Their faces are inches apart and Eagle gives Tony’s throat a squeeze.
“Say it again.” Eagle dares him. “Give me a reason to crack your redneck skull.”
After what seems too long, Diaz finally reacts. “Gentlemen.” He makes no effort to stop them though. “There’s obviously been a misunderstanding here. Let’s settle this calmly.”
Eagle looks over his shoulder at me. “Serafina? Tell Tony where you want to be.”
“Here,” I say, hoping it cools his temper.
“Am I forcing you?”
Yeah, actually.Relentless intimidation is the same thing. “No,” I lie. “Eagle and I have some things to talk about.”
Satisfied with my answer, Eagle lets go of Tony and steps back. “You can go.” He gestures for Tony to leave the room.
Poor Tony takes a deep breath and straightens the collar on his button-up shirt. If we were in any other house, that big gun hidden in his waistband would have come out and changed the direction of this confrontation. But I’m glad my bouncer exercised good judgment, because Eagle isn’t the kind of man you want as an enemy.
“Ready?” Diaz asks him. “Let’s grab the twins’ luggage and put it in the foyer. Then we can collect the girls.”
They clear out of the room a few minutes later. Unfortunately, I’m right back where I started, alone with Caleb. On nights when we weren’t too happy with each other, I’d call him by his real name. The one that reminds me of who he really is underneath his leather and patches. The son of a powerful politician. A rich boy with an attitude the size of Texas.
“You shouldn’t have treated Tony like that.”
He shrugs and walks to the bed where he left his vest. He puts it on and points to a patch sewn over his right pectoral. “What does it say?”
“No mercy.”
“If he weren’t your friend, Serafina, I would have sent him to the ER in a body bag.”
I know it all too well. His club, the Iron Norsemen, might adhere to different rules than most MCs, but when someone disrespects a member like Tony just did, it’s an automatic death sentence.
“I appreciate your restraint.”
“Do you?”
“I understand more than you know.”
He takes a seat in one of the recliners across the room, looking suddenly exhausted. “There’s something familiar about you. I just can’t place it. Have we met before?”
I freeze, all the memories I’ve fought so hard to suppress break free and flood my mind and heart. I stare at him, waiting for him to recognize me. Waiting for him to call my old name. If he does, not sure how I’ll react. To me, family isn’t defined by blood alone. There’s family, and then there’s kindred hearts. Eagle and I, all the brothers with the Iron Norsemen and the old ladies, well, we’re real family. Time and distance can’t break that bond. Nothing can. So standing here waiting for Eagle to call me out is the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. It’s even worse than the day I had to say goodbye to him from a distance.
“Eagle?”
“Yeah?” He looks at me, and his blue eyes are so beautiful.
“Why did you want me to stay here with you?”
“So I can kiss you, Serafina.”
As he stands and heads toward me, my heart skips a few beats. I’ve never stopped dreaming of him. Night after night waking up in cold sweats wondering where he was and what he was doing. Wondering if he still loved me—my memory, anyway. Wondering if he had fallen in love with another woman. Trying to remember what he tasted like.
Judging by the dark look on his face, I’m about to find out.
