Page 12 of Odin

Odin

I spent most of the night trying to figure out why Lorenzo was broke. If what the cop said was true, there was no money. I couldn’t understand that. Crime organizations, especially ones that were family-orientated, didn’t lose money unless they were stupid or they got caught. The Deviants all made shit tons of money, unless you were a new soldier. I would never have to work another day in my life if I didn’t want to. Offshore accounts were a thing of beauty.

I couldn't shake this thought, no matter how many times I tried to reason through the scenario. The cop had told the chief of police that Lorenzo was running daily operations for the family. All the assignments, the pay, everything went through Lorenzo for approval, but the Old Man actively campaigned against him. Didn't Giuseppe realize he was in a power struggle with his own son? Did he even care?

The only logical explanation stared back at me as I stood at the coffeemaker, waiting for a cup to brew.

Giuseppe was literally bankrupting his own son.

I took a sip of my coffee, savoring it on my tongue as I leaned my back against the kitchen counter.

The penthouse was quiet, and nothing I came up with made any sense. I figured when Serena woke, I'd ask her about the family dynamics. Maybe she'd have more insight than I did.

Grabbing another cup of coffee, I was facing the maker when I heard her feet patter towards the kitchen on the hardwood floor. Smiling, I poured her a cup of coffee and took both of them to the kitchen table. It was too domestic, but I didn't mind.

She walked in a few seconds later with a robe on. I didn't let my disappointment show. No one showed up to breakfast naked, but I wished she would. Sitting at the table next to me, she took a sip of the coffee, briefly closing her eyes. I'd noticed she did that when she was relishing an experience.

“I had a good time last night,” I told her, watching her face for a reaction.

A blush creeped across her nose and cheeks. It was pink and only made her skin glow in the morning light. “I bet you did.”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t.” I wasn't looking for my ego to be stroked, but I wanted to make sure it had been good for her.

A small smile played on her lips as her eyes met mine. "Maybe a little," she admitted. It was good enough for me, for now.

"It was in my top five highlights with you." I openly smirked at her. "I plan on rotating them out for new experiences."

Her cheeks burned red, and she lowered her head to look at the table. "Did you stay up all night?" she asked, changing the subject.

She'd said something similar the morning after our wedding, and I was curious. “How did you know?”

“I slept well, so I know you were here, but not as well as I do when you’re next to me.” She gave a half-hearted shrug, as if she was embarrassed to admit that.

I took her hand in mine and interlaced our fingers. “Serena, I need you to tell me about your family, since this shit is going sideways,” I started. It was the wrong thing to say. Her face fell, and her eyes went directly to her coffee. She wouldn't look at me. I should have thought about how that sounded to her before I opened my fucking mouth.

“Hey, not like that. We’re good, baby.” I lifted her chin in my hand to get her to look at me, not letting go of her fingers. The tears were building in the corners of her eyes, but she was trying to hold them back. I'd have to do better. Be a better husband. I'd hurt her with a slip of the tongue, and I hadn't even thought about it when I did it. It made me want to kill her family for instilling this lack of confidence in her.

I dropped her hand and stood from my chair to pick her up, bridal-style.

“Odin,” she gasped, as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “Put me down. I am heavy.”

I'd planned on walking into the living room, but I stopped when I heard her. "No," I said. She was looking at my neck, so she wouldn't have to meet my eyes, but I knew she was listening. "No, baby. I don't want to hear that fucking nonsense come out of your mouth again."

She sighed as if she didn't believe me but didn't want to fight.

"No, I am dead fucking serious. I don't want to hear that fucking shit when I see the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."

She was silent, but her eyes looked up into mine. Taking her to the sofa, I made sure she was sitting on my lap with her legs across the cushions.

“I am going to say stupid things. They’re not even going to mean what you think they mean. Can you do me a favor?" I waited until she nodded before I continued. "Before you run off,let me fix it, because I am never letting you go.” I claimed her lips, making sure she knew I was speaking the truth.

“Let’s try again,” I started. "Baby, I need your help, but this might be hard because I need to know about your family." I smiled at her as I let my hand wander up and down her back.

She smiled back at me. Leaning forward, she let her lips rest on mine. "Much better," she said, lightly kissing me before pulling away.

“Carazzo had another meeting at the shipyards last night."

She scrunched her nose and pulled back a little. "Is he really doing this for a promotion?" she asked.

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