“Did I come at a bad time? I can come back.”
Ryder gripped her by the wrist and pulled her into the clubhouse, shutting the door. He wasn’t about to lose her a second time, not before he heard what she came all this way to say.
The room quieted as his brothers became aware of their guest. Ryder gave Kane a quick nod, telling him it was okay to approach. Kane held out his hand to Gabriela, which she took. Ryder’s heart ached for their shared losses. Kane had been responsible for her uncle’s death, the man who had killed his son. One day, Ryder would explain the entire sordid tale to her, when she was ready to hear it. That is, if she wanted to keep him in her life.
“Gabriela? Welcome. I’m Kane Tepes,” Kane said. “I’m damn sorry about your uncle.”
Gabby’s expression gave nothing away. “Thank you.”
“Look, we were just about to clear out.” He turned to the Sons milling about. “Grab your shit, boys … the party is moving to my farmhouse. Call your mates, have them meet us there instead.”
It took little time for the men to file out as Kane had thankfully instructed, leaving Gabby and Ryder alone. There was much that needed to be said, to get out in the open so they could move beyond what had happened in Mexico. Ryder wanted her to know the truth, no more omissions.
Everything in good time.
First, he needed to know where he stood with her. Ryder led Gabby to one of the sofas, sitting next to her, but keeping enough distance so she would feel comfortable. He didn’t want to push or scare her, and risk sending her running for south of the border.
“How did you find me?”
“Your friend Gunner.”
“The one I buried.”
“Yes.” She pulled at the hem of her white tank, toying with the threads. “He had given Adriana his phone number the night at the club, just in case she wanted to see him should she leave her fiancé. Long story short, we thought maybe his death might have been staged if everything else had been a lie.”
Ryder ran a knuckle down her cheek. She didn’t shrink from his touch, giving him hope. “Not everything was a lie, ángel.”
“If I thought that, I wouldn’t be here.” Gabby tucked a leg beneath her, still not closing the gap between her and Ryder. “Anyway, she tried the number and Gunner answered. It took some convincing, but he finally told her where I could find you.”
“I’ll need to give Gunner my thanks.”
Her cheeks reddened. Glancing to her lap, she wrung her hands. Finally, she glanced up, moisture filling her chocolate gaze. “I can’t stop thinking about you, about us. I know you were partly responsible for my uncle’s death and that you used me. But I also know my uncle was a bad man. If it hadn’t been you and your friends who came after him, it would have been someone else.”
“I never wanted to hurt you, ángel. You have to believe that.”
“I know that now.” She took in a shaky breath. “You were trying to protect me from the inevitable.”
Ryder had never lied about his feelings. “Do you believe me now? How much I fucking love you?”
She looked down again before he brought up her chin. Her lower lip trembled. “I told you that if you loved me you would let me go … and that’s what you did. You let me go.”
“You gave me no choice.”
“I didn’t.” A tear slipped from her lashes. “Please tell me I didn’t come this far just to get rejected.”
“Fuck, Gabby. I never thought you’d forgive me.” He pulled her into his embrace, kissing the top of her head. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his hammering heart. “I love you so much it hurts.”
She glanced up, the sadness in her eyes abating. “I realized, when I got over being mad at you, that I never gave you a chance to explain. We have a lot to work through. I won’t pretend otherwise.”
“We do,” he agreed. Thank fuck she wanted to. “I’m not sure how to make that happen, though, since your life is in Mexico. I can’t live there, Gabby. This is my home.”
She glanced around. “It’s cozy.”
Ryder laughed. “Not even close to what you’re accustomed to.”
“I’m selling my uncle’s estates, Ryder. I’m using the money from the sales and his accounts to start over.”
He wasn’t sure what he expected to hear, but certainly not that. “Where?”
“I was thinking Oregon has a nice coast. Maybe I’ll find a nice little beach house overlooking the ocean. Nothing extravagant, of course. I kind of like cozy. You think Oregon has anything worth moving two thousand miles for?”
Ryder smiled. “There’s this guy, who might be a bit of a vampire at times, but he would do just about anything to make that happen.”
“Will you forgive me?”
His brow pinched. “For what? You didn’t do anything wrong. Fuck, Gabby, there is so much I need you to forgive me for.”
“As I said, I didn’t give you a chance to explain. I hated you for what you did. But what I couldn’t do was stop loving you and that’s what hurt so damn bad.” She placed a palm against his jaw. “Will you let me stay? Let me move to Oregon to be with you?”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll take our box truck and drive you to Mexico. We’ll pack up your things—”
“There’s nothing in Mexico I want. Adriana is handling the sale and giving the things I didn’t fit in my Escalade to those in need.”
“And Adriana? What’s she going to do without you?”
