The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2)(119)
She finally came, biting her lip to keep quiet, and it was so draining and hard fought for she did what she thought was impossible earlier.
She fell asleep.
Chapter Forty
They didn’t have water, food, or toilet paper, but the drama when they all managed to wake up sometime past noon was no coffee.
Seriously, if the government ever wanted to halt criminal activity, they should issue a prohibition on caffeine, because the men were completely nonfunctional and extremely cranky without it.
All of them.
“I need a colada,” Chuito told Nova with an intensity of something life-and-death. “Tell them a colada, not a cortadito. No leche, because if you come back with one * shot of café Cubano drowned in leche, I will be pissed off. Can you remember that?”
Nova gave him a look and said sarcastically, “Yeah, I can remember.”
“I like milk,” Tino cut in as they stood in the kitchen discussing coffee like it was a hostage negotiation. “What is a cortadito?”
“It’s like a macchiato,” Nova translated for him. “It’s good.”
“I can’t trust you. You’ll drink anything,” Tino shot back and turned to Chuito. “Is it like a macchiato?”
“What the f*ck is a macchiato?” Chuito asked. “It sounds like something from one of those gringo coffee shops.” He turned and glared at Nova. “You better go to the place I told you. If you come back with some frothed-up—”
“Motherf*cker, it’s Italian,” Tino growled with insult. “Our people invented coffee.”
“That’s not technically true,” Nova argued. “It’s not even remotely true.”
“We invented good coffee,” Tino amended as he rubbed at his forehead. “Is it really like a macchiato?”
“Tino, it’s espresso and milk. It’s a macchiato,” Nova grunted and rolled his eyes. “Decide so I can go. The old man has called me ten times this morning. He’s not pleased I just took off to deal with this. I would drink rat shit right now if it had enough caffeine in it to get rid of this headache.”
“Are you gonna get other supplies?” Alaine couldn’t help but ask. “Toilet paper, food, water, and—”
“Get me an energy drink if you’re stopping at a store. Get me a couple of ’em,” Tino cut in. “In case the f*cking Cuban coffee sucks.”
“It’s better than gringo coffee. You might as well get a pumpkin-spice latte if you’re ordering a macchiato. It sounds the same.”
“It’s not gringo coffee.” Tino stared at Chuito in annoyance. “Not for nothing, but a latte is also Italian. All the coffee options in those places are named after Italian drinks because we’re the best at making it, and everyone knows it but you.”
“Is there a gringo option?” Alaine asked, because she had a headache too. “Like, I dunno, just regular coffee?”
“I can get you café Americano,” Nova offered. “Milk, right?”
“Please.” Alaine smiled. “And sugar.”
Tino pointed at his brother. “I need sugar too.”
“You think I don’t know how you take your coffee?” Nova gave him a harsh look before he turned back to Alaine. “Text me what else you need. We could be here for a few days, and we don’t know if we’re getting out of this house again. Really think about what you might need.”
Alaine frowned at him for a moment. “Are you asking me if I need feminine products?”
“I’m telling you to plan ahead,” Nova said with a deliberate look at her. “Anything you think you’re gonna need, I’ll pick up.”
“Wow”—Alaine pulled back in surprise—“I’m sort of impressed right now. You are a progressive gangster.”
“Just text me,” Nova said as he threw up his hand. “I’m leaving.”
“She’s not gonna need feminine products,” Tino said with a bark of laughter. “I guarantee you she’s pregnant after last night.”
“Motherf*cker—” Chuito started with a glare.
“I’m just saying,” Tino said with another laugh. “It sounded like she got pregnant.”
“I’m on birth control. I have the implant, and I just finished my period last week. Is there anything else you’d like to know?” Alaine asked sharply.
“Yeah.” Tino stared at her, taking in Chuito’s hoodie and a pair of shorts she had picked up at the outlets as part of her emergency Florida supplies. “I wanna know what he was doing to make you scream like that. I got a good imagination, but details are better.”
“You should take your brother with you,” Chuito said to Nova. “Before I kill him.”
“My brother can take care of himself,” Nova said dismissively as he opened the door to the laundry room.
“Oh, hey,” Tino called out. “If we’re really going to be stuck in this house for days, and you’re not going out again, we need lotsa energy drinks, or I’m gonna have a period.”
“I was gonna get energy shots since you don’t have to refrigerate them.”
“Ugh,” Tino groaned.