The Enforcer (Untamed Hearts Book 3)(140)

“I’m pretty sure Tino would be right where you see him if Dyker Heights never happened,” Nova said, though there was a haunted sound to his voice like he understood this lie Tino created was what he thought would’ve happened. What Tino should’ve been, which was the exact opposite of who he actually was. For the first time, Tino realized Nova had believed it too. Seen what he wanted to see and ignored the rest that was too painful to deal with until Tino flat-out told him in the hallway that it was a lie. “This is where he’s supposed to be.”

“Drinking and partying his ass off all night?” Romeo sounded miserable at the notion.

“There are worse things,” Nova said distantly. “There are a lot worse things, Rome.”

Tino felt guilty.

He’d let the anger get the most of him, and he probably shouldn’t have admitted to Nova that it was all a carefully designed lie. He understood wanting to believe it, even knowing how untrue it was. Sometimes Tino almost believed it too.

“You wanna hear my story or what?” Tino asked the table. “It’s gonna shock the shit outta you.”

“Yeah, man, tell us your f*cking story,” Angelo agreed as he took a bite of his eggs. “It’s too early for things to get this intense.”

“I met this chick, right? She was hot too. You gotta remember that. So we’re dancing, and she’s on my shit. She wants it—”

“Oh Jesus,” Romeo groaned from the kitchen. “I hate these f*cking stories, Valentino. I’d almost rather go back to Angelo bitching about not getting enough dirty money.”

“Stai zitto.” Angelo threw up his hands at Romeo and then looked back to Tino. “So she’s up on your shit.”

“Like f*cking glue. On me.” Tino waggled his eyebrows at Angelo, all the while feeling Nova’s intense stare and Romeo’s annoyance. “And I’m like, hey, why the f*ck not, right? I ask her if she wants to take off. We can go to my place or—”

“Your place?” Romeo barked.

Tino rolled his eyes. “Relax. I don’t f*ck here. I go to Nova’s.”

Nova was quiet rather than argue that Tino had never brought a woman over. When Romeo put a plate in front him, Nova said, “Grazie,” still looking very distracted. Then Romeo hit the back of Nova’s head, and he grunted. “What?”

“You let him bring women over?”

Nova held up his hand, like he didn’t understand the problem, even if his gaze was still haunted and distant. “Who am I to tell him what to do?”

“No shit,” Tino mumbled under his breath, keeping to himself that he’d modeled half his fictionally bad sexual behavior after Nova at eighteen.

Nova at twenty was much more reserved.

Sort of like the ecstasy that disappeared out of his life like he’d never loved it to begin with. Nova just gave up partying after the fallout in the Savios’ basement. Like he was punishing himself, even though the Savios’ basement wasn’t his fault any more than Mary was.

Now Nova’s life was nothing but work and family.

“So anyway,” Tino went on with a pointed look at Romeo for ruining his punch line. “I ask her if she wants to take off, and she says to me, ‘I’ll go home with you, but only if you promise me one thing.’”

Angelo leaned forward in anticipation, and even Nova dropped the ice and looked at Tino curiously.

“She says, ‘I’ll only f*ck you if you promise’”—Tino stopped rather than go on. Angelo held up his hand, and Tino waggled his eyebrows—“‘to come on my face.’”

“Valentino!” Romeo shouted.

At the same time Angelo slid his chair back with a loud screech across the marble. “Get the f*ck out! No!”

“What the f*ck?” Nova shook his head and agreed with Angelo, “No. She wants you to come on her face or she won’t f*ck you? You’re making that shit up.”

“My hand to God.” Tino raised his hand. “On Ma’s grave.”

Nova hit his shoulder the second the words left Tino’s mouth.

Romeo practically jumped over the kitchen counter to smack the back of his head. “You don’t swear on Ma for something like that!”

Tino leaped out of the chair and dodged a genuine hit from Romeo. Except Nova was helping him and grabbed Tino’s sleeve. Tino had to kick Nova’s thigh to break free. By some miracle he managed to get away from both of them, cleared the table, and ran into the living room, laughing his ass off.

When he took to the couch, Romeo shouted, “Valentino! No!”

He jumped up onto the edge of it so that he was towering over all of them. “Dare me!” he told Angelo, who was the only one not totally disgusted with him.

“No!” Nova shouted before Angelo could dare him. “You’re gonna bust your ass. Don’t you f*cking dare him, Angelo!”

“Go for it!” Angelo shouted.

So Tino did it, a full front tuck off the edge of the couch. He should’ve busted his ass in such a small area, but life had taught him how to land on his feet even when it should be impossible.

Both his brothers shouted as he did it, and stood there pissed when Angelo came up and gave Tino a high five after he threw up his hands in triumph.

Then Angelo asked, “Did you do it? On her face?”