The Enforcer (Untamed Hearts Book 3)(53)
“She goes to school with us,” Carina added. “Nonno pays for it. She’s been going since fourth grade.”
“Your mother lets the don pay for your school?” Tino asked in surprise. “Does she know what kinda school it is? My older brother in jail is gonna freak when he finds out, and your mother just sends you because someone pays for it?”
“I don’t think she cares.” Brianna sighed. “Anything that keeps me out of her hair, she’s game for.”
“Except for the urban dance team?”
“Yeah.” Brianna nodded. “It’s stupid. I go to school with every Cosa Nostra * in training, but I can’t try out for a dance team?”
“We signed up for school today. I met your cousin Dominic,” Tino said to Carina. “He’s a real sweetheart.”
Brianna rolled onto her side and propped her face in her hand, because Dominic was annoying on good days. “What happened?”
“Nova kicked the shit outta him.” Tino smiled when he said it. “Broke his nose. I’m sure of it.”
“Madonn’, that’s bad!” Carina laughed anyway. “He thinks he’s in charge. He’s the only son of a don there. I don’t listen to him. I don’t have to, but a lotta people do.”
“Well, someone forgot to give Nova the memo.” Tino was still laughing. “Then your nonno showed up. He had it out with the other don over the fight, and it was pretty fun to watch.”
Brianna realized Tino was a very strong, unshakable, and courageous type of person, and she knew for sure her cheeks were red now, because Dominic Brambino intimidated a lot of students.
Fearless boys were extremely cute boys.
“Would you come with me to try out for the dance team?” Brianna blurted it out because Carina was a bad influence on her more often than not. “They’re trying out this weekend, before the start of school. I already got the invite. I just need someone to go with me.”
“Yeah, sure.” Tino didn’t seem too bothered that a girl he’d known for about five minutes asked him to go with her to a dance tryout as a Moretti bodyguard. “Is your mom dropping us, or are we taking the subway?”
“I usually just take the bus.” Brianna shrugged. “My mother’s not real great for dropping me places.”
“Her ma likes wine more than my ma,” Carina explained in a way Brianna couldn’t. “And my ma likes it a whole lot. Her dad’s a dick too. He has a new family, and they treat her like shit every time she’s over there.”
“Thank you, Carina.” Brianna frowned at her best friend. “Are there any other shitty facts you wanna give him about my life?”
“Her dad’s moving to Texas next month and told her they don’t want her to come with them. The only reason they invited her out to the Hamptons house was to dump her easy before they moved,” Carina added as if she’d missed the sarcasm, though Brianna knew she hadn’t. “He’s an *, but I’m glad you’re not moving, Bri. I’d die if you moved. Actually die. I love you way more than they do.”
“Plus, Texas,” Tino offered with a wince. “Would you wanna move to Texas?”
“No.” She shook her head. “But I’m always really good when I’m at my dad’s house. My best behavior. All the time. I can’t figure out why they don’t like me.”
“Don’t feel bad. My dad tried to kill me this summer,” Tino said it casually, but he looked ahead like he was still very haunted by it. “So, you know…”
“I’m a jerk,” Brianna whispered in horror. Tino was so easygoing she had temporarily forgotten about what happened. “I’m sorry. You must hate me. I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay.” Tino sounded like he meant it. “You didn’t know.” Then he looked past her to Carina and laughed. “Or maybe you did.”
“I was upset.” Carina grimaced in apology at her brother. “And she’s my best friend.”
“I don’t f*cking care.” Tino shrugged. “I didn’t do it. Why the hell am I gonna be embarrassed about it? He did it. He’s the *. Just like your father’s the f*cking *. It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault either. I’m gonna take my shirt off all the time just so everyone can see what a stronzo he is.” He nudged Brianna’s hand. “You wanna see it? My back. It’s sick how bad it is. It’ll totally make you feel better.”
“Okay.” She nodded, because she had heard about the night in the shower, and she couldn’t imagine how someone could get beaten to the point that they nearly bled to death. Then he pulled up his shirt, and she could only stare in awe at the map work of scabs and stitches that covered the full expanse of his back all the way below the waistband of his jeans. “Why aren’t you still in bed? Doesn’t it hurt?”
“It mostly just itches now. The don had plastic surgeons work on it, so it’s a lotta stitches,” he complained as he pulled his shirt fully over his head and tossed it onto the trampoline. Then he turned around to lie down so that his head was resting near the center of the trampoline and his feet were hanging off the side. “It hurts a little. Sometimes more than a little. It’s been a long day. The don took us shopping after he got done chewing out the priest and that Brambino bastard.”