Damaged and the Dragon Read online

  “Is that how you got the scars?”

  “Some of them,” Nick whispered. “Cigarettes and lighters were his favorites. He also played baseball and used metal cleats when he was drunk. He was just being careful, you know? He didn’t want to burn down the trailer while punishing me for his shitty life.”

  “Nick…” I said, finding no magical words to fix his pain.

  “You can get used to the physical stuff. The mind learns to work around it, but I never figured out how to deal with thunderstorms. Isn’t that funny?” he asked without any humor.

  “You are so brave,” I said, wanting to touch him, but holding back. “You were raised by a monster, but you grew up to have honor.”

  “I’d rather be normal.”

  “Average is lame, Nick. You’re extraordinary.”

  Nick tried to smile, but failed. “The tattoo hides many of the scars, but not enough.”

  “I think you’re beautiful.”

  “Despite the scars.”

  Frowning, I sighed. “Not despite. Everything about you is beautiful to me.”

  Nick nodded. “People keep telling me you’re wild or rude or whatever. I don’t see it the way they do. I guess the heart makes us blind to things too. I only see how funny and strong you are.”

  “I want to touch you.”

  “Please don’t.”

  “I won’t, but I want to.”

  His eyelids growing heavy, Nick smiled slightly. “You hide your sweetness behind that big mouth, but I always knew it was there.”

  Sharing his smile, I cuddled closer, but avoided touching him. Dozing off and on, I found Nick awake each time I opened my eyes. Finally around three, I woke long enough to find him sleeping.

  Nick was still asleep hours later when the bright sun streamed into the bedroom. I left him looking sexy and serene. Twice while making coffee, I returned to stare in awe at his buck naked wonder. I suspected at one point Nick was dreaming about me because his cock thickened. At least, I hoped he was thinking of me. Yeah, it was probably me. Nick wouldn’t cheat, not even in his dreams.

  Mom showed up as I sat down for my first cup of coffee. She placed a pile of clothes on the counter and joined me at the little table.

  “Brought your brothers’ sweats and shirts that should fit Nick. I know he didn’t have anything to wear and I sensed he didn’t want to leave you.”

  “I hope he never does,” I whispered, giggling like crazy.

  Messing with my hair, Mom grinned. “I guess you’re feeling better.”

  “A little tired, but that could be from something else.”

  Mom rolled her eyes. “Be nice to that boy, Bailey. He’s skittish like a dog kicked around for too long. If you push him too hard, he’ll run or bite.”

  “I am gentle,” I balked as if my kindness was a world renowned fact. “I helped him with his fear of thunderstorms. I helped him get over his fear of doing me. I was great.”

  “Doing you. Very romantic. Please use that term when telling this story to your pop.”

  I glanced back at the bedroom. “Will Pop be mean to Nick? He’s got dad issues.”

  “And mom issues and girl issues. Does the boy even have friends?”

  “Nick gets along with everyone.”

  Mom lit a cigarette and frowned at me. “But does he have a good friend?”

  “No, but who cares?”

  “Even Tucker has a best friend.”

  “Joey is in prison.”

  Mom shrugged. “Still counts.”

  “Maybe I’ll be Nick’s best friend.”

  “Sure and your pop and I go do girlfriend shit together all the time. Bailey, he needs male friends. I’ll make your brothers bond with him.”

  “Poor Nick. Can’t we give him a decent fake friend? Vaughn is funny.”

  “Can Nick bowl?”

  “No.”

  “Then Vaughn won’t pay him attention. He barely remembers Judd exists now that they’ve both got women. Aaron might be good, but he’s busy with Lark and soon the twins.”

  “We shouldn’t be controlling Nick’s life,” I said then added, “Should we?”

  “I’ll have Coop take an interest in Nick.”

  “I’m sure they’ll both be thrilled.”

  Mom smirked. “I like Nick. If things work out, Coop needs to know how to act around your man without remembering how the two of them met.”

  After walking to the bedroom and peeking inside to see his hot body, I shut the door. Returning to Mom, I sighed dramatically.

  “I’m keeping him. He’s mine and I’ll kill anyone who takes him away. You might want to warn Cooper about that.”

  “Baby, don’t scare off this boy.”

  “I won’t.”

  “I’m just warning you that he’s on edge. I saw that when we talked. Even smiling and being friendly, Nick felt on the spot. Not like a normal boy talking to his girlfriend’s mom either. He wants to run, but he wants you more. Just take your time with Nick and it’ll go easier for you both.”

  “Girlfriend,” I whispered. “I have a real boyfriend. Not some loser guy I slept with and hope calls me again. A great guy too. I’m keeping him.”

