Page 29 of Odin

“Where the fuck is she?” Lorenzo was immediately out of his chair and marching towards me with his fists clenched. He wouldn't be stupid enough to hit me, would he? Lorenzo was a ticking bomb, and with all the hostility he was holding onto, it was only a matter of time.

“Settle down, or you won’t see her.” My voice was steel as it cut through his waves of animosity. I didn’t care if he was lividat me, but I wasn’t about to allow him to be fucking stupid. The Lombardos had done enough of that where Serena was concerned.

Lorenzo's fist clenched as he debated on whether it was a good idea to take a swing at me. I let the smirk that was forming settle on my lips as I refrained from telling him to fuck around and find out. His swing wouldn't even make contact, and I'd have him on the ground in three seconds flat. He’d been born with a silver spoon, and although he could defend himself, I had gone to the school of hard knocks. There was no comparison.

I felt Serena’s hand on the back of my suit coat. They had told me that her presence was non-negotiable when they scheduled this meeting, but I still wouldn’t move until I felt it was safe for her. Realistically, I knew her father would never harm her. However, I was afraid Lorenzo would let his emotions get the best of him and inadvertently say something that would cause additional emotional damage to Serena. She'd had enough in one weekend.

He seethed at me still clenching his fists, as I watched him. Did he really think he could call my bluff? I didn't give a fuck if the Lombardos lost their Italian Family. It didn't mean fucking shit to me, and it wasn't like it was Serena's inheritance.

“Lorenzo, sit down,” Giuseppe Lombardo spewed. He was on my shit list too, so he had better not even think to try me. Once they were back under control,I moved to the side to let Serena into the office.

She looked cool and collected. I had wanted to mess her up this morning to see her smile, but I had refrained. Watching Lorenzo, I knew her father was analyzing her for a different reason. He wanted to know if she had cracked or if she was giving off any sign that she needed help. I didn't have the heart to tell him that if she needed anything, she’d get it from me. Only me.

Serena walked over to her family and said hello to her grandfather first, since he was the highest-ranking member. He didn't bother to get out of his chair, nor did she make any additional effort. When she turned to her father, it didn't surprise me that Lorenzo hugged her tightly. As much as I thought he should have known what was going on, he was getting hit from all sides. I didn't think it was malicious, like her mother. Lorenzo was just overworked. When he finally let her go, her brother, Sergio, swept her up into another hug. They were friendly, not close, but not distanced either.

Once the pleasantries were done, she walked back over to me and waited for me to guide her to her chair. Naturally, I picked the one farthest away from them. I wasn’t a fool. I wasn’t giving them any opportunity to take her.

“Well, it’s been an eventful weekend,” Mr. De Angelis said. He clapped his hands so that our attention was on him and not on each other.

However, I didn't trust the Lombardos and still watched them out of my peripheral view. Sergio was the farthest away from me, and although he didn't appear to be nervous, his eyes darted back and forth. I wasn't sure why he was here, but he was out of his league.

Lorenzo sat in the middle chair. His back was ramrod straight, and although he wore a poker face, I thought he would be the one to break first. It only took one look at him to know he was tightly wound, and I wondered if today would be the day that broke him. His hands were on his knees, holding them so that they wouldn't bounce, giving away his anxiety. I thought about offering my knife, to see if he wanted to relieve some of the tension.

The Old Man was the closest to me. He was also the only one of the Lombardos who looked semi-relaxed.

“Let’s start with the simple stuff. Serena, my dear, I have taken care of the penthouse, and you're free to go home. There’s a bed, and it’s stocked with groceries, so you’ll at least be comfortable until you purchase replacements.”

“Thank you.” Her voice was timid, like she was afraid of her own shadow but trying her best to be brave. When I took her home, I’d show her my appreciation.

Mr. De Angelis turned to the Lombardos and steepled his fingers. "You're a disgrace. I gave you an opportunity to repair your name after the raid, and you squandered it. This is your last warning. Clean house, because the next time we have to have one of these sit-downs, you won't have to worry about a war. I'll already own everything you've ever worked for."

“I’ll pay retribution for Serena. Name your price, Odin, and we’ll annul this marriage,” Lorenzo told me.

His livelihood was being challenged, and he decided his daughter was more important at this moment. I didn't think I would ever understand the Lombardos. Their systems were outdated, and I honestly believed that if they had paid attention instead of cutting corners, Serena wouldn't have been a target.If she was that important to you, you would have already protected her.In my mind, it was a failure they couldn't come back from, and I wasn't giving them a second chance. They should have made peace with their defeat. I would make sure Serena was alright, but they needed to shift their focus to the family, or they would lose it, too.

“I told you no,” I said. I wasn't playing games with him.

“She’s my daughter.” He stood up from his chair and took a few steps to face me.

“She’s my wife, and I told you no.” I stood from my chair and stepped up to him. We were around the same height, so it was easy to look each other in the eye and puff out our chests. It would be a cold day in hell before I backed down from anyone.

“Three million, wired to an offshore account.” If I shifted my head a little to the right, we'd be nose-to-nose. We stood so close together that our breaths mingled in the charged air.

“I am only going to say this one more time, so get it through your thick fucking skull. You need to make peace with whatever God you get down on your knees and pray to. Serena is mine, and if you think you're going to waltz in and take her from me, you have another fucking thing coming." I threw in one last parting shot. "I protect her better than you did.” Lorenzo's fist came up as if he was going to hit me.

Mr. De Angelis clapped and held up his hand to signal us to stop. He turned in his chair to face Serena, but I didn't look away from Lorenzo. "My dear, would you like us to annul your marriage so we can return you to your family?”

“No, thank you,” she replied, a little stronger than she had been before.

“If Serena suddenly disappears, it'll be an act of war against the Deviants, and we will retaliate," Mr. De Angelis said, looking straight at Lorenzo. "Now, let's move this along. Odin, why don't you do the honors and inform our friends here about their soldier?" That glint was back in his eyes, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

If she went missing, I’d burn the whole damn compound down to get to her. They’d all die, and we wouldn’t need a war.

The Lombardos were running scared. They weren’t outwardly showing it, but it was very clear they didn't have the upper hand.

“Luca Carazzo destroyed my penthouse on the orders of Cordelia, your wife, and Anthony Martino, the Chief of Police.” Mic drop.

Lorenzo's mouth kept opening and closing like a fish, and eventually, he took his chair and placed his head in between his knees. The Old Man was going red in the face. He had a real problem with that, and Sergio was stunned silent.

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