like the apartment, everything about him looked natural and gorgeous because of it.

“She does a good job on you, too. It shocked me a little when I saw you at the coffee shop a few months ago. I hadn’t seen you since your rebel, skater-boy phase.

I mean, that worked in a different way. A party-boy way.

It all works on you for some reason, but I like the shorter hair.

She has you wearing casual Armani now. Even your jeans are designer. ”

“Yeah, she’s got that old New York fixation going.”

“Less glitter, more soft filter,” Tino remembered. “You like it?”

“It’s whatever. It keeps her entertained. If her cleanse ends, the Armani is done. It’ll for sure be some sort of clubbing, party-boy look.”

“You just let her do whatever the fuck she wants. You don’t care?” Tino asked curiously. “You don’t look in the mirror and have an opinion about the guy looking back at you?”

“Nope.”

“Well, I care.” Tino looked down at himself again, feeling dirty and disgusting.

“She’d do it for you, too. She’s missed you—a lot. You were always one of her favorite projects.”

“I know, but I also remember what happens on spa days.” Tino arched an eyebrow at him.

“You used to like spa days,” Tony reminded him. “So did Lola.”

Tino sighed, knowing he needed to address the elephant in the room. Since he went ahead and blew up Tony’s life, they were going to be spending a lot of time together. He wanted things to be good with him, and he didn’t want Tony’s memories of Lola to be bitter.

“You see how crazy my zio went on the Brambinos. Lola was protecting you by avoiding you,” Tino assured him.

“That doesn’t mean she didn’t care about you guys, and I’m in the same boat.

It is way too easy for me to be around Maria.

Like, it blows me away how easy, even now, years later, and I am a hundred percent certain Lola felt the same about you.

We were both in exclusive relationships.

There’s no fucking way either of us could just show up for a spa day and let Maria pull out the hot wax.

That is a different part of our brains, a different life.

It’s like Maria’s cleanse. We had to stay away from our old friends.

I barely got out of that apartment today without letting Maria crawl in the shower with me.

She would have if I hadn’t gotten that text, and I probably would’ve let her ’cause she’s used to getting what she wants from me. ”

Tony tilted his head at that. “That’s probably true.”

“Spa days are the only nice memories I have about that time, and I know Lola felt the same. You two made some of the most horrible shit bearable. You took care of us. You got us through so much. I’ll never stop being grateful, but Maria is so good at her shit.

I know you don’t get it, because her shit is your shit, and you’re better at it than she is, but I wasn’t lying about me and my girl not sharing.

Despite what Bobby’s told you, I haven’t bent anyone but Brianna for years now. We are very exclusive.”

“I guess you are. That is…” Tony shook his head, “…really far out.”

“It’s not, though. Real people do that stuff,” Tino assured him. “She is the one normal part of my life.”

Tino turned around after he said it and found the large pool of blood— Brianna’s blood .

He stared at all the abandoned, bloody medical supplies, having forgotten for a moment. Tony was good at distracting him from horrible shit. It was one of his more well-honed skills, but it came back at Tino in a rush.

All of it.

Everything he’d put Brianna through since that first time in a partially remodeled walk-up in the meat-packing district.

“She’s not that vanilla,” he whispered.

“What?”

Tino looked back to Tony. “My girl. You said she was vanilla, but she’s not. I dumped a lot of our shit on her.”

Tony raised his eyebrows. “I guess that makes it easier.”

“It doesn’t.” Tino shook his head, the guilt creeping up the back of his neck, white-hot and agonizing. “I think it was kinda wrong. She was a real honest-to-God good girl, and look at this.”

“You didn’t do that, Tino,” Tony whispered.

“Didn’t I?” Tino held up his hand to the pools of Brianna’s blood. “I think I did, and if she’d have died, I would’ve blown my brains out with that last bullet. Fuck Nova. Fuck all of this. I wouldn’t be here. I don’t want to be here right now.”

Just as he said it, from very far away, he heard the Don call out, “TINO!”

Tino groaned and dropped his head back. “Cazzo.”

“One step at a time,” Tony reminded him. “Get all these motherfuckers to leave. Send your brother home to rest. I’m sure Carmen would love to tuck him in, and then we can clean this shit up. We’re good. I didn’t mean to make it harder on you. I get it.”

Tino nodded and headed for the stairs to deal with the Don, repeating to himself, “Just one step at a time.”

“Let’s get it done, and then I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

“Grazie,” Tino whispered, meaning it with every ounce of his being. “I really have missed you, Tony.”

“Good thing.” Tony snorted. “’Cause you’re stuck with me now.”