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  Readers love

  ANDREW GREY

  A Heart Without Borders

  “I felt like I was right there with the characters, feeling the heat, the desperation and the total devastation right along with them. There is no doubt in my mind that this book will stay with me for a long time.”

  —The Novel Approach

  “In true Andrew Grey fashion, this book delivers not only a romance but a powerful lesson on the courage, hope and optimism of people in a country devastated by disaster and poverty.”

  —Hearts on Fire Reviews

  Stranded

  “A great story of how time passes and people allow their relationship to settle into routine and they lose their appreciation for their partner. This doesn’t mean that they are no longer deeply in love, sometimes they just need a reminder.”

  —Gay List Book Reviews

  “Stranded is an amazing combination between an intense thriller-like stalker story, a sizzling romance, and a character study which, through tension and drama, brings out the worst and the best in both main characters.”

  —Rainbow Book Reviews

  A Daring Ride

  “All the things we’ve come to love from Grey are there in the print. An emotional, engrossing, and sexy ride is what’s in store with this latest work from one of the best authors in the genre.”

  —MM Good Book Reviews

  “I quickly got sucked in by the story and the characters. There really is so much substance in the plot and the people… he doesn’t need a lot of extra language to pull you in.”

  —Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books

  Readers love

  ANDREW GREY

  An Isolated Range

  “Mr. Grey delivers a highly emotional story that captures the reader’s heart in one fell swoop. This is an author who is dedicated to his series, stories and characters. With each range story, you always find yourself drawn in, breathless until the very last page is read.”

  —Dawn’s Reading Nook

  “Andrew Grey’s Range series just gets stronger with each new book and An Isolated Range is perhaps the most amazing addition yet.”

  —Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

  “An Isolated Range is a story not of human triumphs but also of sadness and death. This is an author who balances both so well that the reader is left speechless after that last page is read.”

  —Love Romances and More

  The Fight Within

  “I loved this book, these characters, and this story. Get it today. Read. Understand and through understanding, enjoy.”

  —Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books

  “This is a story that is rich in detail, delving into the Native American culture and also sharing the suffering that the Native American’s still face today.”

  —MM Good Book Reviews

  “This was a very powerful read.”

  —Live your Life, Buy the Book

  By ANDREW GREY

  Accompanied by a Waltz

  Crossing Divides

  Dominant Chord

  Dutch Treat

  Fire and Water

  A Heart Without Borders

  In Search of a Story

  North to the Future

  One Good Deed

  Shared Revelations

  Stranded • Taken

  Three Fates (Anthology)

  To Have, Hold, and Let Go

  Whipped Cream

  Work Me Out (Anthology)

  HOLIDAY STORIES

  Copping a Sweetest Day Feel • Cruise for Christmas

  A Lion in Tails • Mariah the Christmas Moose

  A Present in Swaddling Clothes • Simple Gifts

  Snowbound in Nowhere • Stardust

  ART SERIES

  Legal Artistry • Artistic Appeal • Artistic Pursuits • Legal Tender

  BOTTLED UP STORIES

  The Best Revenge • Bottled Up • Uncorked • An Unexpected Vintage

  BRONCO’S BOYS

  Inside Out • Upside Down • Backward

  THE BULLRIDERS

  A Wild Ride • A Daring Ride • A Courageous Ride

  BY FIRE SERIES

  Redemption by Fire • Strengthened by Fire • Burnished by Fire • Heat Under Fire

  CHEMISTRY SERIES

  Organic Chemistry • Biochemistry • Electrochemistry

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  By ANDREW GREY (continued)

  GOOD FIGHT SERIES

  The Good Fight • The Fight Within • The Fight for Identity • Takoda and Horse

  LOVE MEANS… SERIES

  Love Means… No Shame • Love Means… Courage

  Love Means… No Boundaries

  Love Means… Freedom • Love Means … No Fear

  Love Means… Healing

  Love Means… Family • Love Means… Renewal • Love Means… No Limits

  Love Means… Patience • Love Means… Endurance

  SENSES STORIES

  Love Comes Silently • Love Comes in Darkness

  Love Comes Home • Love Comes Around

  SEVEN DAYS STORIES

  Seven Days • Unconditional Love

  STORIES FROM THE RANGE

  A Shared Range • A Troubled Range • An Unsettled Range

  A Foreign Range • An Isolated Range • A Volatile Range • A Chaotic Range

  TALES FROM KANSAS

  Dumped in Oz • Stuck in Oz • Trapped in Oz

  TASTE OF LOVE STORIES

  A Taste of Love • A Serving of Love • A Helping of Love

  A Slice of Love

  WORK OUT SERIES

  Spot Me • Pump Me Up • Core Training • Crunch Time

  Positive Resistance • Personal Training • Cardio Conditioning

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Copyright

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Backward

  © 2015 Andrew Grey.

