Page 6 of Odin

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Idrove past the guards with a wave and made my way to the parking lot on the right side of the main house. I took a quick look to see which cars were here, and in the front row was a red Toyota Corolla. The cop was here. I didn’t know whether to laugh at his shitty vehicle or thank my lucky stars that the spot next to him was open. Pulling in, I put my BMW in park. I exited and immediately bent over. Pretending to retie my dress shoe lace, I slid the tracker onto the underside of the passenger’s front tire well. Unless he went looking for the tracker, it would buy me a few weeks.

Walking into the main house, I said hello to the men that I recognized from the wedding and nodded at the ones I didn’t know. They were Lombardos. Italians. I was a Deviant, and my loyalty would always lie with Mr. De Angelis and the Silent Syndicate. We’d never be friends, but they’d put up with me as long as they had to.

There were people mingling around, but I didn't see any of the immediate family. Taking a gamble, I walked to the dining room to check. I'd made it in time for lunch, and I was hoping the Old Man and Lorenzo were at the table. I was right.

“Do you have room for one more?” I said from the door. Tradition dictated I had to wait for their invite before approaching the table. However, they wouldn't slight my boss by slighting me. Completely fucked up, but I used it to my advantage.

Lorenzo stood from his seat and walked over to me. “Odin, this is a pleasant surprise. We had chef set you a plate, but we weren't sure you'd grace us with your presence. Come. Join us.” He shook my hand and pointed to the open chair next to his son, Sergio.

Sitting, I nodded my head at the men at the table. There was a pecking order, and I started with the Old Man. He was still the head of the family, even though it was time for him to retire. Giuseppe just stared back at me. Lorenzo was Underboss, which made Sergio the next in line. I leaned over and quickly muttered a hello. He wasn't hiding his lack of enthusiasm. Next, I said hello to the capos, which included Giuseppe's other sons. The cop was too low to be invited to this table, but he was in the shadows somewhere.

“How’s married life?” Lorenzo asked me, as the staff brought out the first course. Two of the serving women ladled tomato soup into each bowl as a few others filled the table with bread, butter, and crackers.

“It’s only been two days,” I answered. I wouldn’t give them any significant details about my marriage. As far as I was concerned, it was on a need-to-know basis. They didn't need to know.

He chuckled. “I thought I was going to be divorced two days in. I made the mistake of telling Cordelia that I thought her favorite red dress wasn’t flattering on her. Let’s just say that I never made that mistake again.”

The men at the table laughed politely.

“We’re good,” I replied nonchalantly. Looking over at the Giuseppe, I asked, “Do you have any advice for me?” I was stroking his hatred for me. It had nothing to do with Serena or our arranged marriage. This was personal. The Old Man thought I wasn’t worthy enough to be included in his family. He could fuck off, for all I cared.

“Get a mistress. Serena won’t be able to keep you satisfied.”Everyone in the underworld knew about Giuseppe Lombardo’s harem.

He'd timed his response perfectly. I'd just taken a sip of my coffee. It burned down my throat as I tried to cough, alleviating the pain. Fuck him.

He listed a few candidates that he could introduce me to with no regards to his granddaughter. I'd never cheat on her, but I had to appear like I wasn't secretly plotting his murder. The men couldn't tell I wanted to redecorate with their boss's blood.

After lunch, I found myself in the Old Man’s office with Lorenzo and Sergio. Keeping to myself, I just listened to the conversation. The Deviants weren't their enemy, but I didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself. Guns, drugs, and legal whores. I only paid attention to any information I could pass along to the cop. He’d need something soon to keep his mind occupied. It wasn’t until they mentioned an antique shipment coming in that an idea formed. It was completely legal, but the cop wouldn’t know that.

Chapter 4

Serena

We settled into a routine the first week after the wedding. My husband would wake early, but it was more likely that he never went to bed. From there, he’d dress, and I always had a general idea of what was on his agenda. If it was a suit, he was Doctor Nystrom or visiting Mr. De Angelis. If it was a t-shirt and jeans, he was probably doing something I would never know about. I would awake as he finished getting ready. Telling me to have a good day, he'd kiss me and leave. My daily routine hadn't changed. I still kept up appearances with my mother, still went shopping when it was the last thing I wanted to do, or simply stayed home. I loved staying home. The penthouse was my safe haven.

It was Friday. I had made no plans for the day, so I bummed around the penthouse, entertaining myself. By the afternoon, I was lying on the couch engrossed in a new romance book. Losing track of time, I didn't realize how late in the day it was when my phone rang. Grabbing it off the coffee table, I didn't botherto screen the call. I knew I was supposed to, but not too many people called me. “Hello?” I answered blindly.

“Did you even check your phone before answering?” Odin was calling. There were only two ways out of this situation: the truth or the lie. My mother lied constantly to my father, and even though the lies weren't serious, it had always rubbed me the wrong way. This was the person you were supposed to spend your life with, so why lie? I didn’t understand it, and I wouldn't do it to Odin. I respected him too much to start our marriage like that.

My conscience whispered in my ear that I was already lying to him, praying he would never know. I didn't want him to pity me, to look at me differently. I also didn't want to reveal I hadn't been as advertised when we married. My family could never know, and if Odin found out, he'd be honor bound to tell them.

“No, Odin,” I answered truthfully, facing the consequences. I wasn’t sure if he would reprimand me.

He huffed into the phone. “At least you’re at home.” The day after our wedding, I'd met my new guards. They were Deviants, and although I hadn't been told, I had assumed they would answer to Odin. I now had confirmation. “Get dressed. I’ll be home in two hours. We’re going out.”

We were going out? Like a date? I was trying to play it cool and not squeal into his ear. “Do I need to do anything?” I was excited. I'd never been on a date. It had been a no-go for me for obvious reasons. I was a mafia principessa. Anyone who was interested would have had to maneuver around my family. No one had wanted to do that, and if they did, I'd come with guards. My first date was going to be with my husband, and if I was being honest with myself, I liked him.

“Nope. Dress casual. Two hours, Serena.” The phone went dead in my hand. Casual? How casual?

Two hours. Two hours. It rang in my head on repeat.

I immediately ran to our bathroom to shower. It didn't take me long, but when I tried to figure out what casual meant, I was stuck. He hadn’t given me anything to work with. Standing in the middle of our closet with my towel wrapped around me, I kept spinning, hoping for some divine intervention. I would land on one wall of the closet, only to turn around and look at the other. I was making myself dizzy, but I was at a loss on what to wear. It wasn't until my eye caught the pink bags on the floor that I at least had a start.

My mother had taken me shopping at several boutiques after lunch earlier in the week. She had been insistent on buying everything in each store she had claimed men liked. It was embarrassing, but I had slipped a fancy lace red set into the pile. When she had seen it, she had commented that I had good taste. I couldn't bring myself to tell my mother about losing my previous pair. However, I was hoping Odin would catch a glimpse. He hadn’t touched me since our wedding night, and I was ready for a little more. I kept telling myself that he was being respectful because I didn't have experience, not because he didn't want me.

Red lingerie it was.

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