Nova didn’t answer, just stretched out to lie next to Tino, whose head was still in Carina’s lap. They’d put a blanket over Tino sometime during the night. Nova pulled it up carefully, making sure not to brush it against Tino’s back as he whispered in Italian, “I’ll meet you,” and then took over running his fingers through Tino’s hair. “I’ll get Romeo out of prison, and I’ll meet you, okay?”
Nova sounded so broken, so lost, it was kind of hard to keep hating him, so instead Tino just said, “I love you, Casanova,” because hating him was too hard. It hurt too much, and he really didn’t have the strength to hurt any more.
He was so tired.
Nova burst into tears. He pressed his lips to Tino’s forehead, choking on his sobs as if anything else was past him.
“Why is he cold?” Carina asked again, her voice quivering with fear. “Why won’t you tell me? I know you’re freakishly smart. I heard my daddy tell my ma about it. So I know you know. Tell me why he’s cold.”
Nova pressed his forehead against Tino’s and said, “Because he’s in shock. He lost too much blood.”
There was a long silence before Carina sighed. “I have to go. The sun’s coming up.”
She got up carefully, but brought them a pillow and promised she’d be back soon. Then she was gone, and it was like the two of them sharing the bottom bunk back in their apartment. Up until now Nova wouldn’t let him close his eyes, wouldn’t let him rest despite the pain, but now Nova just sobbed.
Tino felt guilty, but he used Nova’s distraction to finally close his eyes. His body felt so heavy, like the weight of the world was crushing him into the shower tiles, and he was desperate for an escape.
He wasn’t sure how long he slept, or if he was even awake when Carina’s voice filtered back into his dreams. “Don’t freak out.”
“What’d you do?” Nova let go of Tino and sat up. “What is it? What’d you do?” He repeated it like the same sort of chant he used in the basement. “What’d you fucking do, princess?”
“It sounds like you’re freaking out,” Carina whispered. “I just, um… I sorta—” She paused, as if looking for the right words. “’Cause he’s my cosmic twin and—”
“What did you do?”
“I sorta told.”
“What?” Nova choked. “Do you know what they threatened to do to him if I told anyone? Do you know what they threatened to do to my other brother in jail?”
“I didn’t tell my daddy.”
“Did you call the cops?” Nova sounded even more horrified. “They own the cops. They own social services and—”
“I didn’t call the cops,” she said as if the idea was insane. “I told my nonno.”
“Your nonno?” Nova repeated, and then his entire body jerked as he pressed back closer into Tino. “Oh my God.”
“He’s sending my zio now, and I think you’ll like him ’cause he’s like you and—”
“Like me?” Nova repeated, except there was a knock on the door, and Nova repeated the same chant of horror, this time in Italian, “Che minchia hai fatto?”
“It’s okay,” Tino whispered, remembering Nova’s prayer for it to be true in the basement. “It’s okay,” he repeated again, and he wasn’t even that scared.
Truth.
He was sorta hoping they’d put a bullet in him.
“Carina,” a man called out. “Are you up here? Your nonno told me to come check on you.”
“It’s fine,” Carina said to Nova quickly and then yelled, “We’re in here!”
“I’m sorry.” Nova turned to Tino and cupped his face. His hands were shaking again. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Truth again.
Tino went to an underground dogfight once with Paco and his brother Roberto. He hated it, seeing those dogs tear into each other. It was one of the most horrible things he had ever witnessed in his life.
There was something in the dogs’ eyes, wild and terrified and savage.
Tino couldn’t begin to imagine what happened to those dogs to make them so unstable. He never thought to see it in a human, and he definitely didn’t expect it from Nova.
Shirtless and covered in dried blood, his eyes wild and terrified, Nova reminded Tino exactly of one of those damaged pit bulls. Broad-shouldered, thick-necked, everything in him tense and dangerous, completely untrusting of the world around him.
The stranger let out a low gasp of horror when he walked in. “Maronna.”
“Don’t you touch him,” Nova growled as he pushed Tino tight against the wall. “You kill him, you better fucking kill me too. Take a baseball bat and crack my skull open, or I’ll spend the rest of my fucking life making you suffer.” Nova jerked and growled low in his throat. “Do you know what I could do to you?”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” the man said in a slow, hesitant voice, as if he were indeed talking to a feral animal. “I’m here to help you. What’s your name? Tell me your name, and I’ll help you figure it out, okay?”
“Fuck you, my name,” Nova snapped at him. “Just fucking kill both of us. You’re strapped. Kill us. He’s gonna die anyway. Just leave us alone. Let him die in peace or fucking kill us.”
“What is going on?” This guy sounded really out of his element. “Carina, sweetheart, where did you find these kids? Why do you have their blood all over you?”
“They’re my brothers,” Carina said simply. “Didn’t Nonno tell you?”