Forsaken: A Brother's Best Friend Romance (Gritt Family Book 2)

by Gabrielle G.

  “These hormones are driving me crazy, Chris. I need your cock, and I need it now. So, do not speak about any of my brothers right now.” She unbuttons my pants, as hungry for me as I am for her. I take a minute to look at her body. Her breasts are fuller, and her hips a little rounder than before. My dick gets hard instantly thinking this is my doing. The pregnancy makes her even sexier than she used to be. I lock my fingers under her chin and bring her face to mine.

  “What do you need the most, babe, and where?”

  “Everything,” she pants, squirming on the seat.

  “Sal,” I growl, “I don’t mind pleasing you, but we don’t have long, and I want to give you what you crave the most. Just tell me.”

  “Get inside me, hard, like the first time we were together.” So I do. I thrust in her, stiffly, in the car driving us to the airport. I feel her walls closing on my dick. I enjoy her tits bouncing in my face. I let her scream my name and give it all to her, without the anger of the first time but with all the passion I have for her. When she comes, she shoves one breast in my mouth.

  “Bite it, they don’t hurt anymore.” Instead of biting, I suck on it like I would her clit. Her pussy grabs my dick stronger. My balls tighten, and cum fills her before she collapses on me.

  “That was fast.” She laughs happily, her head on my chest.

  “Sorry, babe, I couldn’t hold it.” I sigh. I would be embarrassed if she hadn’t come, but she did, and she’s the one who precipitated me into climax.

  “I love you.” She caresses my chest and showers me with kisses.

  The car stops, and we hurry to get dressed. I start to smile at the surprise waiting for Sal.

  Dan and I planned it all.

  When I told Ian and Asher my plan to go get her, they called Dan, and we got it all in motion. The rock star is a sucker for romance.

  Getting out of the car, I let Sal get into the plane first. She stops right in her tracks when she sees who’s waiting for us.

  “Chris Harbor, you’re dead!” She laughs, rushing to hug her mother. I get in with a smile and go sit next to my father-in-law to be.

  “Thank you for including us, Son,” Ridge says, slapping my thighs.

  “I’m glad you, Bella and my father could come.” I regret that my mother decided to stay home. A Vegas wedding isn’t acceptable to her standards.

  “Wait?” Luke asks, perplexed behind me. “Who is watching our niece and nephew?”

  “Let’s just say Ryan’s outburst was planned.” I laugh. “Those guys are indeed good actors…” I wink at him.

  "So you were planning to propose?" Sal asks, tears in her eyes.

  "I even had a ring." I wink at Ridge.

  Pulling it out of my pocket, I beckon Sal to come sit on my lap and slide her grandmother’s ring on her finger.

  "I always loved that ring." She looks at me as if I hung the moon for her.

  "He knew." I nod at her dad next to us. She leans in and hugs me.

  “I think that’s the first time they fooled me,” Dex says with a knowing smile.

  “You're losing your touch, babe.” Luke brings his lips to him and steals a rare public kiss.

  “Vegas, baby!” my father screams. “And Ridge owes me another five thousand into the kiddo account! I told you my boy would come for her! Pay up, Gritt!” He laughs. Ridge gets up and walks toward his wife, ignoring my father.

  Sal takes her father’s seat, grabs my hand and rests her head on my shoulder.

  “Tired, babe?”

  She nods.

  “Would you do me the honor of taking my name, Chris?” She yawns.

  First, asking me to marry her, now, me taking her name.

  Lots of men might care. I don’t.

  I belong to her as much as she belongs to me, and if this is important to her, I don’t mind.

  It’s an honor to be a Gritt.

  I also know that her asking means that she’s at peace with all her doubts about my reasons to be with her.

  There is no purpose for me to refuse.

  “Whatever you want, babe.” I kiss the top of her head and find Dex’s eyes on me, tilting his champagne glass in my direction and winking at me.

  Something in his gaze tells me he’s not as surprised by what is happening as he should be.

