Love Restored Read online

  Table of Contents

  Author Highlights

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Love Restored

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  A Note from Carrie Ann

  About Carrie Ann and her Books

  Excerpt: Delicate Ink

  Tattered Loyalties

  Stolen and Forgiven

  Dust of My Wings

  Love Restored

  A Gallagher Brothers Novel

  By

  Carrie Ann Ryan

  Love Restored

  A Gallagher Brothers Novel

  By: Carrie Ann Ryan

  © 2016 Carrie Ann Ryan

  ISBN: 978-1-943123-15-5

  Cover Art by Charity Hendry

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

  For more information, please join Carrie Ann Ryan’s MAILING LIST.

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  Author Highlights

  Praise for Carrie Ann Ryan….

  “Carrie Ann Ryan knows how to pull your heartstrings and make your pulse pound! Her wonderful Redwood Pack series will draw you in and keep you reading long into the night. I can’t wait to see what comes next with the new generation, the Talons. Keep them coming, Carrie Ann!” –Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author of CRAVE THE NIGHT

  “Carrie Ann Ryan never fails to draw readers in with passion, raw sensuality, and characters that pop off the page. Any book by Carrie Ann is an absolute treat.” – New York Times Bestselling Author J. Kenner

  "With snarky humor, sizzling love scenes, and brilliant, imaginative worldbuilding, The Dante's Circle series reads as if Carrie Ann Ryan peeked at my personal wish list!" – NYT Bestselling Author, Larissa Ione

  "Carrie Ann Ryan writes sexy shifters in a world full of passionate happily-ever-afters." – New York Times Bestselling Author Vivian Arend

  “Carrie Ann’s books are sexy with characters you can’t help but love from page one. They are heat and heart blended to perfection.” New York Times Bestselling Author Jayne Rylon

  Carrie Ann Ryan's books are wickedly funny and deliciously hot, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. They'll keep you up all night!” USA Today Bestselling Author Cari Quinn

  "Once again, Carrie Ann Ryan knocks the Dante's Circle series out of the park. The queen of hot, sexy, enthralling paranormal romance, Carrie Ann is an author not to miss!" New York Times bestselling Author Marie Harte

  Dedication

  For him.

  Acknowledgements

  I loved writing Love Restored! It was great to see the other side of Denver and the Montgomerys without actually writing their series. The Gallagher Brothers are bearded, broody, and filled with gruff angst. Graham is one of my favorite heroes ever…and Blake might be one of my favorite characters. Ever.

  I couldn’t write this book without a so many people. Thank you Chelle, Charity, KP, and Tara for all of your help with this book. You guys make sure each book is perfect.

  Thank you Sasha Devlin for daring me to write a certain scene on Twitter. Yes, apparently if you dare me on Twitter, it can end up in a book.

  Thank you Rebecca Royce for reading each chapter as I wrote it, giving me what I needed to finish the book.

  And thank you to my husband for understanding that long nights and weekends come with the job. But also thank you for teaching me what down time is. I love you.

  As always, I couldn’t be here without my readers, so thank you for reading each of my books and thank you once more for taking a chance with the Gallagher Brothers.

  Happy reading!

  ~Carrie Ann

  Love Restored

  In the first of a Montgomery Ink spin-off series from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan, a broken man uncovers the truth of what it means to take a second chance with the most unexpected woman…

  Graham Gallagher has seen it all. And when tragedy struck, lost it all. He’s been the backbone of his brothers, the one they all rely on in their lives and business. And when it comes to falling in love and creating a life, he knows what it’s like to have it all and watch it crumble. He’s done with looking for another person to warm his bed, but apparently he didn’t learn his lesson because the new piercer at Montgomery Ink tempts him like no other.

  Blake Brennen may have been born a trust fund baby, but she’s created a whole new life for herself in the world of ink, piercings, and freedom. Only the ties she’d thought she’d cut long ago aren’t as severed as she’d believed. When she finds Graham constantly in her path, she knows from first glance that he’s the wrong kind of guy for her. Except that Blake excels at making the wrong choice and Graham might be the ultimate temptation for the bad girl she’d thought long buried.

  1

  Graham Gallagher had never craved a cigarette as much as he did right then. It didn’t matter that he’d quit smoking over fifteen years ago cold turkey and hadn’t picked one up since then. He just wanted a damn smoke.

  Scratch that.

  He wanted a fucking cigarette, a beer, and a willing woman underneath him as he fucked her until they were both spent.

  And not necessarily in that order.

  Not that he’d get any of that anytime soon. Between this new job, the old one they hadn’t fully completed yet, and the rest of the crap in his life, he wasn’t sure he’d even have time for a beer.

  And considering it had been a long six months since he’d had a woman, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be getting laid anytime soon. He and his right hand had a perfectly nice relationship for now, and when things got downright dangerous, he got to know his left.

