Waiting.
They tried calling some of Tino’s other friends again, but no one was answering. Which felt all wrong at eleven at night, but Nova finally said, “They could be…working.”
“This late? They’re out on the weekends. You said they go to raves and party all night,” Carlo argued.
“Businessmen go home for the weekends,” Nova said as if it was obvious. “They do family shit like we do. Mass and Sunday dinner. I think Tino’s friends work during the week.”
“What did Tino do during the week?” Carlo asked and then looked to Brianna. “He went to dance with you after school. What? Three days a week?”
Brianna nodded. “Then we’d do our homework on the train. He got home around seven on dance days.”
“When did you see him?” Carlo gestured to Nova. “You meet up with him at your dojo a couple times a week for karate, but what about the other times?”
“I usually don’t get back until way past midnight. I work too,” Nova reminded all of them. “I have the hardest crew in New York, and he’s sixteen. I didn’t think he needed a babysitter.”
“No one’s accusing you.” Carlo held up his hands. “I’m just trying to get a better picture.”
“Bullshit!” Nova shouted at him. “You’re fucking accusing me! You think I’ve been so busy being the old man’s bitch that I ignored my brother! I missed all the obvious merda even though I knew something was wrong with him.”
“Is this a bad time?”
All four of them turned at once to see Lola Brambino standing there in a new gold dress that was the same style from earlier, long and flowing, showing off those Upper East Side curves. Her long hair was tied up in a bun now, clearly wet, as if she had taken a quick shower before she headed out to meet them.
“No, sit.” Nova gestured to the spot next to Carlo. “Prego.”
Lola looked at the space next to Carlo. “I know you prefer being closest to door.”
“I guess so,” Carlo countered, sounding hard and angry. “What else do you know about me?”
“Move.” Nova shoved Carlo. “Sit with the girls. We’re out of time. We’ve been out of time. Sit and shut up.”
Carlo did what he said without complaint with the reminder that Tino was still gone.
“I’m sorry you waited so long.” Lola sat next to Nova and set her purse between them on the bench. “It’s not unusual for men to follow me home, but if I’d left afterward, it would’ve seemed out of place.”
“So you went to work?” Carlo growled at her. “Knowing Tino’s missing.”
Nova held up his hands and looked at his uncle. “Stai zitto!”
“I would be much more comfortable if we could discuss this privately.” Lola looked at Nova and ignored the rest of the table with remarkable efficiency.
“I get to stay,” Carina said before Nova could answer. “If Nova gets to stay, I get to stay. He’s our brother. We don’t give a shit who he’s fucking or why. We just wanna find him.”
“Sister on your mother’s side?” Lola asked Nova, still ignoring the rest of them.
“No.” Nova shook his head slowly, his gaze darting to Carina. “She’s our sister on our father’s side. She’s—”
“Your cousin,” Carina finished for him. “We’re cousins. First cousins, apparently. So I get to stay. Family privilege.”
“And your friend?” Lola finally acknowledged the rest of them. “Brianna?”
Brianna nodded. “That’s right.”
“Okay.” Lola looked back to Nova. “We should discuss this privately.”
“No, whatever you have to say, you can share it with the whole table,” Carlo growled.
“We’re staying,” Carina added. “We had to wait four hours for you. Four hours that my brother is out there somewhere. Four hours is a long fucking time. Motherfuckers die a lot quicker than that.”
“We are very out of time,” Nova agreed, but he glanced at Carina. “But—”
“Why is everyone looking at me?” Carina snapped at the entire table. “I’m not his girlfriend. I don’t care what he did.” She pointed at Lola. “I’m not your girlfriend either. So start talking.”
“When did Tino disappear?” Lola asked.
“He never came home last night,” Nova whispered. “I thought he was at dance practice, but Brianna told me he hasn’t been to dance since—”
“Since your fight.” Lola nodded. “I understand.”
“Do you know who he could’ve been with?” Nova asked hopefully.
Lola looked across the table at Carlo, before she shrugged. “Tino and I don’t share our schedules with each other.”
“But—” Nova pressed.
“I know some of his clients,” Lola went on. “I can’t tell you who they are, though.”
“Why the fuck not?” Carlo snapped.
“You’re asking me to share the names of people who shop the underground sex market,” Lola said with a hard glare at Carlo. “Very bad things happen to products who do that.”
“Products,” Carlo repeated in horror.