The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2) (22 page)

Tino bounced his ball again as he headed down the hallway.

Chuito wasn’t feeling quite so spry. He rolled to his feet and grunted as he stood. He gave Wyatt a dull look. “You locked me up with Tino and didn’t take his
ball
away.”

“Then lesson learned.” Wyatt didn’t sound too sympathetic, but he did look at him in concern. “You probably should have someone sit with you tonight. I know you got a concussion whether you admit it or not.”

Chuito grunted again but didn’t respond.

He just followed Tino down the hallway to the front of the sheriff’s office.

Jules was leaning against the dispatch board, arms folded over her chest in a way eerily similar to her brother.

“Big mama!” Tino reached out to Jules with his good arm when he got to her. Tino hugged her and kissed her cheek despite the fact that Jules didn’t bother unfolding her arms. “I didn’t know you cared.”

“I saw the bare-assed bullshit,” Jules said rather than hug him back. “I can’t unsee it either.”

“Only took two years to be vindicated,” Chuito mumbled, because there was a time when Jules and Romeo accidentally showed him some things he couldn’t unsee.

Jules turned her head and glared at him, even though Tino was still hugging her as if waiting for the affection to be returned.

Chuito just smiled in response. “Karma’s a bitch.”

He more than anyone knew just how true that was.

Jules finally hugged Tino, probably because he wasn’t giving her a choice in the matter. She pulled back and frowned at her brother-in-law. “How’s your shoulder? Wyatt said your arm was dislocated. He should’ve taken you to the hospital.”

“It’s fine.” Tino moved his bad arm and then winced. “Nothing whiskey and Vicodin won’t fix.”

“Tino—” Wyatt started out warningly.

“I’m kidding, Sheriff.” Tino rolled his eyes, though he probably
wasn’t
kidding. “I’m an upstanding member of the community. I’ll just drink milk and take an aspirin.”

“Jesus, have fun with your third child,” Wyatt said to Jules. “I’m releasing him to your custody.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Jules sounded thrilled.

“Are you dropping Chuito off? Or does he need a ride?” Wyatt asked. “I’m not technically on shift. I can take him home.”

Chuito turned to Wyatt. “What about my car, man?”

“You got a concussion. Your car can stay at the Cellar until you’re feeling better.”

“We got it,” Jules said before Chuito could argue with Wyatt.

“But I thought Romeo and the kids were in the van?”

“I got it.” Jules gave her brother a dark, cryptic look. “Don’t you have to go wash your eyes with bleach?”

“Sure enough,” Wyatt agreed. “Some days I think I don’t get paid enough.”

“Motherfucker, your wife makes more money than God.” Tino was already walking out the door, but then he turned around and wagged his eyebrows at Wyatt. “Say hi to Tabitha for me.”

“Get out, Tino,” Wyatt growled. “I’ve had enough of you for today.”

When Tino walked out the door, Chuito hung back for a little bit and waited while Jules and Wyatt talked.

When Wyatt finally looked at him curiously, Chuito asked, “Are you gonna get in trouble for not booking us?”

Wyatt shook his head. “You’re not the first two fellas I’ve locked up for fighting and then released before booking. It’s fine.”

That worked for Chuito, and he followed Jules when she headed for the door.

“But really, don’t let it happen again,” Wyatt called after him. “Get your shit together. You need to sign that fucking contract. Your agent’s started calling
me
.”

“I got it,” Chuito promised him.

He just hoped he was telling the truth.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Are you okay, Alaine? I know this has gotta be stressful for you too.”

Alaine looked up at Romeo Wellings, who was leaning against the door of his van, big arms folded over his chest as he stared at the sheriff’s office. It was obvious he was tense. Alaine knew he used the excuse of staying with his and Jules’s toddler twin sons rather than go in to get Tino. Alaine could have stayed with them. She watched the babies all the time at the office.

It was odd to see the apprehension in him, because at six feet six and two hundred sixty pounds, Romeo was easily the biggest guy in Garnet, and that was saying something. Still, the former Heavyweight UFC fighter and ex-con was a nice guy. That was one of the reasons Jules married him.

“I’m good,” Alaine lied as she picked up a stuffed dragon Jules’s son Charlie dropped, and handed it to him. “I’m a big girl.”

