by Laurie Roma
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2014 Laurie Roma
ISBN: 978-1-77233-005-2
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: JS Cook
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
There are so many people I'd like to thank for inspiring me to write this book...
First of all, I have to thank the brave men and women who serve our country. While there are a lot of books that focus on men getting on with their lives after they leave military service, this book deals with some of the aftermath that isn't easily forgotten once the fighting is over. I like to think of this book as a small way to show my thanks, and to say that your sacrifices are appreciated.
To all the men and women who work and volunteer at animal shelters all over the world. Thank you for giving those animals within your care the love they deserve, and a second chance to have a good home.
Thanks to Dusty Rhodes and Bees Tattoo for helping me understand the behind the scenes workings of a tattoo parlor, and for helping me bring my own special tribute to life.
To all the breast cancer survivors out there, and to the ones we have lost. I only touch on this subject, but I hope that people understand the importance of going for check-ups and catching any potential issues early. It may save a life. Live Strong. I wish you health and happiness—and most of all—a life full of love.
And last but not least, thank you to the men and women who are a part of bikers clubs and groups that focus on doing good work. I want to stress that not all biker clubs are bad. In fact there are several clubs that are strictly for law enforcement officials, and others that focus on riding together for a common goal, such as helping victims of child abuse or domestic violence. These men and women defend those who stand alone and afraid, and act as a shield when need be. If you are interested in learning more, just look them up on the web. There are large, international groups or smaller local chapters that people can get involved in. They may look like bad-asses, but their causes are righteous.
NYGHT’S EVE
The Breakers’ Bad Boys, 2
Laurie Roma
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
Daryk Nyght scowled as he looked around the Fight Hard gym. He’d just arrived in Breakers after a long drive, and the last thing he wanted was to be somewhere he was surrounded by people…even if half of those people were scantily dressed women.
God, something had to be seriously wrong with him.
Despite the view, he couldn’t help feeling irritated by the barrage of noise coming from all around him. Daryk—or Dare as he preferred to be called—had expected the general noise of a working gym. The grunts and sounds of boxing gloves meeting flesh coming from the sparring rings didn’t faze him. No, what had him mentally cursing was the cheerful sound of feminine voices drifting over from the far side of the room.
Good Christ, were those women giggling?
Hitching the strap of his backpack further up on his shoulder, Dare stalked toward the mountain of a man with a shaved head who was watching the group of women. The giant stood like a sentinel at the edge of the mats with his hands braced on his hips. Coming to a stop next to him, Dare continued to frown at the sight on the mats.
“If you tell me you put in a spa, I’m fucking leaving.”
The man turned and a wide grin spread across his face. “Nyght!”
Dare tried to brace himself, but still had to grimace as Jared “Hammer” Caufield wrapped his massive arms around him and squeezed the breath right out of his lungs. At six foot two, Dare was a big man, but Hammer easily had a few inches on him, and also a good thirty pounds in muscle mass.
Even with his piss poor mood, Dare was glad to see his friend. He and Hammer had met while they were stationed at the same army base in Iraq, and had become good friends. Dare had been a trauma surgeon, while Hammer had been in the Rangers. When Hammer left the Army to begin his career as an MMA fighter, Dare’s life had taken a far different path.
A far more dark and dangerous path.
Hammer pulled back, taking a good look at his friend and frowned at what he saw. Instead of the buzz cut they used to have in common, Dare’s black hair had grown out into a dark array of shaggy locks. With several days beard growth, and wearing a beat-to-shit black leather jacket with a pair of worn jeans, Dare almost looked like a hard-ass, dangerous biker…or some sort of wild animal. But what really showed Hammer the change in his friend was the hard gleam in Nyght’s dark-grey eyes that hadn’t been there last time they’d seen each other. It was the lethal look that soldiers developed who had seen too much hard shit…who had done too much. Hammer knew because he had often seen that look in his own eyes, before he’d found peace.
“Damn good to see you, bro.”
“Back atcha.” Dare looked around the large gym and had to grin. “You did a good job with this place. Last time I was here it was nothing but a big pile of shit.”
Hammer laughed. “I remember. We’d just torn down that old warehouse and I was wearing that stupid brace on my knee.”
“Looks like you’ve completely recovered.”
“I have. Damn, Dare. It really is good to see you. I’d introduce you to my fiancée, Kali, but Sam might kill me if I interrupt them in the middle of class.”
“That’s the physical therapist that kicked your ass back in gear after your surgery, right?” Both men turned back to watch the women on the mats. Dare glanced at the stacked woman with light-brown hair running the class that he’d met after Hammer’s surgery. He knew that Sam used to be a fighter pilot in the Air Force until she was shot down on a mission. She must be a pretty tough woman to have made it out of enemy territory alone and injured. Unable to fly anymore, she’d gone on to become a physical therapist, using her military training to beat people back into shape.
