Hammer's Fall (The Breakers' Bad Boys)(28)

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.”