The Enforcer (Untamed Hearts Book 3)(33)

“Broke it jumping off the landing.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Like a bitch.”

“Your arm’s bleeding. Do you want me to get the first-aid kit?” she asked as she tilted her head and looked at his arm.

Tino shrugged. “Sure.”

Not like he had anything else to do.



“Got it,” his sister Carina announced when she came back into the room ten minutes later, carrying a big box of supplies. She was breathless, as if she’d run the whole way back. “I brought pens to sign your cast, and my zio gave me some temporary tattoos to piss my ma off. Maybe we can decorate your new room or something.”

“Why would a gift piss your ma off?” Tino asked from his spot on the floor, because the couch had boxes on it and moving boxes while on crutches was not easy.

Carina didn’t explain as she sat down next to him. She pulled the first-aid kit out of the box and opened it as she said, “I have a best friend. She’s my BFF forever.”

“Doesn’t the last F stand for forever? So she’s your best friend forever forever?” Tino asked with a frown as Carina grabbed his arm and then sprayed something on it that made him grunt. “Son of a bitch.”

“I’d take a bullet for her,” Carina went on as she ignored his pain. “So I don’t need your brother to be my brother. Brianna’s like my sister. My real sister. I don’t need him.”

Were they still talking about Nova? He must have left a lasting impression. “What did he say to you?”

“I came up here to say hi. I was real nice too, even if he made my ma drink the whole damn box of wine, and he told me to take my spoiled guinea-pig ass back where it came from.”

Wow, that was ghetto, even for Nova.

She glared at Tino as if he was the guilty party. “I know what it means.”

“I’m sorry,” Tino said as his sister put a bandage on his arm. “He’s having a bad day.”

“I hate him.”

“I guess,” Tino agreed. He’d probably hate Nova too if that was the first thing Nova ever said to him. “I don’t like that term. I never say it.”

“I don’t like it either,” she whispered and sat cross-legged in front of him. “Do you think I’m too dark?”

“What?” Tino frowned at her again. She was dark by Italian standards, very Sicilian looking, with long black hair that was thick, shiny, and wavy. She was tan too, probably because of the pool, but he wasn’t sure why it was an issue. “Why do you think it matters?”

“My ma has blonde hair. Real blonde. She calls me a little guinea. Says I’m dark like my daddy. I never believed her, but now your brother—”

“Look, Nova didn’t know you were sensitive about it,” Tino promised her. “And who the f*ck is he to be calling anyone a guinea? Tell him to look in the friggin’ mirror the next time he says it.”

“My ma freaked when she saw him,” she whispered softly.

“Yeah, I bet.” Tino studied Carina again, who, up close, looked so much like Nova it was bizarre. Only she was petite and feminine in a way Nova would never be, and it was sorta freaking Tino out, like seeing what his brother would look like as a girl, so he asked, “How old are you?”

“Twelve.”

“Get out!” Tino shouted, first because she was so small and second because, “I’m twelve!”

“Whoa, you’re pretty big for twelve,” she said in surprise. “When’s your birthday?”

“November.”

“Mine’s in December.”

The two of them sat there in shock for one long moment before Tino pointed out, “That is f*cked-up.”

“We’re like twins,” Carina decided, ignoring that their father knocked up their mothers at almost the same time. “Cosmic twins.”

“This is freaky.” Tino was still trying to wrap his mind around having a sister he didn’t know about.

Who looked like Nova.

And was only a month younger than him.

“I should decorate your cast,” Carina announced as she reached into her box of supplies and pulled out a handful of pens. “I grabbed metallic, so they’ll show up on the black. I wonder what would happen if we put temporary tattoos on it. You think we could get them to stick? Would you let me try?”

“Sure. I got no friends here. The only one who’s signing it is you, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Carina pulled out a big plastic container of temporary tattoos. “Two thousand.” She held it out to Tino. “My record is five hundred.”

Tino took the container, seeing that they were all butterflies and flowers. “Record for what?”

“Most tattoos at one time.”

“You put five hundred tattoos on at one time?” Tino laughed, his eyes wide. “No wonder your ma hates them.”

“Sarah Rapoli dared me once in second grade. I had a whole pack. She said I wouldn’t do it.” Carina gave him a smug smile. “I did it.”

“You got stugots,” Tino whispered, remembering his father saying it outside.

“Gross.” Carina uncapped a shiny pink pen. “You sure I can decorate it? Any way I want?”