“I’ll take care of her.” Hoping that much was true.
The last thing he wanted was for her to get caught in the middle of the shit about to go down. Once her uncle was ashed, it would be anything short of a miracle if she didn’t hate him.
“Does she know?” Raúl brought his attention back.
“Know what? That I work for you?”
Raúl shook his head. “That you’re a bloodsucker?”
“No, and I plan to keep it that way.”
“You hypnotized her when you fucked her?”
Ryder nodded. “So, she wouldn’t remember my vampire traits? Yes.”
“You can teach me?”
He smiled, knowing Raúl’s time was limited and it would never come to pass. Ryder wasn’t about to teach the kingpin anything. “I can.”
Thinking Ryder could help him would also go a long way in keeping Raúl in residence, not to mention gaining his trust. Once the Tepes brothers arrived, the kingpin would be dead anyway.
“Back at your place, when we have spare time, I’ll teach you.”
Raúl slapped him on the shoulder. “I think I’m going to like having you in my employ, amigo.”
“I have a feeling Sergio doesn’t feel the same way.”
“You let me worry about him.” Raúl led them toward the entrance. “He’ll cause you no problems.”
The door swung open, startling them both. Gabriela walked into the restaurant, her worried gaze swinging from Ryder’s to Raúl’s. Rage filled Ryder. It was all he could do to pretend he didn’t see the purple bruising on her cheek. He’d kill the motherfucker who dared to strike her.
“Uncle?”
“Everything is fine, Gabby.” He placed a brief kiss on the opposite cheek of the swelling. Before he headed out the door, he looked back. “Oh, and get this place open for business, will you? We don’t make money with the CLOSED sign up. If Sergio comes back and has anything to say, tell him to take it up with me.”
Ryder’s teeth ached with the need to drain someone. His gaze swung from the closed door back to Gabby. He reached out, the back of his fingers smoothing over the injured cheek. “Who the fuck did this?”
Chapter 14
Gabriela flinched.
She wasn’t sure what she expected when she walked into Salazar’s. Certainly not her uncle and Ryder speaking amicably. Her fear of walking into a war zone had her rushing to be a mediator. Not that her uncle didn’t deserve a beat down from Ryder, especially following the bruised cheek he had given her earlier.
It wasn’t the first time she had angered Raúl to the point he had abused her verbally, just as she knew it wouldn’t be the last. Over the years, Gabby had learned not to infuriate her uncle. His temper knew no bounds. And although she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he loved her and wouldn’t kill anyone who dared to lay a hand on her, there were a few times he had unleashed that fury on her with his words, though never striking her before.
In her haste, and her concern for Ryder, she had momentarily forgotten the large purpling bruise on her cheek, or what Ryder might think when he saw Raúl’s handiwork. Ryder’s greeting told her exactly what he thought of someone laying a hand on her.
With a large, work-callused hand, Ryder gently gripped her chin, causing a shiver to pass over her shoulders, reminding her all-too-well how it felt having those same hands brushing against her bare skin. He turned her head to the side, giving him a better view of the damage.
“If Sergio did this, I swear to all that is holy I’ll chop off his nuts if your uncle doesn’t get to him first.”
She’d live, but by the looks on his ruggedly handsome face, her uncle might not. “It wasn’t Sergio, Ryder. My uncle would kill him if he laid a hand on me.”
“Then whoever it is will be lucky if Raúl gets to him before I do.”
“I’ll be fine, really.”
“Gabby…” His tone brooked no argument. Ryder wasn’t about to let her sideswipe the truth.
“You have to promise, Ryder, that you won’t take action. He may have bruised my cheek, but he wouldn’t think twice about killing you.”
“Who?” His pupils damn near swallowed the whites of his eyes in his fury. Surely, it was the dim lighting that caused the unnatural effect. His voice thickened. “Tell me who the fuck hit you?”
She stepped back from his touch, clasped her hands in front of her and looked at the floor. “My uncle.”
“Raúl?” His response nearly shook the windows. “Because of what we did?”
