The Enforcer (Untamed Hearts Book 3) by Kele Moon Page B

landing it was on cement.
    He hit the curb but ended up on the street when his ankle gave out. Tino blinked up at Paco when he walked over to him, the basketball still under his arm as he whispered in awe, “You jumped.”
    “Yup,” Tino groaned, street cred intact, feeling like his shins had just been shoved up into his brain and his ankle had exploded. He rolled over to his hands and knees. “One game.”
    “One game, my ass,” Nova growled as he came down the ladder to the street. “Paco, you better run, you motherfucker!”
    Tino caught the basketball when Paco dropped it, using it to hide the fact that he wasn’t all fired up to get to his feet. Instead he would just lie here with this ball and pretend the asphalt was his friend as he watched Nova tackle Paco, forcing him to the street.
    “Someone should probably step in,” Tino mumbled when he saw Nova punch him, because Nova really shouldn’t be beating on someone in front of their building. “You know we got the social workers on our asses since we lost benefits.”
    “Yeah, you step in.” Jorgie snorted.
    “Really?” Tino held up his hand. “Did you see how far I just jumped?”
    “My mamá told me not to mess with Nova.” Jorgie shrugged as he avoided Tino’s glare. “He’s all yours, pendejo.”
    “Cazzo.” Tino groaned and pulled himself to his feet. His ankle was on fire, and he was inclined to limp, but everyone was still watching.
    The joys of living in El Barrio.
    So he walked over slowly to save Paco, biting his tongue the whole time to hide the pain. Nova was cussing Paco out, mostly in Spanish. Nice of Nova to use someone’s own language when he kicked the shit out of them.
    “Are you loco, Paco? You knew he’d jump! And you dared him!” Nova shouted and then jumped to his feet. “You don’t tell an Italiano they don’t got the friggin’ balls to do something!”
    “I didn’t think he’d do it.” Paco rolled onto his back, not looking too terribly put out about the tackle as he grinned past Nova to Tino. “That was awesome, though.”
    Nova jumped at him again, but Tino reached out and grabbed his arm. “Come on, Nova. I’m the one who did it.”
    Nova turned on Tino and punched him, catching him off guard, nearly knocking him off his feet when he was still unstable. He was suddenly really scared to see his ankle. One punch and he was almost on his ass again.
    Though he supposed he deserved the sucker punch.
    “We don’t have any benefits, and you jumped?” Nova screamed at him in Italian. “What if you’d busted your ass, genius?”
    What if?
    Tino did bust his ass.
    Badly.
    “ Oye ,” Jorgie called out to them, and Tino turned to see the white social-worker car they knew so well, followed by not one but two police cars.
    “Oh fuck,” Nova whispered.
    Tino’s breath caught, and he felt guilty for the silent prayer he sent up pleading that DCF was there for another family. Not like they were the only family on the street being hounded. Another special benefit of living in their section of East Harlem—the government fucking with things that weren’t broken and ignoring the things that were.
    Nova reached down and helped Paco up, patting his back in concern that seemed genuine. “Are you okay?”
    Maybe because Paco’s family was one of those under the microscope, and Nova likely felt guilty for saying the same silent prayer Tino had.
    “I’m okay.” Paco hit Nova’s arm, giving him a wan smile. “It’s good. I shouldn’t have told him to jump. Sorry, bro.”
    And Tino realized they all felt guilty.
    All the teenagers who stood on that street, looking at those cop cars, knowing someone was going away tonight if they wanted to or not. This wasn’t an ordinary visit. Someone’s guardian was dead or in jail or had lost their job.
    The list of reasons they could get taken away was endless.
    And Tino’s heart was thundering so hard he temporarily forgot about the ankle issue. Everyone else on the