The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2)(143)

“You sure?” Marcos asked in concern.

“Yeah,” Chuito said, glancing to the lawn, seeing that Tino had stopped dancing and was looking over at him. “I’m sure. Go enjoy my engagement party for me.”

Marcos followed his line of sight and then rolled his eyes and grabbed Katie’s hand. He pulled her to her feet and said, “I need so much more to drink for this.”

“There seems to be no shortage,” Chuito observed, because everyone had a red plastic cup. “Where does my mother get all this?”

Marcos laughed as he wrapped an arm around Katie’s waist. “Did you think she only stockpiled food?”

“Obviously not.” Chuito stared at Tino when he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “You want to take a walk?”

Tino nodded and took a drink out of the red cup that had somehow ended up in his hand between the lawn and the porch. Chuito left his bowl there, because somehow the food wasn’t as important anymore.

Tino’s eyes were bloodshot, but Chuito knew it wasn’t from bud.

“Come on,” Chuito said as he got to his feet.

They walked out the side gate in the backyard, the two of them silent as the music and laughter echoed around them. The street was lined with black SUVs, and Chuito saw that not everyone was enjoying the party.

Nova had this house guarded better than the White House. Tino acknowledged a few of the Italians standing on the driveway. He made a point to stop and hug one, before kissing his cheek as he said something too low for Chuito to hear.

Then Tino followed Chuito down the street, drinking from his red cup again before he said, “Tony helped get rid of the bodies. Unpleasant. He probably wanted guard duty. Better than faking it for a party.”

“Where did they get rid of them?” Chuito asked, because the vindictive side of him wanted to know where Angel ended up.

“Everglades.” Tino grimaced as he said it. “But they had to dig the bullets out first.”

Chuito winced at that image. “Ay Dios mio.”

“Yeah,” Tino snorted. “I feel guilty. Bullets are never preferred. They’re the only thing that can prove a murder on the off chance a body is found, ’cause those gators make it pretty hard to determine cause of death. Not that they’re ever found. Lotta f*cking alligators in the Everglades.”

“Co?o, I feel guilty too,” Chuito agreed. “There were some nasty bullets to dig out.”

“Do you really feel guilty?” Tino asked skeptically.

“No,” Chuito admitted after a long moment. “But I’m sorry he had to dig those bullets out of Angel.”

“Yeah, Nova probably paid him enough to retire five times over for that shit. Glad I didn’t have to do it.”

“Have you done it before?”

“Why do you think I prefer sinking motherf*ckers?” Tino shuddered and took another drink. “Nova has a f*cking thing about bullets.”

“Jesus, for a motherf*cker who doesn’t like using bullets, you’re a really good shot.” Chuito couldn’t keep the admiration out of his voice. “How’d you learn to shoot like that?”

“Lots of practice.” Tino shrugged. “Only thing I was ever good for. The dumb ones get to be enforcers.”

“You’re not dumb. You kept your shit together today. That was—” He shook his head. “That was pretty f*cking amazing, Tino.”

Tino stopped walking and closed his eyes. “Don’t—”

“Tino—”

“No, Nova told you to come talk me. He paid you or something and—”

“Motherf*cker,” Chuito growled at him. “I’m not out here because Nova told me to be, and I certainly didn’t take cash for it.”

“He talked to you.” Tino said it like he was certain.

“What makes you so f*cking sure?”

“Probably because I sat in the car and cried on his shoulder after we got here.” Tino sat down on the front lawn to the house Luis had been renting from Chuito. “I’ve done a lot of terrible shit in my life, Chu.”

“I know,” Chuito agreed as he sat down next to him.

“But that was the worst.” Tino rested his forehead on his raised knees and just sat there in misery. “I think it was the worst. I couldn’t lose you. I just—” His voice cracked with emotion. “I couldn’t do it.”

“Alaine’s okay,” Chuito reminded him. “Junior didn’t hurt her.”

“I didn’t know that.” Tino sighed. “You didn’t either. I stood there and listened to that shit, thinking they were destroying her. I watched them humiliate you, and I just stood there and let it happen. That was my rule, you know? I don’t hurt women. It was my only rule. They could beat me until I died, and I wasn’t doing it. I never broke it until today.”

Chuito was sort of glad he was still blitzed off his ass, because even with all the bud in his system, the surge of anger those memories churned up were white-hot and completely irrational.

“What if Junior hadn’t been on our side?” Tino voiced Chuito’s fears out loud. “Where would we be right now? Do you think Nova has enough money to pay you off if it had been real?”

“Nova didn’t pay me off,” Chuito snapped at him. “Say it again, and I am gonna be pissed.”