Page 58 of Lawbreaker

Nice. Connie heard that note in the other woman’s voice and drew a wistful sigh. She’d hoped Angel had made an impression, but it didn’t sound as if he had. She’d hoped to have Odalie in the family one day. Now, thanks to Tony, that wasn’t going to be possible. She almost told Odalie why she’d been forced to cancel the date, but she was too wary of Tony’s temper to do it.

It was odd, the way he tried to keep everybody away from Odalie. If Connie and the others hadn’t shown up at the Long Island party, they’d probably never have met Odalie. Tony didn’t seem to want any of his people around her. And she was so nice. It didn’t make sense.

But then, Tony played his hand close to his chest. She just accepted that he had some reason for not wanting Odalie around the Jersey family.

Odalie had no idea that Tony had nixed her date with Angel. She hadn’t seen him since he’d made it very clear that he knew how she felt and he didn’t want her interest. It was a good thing that Stasia had stayed in Texas, because now Odalie wouldn’t be dragged to any more of Tony’s parties. Not that she wanted to go anyway. She had her singing lessons to carry on.

But there was a small party at the art gallery the next weekend, and Stasia flew up from Texas for it. Odalie tried to opt out. It didn’t work.

“Tony won’t want me there,” Odalie protested as she put the finishing touches on her face. She was wearing a beautiful black cocktail dress with puff sleeves and a deep V neckline. She wore rubies with it—drippy earrings in yellow gold with a matching necklace and bracelet. She left her hair long and loose around her shoulders.

“You look gorgeous,” Stasia said. “Men will follow you everywhere,” she added teasingly.

“Heavens, I hope not,” she replied with a mock shiver. “Every time I go to one of these parties, some drunk immediately becomes a homing pigeon and I’m stuck with him until he passes out.”

“Not at Tony’s party,” Stasia assured.

She sighed. “I don’t want to go,” she muttered. “He treats me like a fatal virus.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Stasia replied.

She looked at Stasia. “I was going to go to a Broadway show with Connie and Angel, but she called to cancel it. I liked Angel, too.”

Stasia pursed her lips. “Angel is a little rough for polite company,” she said.

“He was an absolute gentleman,” Odalie protested. “Between the three of us, we almost wiped out the inventory at a Japanese restaurant eating sushi,” she added, laughing.

“I’m glad you had fun. But Angel isn’t supposed to be around us. Tony will have a long talk with him if he finds out.”

She glared at herself in the mirror. “I don’t understand why,” she said.

“Good. Let’s keep it that way,” Stasia said just as there was a knock on the door.

Ben was standing there, looking around as he spoke. “You two ready to go?” he asked.

“Yes, we are,” Stasia said, smiling at him.

Odalie picked up her purse and they climbed in the limo.

“Is the place already crowded?” Stasia asked Ben.

“To the eaves,” he replied as he started the engine. “And he’s not happy about Angel taking our future opera star to any Broadway shows.”

“What?” Odalie asked, stunned.

“Boss will explain it to you,” he replied. “It’s complicated.” And he raised the window that cut off the passenger area from the driver.

Odalie let out a long sigh. “It will be my fault, somehow,” she predicted.

“Tony isn’t mad,” Stasia assured her. “He really does have a bad temper, but it only shows itself when people he cares about are threatened.”

“He’d feed me to a shark in a heartbeat and assure the authorities that the poor creature was starving and he was doing something for the ecology.”

“I can just picture Tony dangling you over a shark pit,” Stasia laughed, “but he’d never really do it.”

“You think?” She shook her head. “At least the art gallery isn’t near the ocean!”

Stasia just laughed again.

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