  I look at this family that has always been mine, smiling at the only one I really want in my life. They could all walk away, and I wouldn’t care as long as she stays. Because she’s all that ever matters.

  It might have taken me a long time to realize, but it’s undeniable that she’s the only one who I can’t let go.

  Silently, I send a prayer to Jordan, because I also know that without him ending his life, I would have never opened my heart to Sal.

  Epilogue

  Chris

  “Mommy.” My son, Arthur, runs to Sal with a huge smile on his face. “What does your tattoo mean?” I perk up my ears.

  In the nine years we’ve been together, she kept it a secret.

  I know everything there is to know about Sal but this.

  Why does she have a dandelion flying in the wind on her wrist?

  I tried to fuck the answer out of her many times, but she held her ground.

  I begged her to tell me when we learned she had cervical cancer and wouldn’t be able to have more children.

  I was so scared to lose her, that she would die. I needed to know, but she said it was like hope, if she told me, it meant she was losing the battle and accepting to die.

  She didn’t die, and today is the five-year mark of her remission.

  I feel like I can breathe again.

  After she was diagnosed, we left LA and came back to Springs Falls. She didn’t want me to be alone in case she didn’t make it. She knew I’d need her family.

  “Well, Arthur, it’s a secret. Do you think you can keep it?” She leans in and whispers in his ear. I have never been jealous of my son until now.

  “Arthur,” I call him back. “Come tell Daddy Mommy’s secret!” He shakes his head.

  “It’s a secret, Daddy! Mommy made me promise.” I jog to them lying on the grass in front of the house we built on Sal’s land, not far from Aaron’s and Barn’s families. Barn’s is full of life, and Aaron and Alane’s nest is empty now.

  “Come on, I’m always left out of your secrets.” I pout trying to guilt them into telling me.

  Arthur laughs and runs toward his cousin’s house, leaving Sal and me laying down in the grass.

  Salomé smiles at me. “Stop manipulating our son into telling you.”

  “Why won’t you tell me?” I kiss her jaw.

  “Because you should already know.”

  I look at her confused. It’s the first clue she ever gave me. I wrack my brain but come up empty.

  She picks one of the dead flowers from the grass and holds it in front of my mouth. She never wants me to pull them out of the ground, which makes our grass a field of yellow flowers in the summer.

  “Blow.” She winks. I’m transported forty years ago when a snotty little girl was crying hard, and I made her blow on the flower to mend her heart.

  I blow on the flower, smiling like a goofball.

  “How could I have forgotten?” my hands reach out to her to bring her closer for a kiss.

  “You were a horny teenager, and I was just a little girl.” She shrugs, bringing her lips to mine.

  “But you got it when I was dating Jordan. Why?” She caresses the grass, a melancholic smile on her face.

  “I thought I had lost my chance to ever be with you. You seemed so happy with him. So with this,” her fingers come to her wrist, “I always had you.”

  “You always had me, Sal. I was just a little slow to see it.” I kiss her. “Why tell me now, are you alright?” My heart stops.

  Sal’s well-being has always been my priority, along with making sure she knows she can talk to me, and taking care of her and our son. It has been a little too much at times, and I even went to see the t
herapist to overcome my insecurities of her possibly dying, but I’m still scared I won’t be here for her.

  “I’m fine, Chris, I just don’t want you to feel left out if Arthur knows something.”

  “You know. Don’t you?” I smile.

  “What are you talking about?” she teases me.

  “Who told you about tonight?”

  “Barn. He thought I knew.” She shrugs. Dex and I had organized a surprise party for her, to celebrate her and the five-year mark. Everybody will be here, our nieces and nephews who left home a long time ago, our friends from Los Angeles, our friends from New York. I thought I could pull it off; I asked the kids to keep it secret. I wasn’t expecting Barn to babble.

  “He’s such an ass.” I laugh. “I kept all the kids under twelve quiet, bribing them with candies, and the one I have to be careful of is the one I was sure I had in lockdown. Was he high?”

