But he could also be the best thing that ever happened to me.
That was the real risk, wasn't it? Not the danger from his world, but the danger to my heart. The chance that I'd let him in and he'd become everything, only to lose him to violence or betrayal or any of the thousand ways this could go wrong.
I found a spot by the water's edge and sat on a weathered log, hands clasped in my lap, forcing myself to face the truth I'd been avoiding since I saw him at that bar.
I wanted him. Not just physically, though that was definitely part of it. I wanted the version of us we could have been four years ago, the relationship we'd started to build before his brother's death tore him away.
And I wanted to know if we could build something even better now, with all our scars and truths out in the open.
The thought terrified me. But it also felt right in a way nothing else had in years.
I pulled out my phone again and stared at Eric's number. My thumb hovered over it, my heart racing against the backdrop of flowing water.
Not yet. Instead, I fished my headphones out of my pocket.
I still needed more time, needed to be absolutely certain before I took this step.
But soon. Very soon, I'd have to decide if loving him was worth the risk of losing everything.
16
ERIC
Café Nero was nearly empty at this hour, the breakfast rush long past. I'd claimed a corner table with clear sight-lines to both entrances, a habit I couldn't break even when meeting an ally.
Sofia Savoca-Donati arrived precisely on time, her designer heels clicking against the marble floor with purpose. She wore a designer business dress that screamed money and power, her dark hair pulled back in a way that highlighted her sharp features. Wedding rings glinted on her finger as she approached.
I stood. "Mrs. Savoca-Donati."
"Sofia." She slid into the seat across from me without waiting for me to pull out her chair. "Let's not pretend this is formal."
I sat back down, watching as she waved off the approaching server. No coffee, no pleasantries. She'd come here for answers, not brunch.
"You wanted to meet," I said.
"I did." She folded her hands on the table, her gaze direct and assessing. The kind of look that had probably made rivals underestimate her before she proved them wrong. "I need to understand something about you, Eric. About your intentions."
"Regarding the alliance?"
"Regarding Ivy."
The name hit differently coming from her. Not accusatory like it had been from my father, but protective. Territorial in a way that spoke of genuine care rather than strategic concern.
I kept my expression neutral. "What about her?"
"Did you know?" Sofia leaned forward slightly. "When you came to Ironstone, when you set up that first meeting with Leo and Grayson, did you know Ivy worked at our club? That she was connected to us through Elena?"
The question I'd been expecting. The one that could derail everything if she didn't believe my answer.
"No." I met her stare without flinching. "I had no idea she was here. When I saw her at the bar that first night, I thought it was coincidence. By the time I realized she worked for you, I'd already..."
"Already reconnected with her," Sofia finished. "Already complicated things."
"Yes."
She studied me for a long moment, her expression giving nothing away. I'd faced interrogations before, had been trained to withstand pressure without breaking. But something about Sofia's scrutiny felt different. More personal. Like she could see through every defense I'd constructed.
Women just had a way of seeing things sometimes, I'd come to learn.
