Page 68 of Married into the Mob
1 Called and messaged.
2 Sat in the red car that I’d had one of my men bring back from the cabin.
3 Parked outside his aunt’s building one night in case what? He went for a midnight walk with the bodyguards shepherding and tailing him?
4 Not been to the office but had worked at the club until late six nights running.
Odell had apologized, begged me to forgive him for staying just one more night, whispered how he missed me and promised he’d be back by my side soon.
I’d ranted to myself about his aunt keeping him from me, but even in my darkest moments, I understood how her world had been ripped apart and she was holding onto the one person she loved most.
I’d convinced myself Dellie didn’t love me. If he had, he wouldn’t have stayed away. We’d been through so much, and when we could finally be together, he’d taken off. He didn’t feel the same pull I did.
But again, I yanked myself back from that cliff and pictured myself in his position. He was mourning the uncle he loved, what he’d left behind, and the tug-of-war between his aunt and me.
My mate was trying to please both of us. I hoped his aunt was happy, because I wasn’t. I stamped my feet in the car and smiled, the first one all week. I was doing the toddler impression Odell had called me out about. He was right. I had temper tantrums, and growing up, they got me what I wanted.
Not today!
Be smart!
That’s it? That’s your advice?This was the same wolf who’d howled in a park near Aunt Louisa’s building late yesterday. He asked to shift, but I refused to leave the city, so he’d taken his fur in the park. But he was supposed to be stealthy. Maybe looking for squirrels or rabbits, not calling his kind and having humans dial 911 about a wild animal on the loose.
Didn’t understand the word stealthy.
But here we were again, outside the building, hoping to catch a glimpse of my mate.
I tried to come up with solutions.
Aunt Louisa could live with us. I’d have a cottage built at the back of my house. Our house. But given how she thought about me, I doubted she’d accept. That was my compromise. She’d need to give a little too and accept my offer.
She loved where she was staying, but if she wanted to live with Odell, she’d have to come to us.
But knowing that she might never be at ease in my company, I’d come up with a possible solution to get her on my side. Ranger had griped about the money we’d lose, but Flint agreed with me.
“You and I don’t have extended family on our mates’ side,” my big brother had told brother in the middle.
Ranger had rolled his eyes. “That’s because they’re killers who did a runner or would-be murderers who are rotting in jail. And now little bro has joined the club with his mate’s uncle who sold him off to pay debts.”
Both my brothers had been separated from their mates in the early stages of their relationships.
“When Tony left, it was days before I saw him.” That was Flint recounting when he’d let Tony go after kidnapping him.
“Days,” Ranger scoffed. “Matt and I were apart for two months when he left me, and that was because he thought he’d put his brother in danger.” He addressed me. “Thank the gods you and Odell have been apart for only seven days.”
Ranger had more inner strength than me. If my mate and I were separated any longer, I’d camp out on his aunt’s terrace, and I loathed camping.
Maybe instead of pleading with my mate, I had to show his aunt I was a good guy, or goodish. And I’d never let anything happen to Odell. I’d conveniently forget to mention the shooting, getaway, and Stefan’s death.
I got out of the car, and with a nod to the bodyguards, strolled across the street and buzzed.
Odell was standing in front of the elevator when the doors opened. He didn’t fall into my arms as I expected, though I did have a bunch of roses tucked under one arm. My belly churned, my wolf complained, and I froze, as a scowling Aunt Louisa stood behind her nephew.
“You came,” she noted and turned her nose up at the flowers. But she accepted them and walked into the kitchen.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Odell replied. His eyes were puffy as though he’d been crying, but his cheeks were more hollow than when I’d last seen him.
