“Brat,” Enzo sighs, curling his finger toward me in an indication to give it back. I slide it over to him, but it is a sip or two lighter when I do.
“So I checked this Davo kid out,” Emilio says, grabbing for the breadsticks like he's starving. “I think he's alright. Talked to him about the drugs. Turns out his mother’s sick, so he’s selling to pay for her meds.”
I look at Enzo without saying a word. Enzo looks back at me. We both know what I'm thinking. I don't have to say anything, but I choose to anyway.
“You beat the shit out of a teenager who was trying to look after his sick mother,” I say.
“I’d do a lot worse to make sure you are safe,” Enzo says without any outward sign of guilt.
"Yeah, so anyways. That’s something going for us, you know? This town's getting real crowded. Lotsa factions. Lotsa bullshit. There’s the Mexicans, they’re coming further north all the time, and not because they want to open taco shops, if you know what I’m saying.”
We all know what he’s saying.
“Those guys, they like to get a little rough. They musta heard Mia was in town, she's a potential kidnapping target. Rich father, lots of leverage business-wise. I reckon it might be time to head home."
I stare Emilio down. “I’m not giving up on school because some asshole decides I’m useful to him. Just take care of him.”
“Take care of him!” Emilio laughs. "She talks just like her father. Bet she’s better in bed."
Enzo smacks the bread right out of Emilio's mouth. A chunk goes flying across the restaurant and lands in some woman's soup. She makes a gasping sound of affront.
“Shit, chill out.”
"You know better than to speak that way about, or in front of Mia,” Enzo says.
“Fucking asshole,” Emilio curses. He has a red mark on his cheek where Enzo cracked him one and I’m guessing a heavily bruised pride. “Why, I oughta…”
I finish off Enzo's wine before we’re all asked to leave about twenty seconds later.
After a sharp exchange of words, most of which come from Enzo, Emilio takes off in the other direction, and Enzo and I walk back to campus.
“You guys have an interesting working relationship,” I observe.
“He's like a little brother,” Enzo says. “I’m sorry, Mia. That was inappropriate. We shouldn’t be drawing attention to ourselves that way."
"The college probably wouldn’t like to hear about one of its professors beating people at lunch time.”
“Probably not,” Enzo agrees.
We've wandered back to his office. Finally. Some privacy. I know we can't have sex on campus, but maybe we can have sex on campus. Enzo draws me in and shuts the door behind me.
"You're sure you’re not too drunk to go to class?”
"I'm not drunk at all," I say. It's true, because I'm only tipsy. I want him. I want to touch him. I want him to redirect all that dark, dominant energy onto me.
“Professor. Mia. You're both here!”
Enzo and I both let out a groan as the door flies open behind us and Davo barges in, talking a mile a minute.
“I gotta meeting with Alejandro,” he says. “I was thinking I could get some information out of him. Find out why he’s looking for Mia. You know, get some intel."
The word intel coming out of Davo’s mouth makes me giggle. It does not make Enzo crack so much as a smile.
"We know why he’s looking for Mia. I think you should get out of town, boy," he says. “This is dangerous. There's no room for error and you're not worth shit to a cartel, or to us. This isn’t a game. You could be killed. Or worse. Go get in whatever piece of shit car you have, and get the fuck out of here.”
“I’m going to help you guys," Davo says, the smile dropping off his face too. “I want to be part of something.”
“Then join the circus,” Enzo says.
"Dude, you were just saying you could use me."
“Yeah, and then I thought better of it. You're a kid. How old are you? Twenty? Twenty one?"
“Nineteen and a half.”
"Yeah. You don't belong mixed up in this.”
Davo frowns, almost a pout. “Wasn't too young for you to beat my face."
“What this Alejandro will do to you will make that look like a massage,” Enzo says.
Davo looks at me. I shrug. I don't know why Enzo is suddenly so concerned about him. I don't know what to make of any of this. I wasn't usually in the room when these sorts of things were discussed. I’ve seen more mafia business unfold before my eyes in the last few days than I have in a lifetime, but I'm not going to say that out loud. I like knowing what is going on.
“I already sorted it with Emilio, so I'm gonna go over there tonight. I’m going to come and check in with you after. See ya guys.”