Fractured Rock Read online

  A bit of a Nomad herself, K.A. Finn has wandered around Ireland and the UK for decades before settling back in Ireland with her husband and kids (two and four legged).

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Fractured Rock (Broken Chords, #2)

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  34

  35

  36

  37

  38

  39

  40

  41

  42

  43

  44

  45

  46

  47

  48

  Epilogue

  Visit K.A. Finn online:

  www.kafinn.com

  (trailers, excerpts, artwork, playlists etc)

  Facebook: kafinnauthor

  Instagram: kafinnauthor

  Twitter @K_A_Finn

  Also by K.A. Finn

  Nomad Series (Space Opera)

  Ares

  Nemesis

  Perses

  Chaos

  Mania

  Cronus

  Talos (TBA)

  Blackjacks Series (Paranormal Romance)

  Breaking Phoenix

  Reviving Davyn (2022)

  Defying Shep (2023)

  Unraveling Fallon (TBA)

  Broken Chords (Rockstar Romance)

  Broken Rock (Tate)

  Split Rock (Tate – 2023)

  Crushed Rock (Luke – TBA)

  Shattered Rock (Dillon – TBA)

  Copyright © 2022 by Karyn Finnegan.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotation in a book review or critical articles

  All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental

  Cover design by Deranged Doctor Design

  www.derangeddoctordesign.com

  Stock photo: Shutterstock

  Published by Cooper Publishing

  www.cooperbookservices.com

  Edited by Desert Mystic Literary Editing

  www.desertmysticliteraryediting.com

  ISBN: 978-1-914177-21-7

  Coming next

  Fractured Rock Extras

  Although I haven’t mentioned any song lyrics in this book, that doesn’t mean music didn’t play a MASSIVE part in its creation.

  If you want to check out the playlist that I had blaring in the background while I was writing Gregg and Bria’s story, you can find it on my website, by scanning the QR code below, or by searching the following songs. Just make sure to play it LOUD!

  All in – Lifehouse

  Bring Me Back to Life – HT Bristol

  Call You Mine – Daughtry

  Calm The Storm – Spoken

  Cry For Help – Daughtry

  Demons at the Door – Sleeping Wolf

  Digital Light – Daytime TV

  Dust and Gold – Arrows to Athens

  Fears – Twin Wild

  Haunted – Acacia Ridge

  Lonely Bones – The Honest Heart Collective

  My Escape – Ravenscode

  Only Place I Call Home – Every Avenue

  Paper Heart – Hunter & The Bear

  Passing Ships – Throw The Fight

  Pause – Safety Suit

  Shallow (Acoustic) – Tyler Ward & Madysyn

  (I wanted a guitar version of the above song hence the cover)

  Skin Tight – Hunter & The Bear

  Somebody – Daughtry

  Stay A While – Cemetery Sun

  Stay with Me – FoleX, OMZ

  These Days – Take That

  (if you’ve read the book you’ll know why Take That had to be listed)

  You – Nathan Wagner

  This playlist was on every time I wrote, edited, or just read the book.

  The bands, the songs, or the lyrics remind me of Gregg and his story in some way. It’s still a playlist I listen to regularly and it always brings me back to Gregg and the rest of the band.

  I also had fun writing this series because it’s all local to me. Fractured Rock is set in Co. Wicklow, Ireland and every location mentioned in it is a real place. I grew up in Wicklow and still have family there so the area is so special to me, and I absolutely love it. I’ve been to all the places Gregg goes to. I’ve eaten from the same take-aways, sat on the same beaches, and visited the same breath-taking scenic spots.

  I’ve put together a map with each of the locations mentioned in the book marked on it so you can visit and see for yourself.

  If you want to check out the playlist or the aerial views of the locations, go to:

  www.kafinn.com/fracturedrock

  Well, enough from me. I’ll leave you in Gregg’s more than capable hands – have fun!

  K

  This one is for you, Mum.