“Yep. I figured if she could scare the crap out of me, she’d be able to run the rehab center upstairs no problem.”
“She was a good choice then.” Dare paused, then shot a glance over at Hammer. “I have to ask…when did you start holding chick classes here?”
The big former MMA fighter scowled and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Don’t even start that shit.” He lowered his voice so no one else would hear. “You know they actually call this class girl fight?”
“Christ.”
“I know,” Hammer sighed. “We started holding the class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I originally did it for Kali and a few of her friends, but more women just kept signing up. We have over twenty in the class now, off and on. It’s good for business, and more men seem to plan their workout schedules around the women’s classes.”
“I can see why,” Dare murmured as he watched the women bend over in unison. “Let me guess, the cute little redhead with ‘Hammer’ stamped across the back of her pants is yours?”
Hammer grunted. “Damn right. I’ve ordered all kinds of Rough and Tough apparel with my name on it for her to wear. I need to make sure everyone knows Kali belongs to me.”
“Well, marking her ass with your name is certainly one way to do it,” Dare remarked dryly, then he squinted to get a better look. “And Jesus, is that a hammer tattooed on her shoulder?”
Gr
inning, Hammer nodded. “That was all her idea. It saves me the trouble of knocking heads together when people know she’s taken. Since we started this damn class I think there have been more hook-ups beginning here than at The Fox Hole,” he added, mentioning the local biker bar in town.
Fuck.
“That’s it. I’m outta here.”
Hammer laughed as he reached out to grab hold of Dare’s arm, holding him in place. “Calm down. I think you’re safe, considering you look like some sort of crazed mountain man.”
“I’ve been busy.” Dare absently scratched at his beard. Damn, he really did need to shave. He almost lost his balance as Hammer’s hand came down on his shoulder.
“Come on, Nyght. I’ll give you a tour of the place.”
Dare gladly followed Hammer out of the gym, up to the quiet second floor of Fight Hard where the rehabilitation center was located. Hammer had spared no expense, having outfitted the rehab center with high-end medical and training equipment. Dare asked a few questions as Hammer showed him around, and he had to scoff as he saw some of the Pilates equipment that hadn’t been in the original plans. Hammer explained that Sam and the other physical therapists had been very successful using the equipment to help rehab their clients. To Dare’s amusement, Hammer also muttered about a few Pilates classes being taught there during the week, but said he tried to avoid the upstairs area whenever those were going on.
Overall, Dare was pleased to see that the Fight Hard Training and Rehabilitation Center was a world class facility, and knew it was a place Hammer could be very proud of. When he’d had told Dare he wanted to open a gym back in his hometown of Breakers after his injury, Dare had thought it was a damn good idea. With Hammer’s mixed martial arts training, it seemed like a perfect transition. With the addition of the rehab center that catered to vets and other athletes, it made Dare want to get involved.
Even though Hammer had made enough money as a Cage Fighting League champion, both Dare and their other friend, Adam Rever, wanted to support his new business venture. Hammer had allowed Dare and Rever to invest, while he kept controlling interest of the business. Hammer did a good job keeping them informed about what was going on with the gym by email, but Dare knew he and Rever weren’t really necessary to the business. They were mainly there to support their friend.
And the truth was, a part of Dare had never really expected to live to see the gym finished.
“You did a good job with this place, Hammer.”
As if he knew what Dare was thinking, Hammer stopped and looked at him with sober eyes. “How are you doing, Dare? Because I gotta tell you…you look like shit.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Seriously, man. We expected you last month. I thought you were resting up at that cabin in Colorado? You don’t look that rested or relaxed.”
Dare turned away, staring across the large room as memories plagued him. No, he wasn’t rested. In fact, he felt like he was damn close to losing his mind. Being a trauma surgeon in the Army had been hard. No, it had been fucking brutal. Sure there were days that he’d done the basic monotonous doctor shit on base, but there were other days that had been filled with the screams of injured men and women that would haunt him till the end of his days.
And he felt the loss of each and every patient under his care.
What he couldn’t tell Hammer was that the last few years he’d been working with an international anti-terrorist agency that very few people even knew existed. Tired of always seeing his friends in danger, Dare had jumped at the chance to join the elite taskforce to help stop the threats before they turned into mass violence. What he hadn’t realized was that being at ground zero would be like walking into hell.
And not many men could come back from that.
Dare could tell Hammer what he couldn’t say to anyone else. Even though there were details he couldn’t tell his friend about his clandestine work, dealing with the aftermath alone wasn’t a good idea. He'd tried that over the last few months and it had been an epic failure. That was why he had come to Breakers. To try and figure out what to do with his life now that he had retired.
“I’m tired,” Dare said quietly after a long minute. “I’m really fucking tired.”
