Page 69 of The Enforcer’s Revenge (Untamed Hearts #4)

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

W earing only a fluffy white towel, Tino leaned against the back of the dining room chair he set up in Maria and Tony’s bedroom, having straddled it backward while he drank his coffee and watched the news on a small vintage television beside the window.

“ A manhunt is now underway for Carlo Giovanni Moretti in connection with the string of murders that has terrorized Brooklyn this week. The authorities are appealing to the community for help, but they asked us to remind our viewers that the suspect should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him. Immediately call NYPD or the number on the screen. ”

Tino took a sip of his coffee and stared at an old mugshot of Carlo while the news reporter droned on. Tino guessed he was an older teenager in it, or maybe early twenties. His hair looked like shit. It was all over the place, and his gaze was hard—even for Carlo.

Tino would guess he was a little strung out, though he knew Carlo went down for Felony Battery back in the day, not drugs.

The Don’s fancy lawyers had gotten him off with nothing but parole.

It wasn’t a big deal, especially in their world.

It wasn’t like it was going to hurt his job prospects. If anything, it helped.

But it was a fucking awful picture of him.

Nothing about that image made it difficult to believe his uncle was guilty of the crimes they were accusing him of. Tino was sure Carlo was really pissed that this was how he was being represented to the world—wherever he was.

“If I ever go down, I’m gonna make sure I fix my hair first before they get that mugshot,” Tino mused to himself. “And I’m gonna smile for sure.”

Maria leaned against his bare back, wearing only a thin silk robe that she left open. She caressed his wet hair. “So, how do you want it?”

“None of that old New York shit, that’s for sure.” Tino glanced at her over his shoulder. “I want motherfuckers to know the second they look at me not to fuck with me. We’re in a war now. I have Tony with me. I’m not fucking around with this enforcer thing. I need to look intimidating.”

“That’s a shame.” Maria sighed at that. “You’re so pretty, Tino. You have such a friendly face.”

“I need you to fix that.” Tino kept watching the television even though the news story had changed to something about Art in the Park for the weekend. “And I need you to fix it on Tony, too.”

“It’s easy with Tony. He doesn’t have your natural smile and outgoing nature. Usually, I’m trying to cover up how intimidating he looks, but with you…” Maria caressed his hair again, seeming to ponder it. “Maybe, Matrix ? That’s hard and soft at the same time. It could work on you.”

“I like that.” Tino stared ahead, trying to visualize it.

“I want motherfuckers to think we’re coming out of the Matrix at them.

I could buy more turtlenecks. I look really good in black turtlenecks.

Tony does, too, but we need shorter jackets than they wear, more like mid-length, just for functionality.

We’ll get them custom done, but you know…

” He turned around and frowned at Maria.

“I don’t like those tiny sunglasses they use in the movie. No way.”

“You could do Blade glasses,” Maria offered.

“That works.” Tino took another sip of his coffee cup. “I can definitely do Blade. I’m amazing at armed martial arts.”

“What is armed martial arts?” Maria kept leaning against his back, playing with his wet hair. “And what does it have to do with Blade?

“It’s like it sounds. Armed martial arts are martial arts with weapons, and Blade is great at that, like knives, nunchakus, bo staffs, things like that,” Tino explained to her.

“I didn’t know you did martial arts.”

“What?” Tino turned around and frowned at her. “I’ve been doing martial arts forever. When I was little, I competed nationally, specifically in armed martial arts. I’d still compete now if Cosa Nostra didn’t fuck everything up. It’s, like, a huge thing with me. How did you not know that?”

“Are you an actual black belt?” Maria sounded impressed.

“Sweetheart, I’m higher up than that.” Tino laughed when she looked surprised.

“I’m a third-degree black belt, and that’s just in karate.

I have a whole collection of belts. Martial arts is our thing—for real.

It’s the thing I do with my brothers. That’s how we bond.

We beat on each other almost every day.”

“Sounds horrible.” Maria ran a hand over his chest, trailing it down his stomach muscles. “But I missed you, Tino.”

Tino looked back at her suspiciously and then glanced at Tony when he came walking out of the bathroom. His hair was wet like Tino’s since he used the shower after him, and he had a matching white towel wrapped around his waist. He stopped when he caught the look Tino was giving him.

He pulled back in question and held up his hands. “What?”

“Nothing,” Maria answered for both of them, her fingers tracing the lines of Tino’s stomach muscles.