  “Not even.” She laughs. I lay in the grass with her for a few more minutes before we hear our names being called.

  “What the fuck are you doing laying in the grass?” Luke settles next to his sister, Dex sitting on the other side of him.

  “Sal just told me about the tattoo,” I tell him.

  “Finally, I can’t believe you didn’t know about it.” Dex laughs. “Such a beautiful way of telling you she loved you, and you were totally ignorant about it. At least, Beardy knew right away what it meant!”

  “Don’t remind me, babe. I’m still mad I’m not the one who inked you. I still need to convince you to let me tattoo something on your body.”

  “Luke, you’ve been asking for twelve years, and he refuses. I think it’s safe to say it won’t happen.”

  “I got two tattoos from you, Beardy. That's more than enough.”

  “We should have a family tattoo,” I say. “Something all us Gritts get.”

  “Like what? A ‘Ridge and Bella forever’?” Dex mocks my idea.

  “Yeah, and convincing Aaron is not going to be easy. He loathes tattoos.” Luke chuckles.

  “And I’m not sure Barn has room left. He keeps tattooing his kids' names on his skin. That’s a lot of names.” Sal finally speaks up.

  “Am I the only one having trouble keeping track? I really never thought he would be the one with the most children. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they are adopting so many, but six is a lot of kids.” Luke utters.

  “Seven, I have seven kids, assholes!” Barnabas sits down with us, turning his face toward the sun and smoking his joint. “What were you talking about?”

  “Family tattoo,” I say, knowing Barn will go for it.

  “Cool, I have some room on one of my balls. It’s not for their use…”

  “Well, in that case, maybe we could ink my uterus?” Sal answers, throwing her hand in the air for a high five that Barnabas gives her.

  “You two are so fucking cringey with your morbid sense of humor, seriously…” Aaron joins us and sits.

  “Where are your wives, guys?” I play with the hair of mine.

  “Looking for Sal to get her ready for the surprise I ruined,” Barnabas brings the joint he’s smoking to his mouth.

  “Thank you, man, by the way.” I lean in to get a hit.

  “What the fuck, Barn?” Dex sits straight.

  “She hates surprises. You should know that, and she always thinks she’s being left out. She might not have shown up. I wanted to be sure she was coming.” He smiles at his sister. She gets on her knees and kisses his cheek.

  “Thank you, favorite brother.” The health problems she went through the past years brought them closer.

  “Not fair,” Luke whines while Aaron flips Barnabas the bird and Dex pouts. Those guys would do anything for Sal. She crawls to me and kisses me languorously. They all growl at our display of affection.

  “See you later, my love,” she says before jumping to her feet and running toward the house.

  “Guys, who’s watching the eight kids if we’re all here?” Aaron takes the joint from my hand. Barn and I look at each other, and he sprints to his house, knowing that if our kids are left unattended for five minutes, they might burn the barn down.

  “I’m so glad we don’t have kids.” Luke shakes his head, never regretting their decision not to have children.

  “And I’m so glad my kids are older now.” Aaron smokes.

  Luke and Dex exchange a knowing look.

  “What did they do now?” He passes the joint to Dex.

  “Well, I hope you’re ready to be a grandpa.” Luke laughs!

  “Well, it’s about time Adam has children!” Aaron rolls his eyes. Dex smiles.

  “Oh, so it’s Hailey?” Luke shakes his head, laughing a little more.

  “Who the fuck did Lawson get pregnant now?” They both turn to me.

  “Please don’t tell me, it’s my sister…” I cringe.

  Aaron’s face goes pale. He’s ready to throw up. I do in my mouth. The idea of Aaron's younger son and my sister together is revolting.

  “It’s a joke, morons.” Luke rolls in the grass, holding his stomach. “Shit, babe, you were right, best prank ever…”

  “We should have let it go a little longer. Let Aaron tell Alane that their twenty-six-year-old son got her ex-best friend of fifty-five pregnant.” The two assholes laugh until they cry.

