Page 94 of Lawbreaker

Odalie had already decided that if Tony asked her to stay with him, she’d agree. But he hadn’t asked. If anything, he’d become more distant as the days went by. She knew he still wanted her, but he didn’t come with her to her apartment alone anymore. And while he still kissed her, it was almost as if he did it for appearances more than because he wanted to. The incredible closeness they’d shared in the beginning was slipping away, like an unanchored ship being pulled out to sea. Odalie didn’t know what to do, how to keep from losing Tony. And he wouldn’t talk about their relationship. If she even tried to discuss it, he changed the subject. She was feeling less confident about the future.

As the first performance approached, Odalie was fitted for a costume. She told the folks back home when she’d be onstage. They were all overjoyed for her, especially Heather, who’d once wanted a career in opera as well. But Heather had chosen love over career. She wasn’t sorry.

Odalie had the same choice to make. Heather had heard from Stasia that things had really heated up between Tony and Odalie.

She wondered if her daughter was being tormented with the same choices that she’d faced when she was even younger than Odalie was now. It was a hard decision to make between love and a career. And it was a very private choice. She didn’t interfere. She did wonder if Odalie would be happy without Tony if she decided on her career. Having seen the two of them together, she was convinced that neither would thrive if they went their separate ways. Even when they’d been at the ranch, they looked like two halves of a whole.

Besides that, there was Odalie’s fear of going on the stage. It was much more than just stage fright, which could be conquered. It was an actual phobia that even years of therapy hadn’t lessened. What sort of life would that be? Odalie had a beautiful voice. She did. But if she was going to spend her career being scared out of her mind night after night, that was no sort of life. Better she married Tony and sang in church on Sundays. Considering how Odalie spoke about Tony these days, her daughter wanted him much more than she wanted a career.

Mrs. Murdock was due home the next day, and Tony had become remote. He was the perfect host, welcoming and enjoying working in the kitchen with Odalie. But he’d stopped gathering her into his arms at every opportunity or even kissing her from time to time. He was more like a big brother now.

She didn’t understand. Ben wasn’t around all the time, so that wasn’t an excuse, either. It was like Tony was having second thoughts.

“Do I have to go?” Odalie asked after they’d cleared away the supper dishes.

“You do,” he said with a breezy smile. “Mrs. Murdock will be giving us hard looks. Not that Ben would give us away. But it would be awkward.”

“Oh.” She sighed, her sad eyes glancing off Tony’s, while he pretended not to have a care in the world. “Well, then I guess...”

The doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Tony said, because he knew who it was. He’d called her.

He’d done a lot of soul searching. He couldn’t jeopardize Odalie’s career because he wanted her. She had a voice that was a gift. What could he offer to balance the Met? He was older than she was, he had a cold and dangerous past, and he couldn’t give her kids. He’d lived in dreams for the past few weeks, but it wasn’t fair to her. He wanted the world for her. And she was never going to leave of her own accord. She thought she loved him, but that was just because she had nobody to compare him with. She’d meet men, nice men, as she progressed in opera. Young men who could give her kids, who could give her a good, clean character.

No, he couldn’t be selfish, even if it was going to be like amputating a limb without anesthetic. He had to let her go. Make her go. And this was how he was going to do it.

He opened the door. “Mauve,” he said, then caught her up in his arms and kissed her hungrily.

She kissed him back and then laughed and protested, patting her hair back into place.

Tony put an arm around her and led her into the living room, where a pale Odalie was standing like a young statue in her sweats.

“Odalie, this is Mauve,” he said, introducing them. “Cara,” he told Mauve, “you remember that I’ve mentioned my adopted daughter’s best friend, Odalie? She’s going to sing at the Met. Ben and I had her over for the night while we got some more protection at her apartment.” His face hardened. “She had a peeping tom.”

Nice lies, Tony, Odalie was thinking. She forced a smile. “It was kind of Mr. Garza to look out for me,” she agreed, not missing the way Tony flinched when she said that. She smiled at Mauve. “Ben and one of his guys took care of my problem so I can go home now!”

Mauve laughed, apparently not noticing any undercurrents. “Ben can take care of most problems all by himself.”

“Yes, he can. Well, I’ll get my bag...” Odalie began.

“Ben, drive her home, and make sure you check around the place first, you hear me?” Tony added.

“You bet, boss!”

Tony sat down on the couch with Mauve. “So, tell me about the ballet you saw,” he began.

Odalie didn’t say a word all the way home. She just sat, like somebody in a trance. In one hour, her entire world had collapsed. She could hardly believe how quickly it happened. What had she done to make Tony turn his back on her so completely? Was he afraid that she was getting too attached to him? Did he have cold feet about the future?

She had no idea what was going on. And that woman. She knew who Mauve was. She was Tony’s girlfriend.

They pulled up at Odalie’s apartment. Ben was on his walkie-talkie as he opened the back door, talking to one of his men.

He walked Odalie to her door, carrying her bag. He put it down just inside the front door.

“If you hear anything, you call me, okay?” he asked quietly. “You’ve got my number on speed dial, yeah?”

“I do,” she said. She forced a smile. “Thanks for bringing me home.”

---