Gabby looked at Ryder, holding his furious gaze. “Yes. Somehow, he knows we had sex… He said he could smell it.”
Ryder growled. “That bastard. I’ll fucking take him apart limb from limb.”
“You’ll do no such thing.” Gabriela closed the space between them and placed her hand on his forearm, reveling in the taut muscles. “My uncle has too many men in his employ. Surely, you know that. He’ll have you killed before you ever get near him.”
Something shifted in Ryder’s gaze. Gabby couldn’t mistake the care she saw there … and possibly something more, though she couldn’t be sure. They may have had sex, but they still barely knew each other. Ryder’s heated gaze dropped to her lips. Gabby thought he might want to kiss her. Lord, she practically begged him to as she leaned forward. Closing the distance, he slanted his lips over hers.
Not waiting for an invite, he slipped his tongue past her lips and took possession. Her breath caught in her throat and her blood pounded in her ears. Slipping a powerful arm around her back, he pulled her flush against his taut body. She felt the hard evidence between them that spoke of his want to have her again. She reveled in the fact he hadn’t used her only to slake his urge earlier, but that he was far from done with her. He kissed like he fucked, deep and penetrating. Every fiber of her body took notice, especially her libido. Had he reached beneath her skirt now, he’d not only find her sans panties but wet with desire.
Gabriela slipped her palms up his chest and circled his neck, linking her fingers at his nape. Kissing him, she gave as good as she got. Her desire to have him slide hot and heavy inside her had not diminished in the least. On the contrary, had she not needed to open Salazar’s for business, due to her uncle’s parting demand, she’d be suggesting one of the restaurant tables for something other than what they were designed for.
Lord, this man made her no better than the puta her uncle had accused her of being. She’d never tire of this man, this drifter who’d come into town. He’d likely break her heart when he packed up and moved on. And he would. Ryder Kelley was an American. His home was north of the border. He didn’t belong in La Paz. If nothing else, the lighter color of his skin against hers was a stark reminder.
Ryder stepped back, leaving her shivering from the loss. He palmed her face, his eyes darker than natural. It had to be the low lighting causing the black-like mirrored effect.
“I have some business that needs attending.” He kissed her forehead, then gently, her bruised cheek. “Leave your door unlocked, ángel. Tell the guards to expect me.”
A smile curved his lips. She couldn’t help but wonder the cause of his sudden humor. “What?”
“Tell Raúl to expect me for breakfast. Let the motherfucker suffer for what he did.” He kissed her lips with the promise of what was to come. “Tonight … I’m taking my time with you. Don’t expect to get much sleep.”
Heat traveled through her like molten lava, searing her flesh as if his hands had touched her rather than his promise. Gabby had it bad. She wasn’t sure what this was between them, if he cared for her more than “friends with benefits,” or if “love at first sight” was actually a thing, but this man made her believe in the possibility of it.
* * *
Kaleb sat on one of the sofas at the clubhouse, arms outstretched and resting along the back as he waited for Kane’s arrival. Life had been so damn busy of late, giving him little time to hang out with his brothers. Fuck, he missed that … a lot. The clubhouse
was eerily quiet with Grigore down south and Alexander looking for a new place for him and his mate to live. Once he’d found out India was carrying his child, Alexander had wasted little time looking for a new home, reasoning that the clubhouse was no place to raise a kid.
Kaleb couldn’t agree more.
He had moved his own family for that exact reason.
Hell, truth be told, he was missing out on so much more. Suzi had put in her two-weeks’ notice so they could start on kid number two. She had certainly called his bluff, he thought with a chuckle. Not that he was opposed to expanding his family. But two kids underfoot and a mate he needed to spend more time with? Something needed to give.
They were also in the middle of opening the new K&K Motorcycle shop in Washington. Kaleb’s second love, building choppers, he was damn good at it. He’d love nothing more than to start spending more time working on bikes.
Standing, Kaleb paced the floor, thinking about why he wanted to speak to Kane. He sure in the hell hoped his brother understood his position. The last thing he wanted was to heap more work onto his twin’s plate. Kaleb wasn’t about dumping his workload on someone else, always willing to fill in where needed. He’d just like to lighten it a bit so he could get back to the things he used to enjoy, starting with rebuilding his own fucking chopper that Bird had torched.
