Craving (Steel Brothers Saga 1)

“Apparently they are. I don’t even know what my legal name is.”

He handed the birth certificate back to her. “I don’t know anything about this.”

Jonah’s words hung in the air.

Marj whipped her hands to her hips. “I don’t buy it, Joe. You know something. Clearly, my real name is Angela Marjorie Steel. I want to know why no one told me.”

“I don’t know. Maybe Mom and Dad had your name changed.”

“Why would they do that?”

Jonah shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me.”

“You’re lying,” Marj said, her dark eyes laced with anger. “Why didn’t Dad tell me what my real name was? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s a nonissue, Marjorie. Leave it.”

“What exactly is the big deal here? It’s my name. It’s not some criminal record or anything horrible. I just want to know why no one told me what my name is. Is that so wrong?”

“Marj…”

“And while you’re at it, you can tell me why you always told me that Mom’s maiden name was Warren, but her marriage certificate to Dad says it’s Wade.”

Jonah widened his eyes. Only slightly, but I noticed. Had Marj noticed as well?

“Leave these things be,” Jonah said, his tone serious. “And don’t go snooping around anymore in that stuff.”

“I will snoop around as much as I want. This property is one quarter mine, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“No one has forgotten that. But I’m warning you. Don’t go snooping. It’s none of your business anyway, and you might not like what you find.”

* * *

I lay in bed, unable to sleep. The clock ticked by. Midnight. One a.m. One thirty. I could get up, get a cup of tea from the kitchen, but Talon wasn’t home. He wouldn’t be sitting at the table with his glass of water.

Finally, as I was drifting off to sleep, my door creaked open. I sat up quickly.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s just me, blue eyes.”

My eyes adjusted to the dark, and I looked up. Talon stood a few feet away from my bed, looking mussed and fatigued.

“Where have you been?” I asked.

“Grand Junction.”

“Why did you come back? Marjorie said you usually spend the night when you go to the city.”

“I wanted to see you.”

My heart jumped. “It’s the middle of the night, Talon.”

He raked his fingers through his gorgeous head of hair. “I know. I just…couldn’t wait.”

“I have work in the morning.”

“I know. I just…”

He looked so sad and forlorn that my heart went out to him. I patted my bed. “All right. Come on and sit down.”