Hammer's Fall (The Breakers' Bad Boys) (10 page)

“Oh, Maddy…” Evie said with a sigh.

“Well, it’s true. It’s not like any of you are helping out. You and Francesca need to find a man who will sweep you off your feet before you start popping out kids, and Beckett and Hunter should—”

Like a puff of smoke, Hunter suddenly disappeared from the room. Kalista secretly wished she could follow him out of the room, but she remained where she was seated as she watched the door shut after him.

Goodbye escape route.

Madeline let out a gusty sigh. “That one is elusive as ever. We need to find a sweet woman for Hunter so he can settle down and be happy.”

“Hunter would eat a sweet woman alive. He needs someone who could kick his ass and keep him in line,” Evie countered.

Madeline laughed. “You’re probably right.” She turned those dark eyes that were so similar to Jared’s on Kalista. “So, Kali. How serious are things between you and Jared?”

“Madeline—”

“Please, call me Maddy. I know I’m being nosy. You don’t have to say anything, I just want my boy to be happy.”

Kalista cuddled the adorable little puppy on her lap close. “Jared makes me very happy. I hope he feels the same.”  

“I’m sure he does, dear,” Madeline said as she reached out to pat Kali’s knee. She was inordinately pleased that Kali called her son by his given name and not the ridiculous name he used for fighting. Who the hell wanted to be named after a tool anyways? She was proud of all he accomplished with his career, but some things she just had to shake her head at. A vibrating noise sounded, and Madeline reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone. She smiled as she checked the screen. “Ah, it’s done. Tony is at The Fox Hole now.”

“How did everything go?” Evie asked.

“He says everything went perfectly,” Madeline replied as she tucked the phone back into her pocket. “My husband Tony went out on an adoption placement today. Usually Evie likes us to go in pairs, but we let Tony go by himself because he likes to cry a little on his way home.” She smiled. “My man has a soft heart.”

Evie chuckled as she shook her head. “My uncle Tony is a retired Navy SEAL. Everyone is scared of him, but despite all the tattoos and the bad-ass persona, he has a weakness for the dogs.”

“He’s a sweetheart, just like Hunter. I’m going to see if one of the boys can give me a ride into town so I can meet my man for dinner. See you girls later. Kali, come visit again soon, or I will come track you down at your shop.”

“I will,” Kalista promised, afraid that Maddy would do just that.

After Madeline left, Kalista felt the tension she had been feeling finally ease. “That was…”

Evie winced in sympathy. “Yeah, she is something else. Sorry about the baby thing. She seems to be very focused on that lately. Just imagine what we go through seeing her every day. We never hear the end of it.” She raised a brow. “Ready for that glass of wine yet?”

Babies?
Kalista shivered as she thought about it. “I think I might need two.”

Chapter Six

Hammer pulled his motorcycle to a stop in front of his gym and looked across the street toward Kali’s bakery. He knew she was out at his cousin’s place, but he couldn’t help but hope that she had finished early so he could see her.

Since he had lost control and taken her on the stairs in her apartment building, they had been almost inseparable when they hadn’t been working. He loved spending time with her, loved the way she responded to him with pure abandon every time he touched her. At first he had thought his hunger for her would fade into something more manageable, but every time they were together it only made him want her more.

His little fairy was a delight to him. A few days ago he’d surprised her by going to the doctor and getting a complete check-up so he could give her proof he was clean. He was a man of his word, but he knew his reputation and didn’t want her to worry.

Hammer had tried to be careful, to make love to her showing her the sweet side of his touch, but the strain of holding back his desperate need for her was taking its toll on his control. Where once she had been completely shy around him, she was now opening up, letting him past her guard—and he hoped—into her heart. She was still skittish at times, unsure of herself and his attraction to her, but Hammer was confident that it wasn’t because she didn’t trust him.

It was because she just didn’t trust herself enough.