  Gregg and I REALLY appreciate all your help with this book.

  Also have to give a shout out to your amazing roast chicken dinners!

  Love you x

  1

  Gregg Egan stands at the front of the stage and faces the sold out arena. Wiping the sweat-soaked hair from his forehead, he looks out over the crowd. After playing the drums for a little over an hour and a half, he’s knackered, his arms ache and yet he feels fucking amazing.

  If someone had told him two years ago he’d be playing venues like the NEC in Birmingham, he would have laughed at them. But here he is doing just that. Not only that, but tickets to the show had sold out within minutes.

  To his left is his best mate, Tate, the lead singer, lead guitarist, and front-man for their band Broken Chords. To his right are Dillon and Luke, their bassist and guitarist. Being one quarter of the band with his three closest friends is absolutely the best job in the world. He’s one lucky bastard and he knows it.

  Tate wraps his arm around Gregg’s shoulder and pulls him close as the fans scream and cheer for them. Yeah... it’s not a bad job.

  Gregg takes a bow and the crowd erupts. He’s only been Broken’s drummer a little shy of two years. He’s the rookie. The newbie. The one who still struggles with the fact some of the people here see him as a celebrity too. It’s something Tate slags him off about often, but try as he might, Gregg can’t get his head around the whole screaming fan thing. It’s a far cry from his previous job as a Garda where he was mostly screamed at by members of the public for very different reasons.

  He glances to his right and laughs when he sees Dillon grinning widely. This is why Dillon does what he does. He lives for the attention he gets from the fans. Gregg gives him an hour at most before Dillon will have found a fan or two willing to follow him around for the night.

  Beyond him, Luke looks happier than he’s seen the guy look for a while. Luke loves performing. Always has. It’s probably the one place he can let loose without green-eyed Pippa watching his every move.

  Tate, like always, just accepts the adoration he gets. He’s not bothered by it either way. Gregg has known him for nearly three decades and Tate hasn’t changed at all. Apart from having a healthy bank balance, his friend is the same as he was in school.

  They take their final bows and leave the stage, with Tate taking up the rear so his adoring public can get another few seconds with him. Gregg follows Luke and Dillon backstage and grabs a bottle of water from a small fridge.

  Tate’s girlfriend, Chloe, throws him a towel and smiles at him. ‘You looked like you were having fun.’

  He grins then wipes the sweat from his face. ‘Always. You enjoy it?’

  She smiles back at him. ‘Always.’ Something over his shoulder gets her attention, and before he can even think about turning to see what caught her attention most of the water bottle spills on his t-shirt as he’s tackled from behind.

  Tate scrubs a hand across Gregg’s already tousled hair then smirks at him as he takes the bottle of water Chloe offers him.

  ‘You’re a dick, Tate. You know that?’

  ‘Yeah, so you keep telling me.’ Tate crooks his finger at Chloe and she steps into him. ‘Hey.’

  ‘Hey you. I think that will go down as my favourite performance.’

  ‘Pretty sure you said that about the last one too.’

  She wipes sweat-soaked hair from his forehead. ‘What can I say, I’m extremely biased.’

  Tate picks her up and kisses her as he squeezes her ass. Gregg groans and turns away from the display. If that kiss is anything to go by, Tate will be all over Chloe as soon as they’re alone.

  Unlike Luke and Pippa. Luke’s less than affectionate fiancé glares over at him from the far side of the room and, without a word, Luke traipses over to her.

  He reminds Gregg of a man heading off on his final walk before he’s about to be slaughtered. Pippa is fucking stunning, but an absolute
nightmare. Saying she is jealous is being unfair to the word jealous. She really needs to take it down a few levels.

  Luke gets attention wherever he goes. He always did. It’s part of the job. It constantly winds Pippa up, but if she can’t handle being with someone like Luke there are plenty who would step up to take her place in a heartbeat.