“We were talking about doing the Matrix for you two. Tino’s thinking more of a Matrix-Blade-hybrid look.

Daddy, we’re gonna make you look so bad-ass and so fine, people are gonna stop on the street to admire you. ”

“Whatever.” Tony scowled when a knock on the door echoed in from the front of the apartment. He looked to Maria in question. “Who is it?”

Maria shrugged. “I’m not expecting anyone.”

“Motherfucker.” Tino pointed past the open door toward the kitchen counter when Tony went to answer it with nothing but a towel for protection. “It could be anyone.”

Tony sighed, looking unconcerned. Tino leaned forward in the chair to watch him walk over and grab his gun off the counter. Tony went to the door then, not bothering with pants, but Tino trusted that he was capable of handling whatever was on the other side.

“People come over all the time,” Maria explained.

“Yeah, I know, I heard things.” Tino went back to watching the news and drinking his coffee. “You’re a naughty girl, mama, and Tony’s just as bad.”

“Hey, I heard things, too.” Maria poked his ribs. “You bought Bobby a top-of-the-line Lexus. What the hell?”

“Maria.” Tino laughed and looked back at her when her hand drifted lower. “Absolutely not.”

“I do nicer things than Bobby does,” she whispered against his ear, a smile sounding in her voice.

“I did more nice things than you did earlier,” Tino reminded her.

“And I will never come back and do them again if you ask me. I’m not kidding.

I just walked away from the woman I love more than air.

I feel like I can’t fucking breathe without her, and I did that shit.

You think I can’t walk out of this apartment and never look back?

Ask me for blow. I dare you. Watch what happens. ”

Maria huffed in annoyance. “You’re no fun.”

“You’re right, I’m not fun. I’m a fucking shit show.” Tino said it with conviction. “Stay on your cleanse. Trust me on this. Don’t fuck it up. It’s not worth it.”

Tino’s voice cracked when he said the last part, and he closed his eyes, fighting against breaking down. It kept hitting him in waves, the pain and worry crashing over him all of a sudden and stealing everything but the darkness.

It all started to feel impossible, like he’d never be happy again. He missed Carlo so much he could hardly function. At least with Brianna, he knew she was going to be okay. She was healing. She had Carina to look out for her.

When Tino thought of Carlo, it was too much, especially with that awful fucking picture and everyone in New York City thinking that was all his uncle was—the mean-looking gangster in the mugshot.

He thought about seeing that picture online years from now, with some writeup about the Brambino murders. Just another paragraph in mafia history next to an ugly mugshot. That was all the world was going to remember about Carlo Moretti if Tino couldn’t find him.

And even if Tino did find him, what then? His picture was all over the fucking news. Every law enforcement agency in New York City was looking for him now.

“I’m sorry about your uncle,” Maria whispered quietly.

Tino nodded and took another sip of his coffee. His voice cracked again when he said, “Yeah,” against the rim of his cup.

He bit the inside of his cheek when the room got blurry. He was trying so hard to pretend none of it was real, but reality kept sneaking in. It would help if he could turn off the news, but he couldn’t stop himself from watching it now that his zio was all they were talking about.

Maria leaned her forehead against his bare back. “I’m a cunt.”

“You’re not a cunt.” Tino shook his head, even as he lost the battle against tears. “I want you to stay clean. I don’t want you to fuck up again like I did.”

“Okay.” Maria lifted her head and touched his cheek. She wiped at the tears and forced Tino to turn back to her. “I won’t fuck up.”

“You promise?”

She nodded and leaned in, pressing her lips against his as she whispered, “I promise.”

Maria threaded her finger into his hair and kissed him even though he still held onto his coffee. Her tongue pushed in past his parted lips, brushing against his over and over. Slow. Sensual, but a little too hungry. Tino knew she could taste the blow, bitter at the back of his throat.

He hadn’t intended to use it while he was staying there.

He knew Maria would notice, but he’d seen Carlo’s mugshot pop up on the news with the report that he was now the prime suspect in the Brambino murders, and that was all it took.

Just because he left the stuff from his pocket in Tony’s car didn’t mean he left behind what he had hiding in the boots he put on before he walked out of the Don’s mansion.

So, he let Maria taste the cocaine on the back of his throat and tried to forget about the mugshot. He was about to lose the towel and give Maria something else to keep her occupied when someone coughed.