Page 30 of Eagle

His smile was meant to cushion the tension between us. Smiling back, I gave him a quick hug. “I love you, Ron.”

“Ditto, Sis. I’m sorry—”

I held up a hand to stop him. “No more. Let’s put the whole thing behind us and move on from here.”

He seemed relieved over that, and I handed him the bowl of stew I’d fixed for myself. I reached for another bowl in the cupboard and filled it.

“So how much do you owe the Soldiers?” I blew on a spoonful of stew to cool it off before taking a bite.

“Twenty grand.” Twenty grand! I nodded, hiding my shock. “They gave me a month.”

A month! How did they expect an eighteen-year-old to get that kind of money in a month? I took another bite. “What if you can’t pay it off in a month?”

“They kill me.”

My jaw dropped.

“I’m kidding, Sis. I don’t know. They said I had thirty days, no discussion.”

Oh. That was clear. They weren’t willing to discuss it. I took another bite of dinner, realizing that we were standing at the kitchen counter eating, but Ron was already done.

“What are you doing tonight?”

I thought for a moment. I knew exactly what I was going to do. It was Friday night and I’d already been invited to the Soldiers’ clubhouse by Ella, but I’d told her I wasn’t sure I could make it. I liked the girls, but did I really want to hang out at a biker’s club? The thought of seeing Eagle again was appealing, even if it were potentially dangerous to my heart. I finished my stew and turned so Ron wouldn’t see my cheeks flush. Whenever that man entered my mind I grew uncomfortably warm. I set my bowl in the sink.

I wasn’t going to the clubhouse to hang out, though. I needed to talk to Wolfe about the money Ron owed. I had an idea. I only hoped Wolfe would think it was a workable solution. And while I was there I’d visit with the girls long enough to have a beer and then be on my way.

Chapter 13

Eagle

What the fuck was Leo doing here? The last time I’d seen her was earlier in the day, when she’d been taking a shower behind a concrete wall that did little to protect her from my imagination, which had been wreaking havoc with my thoughts all fucking night. I had a damned good imagination, and from the way her curves had felt through her clothes, the woman was stacked with tits and ass. I would have liked to see those curves covered in suds and then watch as the water washed them down her body like a graceful waterfall.

I didn’t think I’d see her again once we were done with her brother. I’d wondered who the Jeep belonged to that had been in her brother’s drive earlier that day, and I’d memorized the tag to run it. Just hadn’t had the chance yet. I’d seen that particular vehicle around town and was curious to whom it belonged. As Enforcer, it didn’t hurt to know who people were, especially if they were friends of Ron’s.

The way Leo was scanning the room now, I got the impression that she was searching for someone. She looked hot in a pair of tight jeans and a crop top that left a sliver of tanned skin exposed. Her hair was up in one of those messy buns where some tendrils had escaped to caress her neck. Large silver hoop earrings adorned her ears, matching the bracelets around her slender wrists. But what really got me hot was the stiletto boots she was wearing.

As her gaze moved around the room she slipped her hands into her back pockets, the action thrusting those tits out as if she were offering someone a taste.

When her gaze came to the table I was sitting at with Jillian, Val, Lola, Mac, Bear, and Lynx, she paused, made eye contact with me, and then moved on. I kept my eyes on her because number one, she shouldn’t have been there; and number two, she was a lone woman drawing the attention of every horny brother in the room. I knew because one glance around the room revealed several eyeing her with open lust in their eyes.

And I was no different.

Fuck. Here I sat, horny for another woman when the one I wanted was sitting right across from me. I glanced at Jillian. She was as pretty as usual. Her brown eyes always had a twinkle in them. In the past she had participated in the dance competition at the Animals Den on Friday nights, but since she’d become a realtor she’d given it up. Short in stature, she had nice curves, and I missed seeing her moves on stage.

She and Lola had their heads together and were in deep conversation about something. I felt bad for Lola. She was heartbroken over the loss of her dogs, and the club had made a vow to find them. Unfortunately, we hadn’t come across any white vans, and when we’d returned to her empty-handed, she’d broken down and sobbed. She’d been planning to adopt Angel, one of the dogs that had been taken.

At least she’d given us a good description of the two men who’d been involved, and Lynx had vowed to make them pay for putting their hands on her. I knew that he would do everything in his power to get Angel back for Lola. He hadn’t officially claimed her yet, but everyone knew that they were together.

I caught Mac motioning someone over to the table. It was Leo, and she walked toward us with a smile on her face.

“Hi, everyone,” she greeted, eyeing everyone briefly except me.

Val, Jillian, and Lola returned her greeting. Lynx and Bear gave her a chin lift.

“You looking for someone, sweetheart?” Mac curled his arm around her waist.

The fuck? I bristled the second he pulled her down onto his lap.