  Cover Art

  © 2015 L.C. Chase.

  http://www.lcchase.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

  ISBN: 978-1-63216-535-0

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-63216-536-7

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2014920197

  First Edition February 2015

  Printed in the United States of America

  This paper meets the requirements of

  ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

  For Marty and Joey at FLYFOTO for their help in the creation of the cover image.

&nb
sp; Chapter 1

  HARRY KLINGER stood just outside the doorway to his domain at Bronco’s. He managed the business end, while Bull was the real face of the place. He was also head of security and someone none of the patrons wanted to deal with. Bull had been his friend for years, and he trusted the man completely. They had had each other’s backs often enough, and he had no doubt they would again. A friend—no, brother—like that was worth more than gold in Harry’s opinion.

  “We’ve got trouble,” Bull said as he somehow materialized next to him. Harry had no idea how a man as huge and distinctive as Bull could possibly go anywhere unnoticed, but he managed to pull it off quite often.

  Harry turned and followed Bull’s gaze. At first he wasn’t sure what he was looking at. It was a table crowded with men, like every other one in the packed club. The music pounded and throbbed through the seductively lit space, the energy of the place pulsing through him. That was what he loved about this business—the energy and vitality he felt when he was out here.

  “Watch the man at the far side of the table,” Bull said.

  Harry turned, taking his gaze off the place it always seemed to wander of its own accord. For almost two years now, he had watched Bull’s partner’s friend Tristan, one of the fabulous four, as he thought of them. “What am I looking for?” he asked absently.

  “Just watch,” Bull said.

  Harry shifted so he could see better across the crowded club and noticed a man he hadn’t seen before: dark hair, eyes, and beard, smoldering good looks. If Harry were closer, maybe seated at that table, he figured he’d smell the raw scent of masculine sexuality over the alcohol, sweat, smoke, and musk that pervaded the club. Harry pushed that out of his companionship-, gratification-, and love-starved brain and returned to the task at hand. Men shifted around the table, almost like the dance the men did on the floor of the club. It wasn’t until one of the men on the right side moved back for a few seconds that Harry saw what Bull meant. The man on the left side of the dark-haired man at the center clasped his hand. Harry knew in that instant what he was seeing. Money was placed in the dark-haired man’s hand, and the hand disappeared under the table. He couldn’t see it, but he knew what was going on. The hand reappeared again, another touch, and then the man moved away and another took his place.

  “What do you want to do?” Harry asked. “He needs to go, and be taught a lesson.”

  “I know.” Bull stepped forward, and Harry placed his hand on his shoulder to stop him. Tristan approached the table.

  “What the hell is he doing?” Harry asked Bull. “Do you think he knows him?” Fury rose inside to the point he could barely think. “I wonder if that guy is some associate of that scumbag ex of his.”

  Tristan approached the table but didn’t sit down, which was a relief. He stood at the end, partially blocking Harry’s view.

  “I’m going to break this up and put the fear of God into that bastard,” Bull said. He took two steps, just as Bull’s partner, Zach, made his way over to Tristan. Bull stopped, and Harry heard him swear under his breath. Zach and Bull were inseparable, and Harry saw the tension in Bull’s body ramp up to unbelievable heights. Bull would move heaven and earth to protect Zach; he’d done it before.

  Zach took Tristan’s arm and pulled him away. He turned and appeared to say something. The swarthy man’s expression changed to a lusty leer, and Bull was halfway across the floor before Harry could say a word. He followed behind Bull, signaling to the other bouncers that they had better get their asses over there. Bull was usually coolheaded and generally thought things through, but when it came to Zach, he was as growly as hell and could be vicious if he thought anyone would hurt the man he loved more than life itself.

  Zach moved away from the table, with Tristan in tow, as Harry hurried to catch up with Bull. The big man stormed toward the table, the tide of men in the club parting like the Red Sea.

  “Excuse me!” Bull boomed over the music as he reached the edge of the table.

  “Can I help you?” the Hispanic-looking man asked as he leaned back, looking completely unconcerned. This guy was either really cocky or as stupid as they came. Bull leaned over the table and grabbed the men to either side of the man, lifted them off their seats, and pulled them away.

  “You two, get out of the club now before I take you out of here in a trash can.” Bull’s growl stopped both of them from reacting.

  “It’s all right. He and I will just have a little talk,” the man said to the other two men, who looked like bodyguards.

  “Okay, Carlos,” said one of the two men Bull was still holding on to. Bull released them, and they walked off toward the front door, with bouncers following them.

  “The rest of you—beat it,” Bull said to the other customers at the table.

  The boys who had gathered around for their chance to do “business” bade a hasty retreat, and soon it was just the three of them: Bull, Harry, and Carlos. The man didn’t seem surprised or nervous in the least.

