Target on Our Backs
Page 45

"Tell me, Leo," Naz says when the food arrives. "You got any goals for the future?"
Goals.
For the future.
Is this a job interview?
"Uh… I'm not sure, really. Still trying to get used to living here," Leo says. "It's so fast-paced compared to where I grew up."
Naz doesn't ask where that is, and starts to question him some more about the future, but I chime in. Call me curious. "Where did you grow up?"
Leo looks at me and hesitates. "Florida."
"Where at in Florida?"
He doesn't answer, but Melody jumps in, her voice raised with excitement. "Oh my God, I can't believe I forgot to tell you… he's from Kissimmee! Isn't that crazy? Kissimmee…" She points at me. "Kissimmee!"
That sinking feeling from the car settles back in. I glance at Naz, and he doesn't react to that. He doesn't look surprised at all, like he already knows all of this.
He probably does.
After all, he knew who I was before I even did, so why wouldn't he learn Leo's life story the second they were introduced?
"That is crazy," I say. "Small world."
Naz reaches over, putting his arm around me. "Small world, indeed."
Lunch is awkward, as Naz fires off question after question, all of them aimed at Leo. He asks about his family (one brother, no parents… been an orphan since he was just a kid). He asks about his work (right now washing dishes at Paragone… his brother knew a guy who knew a guy who got him the gig). He asks about his living situation (staying in a house in Bensonhurst with his family).
He all but asks, 'what are your intentions with this woman?'
Although, okay, I kind of want to ask that, so I wish he would.
Leo takes it all in stride. Or, well, he tolerates it, really. He doesn't look happy to be getting interrogated, but he answers everything Naz throws at him.
I eat a few slices of pizza, my appetite somewhat returning, as the three of them finish off the bottle of wine. Melody and Leo chat quietly to themselves as Naz relaxes back in his chair, having not touched a bite of food.
"I'm ashamed, Jailbird," he says, grabbing my glass from the table. "You're letting the wine go to waste."
"Then drink it," I say. "Really… you should drink it. It probably costs as much as my tuition for the year."
Smiling, he sips from my glass. "Not quite."
"Ugh, don't even tell me," I say. "You know, there are people starving in America, people with unclean drinking water, who barely have heat in their homes to stay warm. There are people in frickin' New York who are out there freezing because they can't even afford clothes."
"Maybe we should give them yours," he says playfully, his hand drifting down my chest, fingers dipping below the neckline of my shirt, stroking the skin around my bra. "I'll keep you warm all by myself."
I smack his hand when he tries to cup a breast. "Jesus Christ, Naz, keep it in your pants. We're in public."
"Thought that was how you liked it."
Rolling my eyes, I grab my glass of water and take a sip, trying to conceal the ferocious blush on my cheeks. Melody clears her throat then, thankfully distracting Naz, as she checks her watch. "We should get going. We've been here a while now."
Naz nods. "I can drive you back to the city."
"Don't worry about it," Melody says, waving him off. "You guys live, like, right down the street from here."
More like across the borough, but close enough.
"Besides, we're going to go to Leo's for a bit, so he's just going to have his brother pick us up in a few minutes. No biggie."
Naz stares at her.
He says nothing.
Something tells me, to him, for some reason, that is a biggie.
"What do we owe you?" Melody asks, standing up.
"Nothing," Naz says, holding out a hand and stopping Leo when he pulls out his wallet. "Your money's no good with me."
I expect a fight on that. I expect these two men to have a pissing contest over the check. Instead, Leo hesitates before putting his wallet away, nodding.
"You're a cool dude, Ignazio," Melody says. "I don't care what anybody says."
Naz blinks a few times. I see his lips move as he incredulously mouths the words cool dude.
Melody walks away, and Leo starts to follow, but Naz's hand darts out, tightly gripping Leo's arm, stopping him. They stare at each other in silence for a moment... a moment that feels like it lasts forever... before Naz loosens his grip.
Gone is his casual demeanor.
For the first time, in a while, I'm seeing Vitale again.
"Send my regards to your brother," Naz says, his voice hard.
Leo pulls his arm away, saying nothing as he rushes away, disappearing from the pizzeria without a word in response to that. I gape at Naz as he relaxes again, finishing the wine from my glass.
Send my regards to your brother.
Holy shit.
"I'm right, aren't I?" My voice is low, like the words don't want to come out. "I was right about him. He's a... you know... he's like you."
"He's nothing like me."
I don't know if he means that.
I don't know what to think.
Naz wouldn't lie to me, not now, but something is off about this.
"Promise me something," Naz says.
I glance at him. "What?"
"Just promise me," he says. "Whatever I'm about to say, you'll listen. Promise you'll trust me on this."
Ugh. "I promise."
"Keep your distance from him."
My brow furrows. "What?"
"I'm not saying you can't be friends with Melody," he says. "All I'm asking is you keep your distance from her boyfriend. No more dates with them."
"Why?"
He looks at me, pausing as his eyes survey my face, studying me again like there's going to be another test. He'll pass this one, too, just like he aced the last.
He knows me.
He knows me better than anyone.
"Because I don't want to have to kill another boyfriend of hers."
Those words stall me.
He says it so matter-of-fact, like it's actually a prospect. Like he actually might kill him, and it might be my fault for not listening to him. "But—"
His hand darts up, covering my mouth, silencing my protest. "You promised."
Reaching up, I yank his hand away. "But you said he wasn't like you"
"He's not," he says. "But that doesn't mean he's harmless, sweetheart. Some of the most dangerous people are only dangerous because of what they mean to others, not because of who they are."
Like you.
He doesn't say those words, but I know he means them. I'm dangerous because of Naz. Naz would kill for me. He'd kill because of me. I know he would.
He's done it before.
And he's telling me now, if I don't keep my distance, he might have to do it again.
T here's a difference between a fight and a battle. A fight is isolated, usually over as quickly as it started. But a battle? A battle is part of a bigger war.
Battles can go on forever.