  Exhaling hard, Mom grunted, “You’re not listening.”

  “Take it slow. Be gentle. I’ll do all that because he’s mine and I’m keeping him. See, I listened.”

  “Bailey.”

  “Why are you acting like I’m a bitch who will torture poor Nick?”

  Mom stood up and kissed my forehead. “Baby, you get pushy when you want something. I also know Nick makes you happy. As much as I want you to be happy, I need to be brutally honest. You will fuck this up if you don’t watch yourself.”

  “Okay,” I muttered, crossing my arms.

  “Don’t pout. I’m just saying to be gentle with him like you are with Winnie, not like how you are with Sawyer. I know he’s strong on the outside like your brothers, but he’s not strong on the inside. If you treat him sweet, you’ll both be happy and I can see my baby smile more.”

  “Okay,” I said with less whininess to my voice this time.

  “Bring Nick by the house later for dinner. Pop needs to meet him and get that growlfest out of the way.”

  I hugged Mom who took a cup of coffee with her. After watching her return to the house, I crawled into bed next to Nick. He never stirred, not even when I tugged a sheet over us both. Fitting so perfectly next to him, I was certain he was made just for me.

  Chapter Twenty ~ Nick

  Barely awake, I reached for Bailey in bed. Her skin felt warm under my exploring fingertips. My eyes remained closed until she straddled me.

  “A morning fuck is the best,” she murmured. “Or at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

  Grinning, I caressed her hips. “You wake up beautiful.”

  “You’re perfection,” Bailey said, guiding my cock inside.

  Unable to find the right words to explain how I felt, I hoped my affections spoke in a way I couldn’t. Bouncing up and down, she worked us into a frenzy. When Bailey orgasmed, she cried out so loudly that the dogs howled in response. She was just as loud in the shower a half hour later. I could barely keep hold of her soapy bouncing body. Her enthusiasm was so intoxicating that I agreed to go to the pool even without knowing how to swim.

  Wonderfully relaxed while walking with Bailey to the main house, I didn’t think about how I was wearing Cooper’s clothes. Most of my life was spent enjoying someone’s discards. Cooper’s swim shorts and tee felt better than my too tight clothes anyway.

  “I don’t know how to swim,” I said as we walked onto the back deck where the pool awaited.

  “I’ll teach you,” Bailey said, smiling over her shoulder. “First, I need to clean out some of the gunk from the storm.”

  After scooping up dead leaves and bugs until the pool looked pristine, Bailey jumped into the pool.

  “There’s a secret to swimming,” she said, giving me a wink.

  Tossing off my s
hirt, I didn’t think about how much I hated to go shirtless outside of the cage. I just walked into the water and returned her bright smile. “What’s the secret?”

  “Friction.”

  Before I could ask, Bailey slid her wet body against mine. “Lots of friction,” she murmured, grinning wildly.

  The moment my hands went to her ass, her legs wrapped around my waist. “I feel like I might drown. More friction might be necessary.”

  When I nibbled at her shoulder, she went soft in my arms. Getting cocky, I tugged at the strap of her bikini with my teeth.

  “Shit,” she muttered and I knew we had company.

  Glancing back, I found Kirk watching us while Sawyer gnawed at an ice cream.

  “Screwing my daughter in the pool,” he said, exhaling cigarette smoke. “I like a man with balls.”

  Bailey frowned. “We’re not screwing.”

  To ensure the moment was truly awkward, Bailey slid her hands up and down my chest. Nothing made a guy piss his pants like having his nutty girlfriend feel him up in front of her scary dad.

  “We’re going out to Longhorn’s for dinner tomorrow night. Brass Balls can come with us.”

  “Thanks, Pop,” Bailey said, grinning like her hands weren’t on my ass.

  “We’re grilling and your brothers are here.”

  Sawyer grinned at me then Bailey. “A man should die with a full stomach.”

  Snorting at his kid’s comment, Kirk took her hand then walked away. Bailey watched them leave then looked at me.

  “I was going to fuck you in the pool,” she whispered.

  “You’re going to get me killed.”

  Bailey rolled her eyes. “Pop wants me to have a nice boyfriend, not a scumbag druggie. You’re nice. Very nice,” she said, purring the last word.

  Once out of the pool and covered by our tees, Bailey grinned up at me. “I get to show off my hot boyfriend. Best day ever.”

  Smiling tightly, I followed her without speaking because no words could explain how nervous I felt.

  The massive deck off the Johanssons’ back door was where we found the family. Standing in front of the grill, Kirk was a big guy like his sons. Rougher though and I could imagine him killing his way up the ladder to the head of the motorcycle club. I doubted anything was ever handed to him, but he still ended up on top.

