Dared (Boneyard Bad Boy #1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Dared

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Acknowledgments

  Special Thanks for Bloggers & Reviewers

  Dared

  The Boneyard Bad Boy Series

  Book 1

  Kristina Borden

  Copyright

  © 2016 Kristina Borden

  Edited by Tessa Walters and Kari Nappi

  Formatted by CP Smith at Affordable Formatting

  Cover Design by Kari Nappi at Kovers by Kari

  Photographer: Cassandra Roop at Pink Ink Designs

  Cover Model: Robert Simmons

  All rights reserved. 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 permission in writing.

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

  The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/Use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  All rights reserved.

  Dedication

  For my beloved friend, Kari Nappi, who loved Damien and Summer

  from the very beginning. For believing in who they were,

  who they could be, and everything that they are.

  I love you dear friend, this one is for you.

  Chapter One

  Summer

  “I swear he is such an asshole,” I utter under my breath as I walk into the studio shoot and spot Cameron, my sorry excuse of a boyfriend, making out with another model. Cameron was so wrapped up in the slut that he didn't have time to even see me arrive to the shoot. His ass was busted first hand and I was so over his bullshit. This was the last straw. All I needed to do was make it through this photo shoot and as soon as I got home his shit would be outside waiting on his no-good cheating ass.

  I exhale and look around at the 5000 sq. ft. space that has been converted into a set for one of the biggest photo shoots of the year. The old warehouse is well known for hosting some of the biggest events as well as being a common studio spot for world renowned photographer, Lanai Daniels. With its high open ceilings and the enormous windows that line the building, the place is filled with a ton of natural light. The hum of activity echoes off of the walls.

  The set is bustling with a slew of frenzied activity. Models are shuffled back and forth as they are pulled from makeup to wardrobe and then to set. Staff members litter the areas, talking into headsets and rushing to get the next shoot off without a hitch. I have been anticipating this shoot for months. It is a Vogue cover shoot featuring the most renowned models representing elite modeling agencies from all over the world. This particular shoot is for Met Gala 2017. This is one of the highest honors a model could add to her portfolio. You have to be at the top of the Who's Who list to even be considered and then there was the task of actually auditioning. The process itself starts a year ahead of the event. This year Vogue has selected ten models from only the most exclusive and well known modeling agencies. The Met Gala is a huge annual fundraiser gala benefiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. It is one of the most exclusive and premier social events in the fashion industry in all of New York. I have had the privilege to walk this show for the past two years. This being my fourth year receiving the prestigious invite to even audition.

  When I received word from Elite two months ago that I had been chosen as one of the select models to walk in the Met Gala fashion show and appear on the magazine cover, I was over the moon. Although, I have secured more covers than I can count and walked in some of the top fashion runway shows from Paris to Milan, this was the ultimate achievement in any girls entire modeling career. It was even more exciting that my boyfriend Cameron, who was signed with a different agency, had also been selected. Well, that was the case, until the asshole decided to show up at one of the biggest gigs only to embarrass me. At this moment, he is the last person I wanted to see here.

  Cameron moved here from Montana a little over two years ago and was signed to Ford Modeling Agency within the first few months of being in the city. His blonde hair swept low across his face. His blue eyes were so piercing it was easy to find yourself getting lost in them. We met on a photo shoot for Chanel shortly after he signed with the agency. The chemistry between us was instant and meeting him felt like I was reconnecting with an old friend that I had not seen in a while. At the time, he was still grounded in who he was and where he had come from. The fame had not yet had a chance to go to his head. We hit it off during the photo shoot and began hanging out shortly after that. Our personalities both balanced and complimented one another. We dated for a little over six months before he moved into my apartment with me. I thought he was the perfect man for me and had all intentions of making this relationship one that ended with a big ass rock on my finger. That was until I found out that he had a nasty habit of snorting cocaine up his nose.

  If there is one thing that is not New York's best kept secret, it is the fact that a majority of models are snorting powder. Blow is something that comes hand in hand with this industry. I am one of the few who didn't fall weak to the pressures of the industry and all of the illegal perks that are provided in endless supply at our disposal.

  The first time I ever walked into the bathroom to catch him snorting coke, I had opened the door and quickly slammed it shut. I was so shocked I didn't even know what to say. I think the reality of the situation was too overwhelming to handle. He was the last person I expected to fall under the pressures of this business.

  “Shit! Summer. Wait.” Cameron had scrambled out of the bathroom door with powder still on the edge of his red nostrils and a rolled up hundred dollar bill in his hand. “It's not what it looks like,” he fumbled with his words trying to come up with some excuse that he was hoping I would buy. Did I have “Fool” stamped on my fucking forehead? Seriously, what else could I possibly mistake that for?

