She was a bit of a celebrity, though, even here. Cherry was in awe of the fact that she was a cop and still hadn’t said a word to anyone about any of us. She had earned the respect of every single member of the club by being able to keep her mouth shut when it counted.
She had my respect for a whole lot more than that.
And that’s why I left her alone. That’s why I didn’t go to her, even thought I knew she was in pain, and it fucking killed me not to. She didn’t need me to save her this time.
She had saved herself.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Grace
I pulled my car up to the side of the clubhouse, the only car amongst the dozens of Harleys. It was early. The morning light broke through the trees above me, and I smiled wistfully, inhaling the heady pine scent that I remembered so well.
I walked through the front door, and it was quiet. Several Gods were sleeping in various spots on the floor, their mouths open, snoring, still wearing their cuts. Bottles of beer were knocked over, the smell of the stale beer puddles next to them filling my nostrils, overpowering the pine trees outside. Tiff was curled up in the corner next to Slade, and I spotted Cherry sleeping alone on a couch along the wall.
I was taking a huge risk here. Showing up unannounced. Early, when I knew he might still be asleep. When I had no idea if he would even be alone.
It had been two months since I said goodbye to him. Two of the longest months of my life.
“Well, hello there, Sam! Or, Grace, I guess?” Doc was in the kitchen, standing in front of the fridge, a beer in his hand even at this early hour.
“Hi, Doc!”I replied. His wild hair, his sweet demeanor, his crooked smile warmed my heart.“I’ve missed you!”
“How are you feeling, hon?”he asked.
“I’m feeling pretty good, Doc, thanks,”I replied.“Is Ryder around?”
“Still sleeping,”he said, gesturing towards the hallway.
“He alone?”I asked, hopefully.
Doc chuckled.
“Far as I know,”he said.“He’s been pretty down and lonely since you left.”
“Thanks, Doc,”I replied, kissing him on the cheek.
I tiptoed down the hallway, leaving Doc in the kitchen and the people in the living room undisturbed.
I took a deep breath, and peeked inside.
He was still asleep, his chest rising and falling under the sheets, the sunlight streaming in over his naked shoulders. The sight of him took my breath away.
I had been yearning to see him again, feeling completely lost without him these last few months. He was the first thing I thought about and the only thing I continued to think about the entire day.
I was grateful we had saved all those girls, sure, but the victory was empty without Ryder by my side. Now that I knew he existed, that our love existed, there was no way I could be happy without him.
I was determined to find a way to have him in my life. I knew that couldn’t happen if I was a cop.
Eventually, the solution came to me - in a dream, actually.
Another visit from my dad, the only person in my past who had ever been good to me. As good as he could. As good as he knew how. He, too, had escaped the hell of living with my mother and her sons. All she ever did was cheat on him, and he endured it as long as he could. And then, when he couldn’t anymore, he simply left. Just like my sister did. And just like I did.
We all just had to go through hell first.
I blamed them both for leaving me behind, but eventually, I understood. My dad didn’t know what had happened to me, he could only work with what he knew. If he had known, I’m certain he would have whisked me away.
But things didn’t work out that way. They were what they were.
I came to accept them.
Just as I had come to accept Ryder. Now, all I needed to get him to do was accept me, too.
“There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” my dad had said to me in my dream. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but after a few days of it lingering in my head, I understood.
After much contemplation, and many meetings with my Captain, I decided to quit the force. I convinced them to keep me on as an outside consultant, but I would no longer be a police officer.
I was beyond delighted. Relieved. If everything went as planned, then maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be all right after all.
I entered Ryder’s room, quietly walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed next to him. His blue eyes flew open, and widened when he saw me sitting there.
“Hey,”I said, smiling down at him.“Remember me?”
EPILOGUE
They walked hand in hand along the moonlit path through the dense forest. It was dark, quiet, the soft sounds of various forest critters echoing through the trees. As they pushed through the tree line, they approached what had quickly become their favorite spot.
After six months, it had become a habit to visit after dinner every night, wandering out to sit next to the rushing creek, listening to the sounds of the night as they talked about their day. Some nights they kissed for hours under the moonlight, and then there were the nights when they weren’t able to wait until they got back home to make love and Ryder took her right there on the fallen pine-needles.
Life had settled into a somewhat normal routine for them. Whatever normal was. Ryder had insisted he couldn’t leave the clubhouse, and Grace had moved in. The constant partying had taken some getting used to, but she enjoyed the moments like this when she got to be with Ryder alone and away from his club.
They had begun building their own cabin not far from the clubhouse. It was in the beginning stages, but soon they would have their own private house, where they could get away from the club anytime they wanted.
As for the club, they had welcomed her with open arms. Even Cherry had apologized. She seemed to look up to Grace now, even confessing that she, too, was a survivor. They had become fast friends, and Grace almost felt like she had a new family.
It was comforting.
Riot had become her right-hand computer guru, helping her set up stings in the chat rooms that held so many predators just looking for the next thirteen year-old girl they could lure away from her home and take advantage of. Once she had hooked one, she got the Bureau involved and turned the information over to them.
Grace was able to do the job she loved, and be with the man she loved, all at the same time.
Everything was working out perfectly.
Tonight, Grace and Ryder sat on the rock by the creek, while Oliver, the owl, perched in the branches above them. He followed them out here every night, and Grace had eventually named him. Ryder wasn’t still wasn’t quite sure what to make of him, but he tolerated his presence. Not that he had much of a choice in the matter, though.
They didn’t mind. He was a reminder of the past, and that was just fine.
“Do you wish you had never remembered?”Ryder asked her, as she leaned into his arms. He wrapped them around her, pulling her in close to his chest.
“Not for a moment,”she replied, settling into his loving warmth, the familiar scent of leather comforting her like a soothing lullaby.
“You have to remember where you came from to appreciate where you are.”
***THE END***
REMEMBER ME
GODS OF CHAOS MC
Copyright©2015 by HONEY PALOMINO
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from the author. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events, locations and incidences are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This book is for entertainment purposes only.
This book contains mature content
and is intended for adults only.
Honey Palomino is a writer of short erotica and ro
mance stories.
She loves reading and writing about dangerous bad boys and the women that love them!
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The Boys In The Barn
The Boys Next Door
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THREESOME/MULTIPLES EROTICA
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Undercover
Playing With Fire
The Shrink
The Lust Boat
WEREWOLF ROMANCE AND EROTICA
Lust for Luna - The Trilogy
Stranded on Werewolf Island
Beast
After Hours
The Moon Howlers
Royal Rebellion
Sex Magic
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