Charlie took the toy and announced. “
Zio
Tin!”

“Yeah, I’m gonna kick Zio Tin’s ass,” Romeo mumbled under his breath.

Charlie’s twin, Freddy, chimed in, “Zio Tin!”

They seemed to agree with each other. The twins began chanting
Zio Tin
with enthusiasm. It was cute that they called Tino
zio
, which was
uncle
in Italian, but they called Wyatt
uncle
in English.

Romeo and Tino worked hard to teach them both languages.

Zio Tino had likely been a topic of conversation on the ride over, and the twins were expecting him. They weren’t even two yet, but they knew what they wanted.

Alaine sat on the floorboard of the van, her feet hanging out of the open door as she talked to the twins, who were beautiful boys, with light eyes and inky-black hair like Romeo. It was almost too long, curling over their ears and at the backs of their necks.

Jules had been procrastinating on their first haircuts. She said it was because she feared putting the poor hairdresser through that.

Alaine thought Jules wasn’t ready to let go of all those pretty black curls.

Tino burst out the doors, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. Alaine breathed a sigh of relief. If Tino was that upbeat, it meant Wyatt hadn’t charged them.

Jules had assured her he wouldn’t, but Alaine hadn’t been so sure.

Romeo cursed in Italian and then stomped across the parking lot, but Tino must have sensed what was coming. Tino took off running, as if playing a game of chase. He feinted left, and when Romeo followed after him, Tino went right and ran so fast Alaine thought he would have been an amazing football player.

“Move!” Tino shouted as he came barreling at her.

Alaine realized the van was home base for him, and she jumped out of the way just as Tino leaped into the van with an agility Romeo would never have.

“TIN!” the twins shouted in unison.

“
I miei bambini
.” Tino draped himself over both car seats. Freddy instantly fisted his hair, but that seemed to be the lesser evil as Tino begged, “Save your zio!”

Romeo reached into the van and grabbed Tino’s shirt, tugging so hard Alaine heard something rip. “Motherfucker—”

“Language,” Tino corrected, still fighting to stay in the van. “You can’t hit me in front of the twins!”

“The day you get arrested, I can beat you unconscious in front of the twins!”

“Ow, my shoulder!” Tino shouted when Romeo got a good hold of him. “Really, it hurts! You’re doing permanent damage and—” He ended up on the pavement and groaned. “Madonn’.”

The twins were squealing in excitement, but Alaine winced when Romeo dragged Tino to his feet and shoved him against the driver’s-side door. “Valentino, I swear. You
ever
end up in jail again, and I’ll bury you myself.”

“Okay.” Tino’s voice became low and grumbly in a way Alaine only ever heard when he was around Romeo. “I’m sorry, Rome. I wasn’t friggin’ kidding about the shoulder. I’m suffering for it. I promise.”

“It was probably more Chuito’s fault,” Alaine pointed out, knowing she wasn’t revealing a big secret. Half of Garnet was talking about their fight in front of the Cellar. “He
was
having a bad day.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Tino broke out of Romeo’s hold and glanced to the front door of the sheriff’s office when Chuito and Jules came out; then he dropped his voice and turned to her. “You gotta help him out with the anger issues. He’s thinking of moving back to Miami.”

Alaine glanced at Chuito walking toward them and then whispered in fear, “He said that?”

“Yeah.” Tino was whispering too as he stepped into her personal space, the carefree, easygoing air about him suddenly gone. “You gotta make sure that doesn’t happen, Alaine. Give him a reason to stay. It’s important. Life-and-death important.”

“Tino!” Chuito called, though Alaine knew he couldn’t hear their conversation.

“Make sure he takes care of you,” Tino said, this time loud enough so
everyone
could hear. Then he smacked Alaine’s ass, making her squeak and jump. She looked at Tino with wide eyes, but Tino didn’t seem apologetic as he warned, “If not, you know where I live.”

Chuito dashed across the parking lot, but Tino jumped past Alaine and crawled back into the van, using the twins as human protection again.

“Do you have a death wish?” Romeo looked at his brother just as Chuito got to the van.

“Touch her again, hijo de la gran puta,” Chuito started, his voice low and dangerous as he leaned into the van and glared at his best friend. “And I’ll do more than dislocate your arm.”

