The Enforcer (Untamed Hearts Book 3)(13)

Tino waved her off, making it clear without saying he knew the real reason she was mad. Then he said to his friend Alaine, “Tell Chu to protect my sister.”

“Is Brianna the dancer?” Alaine asked him.

Tino nodded. “She’s the dancer.”

“You talked about me?” Brianna whispered as the tears rolled down her face without warning.

“Yeah, I talked about you.” Tino’s eyes were still glassy as he gave Brianna one of those heart-stopping smiles that always made her breathless. He held out his hand. “Give me your cell phone.”

Brianna reached into the bag and pulled her phone out of its case, because she might still need the cash or cards in the wallet portion. Then she handed her phone to Tino, knowing that she was putting her entire life in his palm.

“Where are you going? At least tell me where you’re going,” Alaine said quickly. “I have to tell them something.”

“To get Patrón,” he said cryptically. “Tell Nova I’ll call him.”

“No.” Alaine shook her head frantically. “No, you’re not allowed to get Patrón, because—”

Tino dropped the phones on the ground, abandoning both their lives without hesitating, and shut the door before his friend Alaine could give him a better reason to stay.

Brianna looked back and watched his life disappear behind them as he peeled out of the parking lot.

He drove like his sister did, fast and aggressive, as if they were on a battlefield instead of a road. Brianna was fairly certain it was their fault she never got a driver’s license.

The Morettis could put anyone off driving.

The gym had long since disappeared before she turned around and took in the interior of Tino’s car that was top-of-the-line. He obviously spared no expense and purchased every bell and whistle available.

“Sorta obvious, an SUV,” she mumbled as she stared at the GPS. “Should’ve gotten something small, like a Porsche or—”

“I bought it because I babysit my nephews. My sister-in-law works a lot, and Romeo teaches at the Cellar.” He gestured to the backseat. “Usually there are car seats in the back. It’s a family car. I’m not using it to hide bodies, Brianna.”

“I wasn’t saying anything about bodies,” she said defensively. “It’s just, typically, Cosa Nostra likes luxury SUVs. Makes you obvious.”

“Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?” Tino asked her sharply.

“No.” She shook her head but then glanced around the car again. “But have you swept it?”

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Tino growled. “Yes, I swept it. I just drove it back from Miami with Nova in tow. Trust me, this car is very clean.”

“Why were you and Nova in Miami?” she asked curiously.

“For a wedding.”

Brianna finally turned and looked at him. She silently stared, studying the hard line of his jaw that flexed like he was grinding his teeth. He did it in his sleep too, like there were a thousand lies and a thousand more secrets trying to escape.

Tino wore a fitted leather jacket that made his broad shoulders look even more imposing. He had always been unusually good-looking. Most Morettis were, but Tino was something more. So beautiful he’d seemed too handsome to be real, but now he appeared larger than she remembered, stronger and more intimidating. He was very tan, as if he’d found a beach somewhere, and the extra color looked great on him.

Sunshine had always been Tino’s friend.

“What?” he snapped at her, obviously feeling exposed under her scrutiny.

“Nothing.” She shook her head. “I was just thinking you look healthy.”

He glanced at her and then admitted, “I gave up blow.”

“Well, it shows. You look good, Tino,” she whispered. “I’m glad.” She had to choke back the sob as tears spilled down her cheeks. “You got out. You got healthy. You found the life you were supposed to have, and now—”

“Bri, don’t.” He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “I can’t handle playing this game right now.”

“I’m playing a game? It’s your grandfather who did this!” she shouted when his annoyance got under her skin more than it should. “Stop the car. Let me out and go back to your life. I’m not stopping you. Let me go save Carina. She’ll be miserable at Romeo’s house. That is the worst idea I have ever heard in my life!”

“You’re worried about Carina?” he asked in disbelief. “Worry about yourself, Brianna! Worry about the fact that I should’ve left you back there with her. Ask yourself that question. Why I spared my sister and dragged you along? Sit there and think about that. Carina has always been half your problem.”

“What’s the other half?” she couldn’t resist asking.

“You know what the other half is,” he said with a glare. “You have bad taste in friends. You have worse taste in lovers.”

“Carina dropped everything to come get me.” Brianna couldn’t help but defend her best friend. “She left her gig and—”

Tino snorted. “Her nonno put out a hit on you!”

“That’s not her fault!”

“If you had never met her, where do you think you’d be right now?” Tino asked simply, as if he had asked himself that question a million times. “Where would you be if you never met me? If you never came to the walk-up with me that day? You think you’d have a price on your head? You think anyone in the Borgata would give a shit about one Broadway girl from Dyker Heights?”