  Jesus, he needed coffee or something if he was thinking about how his left hand would be something different in his life.

  He pulled his dark hair out of the rubber band and grimaced as he caught some tangles when he ran a hand through it. He wasn’t sure he’d brushed it that morning; instead, he’d just thrown it up in a tie at the back of his head as soon as he’d gotten out of the shower. At least I showered, he thought. Considering he’d slept for shit the night before, a shower after sweat-slick dreams had been the only recourse. He quickly ran his hand through his hair a few more times, getting out most of the rat’s nest, and then pulled it back again before the owner of their new project showed up and called him a heathen.

  Graham sighed, sliding his hand over his beard to straighten it out. Since it had grown past his chin and almost touched his chest if he lowered his head just right, he already looked the part of a criminal to some. Add in the ink covering his body, and the piercings only those in his bed could see, and he didn’t fit the ideal image of a businessman that the caliber of people who wanted to work with their business expected.

  Not that he was only a business owner. He and two of his brothers owned, operated, and sweated for Gallagher Brothers Restoration. They cleaned up and restored old homes and buildings that were either already historical landmarks or well on their way to becoming them.
It wasn’t the easiest work in the world in Colorado since it was a relatively new state compared to those out east. To put it more simply, the buildings weren’t as old in Denver as they were where the first colonies had settled, like Delaware, Pennsylvania, or the Carolinas. But in the past decade, he, Owen, and Murphy had never lacked for work. Their other brother Jake worked with them at times as well, though he had his own life with this artwork and never seemed to want to butt in.

  Graham always tried to change that, always tried to make sure everyone was included.

  He sighed. One of the perks of being the oldest brother was apparently an ulcer, since he worried over his family so freaking much. And now he was standing in the middle of a monstrosity of a mansion and not in the mood to deal with the legalities and politics that came with this particular job.

  Hence why he needed the cigarette, beer, and willing woman.

  “Let me guess, you woke up, showered, and put on the cleanest jeans you own, but didn’t bother to make a cup of coffee. I mean, why would you, when you figure I’ll bring you some.”

  Graham turned at the sound Owen’s voice and shrugged. “You always bring me coffee. Why should I make any? Especially when I was running late anyway.” He took the aforementioned coffee with the “G” written on the side, and took a sip, his body relaxing at the first taste of the brown elixir of life.

  At that thought, he took another drink, this one a bit bigger. If he was thinking in terms of elixirs like Murphy, perhaps he needed more caffeine than he realized.

  “You wouldn’t run late if you actually set your alarm for a reasonable hour, instead of right before you need to be out the door. It’s amazing what happens to your day when you actually set a schedule and keep it.” Owen set down the last cup, this one with a large “M” on the side for Murphy, and took a drink out of his own cup, the big “O” written in Owen’s perfect block lettering.

  Seriously, if his brother weren’t so good with his hands when it came to restoring buildings and didn’t take care of all the paperwork that gave Graham headaches, he’d hate the guy. Plus, Owen talked to the other contractors and people who owned the land they worked on. Since Graham didn’t particularly like talking to people in general, he was damn happy Owen dealt with it.

  While Graham had pulled on the cleanest and brightest T-shirt he owned over jeans, Owen had on a button-down shirt over pressed jeans. Yeah, he had a slight beard, but he’d trimmed it down that morning, and even had some sort of mousse or gel in his hair. As Graham had never once used the stuff, he wasn’t sure which one it was. He also had a feeling if Owen hadn’t planned on actually getting dirty at the start of the job, he’d have worn slacks instead of jeans, and probably even a tie along with it.

  Graham never did understand his brother and his need to look presentable at all times.

  But that’s what made Owen, Owen and Graham…Graham.

  “I didn’t sleep well,” he mumbled. “It’s also the first day on a new job I don’t want in the first place, so yeah, I’m a little off. Once I get a hammer in my hands, I’ll get over it.”

  Owen studied Graham’s eyes and cursed under his breath. “Shit, I didn’t think about what month it was.” He paused as if trying to think of something to say to make it all better. Nothing was going to make it that way so his brother would do better to stop trying.

  Graham held out a hand and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get over it. I always do,” he lied.

  He never got over it; never let it leave his mind. But he worked through it, buried it when he needed to, and found a way to live when not living had almost seemed like a better choice.

  Hell, he needed more coffee than this if his brain were going to head in that direction. “When’s Murphy getting here?” he asked, trying to change the subject smoothly. From the look in Owen’s eyes, he hadn’t been smooth enough.

  Thankfully, Owen went with it and didn’t push. That’s what he loved about his brothers; they didn’t press unless he needed it. And even then, they did their best not to be annoying about it. He knew he was the same way when it came to their demons, and that’s what made them Gallaghers.

  They’d gone through hell on their own and had come together when the only other option had been giving up.