The door opened and Kane strode in, looking freshly showered. He certainly didn’t appear as though he had ridden straight through from Washington.
“How’s the Sons up north?”
“Hello to you as well.” Kane chuckled. “Let’s break out the whiskey first, then we’ll talk.”
Kane stepped to the bar area and pulled a new bottle of Gentleman Jack from the cupboard. After screwing off the cap, he poured a couple of fingers of the amber liquid into highball glasses, handing one to Kaleb.
“We’re back in business.” He held up his glass, clinking his against Kaleb’s, then tossed it back in one swallow. “You approved Gunner’s roster changes. Thank you. Gunner as club P and Smoke as VP, I like both men and choices. They’re go-getters and loyal to a fault. I think they’ll do fine. You hear from Wolf or Ryder?”
“Wolf is supposed to be calling today with a rundown of what’s happening. Seems they did find Raúl right under their noses.”
“Great news, Hawk. Where’s the little fuck?”
“For now, he’s staying at his main house in La Paz.”
“Can Ryder manage to keep an eye on him, make sure Raúl doesn’t move out of the area until we get there?”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
Kane’s gaze darkened. “Care to elaborate?”
“Apparently, Ryder got caught fucking Gabriela. Raúl didn’t actually see them in the act, but he knew Ryder was there, had scented as much.”
“Then he knows Ryder’s a vampire.”
Kaleb shrugged. “Only a matter of time before that happened anyway, Viper.”
“What’s Ryder’s plan? We heading out before sunset?”
“If Wolf thinks he’ll stay put for a few days, then it’s likely. We need to get down there before the slippery fuck takes off for who knows where.”
Kane’s smile stretched across his face. “I’m so ready to ash that bastard. His time has been coming for too long. I doubt anyone will mourn his sorry excuse for a life. The world will be better without him in it.”
“I can’t agree more.” Kaleb leaned forward, his glass between his palms. “There’s something else I wanted to speak to you about.”
“Everything okay?” Kane’s gaze darkened with worry. “Suzi and Stefan alright?’
“Yeah, we’re good. Look, there’s something I want to ask you, bro … and feel free to tell me to go to hell.”
“What’s up, Hawk? Spit it out.”
“I want to step down as club P.”
Kane straightened his spine, his gaze narrowing. “And let Gypsy step up? Not that I don’t love the man, but this is our club, Hawk.”
“That’s not who I was thinking of.”
“Then who?”
“You.”
Kane’s gaze was skeptical, surely not fully trusting Kaleb’s motives for giving up the head of the table. “I never thought I’d see the day you’d want to step down, bro. You sure about this?”
He nodded. “You should’ve never lost your position. I know you went against club rules. And maybe I allowed my own ego to get in the way, too, not going to bat for you when you tossed in your patch. But, Viper, you’re club P. You still should be. I plan to take it to the rest of the Sons when we get back from La Paz. Put it to a vote, if it’s alright with you.”
“What about you?” Kane asked.
Kaleb shrugged. “I was hoping to go back to VP if Gypsy and the rest of the Sons will allow it. I don’t want to step away completely. But if not, maybe I’ll step into Past P.”
“No way, Hawk. The only way I’ll step into the pres’s shoes is with you as my VP. We’ll make it happen. I doubt Gypsy will give two fucks.”
“Gypsy was sergeant at arms before he became VP. That’s Wolf’s position now, maybe he can revert to treasurer. I doubt Rocker will care since Wolf sponsored him. Rogue will remain secretary and Xander will stay as road captain. Let’s get things back to the way they used to be.”
“And how exactly will this be helping you?”
“I’m tired of making all the decisions. I know you’ve always been there for me, but I want to have more free time, raise my family, build more bikes.”
“And you don’t think I want a family?”
Kaleb laughed. “You’ll have to convince your workaholic mate on that front, dude. But even so, you’ve never had trouble juggling your personal life with club business. You were born to lead this group. I just gave you a little time off.”