  “So what can I do for you gentlemen?” Carlos asked. Bull placed both hands on the table and leaned over it but said nothing. Harry stood back and watched. Carlos blinked, the first sign of nervousness, and Bull pulled the table away, swung around, and set it down before stalking into the vacated space. “I was only doing a little business.”

  “Not in my club you don’t,” Bull said.

  “Your club? I hardly think—”

  Bull reached out and yanked Carlos to his feet, then pulled him into a nearby corner. “Yes, my club. I own it, and your kind of business is never welcome here.” Bull shook him sharply. “And don’t you dare insult me by making an offer to cut me in on your action, or I’ll shake you until your head flies off. You got me? This is a clean club, and people like you are not welcome here.” Carlos tried to pull away. Bull shifted, grabbed Carlos’s arm, and wrenched it behind his back. “Try anything, and I won’t just break your arm, I’ll make sure you never use it again. Am I making myself clear?”

  “Yes,” Carlos gritted out. Bull released him, and he staggered slightly. Bull shoved him, probably to keep him off-balance.

  “Good. My bouncers are all over this club, and nothing happens here without me knowing about it. So I suggest you leave while you can still walk, and tell your friends not to show their faces in here.”

  Carlos straightened his shirt, most likely to hide the fact that he was trying not to shake in his shoes.

  “We will know if you try to come back,” Harry said as Carlos tried to muscle his way around him as an intimidation tactic. He’d seen many men try it over the years. Harry let Carlos get almost past, and then he moved his foot slightly, catching the edge of Carlos’s shoe and sending him splaying out onto the dance floor. It was raining outside, so the floor was covered in a sheen of water and dirt. “Thanks for helping to clean my floor,” Harry cracked when Carlos came up with his designer clothes covered in dirt.

  Bull moved to stand beside him. Harry smiled as Carlos tried his best to wrap himself in his dignity, but he simply looked stupid covered in the mud that had been tracked in. “Go,” Bull said, “or I’ll have my men throw you out.”

  Carlos turned, and the men on the dance floor parted for him, staring and chuckling at him as he went. Once he passed, they went right back to their dancing without missing a beat from the pulsing music.

  “You know he’ll be trouble at some point,” Harry said once Bull had put the table back in place. A group of men came over, and Bull motioned toward the table. They sat and thanked him before smiling and quickly losing themselves in conversation.

  “Possibly.” Bull turned back to him. “But he’ll also think twice before asking for trouble from us.” He motioned toward the table off to the far side of the dance floor, where Tristan and his friends sat chatting away. “Let’s find out what this is all about.”

  Harry followed Bull through the crowd. As they approached the table, Zach slipped off his stool and bounded over to Bull, then practically jumped into h
is arms. Bull grinned. Harry was always jealous of his best friend when he saw that smile because it reminded him of how happy Bull was and how empty his own life had become.

  “Zach, what were you and Tristan doing with that dealer?” Bull’s question came out harsh, and Zach flinched before turning his smile on Bull. Harry loved how Zach could make his usually scary, intimidating business partner melt like an ice cream cone in July.

  “It’s my fault,” Tristan answered from next to Zach. “I recognized Carlos and went over to say hello. It wasn’t until I got over there that I remembered he was a friend of Eddie’s, and then I was in trouble because I knew why he was here and what he was doing.” Tristan gulped the pink drink from his martini glass, emptying it before placing it back on the table. “I see people I know all over town, and they’re all guys I met when Eddie and I were together.”

  “Didn’t the police find him?” Harry asked. Damn, Tristan looked so down. All Harry wanted to do was pull the smaller man into his arms and then take him into the back room, or better yet, home with him, and make him forget everything about Eddie Menendez. Hell, he’d do his best to make Tristan forget his own name if that would put a smile on his face.

  “Yeah, but apparently he got a high-powered lawyer, and the charges seemed to vanish, along with most of the evidence, so they had to let him go.” Tristan sighed and turned back to the table, staring down at the top. One of the other members of the fab foursome, Jeremy, put his arm around Tristan and drew him into a one-armed hug. “So I keep expecting him to show up.”

  “Why didn’t you tell someone?” Harry asked, worried but with more heat than he intended. Tristan flinched and leaned closer to Jeremy.

  “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.” Tristan straightened up and slipped off his stool. “Maybe I should go.” He walked around to Kevin, the fourth member of the group. “I’m going to go back to the apartment. You guys have fun, and I’ll see you later.”

  Harry felt like a heel. He hadn’t meant to sound like he was laying into him. He was worried about him. Harry had been watching Tristan since shortly after Bull and Zach had begun seeing each other and it became apparent that the club was the new permanent hangout for the fab foursome. There was something about the dark-haired beauty with the soulful eyes, pouty lips, and compact little body that Harry just knew was packed with energy. It came out whenever he danced. Harry glanced at Bull and sighed. “I wasn’t angry with you or anyone.”