  “We will get revenge, guys, but for now, let’s get rolling. We need to get it all ready for my wife tonight.” The four of us get up and walk toward the house, happy to be part of this family, even if most of them are assholes.

  THE END.

  Need more Gritt?

  Meet the whole family in my MM romance, Often & Suddenly as well as the Scooby Clan.

  Discover Aaron and Alane’s second chance story in Heartbroken and Barnabas’ falling in love in Untamed.

  And for more books such as the HEA of Ian Porter, Ryan Marley or the Darling Devils, check my list of books after the acknowledgement.

  Merci Etc.

  There are not many people to thank for this story except the hundreds of people who wrote blogs and articles about their grief from a loved one who committed suicide.

  I don’t write fluffy romance. I write raw, real, romantic stories and touching such a subject - I needed to make it real. I dove into it knowing Jordan was going to die and knowing it will destroy Sal and Chris but also bring them closer.

  A few people didn’t like Chris leaving a second time, but he needed it to survive, to be ready for Sal and Peanut. And others complained that she should have been there for him, to stop victimizing herself and follow him. Sometimes love doesn’t come easy. Sometimes patterns are hard to break. Sometimes life sucks. But in the end they had their HEA.

  I also heard she was a consolation prize. She wasn’t. But it’s through the loss of Jordan that Chris really discovered who she was. Without the tragedy, maybe they would have never fallen in love. As for the letter Jordan wrote, I can’t tell you what it said. Chris and Sal didn’t want to read it, so I don’t know.

  A lot of things in this book come also from my own life, from the scar of Jordan that looks like one my brother has to what Chris think of death… from grief, to wanting so badly to be with someone you love but not being able to.

  An enormous thank to Cleo from Devoted Pages Design. This cover is everything. It’s exactly what the story is about. Purple and Turquoise are the colors of suicide awareness. If you feel like Jordan, I implore you to talk to someone, reach out to your family, to friends or to a total stranger. Talk to me if you need to, but don’t think you’re alone.

  My older brother committed suicide when I was 6. This book is for him. I barely remember him, I was a kid, but I think of my other brother, deeply, lovingly, and I’m proud of what he’s become.

  Last Thanks to the rest of my team, to my man, to my family and to my friends who aren’t reading my books but still support me. You mean the world to me.

  Be real, be raw, be romantic,

  XOXO

  Gab
rielle G.

  Also by Gabrielle G.

  ANGELS AND SUNSHINE SERIES

  (LA Stories)

  Always & Only (Hollywood romance)

  Never & Forever (Enemies to lovers)

  Often & Suddenly (M/M)

  THE GRITT FAMILY STORIES

  Heartbroken - A first love, second chance story.

  Forsaken - A brother’s best friend story like no other – 2020 Pre-order now.

  Untamed - A single mom, a town Casanova and a little girl dreaming of a daddy. - 2021

  DARLING DEVILS

  Darling - A rockstar romance with swoons, laughter and heartbreaking truths.

  Trouble - A friends-to-lovers romance to the beat of the Darling Devils – May 2020 – Pre-order now

  Sweet - 2020

  Follow me on Amazon to keep up to date with my latest release.

  About the Author

  Gabrielle G will do anything for a hot cup of tea, still celebrates her half birthdays and feels everyone has an inner temptuous voice.

  Born in France and having lived in Switzerland, Gabrielle currently resides in Montreal with her husband, three devilish children and an extremely moody cat.

  After spending years contemplating a career in writing, she finally jumped off the deep end and took the plunge into the literary world. Writing consumed her and she independently published her work.

  Gabrielle's style is fiercely raw and driven by pure emotion. Her love stories leave you out of breath, yearning for more, while at the same time wiping away tears.

  Join Get Twisted with Gab for exclusive content and shenanigans and shop for merch on TeePublic