Not wanting to push her, he had been stealthy at his integration into her life. He knew she was the woman he wanted, but after hearing her mother’s hurtful words on her answering machine the other day, he knew he had to take his time and make her understand that he wanted her for more than just sex. Over the last week he had made it clear to her that he was now her man, but he could still see the uncertainty in her eyes at times. He struggled with his temper at her family and her ex for making her doubt her self-worth, but he knew it would be hard for someone to overcome that kind of emotional abuse overnight.

He had the pleasure of watching her pretty green eyes light up whenever she saw him, and she’d gotten more comfortable with him hanging around the bakery when he stopped in everyday. Pride had filled him when they’d had their first self-defense class two days ago and her happiness all but radiated from her as she learned something new. They had decided on having the class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, but he had made it clear she was welcome in the gym whenever she wanted.

At first it had made him wince when Kali and her girlfriends had started calling the self-defense class the “girl fight” class, but he soon found the humor in it. It had only taken fifteen minutes into the first class when his friend, Samantha Kane, had taken over teaching the women. Sam was one of the physical therapists who helped out upstairs and she was far better suited to teach the group of young women. Hell, who was he kidding? Sam ran the rehabilitation center like a general whom everyone feared to disobey, but she related to Kali and her friends in a way that Hammer couldn’t even begin to understand.

Sam was a fighter pilot in the Air Force until she was shot down on a mission. Injured and alone, she had made it out of enemy territory by herself, but her wounds had left her unable to fly anymore. She had been working at the rehab center Hammer had gone to after his surgery, and she had kicked his ass back into shape sooner than anyone had expected. He figured if she could put the fear of God into him, that he’d better hire her. She was the only member on staff that had been in the Air Force, but they didn’t hold it against her.

Much.

A less confident man would have been concerned how well Kali had gotten along with Sam, but Hammer was happy to see that his fairy had befriended the usually self-contained physical therapist. While they had been working out, Hammer had found himself unable to stop watching them. No, not them. Kali. Anytime she was in the same room he had a difficult time looking away from her. That was why it took him a few minutes to notice that all the other men in the room had stopped what they were doing to watch the women as well, but a few hard looks had them going back to their own workouts.

It was his day off today, and he had been feeling restless without Kali. He had been spending every night at her apartment with her, but today he had come up with other plans for this evening. It was time to move things forward in their relationship. After he had finished setting things up at the house, there had been a brief moment he’d considered heading out to the Beaumont Rescue Center to join Kali for her meeting with his cousin. Ultimately, he’d decided against it for one very good reason.

And that reason was his well meaning, but very nosy, mother.

Erring on the side of caution, he decided to come to the gym for a workout instead. But first, he had something else to take care of.

Hammer frowned as got off his bike. When he’d pulled up, he had seen Nate walk out of the shop only to be stopped by two teenage boys on the street. He could tell by Nate’s defensive posture and clenched fists that whatever he was talking about with the other boys wasn’t good.

He had met Nate a few days ago and saw so much of himself in the younger man that it was downright scary. There was a well of emotion hidden inside of Nate that Hammer worried would come out at the wrong time. He had been more surprised than anyone when Kali told him that Nate had been helping her make the dog treats. It had relaxed him to see how well Nate got along with Kali, Becca and Anna. He was always respectful to the women, and Hammer sort of liked knowing that the young man watched out for the women at the shop.

Not that he would ever tell them that.

When he had first introduced himself to the teen, Nate had been cautious to the point of being hostile. Taking his reaction in stride, Hammer had been patient, and the next few times they had spoken, the boy seemed to relax a little. The truth was, Hammer liked the kid and wanted him to see that he didn’t have anything to fear from older men. He knew it would take time for Nate to see that after what he had been through with his mother’s abusive boyfriend.

Hammer knew that from his own experience.

Not liking what he was seeing, he strolled across the street and heard one of the boys snarling at Nate. Nate was big for his age, but Hammer knew the two other boys played football at the high school Nate was now attending, and two against one was never good until you knew what you were doing.

“You think you’re some kind of bad ass because you’re from Dallas?” one of the boys taunted.

“I don’t even know you, so I don’t know what your fucking problem is.”