  “Bullshit! I am not a fucking idiot. It is exactly what it looks like,” I shouted as I stormed to the bedroom and began pulling his clothes out of the tall chest of drawers. I combed the closets and tossed everything he owned out on to the floor in a haphazard pile. The anger inside me was quickly rising and reaching its' boiling point.

  “Please. Baby, it was just this one time. I promise,” he begged as he tried to wrap his arms around me. “Baby, I love you. Please just give me another chance and I promise I won't fuck it up.” His pleading hit a soft spot in me as I stood there looking at the man that I loved. I felt betrayed. We had built this life together and here we teetered on the edge of him throwing it all away. At twenty-six, I knew that I was still young enough to find someone else. The problem was that it was hard for me to do that with this career. I was so busy it left v
ery little time to meet anyone. I was always the type to choose a man based on convenience. I got what I needed, had a little fun, but went home alone. I didn't have time for relationships or the games men played. I played by my own set of rules. When I met Cameron, I wasn't even looking. It just sort of happened. He became my best friend and I fell in love with him almost right away.

  “This is it. You know how I feel about that shit. One chance. That is all you get. I can't keep doing this Cameron. If it isn't the girls, it is the drugs. I won't be one of those girls who turns my cheek the other way while you continue to disrespect me.” I sat there on the edge of the bed staring at the man I loved, trying to figure out when he had become this unrecognizable person standing in front of me. I was so tired of him embarrassing me in front of everyone we knew. You couldn't be who we were and not expect every single ounce of your dirty laundry to be aired by the paparazzi for you. I thought things were perfect between us and had actually pictured him as someone I could see spending my life with. The distance between us had widened by leaps and bounds when racy photographs of him partying with other girls at random nightclubs had started emerging a few months ago. The scandals that surrounded him were becoming too frequent and my name was being dragged through the mud along with his.

  Of course, each time he pulled some far-fetched excuse out of thin air to explain away the compromising pictures. It was always the angle of the shot or the paparazzi just caught them in an innocent situation to turn it into a front page story. The girls were always just friends. If there was one thing that Cameron was getting better at it, it was the lies. Each time he made me believe that I was the one who was wrong for even doubting him.

  But today, however, when I walked into the Vogue shoot, he couldn't come up with a lie that would get him out of this situation. There in the corner, propped up on the edge of a window seal, was Cameron with another model from the shoot wedged between his thighs locking lips. I knew this was not the place to start a scene. So I bid my time and waited for the model to head to wardrobe before making my entrance noticeable.

  “Hey babe. Did you just get here?” he asked nervously as he played with a tendril of my blonde hair.

  Babe, my ass, I thought to myself. You lying sack of shit. It's okay, Summer, all you have to do is get through this shoot. Just play his little charade for now. His ass was mine when we got home.

  “Yea. I stopped at Starbucks to grab a macchiato on the way over. I think I shoot in thirty so I need to get over to makeup.” I stepped out his reach and called out a goodbye over my shoulder as I headed to the makeshift makeup area. Lined with stations to handle each of the models, I found an empty chair as a woman with a headset and clipboard in her hands approached me.

  “Summer Montgomery with Elite, correct?” she asked as she averted her eyes to flip through the clipboard in her hands to check my name off on the list.

  “Yes,” I replied as the makeup artist made her way over to my station and began to lay out her supplies in front of me on the vanity. She began on my makeup as the shoot coordinator started to lay out the timeline and wardrobe changes for the shoot.

  “You will need to get to hair and wardrobe and be ready to go in twenty minutes. You will find a tag on the rack assigned to you over there,” she pointed to an area in the studio that was lined with rows and rows of clothing racks aligned neatly, each sporting a tag on the rack for the model in which they belonged to.

  “Thanks.” I glanced into the mirror to take a final look at the work the makeup artist had done before heading over to hair.

  I was there for almost two hours before my actual photo shoot finally wrapped up. Just as I was about to head out, I spotted the little slut that had been huddled up making out with Cameron when I had arrived. I tried to convince myself to leave it alone but then that wouldn't be me. I stormed over to the crowd and I managed to snatch her out of her crowd by the hair on her head.

  “Bitch, I strongly suggest you get your own fucking man before you start messing with mine.” I spit in her face as I managed to snatch her head back and get one good punch in before shoving her down onto the concrete floor.

  “What the fuck?” the girl shouted as she sat there looking up at me stunned.

  “Keep your fucking hands and mouth off of Cameron. This will be the only warning you get bitch!” I turned on my heel and sashayed my ass right out of there, leaving the other girls crowded over the little slut trying to help her off of the floor.

  My reputation was well known so this little whore must be new to the industry. I was sure she would soon find out that I was not the bitch to mess with. Now it was time to teach Cameron that lesson. He had fucked me over one too many times and he was about to learn that was a huge mistake.

