Serafina

The first thing I think about is why does Diaz have a key to unlock a guest room door? Then I remember where I am. The danger in this place reminds me of why I left Holly Beach so long ago. Everything looks normal from the outside, beautiful Southern architecture and trimmed lawns, but there’s no old money in this place, only drug money. And after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina devastated the coast, the cartel bought up all the available property, constructed new houses, and rented them to their mules.

The families that managed to rebuild their lives are middle class, struggling to make ends meet. So there’s a serious line of division in the proverbial sand in the Cajun Riviera. And the only good thing I really remember about my hometown is standing too close to me. Eagle can never know who I am. I need to get out of here before I slip up and let him kiss me.

Diaz and Tony thankfully invade the bedroom just before our argument escalates. I sink down into the hot water, ready to forget tonight, ready to blow Eagle off and get away from him. I don’t want to be hateful and rude. I love him as much as I always did, maybe even more now that I’ve seen him again. But our time together is long over. I’m dead to him. Angel is even dead to me. I’m Serafina now, and the sooner I convince him I think he’s a piece-of-shit biker, the quicker he’ll let me go.

“Shit, Scala.” Tony rushes over. “What happened? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Eagle shoves his hand in his front jeans pocket. “Not in the guest house, apparently.”

Tony spins around. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Should be obvious. You left her alone.” Eagle gives Diaz a nod. “Did you tell him?”

“Yes.”

“No further explanation is required,” Eagle informs Tony. “Serafina will spend the night here and I’ll arrange for her to get a ride home in the morning.”

“Wait a second,” I say. “Who appointed you my caretaker all of a sudden? I’m a big girl, remember?” I put my hand on my hip, ready to do battle again if I have to.

Eagle throws me a sideways look, like I’m some kind of freak. “Don’t care what you say, Serafina. You’ll do things my way.”

Really? “I’m not staying here,” I say emphatically. “Tony will call the limo driver and we’ll leave tonight.”

“Sorry, girl,” Tony says, looking guilty of something. “One of the twins did too many body shots and she’s not feeling well. We’ll have to get a hotel room.”

“How convenient,” I say, not believing a word of it.

Eagle always gets his way. Never mind the patches on his cut, even if he was just an ordinary guy, he’d still convince anyone to do anything he wanted with one look. I’ve been a victim of his tactics before. Things can’t get any worse. I close my eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. There’s a Holiday Inn a few miles up the highway. I’ll get dressed.”

“Mr. Lazaro won’t like that,” Diaz says.

Tony laughs. “Tell Mr. Lazaro I appreciate his concern. But this is a private matter.”

“Not anymore.” Eagle steps between the hot tub and Tony, blocking Tony’s view of me. “I don’t give a shit about the twins, but Serafina is my responsibility now.”

I can smell the testosterone in the air. I grew up surrounded by men who felt entitled to power. Never asking women how they felt or what they wanted. Since my escape from Holly Beach five years ago, I’ve lived by my own rules. And no matter how much I love Eagle, he’s not going to break them.

I stand, water cascading down my body. “Mr. Lazaro hasn’t exactly demonstrated good sense either,” I remind Eagle. “Tony might have made a bad choice or two, but I know and trust him. So there’s no question about where I’m going.”

Eagle swings around, his gaze lingering on the most intimate parts of my naked body. “Fuck,” he moans, then focuses on my eyes. “Don’t insult Lazaro again. As for Tony . . .” The two face off. “Get your boss on the phone. I’m sure he’d like a progress report on tonight’s performances.”

My bouncer runs his fingers through his hair. “There’s no reason to bother Mr. Matthews in the middle of the night.”

“I disagree.” Eagle produces his cell phone. “What’s that number?”

Hit by a wicked chill, I step out of the hot tub and reach for one of the blanket-sized towels on the shelf nearby. I shake it out and wrap it around my center, successfully covering all the parts that Eagle couldn’t keep his eyes off of. My next step: clearing the suite so I can think straight. “Please,” I say. “Leave my boss out of this. Just go,” I tell Tony. “It’s already after midnight. Get some rest and I’ll call you in the morning.”

Tony looks between us. “You sure, sweetheart? I’m not afraid of this leather-wearing motherfucker. They’re a dime a dozen in these parts.”

I grit my teeth, waiting for Eagle to explode.

He jumps without uttering a word. The loud crack of Tony’s head hitting the wall makes me ache all over.

“What did you say?” Eagle spits.

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.