“She and Mateo broke up. Apparently, he thinks he can step in where my uncle left off, take over the business. She wasn’t onboard with his plan. After everything sells, she’s moving to Oregon as well.”
“Moving in with you?”
Gabby shook her head. “She’ll get her own place. I’ll buy her a small cottage along the water, close to me, yet far enough away I’ll have my privacy. What I was really hoping for…there is this vampire I’ve taken a shining to. I was kind of hoping he’d give cohabitation a shot.”
Ryder tightened his hold. “You want me to live with you?”
“I do.”
“I’m not the easiest person to get along with.”
She laughed. “So you’ve proven. We’ll work it out, Ryder. What I’m sure of, though, is that I can’t keep mourning your loss. I lost my family. I can’t lose you, too.”
Ryder tilted his head, sealing his lips over hers and kissing her deeply. He’d prove to her that he wasn’t going anywhere, that she’d never have to mourn his loss again. This woman had claimed his heart, offering him another chance not to fuck up. Once all of the ugliness of their past was behind them, he’d ask her to be his forever. For as sure as shit, he wasn’t letting her go again.
Gabby needed to know more about vampirism and what it meant to be a mate. If she’d still have him, then he’d give her his blood and make that happen.
Breaking the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you, Gabriela, so damn much.”
“Does that mean you’ll move in with me?”
He laughed. “Have you already purchased a place?”
Gabby’s smile warmed his heart. He’d make it his life’s mission never to see her frown again. “No.”
“Then you’ll be moving in here … with me. Because I’m not spending another night without you in my bed.”
“Promise?”
He used his forefinger to make a cross over his heart. “And hope to die. How do you feel about makeup sex?”
Gabby swung her leg over his thighs and straddled him. “I happen to think it’s pretty hot.”
“Bedroom?”
She shook her head, situating herself more fully on his lap. There was no doubt she felt his reaction to makeup sex. She slid along his rigid length. “That would require us moving. I kind of like where I’m sitting.”
“Christ, you’ll be the death of me.”
“Death? No way, Ryder Kelley. You and me? We’re in this together … for all of eternity. That’s my
promise to you. I’ll never ask you to leave me again.”
“Good,” he growled. “Because I’m not fucking going anywhere. Now, about that makeup sex…”
~ * ~
Next up in the series:
WOLF
Grigore “Wolf” Lupei left his past behind and for good reason. Staying with Caitlyn Summers would have held her back, would have stifled her dreams and her beautiful voice that deserved to be shared on a world stage. Instead, Wolf’s stayed away while her career flourishes, convincing himself he's content to watch Caitlyn from the sidelines despite knowing she'll never forgive him for walking out. Wolf can't let her know the truth. He's not the man she used to love--no longer a man at all, but a creature of the darkness. A lethal vampire and member of the Sons of Sangue MC. But when he learns someone has threatened Caitlyn's life, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.
Caitlyn Summers is at the height of her career, performing sold-out shows all over the world. When a death threat comes, she refuses to cancel her tour, reluctantly agreeing to a hire a bodyguard. She never dreamed the one man who broke her heart would come walking back into her life to protect her. She’s never gotten over Wolf, but putting her life in his hands is the last thing Caitlyn wants--especially when she realizes what he's become. But there's no denying her desire for the dangerous man, and as the spotlight thrusts her into a killer's reach, Wolf will have to prove that Caitlyn can not only trust him with her life, but with her heart as well.
DOWNLOAD NOW
WOLF
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Sons of Sangue Reading Order
Viper
Hawk
Gypsy
Rogue
Draven (4.5 Novella)
Preacher (Special Edition Novella)
Xander
Ryder
Wolf
Vlad: Coming NEXT
Following Vlad, look for the spin off series!
Sons of Sangue: Washington
Romantic Suspense
Love You to Pieces
Deadly Obsession
The Hour Before Dawn
Kiss of Deceit
Eyes of Betrayal
Facade
Novellas
Spirit Me Away
Heat Wave
Fear the Dark
Sanitarium
About the Author
A daydreamer at heart, national bestselling author Patricia A. Rasey resides in her native town in Northwest Ohio with her husband, Mark, and her lovable Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Todd and Buckeye. A graduate of Long Ridge Writer’s School, Patricia has seen publication of some her short stories in magazines as well as several of her novels.
When not behind her computer, you can find Patricia working, reading, watching movies or MMA. She also enjoys spending her free time at the river camping and boating with her husband and two sons. Ms. Rasey is s retired third degree Black Belt in American Freestyle Karate.
Visit the author’s website and sign up for new release announcements at
http://www.PatriciaRasey.com/
COPYRIGHT
Ryder: Sons of Sangue
© 2018 by Patricia A. Rasey
Cover design © 2018 by CrocoDesigns
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the Author.
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