“You know I’ll do right by you.” Kane smiled again. “And if you want to step down, I’ll gladly step up to the helm, providing the rest on our brothers agree.”
“All or nothing, Viper.”
“All or nothing,” he agreed. “Now, back to this fucking piece of shit down south. What’s the plan?”
As if on cue, the phone rang. Kaleb picked it up and hit the green TALK button, putting the call on speaker. “Give me the deets, Wolf. You’re on speaker with Viper and me.”
“I hope Ryder knows what he’s doing,” Grigore growled.
“What’s up, dude?” Kaleb asked. “Give it to me straight.”
“Ryder just left. He’s heading back to Raúl’s estate later tonight. Apparently, the mofo thinks spending the night in the kingpin’s niece’s bed is the best course of action.”
“Foolhardy is what this is. This shit could blow up in his face.” Kaleb tapped the bar. “You agree with his decision? Give him the go-ahead?”
“Not at all,” Grigore said. “On the contrary. I told him I was against it. He could keep an eye on Raúl from a distance. I think he’s letting his dick do the talking.”
Kane ran a hand down his whiskered jaw. “Not that we all haven’t been guilty of that.”
“Don’t include me. You two are the mated ones. Me? Ain’t happening. I went down that path once, thought I knew what love was.”
“What happened, Wolf?” Kane asked.
“I walked away, that’s what.”
Kaleb shook his head and chuckled. “No regrets?”
“None. She didn’t need me holding her back.”
“You’ve never talked about a woman from your past before,” Kane said. “We know her?”
“No, and you aren’t about to either. When I walked away, I shut that door, locked it, and threw away the key. I doubt she’d even remember my ass. That four-letter word isn’t in my DNA. I’ll leave that to you fuckers.”
“What’s Ryder’s plan if he isn’t listening to you?” Kaleb steered the conversation back to the mission and bringing down Raúl.
“Not sure he has one, other than spending the night there.”
“In Gabriela’s room?”
“No, in Raúl’s fucking bed, Hawk.”
Kane laughed so earnestly it was hard for Kaleb to even retort. Kaleb slapped him on back of the head, but it only made Kane laugh more, which in turn had them all chuckling.
Finally, Kaleb said, “I certainly hope Ryder knows what he’s doing. At best, it’s a thirty-four-hour drive straight south for us. The last thing we need is him pissing off Raúl and having him either retaliate and take Ryder out, or have him splitting.”
“My bet is on the first,” Kane said. “If it was my niece, no way in hell would I be leaving her there with this new guy to fend for herself.”
“Then we need to get our asses down there ASAP.”
“When are you leaving, Hawk?”
“As soon as we can wrap things up here, Wolf. Expect Viper and me down there day after tomorrow. We’ll be in touch.”
Kaleb clicked the END button, then slid the phone away from him on the bar. “Well Pres? What’s the plan?”
Kane laughed. “I’m still past P until a vote’s been taken.”
“In my eyes, you already have the job. So what’s on the agenda?”
“You head home, square things with Suzi. I’ll do the same with Cara. Let’s meet back here around nine tonight. We’ll head for the Blood ’n’ Rave first, tap a couple of arteries, and then head south. I don’t plan on stopping, except for gas, until we get there.”
“Sounds like a plan, Viper. I’ll meet you back here by nightfall.”
Kaleb watched his brother leave the clubhouse a little straighter than when he’d walked in. President looked good on the man. He shrugged on the vest, then looked down at the President patch resting over his heart. A few more days and that patch would be back to its rightful owner. Kaleb was about to set things back to right and he felt damn good about it.
It was about fucking time.
Chapter 15
Ryder ascended the stairs to Gabriela’s suite. Stopping on the red-tiled veranda, he took a slow sweep of the estate. He wanted to make sure Raúl and his crew knew he was here. If Raúl had anything to say about it, Ryder was more than ready to confront the bastard. He’d gladly take the first swing. Breaking the motherfucker’s face would give him great pleasure.
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