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He would wait patiently for the day to come because forcing his attention on her when she wasn’t receptive would only serve to erode whatever ground he’d made with her.
It still hurt. But after knowing everything he knew about her, her actions weren’t truly surprising. Of course, she would lash out the way she had when he did something she considered a betrayal. Of course, she would deny her feelings for him and run when shit got hard. Seraphina Cook and vulnerability didn’t have a symbiotic relationship.
Maybe she thought that was what men did, disappoint her, but he would be around to prove her wrong. To show her new things.
There was nobody he wanted to build a future with except Seraphina. He lived for her even when she wasn’t around. His first thought every morning was of her, as was his last at night. She’d embedded herself so deeply into the fabric of who he was that there was no getting her out without destroying him.
Toro was okay with that.
He returned from his Miami trip and debriefed with his uncles—because that’s who Stavros was to him now—before getting ready to head to LA to spend some time with his mother. He’d let visiting her take a back seat to dealing with the Miami situation and she had not been happy. In his bedroom in the pool house, he shoved clothes into a duffel bag. He looked forward to being with his mother. He got to be a momma’s boy for a little while and allow her to spoil him.
Just the thought brought a smile to his face… a smile that melted away when his mind went once again to Seraphina and her own relationship with her son.
Had she gotten what she wanted from Israel? Were they working to build their relationship or had he rejected her again? Another rejection from her son would cripple her, Toro knew that much. And if the worst were to happen, he needed to be at her side. She wouldn’t survive going through that again.
Fuck.
If Israel hurt her, Toro would find a way—Sera’s son or not—to make him pay.
He dropped the bag to the floor and sank onto the bed, face in his hands. Thoughts like that made him want to forget everything and go out in search of Seraphina. He didn’t know where the fuck she was since he hadn’t taken the time to find out. But he could. If he wished it, he could have her exact location within the hour. But he didn’t want to do things like that. Besides, he’d been the one always making the first move. Always chasing her. She had to come to him this time. For once, he needed her to chase him.
He wanted to be caught.
A knock on his bedroom door jerked his head up. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah. Come in.”
His uncle stepped inside. When Toro had first returned, Daniel had only asked if he was okay, nothing more. Toro wasn’t going to spill the intimate details of his dealings with Seraphina to his uncle. He didn’t need Daniel on the warpath just because Sera hurt Toro. But Daniel worried about him. Toro knew that even though the older man hadn’t said much on the subject.
Now, Daniel searched his face before asking, “You are good?”
He wasn’t good, but Toro nodded. “I’m fine.”
Daniel pressed his lips together. “Seraphina went to Seattle.”
Toro dropped his hands onto his knees. Just the mention of her name sent his heart racing. “What?” His mind whirled. “What happened?”
The other man shrugged. “She visited with Van.” His gaze bored into Toro’s. “I don’t know much beyond that.”
Toro stood with a frown. “But—” She’d shared the story of what she’d done to Van, so why would Seraphina go to him willingly? “She was alone?” Maybe she’d been there with Israel? He and Van were brothers, after all. “And…” He licked his lips. “She’s okay? Is Van?”
“She was alone.” Daniel confirmed with a nod. “And she was fine when she left. As was Van.”
Toro paced. “It doesn’t make sense,” he muttered. “Why would she go to Seattle?” He should call Van. He would have the answers. He would know how Seraphina looked—still sexy as fuck? How she sounded—strong and confident? Why was she in Seattle? Van better not have hurt her… though he, more than most, would have every reason, every right.
Toro spun around and grabbed his phone.
Then he dropped it back onto the bed.
“Fuck!” He rubbed the back of his neck and resumed pacing while his uncle watched him silently. “I need to know she’s okay,” he told Daniel. “That’s it. That’s all.” At least for now.
“I will find out.” Daniel jerked his chin. “In the meantime, I believe we have made your mother wait long enough to see her son, yes?”
He blew out a breath. “Yeah.”
Switching gears from worrying about the woman he loved to looking forward to seeing his mother was hard at first, but by the time he finished packing, bade Daniel and Stavros goodbye, and headed to the airport, he’d calmed down enough to think straight. It also helped that his uncle sent him a text just as he was boarding his flight.
“She’s fine.”
Those two words were enough to get him to breathe easier and to tide him over until he saw Seraphina again. On the flight, he closed his eyes and drifted off to thoughts of her, thoughts of them. Memories that made him smile. Until he landed at LAX and a text from Stavros popped up, stopping him in his tracks.
