“What does that mean?” Carina shouted. “What are you saying to me?”
“Your mother’s very angry at the Morettis,” Lola went on, remarkably poised under the circumstances. “Some of us were made for money. Some of us were made for revenge,” she whispered sadly. “Brambinos don’t make babies for nothing, Carina, but lucky for you—”
“A different Moretti showed up.” Nova choked as he said it. “Why didn’t she pick me?”
Lola tilted her head and looked at Nova. “You’re very handsome, but—”
“You’re not Tino,” Brianna interjected as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “Tino’s—”
“He’s beautiful,” Lola said with the first radiant smile they’d seen from her, and it made it obvious why she lived on the Upper East Side. “And he’s kind when he’s supposed to be kind, and he’s strong when he’s supposed to be strong. He’s the only slave I’ve ever met with lines of women wanting to be with him.”
“No men?” Nova asked, like it was something that had been weighing on him. “They didn’t force him?”
“No.” Lola shook her head. “Not yet. Eventually we all end up where we don’t want to be. We lose our value, but right now, he’s unique. It’s not the easiest thing to sell to women, but sometimes someone special shows up. Someone handsome. And talented. And strong, with the right last name that gives the right kind of thrill. And there are certain women who don’t have the luxury of cheating on their husbands. They can’t afford an emotional entanglement showing up, but someone paid works well. It makes what Tino does very dangerous, but he earns Mary a lot of money, and I guess that was a risk she was willing to take.”
“Wives,” Nova whispered. “Cosa Nostra wives.”
“I already said more than I should,” Lola said fearfully. “Please tell me if you find him, and I promise if I hear anything—”
“Wait, you said you knew his clients.” Nova stopped her when she went to slide out of the booth. “Can you—”
“I can’t.” Lola looked miserable to say it. “I’m sorry. It’s common knowledge that he’s my partner for the exhibitions. I’m the only other one who knows some of the names. If I tell you—”
“They’ll know it was you. I understand, but we could help you.” Nova sounded frantic. “You could come over to our Borgata. We could protect you. We don’t deal in flesh.”
“I can’t come over to your Borgata. I appreciate that, but I can’t.” Lola sighed. “It would start a war.”
“They already started a war,” Carlo assured her. “They took a kid and sold him for the don’s last name. That’s a fucking war, Lola. Come to our Borgata. Let us protect you.”
Lola smiled at Carlo, her eyes swimming pools of light blue before the tears spilled over and rolled down her cheeks. “I can’t.”
“Let me protect you.” Carlo gestured to himself wildly. “I don’t care, baby. I don’t. I swear. You don’t have to do this anymore. I can make it better.”
“I have strangers tell me I matter all the time,” she told him with another sad smile. “I have men tell me I’m beautiful, that they’ll do anything for me if only I’d let them take care of me, but you’re the only one who ever made me believe it. I know you don’t understand how much that means to someone like me, but you already saved me.”
“Then come with me.” Carlo jumped out of the booth when she went to leave. “I’ll marry you. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“I can’t,” Lola said as she looked up at him with tears running down her beautiful face. “Tino was protecting his brother in prison from being sold. He was protecting pretty Carina from knowing what it’s like to have a parent who made her to hurt her. I’m protecting people too, Carlo. I can’t come to your Borgata. I’m risking them just by being here, but I love you. I want you to know that, and I want you to find Tino. Maybe—” She shrugged and looked to Brianna. “Maybe it’ll work out for him. I hope it does.” More tears rolled down her cheeks. “He talked about you all the time, Brianna. You think he betrayed you for touching other women, but you were with him. I know it’s so hard for someone on the outside to understand, but he never saw me. He never saw any of them. I know he didn’t. He only sees you.”
Brianna let out a sob and covered her eyes.
Brianna heard Carlo call after Lola, and Nova tell him, “You’re gonna put her in danger. Let her go. Let’s find Tino, and we’ll get her later.”
“I don’t want them to touch her,” Carlo growled at him. “You’re asking me to let those sick fuckers have her.”
“She’s gonna be fucking dead if you keep making a scene. No one’s gonna touch her again,” Nova whispered back at him. “I will help you get her out later. We’ll buy her out if we have to. I promise.”
“I’ll get her out, and I’m not paying him to do it,” Carlo assured all of them. “My hand to God, Carmine Brambino’s already dead.”
“Carlo!” Nova snapped and threw up his hands. “Sei pazzo?”