“My problem is you were flirting with my girl,” the other the teen growled at Nate. “I’m telling you, if I hear you talked to Claire again I’m gonna beat your ass.”

“I don’t know any Claire.”

“Liar. You were here with her yesterday.”

“I work here, so if your girlfriend was here I might have talked to her, but I wasn’t with her.”

“You work at a bakery? Are you gay or something?”

Nate sighed with exasperation. “I’m supposedly hitting on your girl, now I’m gay? You guys are fucking idiots.”

“What the hell did you call us?”

“Dude, we should trash this place. Get this asshole fired.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Hammer said casually behind the two young men. He saw them stiffen before they turned around to look at him, and he caught the smirk Nate shot his way. The kid didn’t back down even when confronted by two teens who were bigger than him. He had courage, but he could learn a thing or two about how not to rev his opponents up.

The teens’ eyes widened. “Oh man, you’re the Hammer! Dude, we’ve seen all your fights. You’re awesome!”

Hammer smiled, but it held an edge to it. “Yeah? It’s always nice to meet fans, but I don’t really like hearing someone threatening my girlfriend’s shop. Hey, Nate.”

Hammer walked around the two young men and held up a fist. Going with Hammer’s friendly greeting, Nate raised his fist and tapped it with his own. “What’s up, Hammer?”

“Shit, you guys like friends or something?”

“Yeah, and as I said, Nate also works for my girlfriend.”

Both young men’s jaws dropped open, and they stumbled over themselves trying to apologize. “We didn’t mean it.”

“We were totally kidding, man.”

“That’s what I thought,” Hammer said. Acting his part, he stood with his feet spread apart and crossed his arms over his chest, looking intimidating as he stared down the two teenage boys who shifted nervously on their feet. “I’d hate to have something happen to the bakery so I would have to call Sheriff Wyatt about it.”

The teens visibly winced. Sheriff Storm Wyatt was a good friend of Hammer’s. They had grown up together and served in the same unit when they were in the Army. Hammer knew that most people in Breakers feared to get on the Sheriff’s bad side.

“Honest, man. We weren’t serious.”

Hammer studied them for a moment before nodding. Dismissing them, he turned to Nate. “You done for the day? Good. Why don’t we head over to the gym and start those training sessions we talked about.”

Nate’s eyes widened slightly, but his reaction was nothing compared to the gasps the two boys let out. “But Fight Hard doesn’t take members under eighteen! We checked,” one of the boys complained.

“Yeah, we don’t usually, but Nate’s a friend of mine, and since I own the place…” Hammer shrugged.

“Do you think we could—”

“Maybe some other time. Just ask Nate, and maybe we could set something up. But until we change the policy, it’s still eighteen and older for membership,” Hammer said cutting the teen off. “Come on, Nate. Let’s go.”

The teens watched sadly as Hammer and Nate walked away, crossing the street.

“I don’t get it,” Nate muttered. “If his girlfriend is cheating, shouldn’t he be pissed at her?”

“Kid, I have been asking myself that for years. The only answer I’ve got is nothing makes sense when women are involved.”

That made Nate snicker. “I bet you don’t say that kind of shit in front of Kali.”

“Hell no, and if you ever told her I would deny it with my last breath.”

“I won’t tell her. She thinks you practically walk on water or something anyways.”

“She does?” Hammer asked as he stopped when they were standing outside of the gym. He could practically feel his own chest puffing out at that statement. Christ, did he have it bad for his little fairy.

Nate sent him a long look. “I know you’re all famous and shit, but I like Kali. She’s been really nice to me and my brother. I hope you aren’t playing her.”

Getting called out by a freaking teenage boy…

Damn, he liked the kid a lot.

“I’m not. Not that this is any of your business, but I’m pretty serious about Kali.”

Nate’s shoulders seemed to relax. “That’s what I thought.”

“You tell me if those guys cause any trouble at the shop,” Hammer ordered.

The teen rolled his eyes. “How much you wanna bet those guys will be kissing my ass from now on since you said you were training me?” He paused and studied Hammer. “Were you serious about that?”