Hammer sat down on one of the benches and watched him with more sympathy than Dare was comfortable with. “Can you tell me?”
“Some, but I don’t think I’m ready to just yet. I’ll just say that my stay in Colorado wasn’t as restful as I thought it was going to be. I took my time coming here to clear my head...” He paused for a moment before he said, “Before that I was in Spain.”
Hammer sucked in a harsh breath that sounded overly loud in the silence of the room. Dare knew that the news had been filled with the bombings that had happened in Spain for weeks now. A terrorist group headed by a fanatical leader had targeted several churches in a brutal self-proclaimed war. The taskforce Dare worked with had taken down the group, but the terrorists had blown up two churches before they had put a stop to their senseless violence.
And the experience had left Dare with chilling memories that would haunt him forever.
“Jesus. That’s rough,” Hammer said softly. “Listen, I was gonna suggest we go grab something to eat, but why don’t you just take tonight and settle in? You know you’re always welcome at my place—”
“No.”
“Which is what I thought you would say,” Hammer responded with a soft chuckle. “So, I booked you a room at my cousin’s boarding house. Open ended for however long you want to stay.”
Dare frowned at him, not liking the sound of that. “I can just go to a hotel or—”
“It’s not what you think. My cousin Evie converted Beaumont Manor—her old plantation house—into a sort of bed and breakfast for service men and women who need a little peace and quiet before they go back to their real lives. Some of our rehab patients also stay there. You remember my stepbrother Hunter, right? He lives in an apartment on the main level. It’s a good place. I think you’ll like it.”
He wanted to decline the offer, but found himself nodding. “That works…thanks.”
“I’ll call ahead and make sure someone meets you with the keys.” Hammer paused for a moment. “I'm really glad you're here, Nyght. I hope you’ll consider staying.”
“I can’t think that far ahead right now.”
Hammer nodded in understanding. They said their goodbyes. Dare breathed a sigh of relief as he left the Fight Hard building, stepping out into the cool evening breeze. After Hammer had given him the directions to the Beaumont estate, Dare promised that he’d stop by the gym again after he’d gotten some rest. He just wasn’t in the mood for friendly visitations at the moment, even if Hammer was like a brother to him.
Hell, he hadn’t been fit for human interaction for weeks now...and still wasn’t.
Not yet.
He straddled his Harley and started it up, pleased by the low, throaty growl the engine made. Driving out of town, Dare let his mind drift. Since he’d been back in the States, he’d been traveling light. He’d made the mistake of going home to Atlanta when he’d first come back stateside. It had been good to see his mother, but it had been the same old story with his dad and brother.
The Nyght’s were a powerful family that traced their lineage back to medieval Scotland. They had been one of the wealthiest families to settle in the new world, and Dare’s father, William Nyght, took their heritage very seriously, going as far to hang the family crest in a place of prominence in their mansion located in Atlanta. Dare’s great-grandfather had been a founding partner in one of the world’s largest international law firms, and it had become tradition for all of the Nyght men to join the practice.
Until Dare.
William was a man who stuck to very strict ideals of what it meant to be a Nyght, and joining the military was not acceptable to him. Dare still remembered the heated argument that had taken place when he told his family that he had enlisted and had decided to go to medical scho
ol instead of studying law. His mother had done what she always did. She agreed with whatever her husband decreed. She loved her life too much the way it was, and Dare had learned to accept that she would never be strong enough to stand against William.
The divide between Dare and his father had gotten even worse when his younger brother, Peter, had enrolled in law school and prepared to join the family firm like a proper Nyght. When William finally realized that Dare would never fall into the family fold, he had disowned him, ruthlessly cutting him off.
At first it had hurt, but Dare knew that he’d made the right choice. Being a doctor was what he had been meant to do. He had an aptitude for cutting and had soaked up knowledge like a sponge. Being able to assess a situation instantly and having a steady hand no matter where he was made him an asset in the field. It had been a constant struggle against his commanding officers who had tried to keep Dare on base where he would remain safe, when all he wanted to do was be out where he was needed most.
When the opportunity came to join the elite taskforce, Dare had been ready and willing to join the action. It had given him a sense of pride to know that he was saving lives on a daily basis, but the threat level the taskforce dealt with had been enough to scare the shit out of him despite his training and background. His time working with them had hardened him. Had given him a combat awareness that could only be attained through experience.
But he hadn’t been ready for what happened in Spain.
Dare had waded through the blood of the victims of the two bombings, doing all he could to help the few survivors they’d found. He couldn’t even put the horrors of what he’d seen into words. Still, he had kept a cool head while his heart had wept for the victims. It was such a senseless act of violence that Dare would never understand the levels of cruelty humans could perpetrate on one another. However, dealing with the aftermath of those first two bombings wasn’t what had made Dare decide to walk away.