“We’re outside a sheriff’s office,” Romeo reminded the two of them. “You think Wyatt’s gonna let you off a second time?” He shook his head in disbelief as he looked to Jules. “
Oobatz
.”

“We clearly need to separate them,” Jules said as she came up to her husband and patted his chest. “I told you it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” Romeo barked back and then glared at Chuito. “I’m not too pleased with you either.”

“We’re leaving now,” Jules said before Chuito had to answer for his crimes. “Alaine, take him home. Chuito probably has a concussion. Stay up with him.”

“Good idea!” Tino chimed in from the van.

“Ay Dios mio,” Chuito mumbled. “I’m gonna kill him.”

“Remember what I said,” Tino called out as if immune to the threat. “It’s important.”

Chuito turned back to the van, but Romeo stepped in front of the open door, huge and intimidating. “Go home, Chuito.”

“What’re you gonna do if I don’t?” Chuito challenged.

“You can’t take all of us,” Romeo warned. “You dislocated my brother’s arm. Be glad I know how annoying his mouth can be, or I
might
be really ticked off about it.”

“Chuito’s got a concussion,” Jules reminded him as she grabbed Romeo’s wrist and tugged. “Tino can take care of himself. We’ll call it a draw and go get pizza.”

“Pizza!” The twins obviously recognized that one.

Then Charlie added, “Zio Tin!”

“I think they like him better than us.” Romeo sighed as he gave up the fight and opened the driver’s-side door.

“They definitely like him more,” Jules agreed. “But he does give them ice cream and chocolate whenever we’re not home.”

“I know how to buy affection,” Tino assured them.

“Night, darlin’.” Jules leaned over and kissed Alaine’s cheek, because the Italians had rubbed off on her over the past few years. “Call me if you need anything.”

Alaine nodded as Jules walked around to the passenger side of the van. Tino pulled the door closed and then crawled into the back.

Chuito and Alaine stood there in silence as they watched the Wellings drive off with Tino in tow.

Then Alaine fished into her purse for keys without saying anything.

“What’d he say to you?” Chuito barked as if she owed him an explanation. “Tell me.”

“Are you really in a position to be giving orders?” Alaine arched an eyebrow at him. “Don’t you think you’ve caused enough trouble for one day?”

“Do you want to fuck him?” Chuito asked rather than back down, making it obvious he needed someone to attack.

He really
did
have anger issues tonight.

Alaine considered the question rather than answer right away. Tino was easily one of the most traditionally handsome men she had ever met in her life. So much so it was almost shocking the first time she met him. He sort of dazzled like a movie star. Tanned and perfect skin. Perfect body. Perfect teeth.

He had always been a little too perfect for Alaine.

Not to mention, he was one of those handsome men who cashed in on his good looks any chance he could get.

Tino wasn’t Alaine’s kind of man, even if he was nice to look at. She liked them dark and brooding, with lots of tattoos and a protective streak that was more than a little annoying on days like this.

But she decided not to tell Chuito that and walked to her car instead.

She took several deep breaths, trying to play it cool, but as she opened her car door, all she could think about was Tino’s warning.

Chuito was thinking of moving back to Miami.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The car ride home was uncomfortable.

Alaine was pissed off.

Chuito was too.

All the more so for not knowing why Alaine was pissed off.

There was last night.

And Chuito getting arrested.

Plus, he’d sort of been an enormous pendejo over the past twenty-four hours, but he suspected that wasn’t the reason for her short, clipped attitude. He was more certain it was something Tino said, which could be absolutely
anything.

Over the past two years, Tino had become the keeper of a lot of Chuito’s secrets, because Tino had secrets too and the two of them had needed someone to talk to who understood.

In a lot of ways, Garnet had been Tino’s prison too.

Having company in prison was always preferred.

Look at what happened between him and Alaine. They had come together out of desperation and bonded so tightly that at night, after Jules went home, they were more roommates than neighbors.

They had separate apartments, but they ate together most nights. They watched movies together. Their bedrooms were separated by nothing but a thin wall, and when Chuito did sleep, his dreams often turned to nightmares from his past. When that happened, Alaine heard it, and she came to him.

She woke him up, gently, with great caution rather than shake him like she had the first time they’d met. Then they’d talk, and more often than not she’d end up curled up in his bed until it was time for her to go to work.