  Not that there’s much chance of that happening. Luke had proposed to her on Christmas Day and, unsurprisingly, Pippa had said yes. The surprise was the wedding date that had been announced. They’re due to tie the knot in a few weeks. Pippa clearly wanted to get him down the aisle before he changed his mind.

  Tate finally releases Chloe and sets her back on the ground. ‘So, we’re heading out for some grub. You coming?’

  ‘Just food?’

  ‘I found a great place about ten minutes from here,’ Dillon says. ‘The burgers are meant to be fucking amazing. Don’t you go worrying about this brute, Chloe,’ Dillon says as he pulls Tate into a bear hug. ‘He’ll be on his best behaviour. We all will.’

  The look is barely there, but Gregg sees it. Chloe still worries about Tate. How could she not? His well-publicised heroin overdose had landed him in hospital fighting for his life a year ago. Rehab had helped him kick the habit, but drink and drugs will always be a problem for him. Something they’re all aware of and keep an eye on - much to Tate’s annoyance at times, but fuck it. They nearly lost him.

  Tate shoves Dillon off him and straightens his t-shirt. ‘Get off me or I’ll pound the shite out of you.’

  ‘I seriously doubt you could handle me, big boy,’ Dillon responds with a wink.

  ‘I guarantee you’ll never know.’

  Dillon laughs as he grabs a bottle of water and turns away. ‘Yeah, yeah. I’m off for a quick shower. Meet you outside the dressing rooms in ten.’

  Chloe takes Tate’s hand as they all follow Dillon back to the dressing rooms. ‘I’m going to head back to the hotel. We’re away early enough in the morning. One of us needs to get some sleep.’

  ‘No, you’re right. I should probably–’

  She presses her finger to his lips and smiles up at him. ‘You go out and have fun. You deserve it. Just no ditching your security detail. Do you hear me?’

  Tate grimaces but doesn’t argue. They disappear into his dressing room and Gregg hears the door lock behind Tate. Seems like Tate can’t wait until later to get his hands on Chloe.

  Gregg shuffles into his dressing room, scrubs a hand through his messy light brown hair and sighs loudly. He should be happy. He’s got an incredible career. He’s touring all over the world with his best friends. He’s getting recognised by fans in the street. It’s more than he could ever have wished for. Apart from one small detail.

  He’s totally, completely, utterly, and stupidly in love with Tate’s little sister, Bria.

  Gregg curses to himself. Saying it like that makes it sound so sleazy. Bria is twenty-seven years old. It’s not like she’s a kid anymore. But that doesn’t mean Tate has stepped back from his over-protective big brother duties. And if that’s not problem enough, there’s Robbie. Bria’s long term, always there boyfriend.

  The truth is he missed his chance with her. Plain and simple. Unless Robbie does something to seriously mess things up between them, they’ll live happily ever after and probably have a troop of gorgeous kids.

  He pushes away from the door and opens the small fridge, then slams it shut again. He needs something stronger.

  Gregg pulls off his sweat-soaked clothes, dumping them in a bag on the couch, then steps into the shower. He’s really not in the mood to go out, but it’s Tate’s last night before he heads away on holiday, so he had to make an effort. Fingers crossed Tate will head back to the hotel early so he can escape.

  Gregg pulls on a clean pair of boxers and rummages in his bag for his jeans and t-shirt. He throws the clothes on the couch as someone knocks on the door. ‘Yep.’

  His manager’s assistant, Angel walks into the room, eyes locked on the clipboard in her hand. ‘I just wanted to remind you about the meet and greet in ten minutes.’

  She glances up and freezes when she sees him. ‘Oh my God. I’m so sorry.’ She turns around and closes the door so people outside can’t see him. Angel peeks over her shoulder at him then turns back to the door. ‘I didn’t realise you were... I’m so so sorry, Gregg.’

  Gregg grabs his jeans from the couch and quickly pulls them on while her back is turned. He’s not embarrassed but she’s blushing. She’s been in the job about a year and seems to be good at it from what he can make out. He doubts Ellen would appreciate him scaring her off.

