The Enforcer (Untamed Hearts Book 3)(84)

She was quiet for a long time and then took a shuddering breath when she realized she was hiding her bruises and scars from Tino. Like they were something to be ashamed of, and that was the last thing she wanted him to think she believed. It wasn’t easy. Everything in her wanted to pull free, but she didn’t fight his hold on her.

“Why do you want to do this?” she asked when he licked at the arch of her foot again.

“’Cause you matter.” He said it so solemnly it gave her chills. He kissed her little toe. “To me you matter. It’s not much, but—”

“It’s everything,” she said quickly, feeling almost three years’ worth of confessions rising in her chest. She was fairly certain she’d been madly, hopelessly in love with him since the first time she saw him smile at her in the summer sunshine on that trampoline. “Tino—”

She was cut off when the door opened.

“Maledizione!” Tino shouted at his brother. “Get the f*ck out, Casanova!”

Tino hadn’t let go of her foot like any normal man would, because judging by the look on Nova’s face, it probably seemed really bizarre to an outside observer. Nova’s eyes were wide, like nothing in him could processes what he was seeing.

“Valentino—” Nova started, raising his eyebrows as he looked at Brianna’s foot in his hand.

“You just walk in?” Tino growled in response. “You don’t f*cking knock? I don’t walk in on you!”

“You said you weren’t f*cking her. I just figured—”

“Bullshit, you just figured!” Tino shouted and then licked Brianna’s foot. His hold on her ankle was like a vise when she tried to pull it out of his grasp. He did it lasciviously, dragging his tongue slowly down the full length of it, looking at his brother with a wild vindictiveness. When he moved to suck on her big toe, Brianna kicked forward, catching his shoulder again, because they were not doing that in front of Nova. Tino looked unfazed as he tilted his head and said to Nova, “That was for the train.”

“There’s something wrong with you. I don’t know what it is, but it’s major,” Nova decided and then pointed at Brianna. “And I think there’s something wrong with you too.”

“Get out, or I’m gonna make her spit in my mouth,” Tino said sharply.

“Figlio di puttana.” Nova threw up his hands, stepped out, and pulled the door closed, as if that was way more than he could handle seeing.

Brianna just looked at Tino, and when she found her voice, she said, “Gross.”

“Yeah, I probably should’ve said that last part in Italian,” Tino agreed.

She arched an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t—”

“I would totally let you spit in my mouth,” Tino said before she could finish.

“Coglione,” Nova mumbled, making it obvious he’d been standing there listening.

Tino smiled, looking very amused, as if he’d accomplished a major life goal in horrifying his brother.

“Your sister’s making out with Paco on the couch,” Nova called from behind the closed door. “So if you could make that stop, I’d appreciate it. At least make her put a shirt on.”

Tino laughed, falling on his back on the bed. “She’s f*cking with you, Casanova.”

“Whatever,” Nova said dismissively as his voice drifted down the hallway. “Fuck both of yous. I don’t need coffee that bad.”

Tino laughed harder.

But Brianna had to ask, “Who’s Paco?”





Chapter Twenty-Four


“You wanna hear a secret?”

“Sure.” Tino rested back against the stairs, feeling very liquid and content. He looked up at the stars, hazy under the billows of smoke. He was still buzzing off the pills he took earlier thanks to Mary, who showed up the second he got back from dance. Now she was gone, and Nova and Carlo were home from work. The weed was finishing the job of f*cking him up, but he was sort of okay with that as he said, “Tell us a secret.”

“I hope you don’t smoke with anyone but us,” Nova cut in, still way too serious in his business suit and clearly in full Cosa Nostra mode now that his weekend was over. “Your mouth when you smoke. Holy shit.”

“Shut up, Nova,” Carlo said dismissively, his voice raspy as if he just took a drag. “Have some of this and keep your opinions to yourself. I’m telling my nephew the ways of the world. So, Tino, I met a woman. An incredible woman. I never f*cked a woman like this.” He sounded suddenly enthralled. “The first time I went down on her—”

“Time for you to stop smoking,” Nova cut him off. “Any story you start with that—”

“She nearly came off the bed, okay? It was like she’d never felt a tongue against her * before. She makes me feel like a god when she sits on my face. And she’s f*cking beautiful. Gorgeous. Hottest woman you ever seen in your friggin’ life.”

“The hottest?” Tino asked in disbelief. “You’re telling us you went down on the hottest woman in existence?”

“I’m telling you I went down on the hottest woman in existence, and she f*cking screamed my name until she went hoarse. She was shaking. Dannazione, I’m hard right now just thinking about it.”