Page 5 of Odin

He laughed again. Clapping his hands, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his desk. “Alright, tell me about the cop.”

“He met the chief of police down near the shipyards. There wasn’t anything exciting in their conversation, except they want to put more pressure on Serena. She’s been handing them pro forma invoices, and they’re getting a little tired of not having anything concrete to go on.” I would never tell him about the attack or that they had made light of it. I’d get my revenge in due time.

“Do you think the chief of police is behind this? I can’t see what he would want with this kid.” Mr. De Angelis steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them, considering their intentions.

“He’s expendable.” I had already come to this conclusion. “The chief has a hard-on for the Italians, Giuseppe especially. He wouldn’t even entertain getting the Greeks first. Don Petrakis is courting the Yakuza and has been for a while. It’d be much easier to tumble them.”

We both went silent, contemplating our next moves.

"The only thing I can think of is that he's the easy scapegoat. If something falls apart, Carazzo will take the hit. No harm, no foul," Mr. De Angelis said. “It doesn’t explain why the chief is out to dismantle the Italians.”

“Could this have something to do with Giuseppe Lombardo personally? Carazzo told the chief that when they receive orders from Lorenzo, the Old Man instantly changes them. Even at the wedding, it seemed like the soldiers were loyal, but given the chance, they would walk at the lack of leadership.”

“I am not sure, my boy. It’s a conundrum. Sure, Giuseppe should retire and live out the rest of his life in paradise. He’sserved his time, and there's no doubt he's one reason the family is still progressing. However, he wouldn't have caught my attention if he hadn't engaged in some questionable business decisions recently.” Mr. De Angelis appeared to be lost in his own thoughts.

“Should I target Giuseppe?”I was going to anyway, but it would be easier with approval.

"Yes, but I want you to get close to Lorenzo on the off chance that he’s really the one that’s driving this. I think he's stuck behind his father's shadow, but we can't rule anything out yet."

“What about the cop?” I asked. I would follow orders, but I didn’t really care about anything else.Carazzo had to pay for his sins.

“Let’s send him a present. See if you can get him a few real invoices. Nothing that will cause a raid, but enough to keep him occupied. We’ll also need to get a real tracker on him. His wedding suit has been in his closet since you followed him home.”

“No problem. He should be at the Lombardo compound. I’ll head over there and make friends with my new in-laws.” I stood from my chair and prepared to leave.Before I could make a move toward the door, Mr. De Angelis raised his hand to stop me.

“Humor an old man for a second. I've been thinking about our history, and I am not sure I saved you from the streets or damned you to this life. She's important to you, and you have my word, Serena will be safe. We will use her name or phone number to send the cop our planted information, but she won’t be anywhere near him.”

In the sixteen years I'd been a Deviant, I'd never heard him protect an outsider. Serena would always be an Italian.

***

Walking out of the De Angelis Building, I checked my watch to see what time it was. If I planned this right, I could catch the higher-ranking members of the family at lunch. I was a Deviant, trying to make nice with my in-laws. They hadn't caught the cop by now, so they wouldn't suspect anything if I randomly appeared at their table.

I'd made the trek across town to the Lombardo compound one too many times. As each mile rolled under my tires, I started feeling antsy. Was I coming down with something? Didn't think so. There would have been more signs. I hadn't eaten breakfast before I left this morning. Maybe I was just hungry, except the feeling never dissipated. It only became stronger as each mile passed.

Serena. Her name silently bounced around my head. My heart pounded at the thought that she might be in trouble. Each dark and unsettling thought echoed in perfect harmony with the rhythmic beats of my heart. Realistically, her guards would have called me if something was amiss. However, the possessive husband in me wouldn't accept any rational thought. I had an intense craving to know she was alright, and there was no pacifying it until I spoke to her.

I hit the button on my steering wheel to text her.

You looked comfortable in our bed this morning.

Taking a quick glance at my phone as I waited at a red light, I could see the three little dots at the bottom bouncing. I waited in anticipation, like a little kid on Christmas morning. I had never experienced it myself, but I could imagine this is what it felt like.

It was comfy. I had the entire bed to myself.

I responded through the car.

Don't get used to it, baby.

Ha, is that a threat or a promise?

Her response was immediate.

Look who had gotten sassy.

Very much a promise. I plan to be deep within you every night until you fall asleep.

Pulling into the compound parking lot, there was a huge smile on my face.

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