  ‘You can look now. I’m decent. Well, decent-ish.’

  She turns around and keeps her eyes on the clipboard in her hands instead of him. She clears her throat and pushes her dark hair behind her shoulder. As always, she’s dressed in a pair of slacks and a blouse with her hair tied in a ponytail. She’s a late twenties or early thirties version of Ellen. Like their manager, she’s efficient and business like. Then again, you’d probably have to be to control Gregg and the rest of the guys.

  ‘So, yes, the meet and greet I mentioned. You’ve got ten minutes before it’s due to begin.’

  Gregg nods. ‘Great. No problem. Forgot about that to be honest.’

  She meets his eyes briefly before focusing on her notes again. ‘I thought you might have forgotten like the others did. It should only take about twenty minutes then you can go and get dinner.’

  ‘Okay. Sounds good. Glad I wasn’t the only one who forgot.’ She looks up from her clipboard and Gregg smiles at her, trying to put her at ease. ‘Thanks for the reminder, Angel. Don’t know where I’d be without you.’

  She blushes again and Gregg relaxes when she returns the smile. ‘It’s my job. I’ll leave you to get dressed.’

  ‘Probably best. Wouldn’t want to scare the fans away.’

  ‘It would be a little more than they bargained for. I’ll meet you at the end of the corridor when you’re ready.’

  He nods. ‘It’s a date.’

  Angel leaves, closing the door behind her and Gregg locks it before he finishes getting dressed. Meet and greets are still a little surreal for him but it’s all part of the deal and the fans seem to enjoy them so what the hell. It also gives Dillon a hefty dose of being doted on by fans which he always likes.

  After packing everything away in his bag, he puts back on his leather cuff. It’s not just an image thing for him. It’s a life and death thing. The platinum plate riveted to the leather tells the world he’s got Type 1 diabetes. It’s another thing he’s still trying to get used to along with the whole fame thing.

  He was only diagnosed a few years ago. He knew it was a possibility at some stage. His dad has the same, and Gregg thought he’d escaped it. But no, the damn thing waited thirty-three years to show itself. Lucky him.

  His watch vibrates and he checks the screen showing a reading from the sensor on his stomach. Speak of the devil. His epic drum workout hadn’t done him any favours. He takes his shot and grabs a jumbo sausage roll from the fridge as he stuffs his feet into his boots.

  Time to face his adoring public and try to appear like the celebrity he apparently is.

  Gregg joins the rest of the band down the corridor and smirks at Angel. ‘Hello again.’

  ‘So you decided not to scare the fans.’

  He hands her his bag and grins. ‘Yeah. I thought dressed would be best.’

  Dillon pushes past him and hands his bag to Angel who places it with Gregg’s. ‘I’m not going to ask. We ready to do this?’

  ‘Just waiting for...’ Angel stops and smiles as Tate and Luke join them. ‘Ignore me. We’re good to go. Are you guys ready?’

  Gregg finishes his sausage roll and Tate shakes his head as he brushes flakes of pastry from Gregg’s t-shirt. ‘Aw, cheers, Dad.’

  Tate glares at him but Gregg just continues to grin as they follow Angel down the corridor to a door at the end.

  Gregg follows the others inside and can’t help but grin when he walks into the room with twenty fans who right now seem to be on the verge of hyperventilating with excitement.

  Bria Archer steps into the cold January evening thanking the driver for bringing her to her hotel. She’d been looking forward to the weekend in Birmingham for weeks and so far it’s lived up to her expectations.

  Her brother and his friends had outdone themselves tonight as usual. Not that she remembers them ever giving less than their all every time they performed. Bria grew up surrounded by the band and considered herself an honorary fifth member. Attending their concerts had a lot to do with the fact her brother is their lead singer, but in truth, she would have wanted to go no matter what. She’ll never admit it to the guys in case she inflated their ego’s, but she really likes their music.