  I had slipped in to the apartment while Cameron was in the shower. I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of wine before heading to the bedroom. I began collecting his clothes and shoes from the bedroom and tossed them out onto the concrete stairwell. It took me all of ten minutes to gather every single last item that belonged to him and add it to the mounting pile. I stood there sipping my wine as I waited for Cameron to come out of the bathroom.

  “What the hell? What are you doing?” He looked back and forth from the huge pile to me with pure astonishment and disbelief.

  “Well, I seem to recall having a certain conversation with you before about these sluts. Why Cameron? Why do you constantly do this shit to me?” I shouted at him. The tears are finally beginning to well up in my eyes, only fueling my anger even more.

  “Whoa...Let's talk about this. What do you mean baby?” he replied as he tried to step around the pile and take me in his arms. He was sadly mistaken in thinking he could fix this.

  “Fuck you, Cameron. Do not call me baby. I saw you today with that bitch at the photo shoot. I have taken so much shit from you. I am done. You have fucked me over and embarrassed me for the last fucking time.” I wiped my eyes as I pulled the matches from my pocket.

  “What the fuck, Summer? Are you crazy? Put the matches down.”

  “Kiss my ass you ungrateful, disrespectful, lying son of a bitch.” I struck the match and tossed it onto the pile of clothes. I watched as the tiny spark of flame became bigger and brighter until the pile was engulfed in fire. I watch it burn thinking to myself that I was never going to be anyone's fool again.

  “You fucking bitch! I can't believe you would burn my shit. Who the fuck do you think you are?” Cameron snapped as he reached to grab me. He stumbled and fell when I stepped out of his reach.

  “Fuck you asshole, you should be so lucky that is all I do to your no good lying cheating ass. I'm done. Goodbye, Cameron.” That was the last thing I said before closing the door on him and that part of my life. I deserved so much more than this. I was not that same naive girl I was when I first met him. This city had changed me.

  ***

  I sat on the balcony, with my nearly empty bottle of Moscato, searching the star packed night sky for the answers I needed. I closed my eyes and tried to remember how I had ended up here. I moved to New York right after I graduated high school to try to break into the modeling scene. I managed to land a contract with Elite Model Management my first year in the city and had campaigns with magazines all over the world. The first five years were amazing. I was jetting off to locations all across the globe for shoots and the industry had opened up doors to things that I had never even dreamed of.

  However, it was a mind blowing roller coaster ride. I barely had time to breathe and it seemed that time for myself was a foreign concept. I was micromanaged in every aspect of my life. It was the complete opposite of the slow paced life that I had grown up with. Most of the girls in this industry were eager to go to any lengths to get bookings, while I tried to hold on to the morals and values that my mother and father had instilled in me growing up. I had chased this dream for far too long. I felt lost and out of place in this world. I was in no way prepared for the harsh realities of the industry. Comin
g face to face with this was a cold truth that had me ready to pack it up and head back home.

  I tipped the bottle up and nursed the last swallow of wine, before walking to the kitchen to grab another bottle. I picked up my cell phone and checked the time. It was two in the morning. Right now all I wanted was to get back to my roots. I was ready to walk away and leave this skyline in my rear view.

  Chapter Two

  Damien

  I was finishing up with my last client of the day when Marie made her way over to my station.

  “Hey, Damien. When you finish up for the day can you meet me in the back for a few minutes before you head out?” she cast her eyes around the shop as she waited for my reply.

  “Yea sure. Is everything alright?” It was unlike Marie to ask me to the back. Typically, she was in and out on Fridays and that was just to pick up the deposits for the week. We were needing some help around the shop for a while now and I was really hoping she had found someone who could at least work part-time to help with the front desk. Many of the tattoo artists were booked with full schedules and most days we were losing business because we had to turn people away.

  The Boneyard was the biggest and most elite tattoo shop in all of Dallas. I started out here when I was first learning the skill and after seven years of busting my ass, when Shavo passed away, I had taken over as Manager and worked hard to recruit some of the best artists in the business.

  I cleaned up my station and made my way to the back where Marie was waiting. I found her going through the receipts for the week. She barely glanced in my direction as she finished logging the numbers in the journal.

  “Hey, you wanted to see me?” I cleared my throat and waited for her to close the journal. I had known Marie my whole life and she was like a second mother to me. My own father had taken off when I was young. My mother had been as shitty of a parent as they come. Her idea of parenting was evident with the bruises and black eyes I used to carry around with me as a little kid. For years, I would dig left overs out of the neighbors trash can just to eat because my mother spent every dime of money she had on liquor. Her addiction consumed her completely over time and I became nothing more than a punching bag when she was in her stupors.