  And for a Gallagher, there was no such thing. A Gallagher did not give up.

  “Murphy said he’d be here a few minutes ago, so probably in ten minutes,” Owen said with a grin.

  “I heard that, asshole,” Murphy said as he strolled in. Their younger brother had brushed his hair at least, but other than that, he looked like a slightly smaller version of Graham. He’d also let his hair down so it lightly brushed his shoulders, and since he’d shaved his beard fully a month or so ago, it hadn’t come back all the way yet.

  If Jake had been there with his scruffy beard and messy hair, the four of them would have probably looked like they needed to be locked up somewhere—up to no good and with no responsibilities. But looks weren’t everything, and even though they were inked, pierced, and not the cleanest cut, they were well on their way to making Gallagher Brothers Restoration into something more than the small yet profitable business it was.

  Owen flipped Murphy off and handed him his coffee. “I know you heard it. I said it loudly enough for you to. It’s amazing what happens when you’re observant and hear a truck park.”

  For that remark, Graham flipped Owen off, as well. He looked between his brothers and the old mansion that hadn’t been cared for in far too long. It needed a complete overhaul so it would be safe for anyone who wanted to live there in the future, as well as keep in line with the century it had been built so it could remain on the list for historical landmark status.

  It was going to be a bitch to work with, and if it had been any other house with any other backstory and politics attached to it, Graham would have been first in line to work on it.

  Now, though, he wanted nothing to do with it.

  “We’re not taking the job,” Graham said with a growl.

  It was an old argument. One he hadn’t won yet. Because they hadn’t signed the final papers, they could still back out and take a job that wouldn’t make his brain hurt and his hands twitch. The heiress and final land owner of the property would be there soon to go over the final details, and because of the way the place had been caught up in litigation with one thing or another, they hadn’t met her yet.

  He wasn’t in the mood to deal with a spoiled princess who couldn’t be bothered to care about the place she’d grown up in.

  “We’re taking the job,” Owen said, this time without his normal patience.

  As usual, Murphy stood back and let Graham and Owen fight it out. Graham wasn’t sure what side Murphy was on, but he had a feeling it wasn’t his.

  Damn it.

  “We’re not taking the job,” Graham repeated.

  “We’re taking the job,” Owen said right back.

  “No, we aren’t.”

  “We need this,” Owen said, frustration lining his voice. “This is our big break. We can make Gallagher Brothers a name in the business. We’ll be along the lines of Montgomery, Inc.. A legacy in our field, where we won’t have to worry about finding jobs because they’ll find us. We’ll be safe. Secure.”

  “Not with this job, Owen. I’m the oldest Gallagher. The boss. What I say goes.”

  Murphy and Owen shared a look, and Graham sighed, knowing he’d lost before he’d taken his first sip of coffee.

  They were taking the damn job.

  “Fine,” he growled. “Whatever.” He drained the rest of his cup and tossed it in the trash bag Owen held out. Seriously, the man thought of everything.

  “Want to take a look around before she shows up?” Murphy said with a small smile. “I mean, if we have to take the job, we might as well see what we’re working with.”

  “We already did,” Graham said. “And you’ve been poring over the plans for months, Mr. Architect.”

  Murphy was t
he company’s lead architect, though all three of them worked on plans. Owen was their manager, the one that kept them organized and sane. While Graham was the foreman, the one in charge of the day-to-day building and bossing around the rest of their crew to make sure they knew what they were doing. When Jake joined them on projects, he did the classical restorations and woodworking that none of the rest of them had the talent or skills for. It worked for the four of them, even if sometimes working with his brothers day in and day out was a little much. They kept him steady, though, and that had to mean something. Especially this month.

  Murphy shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s a little different when we’re about to sign the papers. Come on. It’ll be fresher for us so we can jump right in.”

  “He’s right, you know. We should at least do a walk through before she shows up, in case there are any issues we didn’t address in the initial documentation.”

  Graham blew out a breath but followed his brothers as they began their way through the sprawling mansion that had seen far better days.

  “Like you’d let anything escape your attention before this,” he said to Owen with a small smile.

  Owen rolled his eyes. “I can’t help being perfect, you know. It’s a curse as well as a gift.”

  Graham punched his brother in the arm, putting a little heat behind it to make sure Owen kept on his toes. Graham might be nearing forty, but he wasn’t about to grow up fully anytime soon. Plus, Owen and Murphy were closer to thirty than he was, and he needed to make sure his baby brothers knew who was actually the boss in this company and family.

  Owen reached out to punch him back, and Graham ducked, running into Murphy, who pushed him into Owen’s shoulder. Graham laughed then, a deep chuckle that surprised him. He hadn’t thought he’d laugh this month, and damn if he didn’t respect his brothers that much more for keeping him in the now, rather than always in the past.