The Enforcer (Untamed Hearts Book 3)(66)

“Thought what?” Nova asked in disbelief. “They can’t legally put you in solitary without a good reason.”

“I thought maybe they were f*cking with me to get you.” Romeo whispered it like he was confessing a sin. “But I’d rather they kill me than let them have you. You’re keeping your promise, right?” Nova was quiet long enough for Romeo to growl, “Casanova!”

“Yes, I’m keeping it,” Nova said without looking at him. “Are they hurting you? Is someone in here f*cking with you? That’s not supposed to be happening.” Now Romeo was quiet for a long time. He looked at the table, and Nova snapped, “Romeo!”

“Not yet,” Romeo said, but Tino knew it was a lie. “They just put me in solitary.”

“Promise that’s it?” Nova asked him harshly. “You swear on Ma’s grave?”

Romeo nodded. “Yeah, I swear.”

Tino turned to look at Nova, seeing if he believed the bullshit despite the big-ass bruise on Romeo’s arm.

“They’re not trying to get you?” Romeo asked him and then glanced at the lawyer hesitantly even though they were speaking in Italian. Not that it made a whole lot of difference. Nova told Tino they taped these rooms, and were likely going to translate it. “They’re not telling you things?”

“I made a promise, okay?” Nova said it like he believed it. “Don’t worry about me. I’m good.”

Romeo turned to Tino and asked, “And you’re good?”

Tino could see how worn down Romeo was, how much jail was taking it out of his big, strong brother who was supposed to be unshakeable. Still, Romeo would rather be beaten to death than let the mafia get ahold of Nova.

There was something to be said for that.

It was noble.

Stupid and pointless, but noble.

Tino understood now why Carlo called their lives Neverland.

People on the outside didn’t understand.

Romeo included.

They were trapped in another world. A secret world that no one, not even his older brother, was allowed to know about.

Tino gave him his best little-brother smile. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Really?” Romeo asked like he couldn’t see the lie in Tino’s smile. Maybe he didn’t want to see it as he rubbed at his arm. “I just want you to be safe. I want you to stay outta trouble. I want you to be happy.”

“I’ll be safe. Nova’s got my back,” Tino promised him, even if it was the biggest lie he had ever told in his life, and then said in English, “Just, you know, get the f*ck outta here as fast as you can. I can only take so much Brooklyn.”

“You’ll be happy?” Romeo asked again. “And you’ll help Nova? You’ll make sure he doesn’t get too angry? You’ll make him laugh. He needs to laugh, Valentino.”

Tino smiled at him again rather than tell another lie.

“Okay,” Nova agreed for Tino as he ran his hand over the folders in front of him and said in English, “I’m gonna hire you a different criminal attorney. We know someone better.” He looked to Abram. “Right?”

Abram nodded confidently. “Yeah, we got someone.”

“So it’s all good. Tino’s good,” Nova decided for all of them. “I got his back. He’s got mine. We’ll hire you a better attorney, and we’ll all be okay.”

Tino was the only one who knew they were f*cking liars.

All three of them.





Chapter Twenty


Dyker Heights, New York

April 2006

“What’s gonna happen when Romeo comes home?” Tino played with the leather band on his wrist as he watched Nova pull on a black shirt. “I mean, seriously, what the f*ck are we gonna do about that, Nova?”

“I’ll figure it out.” Nova walked to the mirror in the bathroom and worked on his hair. “Don’t worry about it.”

Is he joking?

Romeo was getting out in two weeks.

They had absolutely no game plan to hide the fact that everything they had told Romeo while he was in prison was a lie. The list of shit he was going to freak out about was epic, starting with Nova dropping out of school and ending with Tino being a soldier in the crew Nova had been running for their father.

“Lemme just enjoy my last few weekends, okay?” Nova ran a hand through his wet hair again. “Can you gimme that, Valentino?”

“Yeah.” Tino nodded. “I can give you that.”

Nova yanked Tino’s backpack out of his hand. “I’ll carry it.”

Tino just rolled his eyes and let Nova believe he was still the big brother protecting him from shit.

What a fantastic job Nova had done with that. Tino felt very protected as a high-quality sex-trafficking product, part-time drug dealer, and full-time Cosa Nostra thug at the ripe ol’ age of sixteen.

Though the sex-trafficking issue wasn’t totally Nova’s fault.

Since Tino had never told him about it.

But for a guy with a big brain, he sure missed a lot of shit.

They were busy. Nova was distracted with the joys of being a Lost Boy on his downtime, and Tino wasn’t too pissed off about it anymore. Most days it wasn’t too bad a gig.

Tino still hated Mary.