  His kids lived a cushy life. Bailey never thought twice about buying something. Yet they weren’t decadent people. As I walked with Bailey onto the deck, Lynyrd Skynyrd played from the inside of the house. I spotted bowls filled with potato salad and coleslaw on the table while near the grill waited burgers and steaks. This was wealth Johansson-style. Surrounded by family and large dogs, they enjoyed a good meal with a beautiful view of the river.

  Kirk gave me a nod then smiled for his daughter who returned the gesture. She looked young and happy in a way I hoped she never lost.

  “Nick, come help me out. My boys are too busy chasing their women’s fumes.”

  Cooper frowned at the suggestion that he was whipped even though he sat with Farah on his lap. Her bare baby bump smiled up at them both from where Sawyer drew a happy face on it with her water paints.

  Leaving Bailey with Jodi, I joined Kirk at the grill.

  “You need to flip them after four minutes. I’ve got it timed perfectly.”

  Nodding, I kept an eye on my watch then flipped the steaks like he instructed. At first, I was simply nervous that Kirk might hit me at any moment. The coldness in his eyes reminded me of my dad.

  Kirk lit a cigarette while watching me flip the food. When the steaks were finished, I placed them on a plate then added new ones to the grill. He gave him an approving nod and I relaxed. Kirk Johansson was scary as hell, but he wasn’t my dad. Besides how to take a punch, my father never taught me how to do shit. In the half hour with Kirk, I learned how to handle a grill along with the signs of a good slab of meat.

  After Jodi filled the plates with more food, Bailey and Sawyer brought them to everyone. Kirk and I remained at the grill, working on extra burgers.

  “My boys will want thirds. Maybe fourths,” Kirk said, giving me a grin. “Bailey said you’re into bacon.”

  Smirking, I rolled my eyes. “One time I stink like bacon and she thinks I’m an addict.”

  “My baby loves bacon. She’s fond of you too.”

  Feeling awkward immediately, I focused on the tattoo across Kirk’s bare chest. Jodi’s face looked back at me, smirking with a cigarette hanging from her red lips.

  “Did Aaron do that one?”

  Kirk glanced at the tattoo then nodded. “I got most of my tats before Aaron was out of elementary school, but I never trusted anyone to do Jodi. Right after Aaron started his shop, my buddy got a tat of his dead kid. It was like looking at a picture. I knew then Aaron could do justice to my woman’s beauty.”

  We looked at Jodi who noticed our eyes on her. She winked, causing Kirk to get a look that made me think they would fuck soon. To prove this point, he left me at the grill to help his wife with something inside.

  On the other side of the deck, Bailey talked wedding plans with Maddy. I kept an eye on my watch and flipped the food as instructed. I never minded being on my own and usually felt more comfortable alone. I didn’t remain alone for long.

  Sawyer sized me up. “I saw you fight once. The guy punched you in the face a bunch of times and you didn’t die or cry. That was cool.”

  “Thanks. Not crying is one of my talents.”

  Sawyer stood on a chair so she was closer to looking me in the eye. “I’m not a crybaby either.”

  “Planning to be a fighter one day?”

  “No, I’m too pretty and rich for that. I’m going to be a chef like Gordon Ramsey. I want a show like Hell’s Kitchen where I have high standards and call stupid people donkeys.”

  “I’d watch that.”

  Sawyer smiled then her gaze latched onto a scar near my elbow. “Someone hurt you when you were little. Mom told me.”

  I just nodded.

  “Was it your dad?”

  Again I nodded.

  “Want me to have him killed? I know people.”

  Smiling, I flipped the steak. “No, I’m good, but thanks.”

  “Okay, but I wasn’t kidding. Bad people need to die, so they don’t hurt good people. Pop told me.”

  “He’s not wrong. I just never think about my dad,” I lied.

  Sawyer tore a hot dog in half and threw one part to a nearby dog. “My sister isn’t a whore.” When I frowned at her, Sawyer shrugged. “I heard people say she was and sometimes I throw things at them. Once I bit a guy who said that, but biting is bad because you can get a disease or something.”

  “I think Bailey is perfect.”

  Sawyer smiled. “She needs someone to take care of her. She’s stupid, you know?”

  Laughing, I glanced at Bailey who was eyeballing us. “I don’t think she’s stupid.”

  “Well, she’s not smart.”

  I couldn’t help laughing harder when I saw the expression on her young face. Sawyer laughed too until she saw Bailey coming our direction.

  “She cries easy and whines a lot,” Sawyer whispered. “She really likes you, so don’t break her heart. I can’t stand more whining. Seriously.”

  “What’s she saying?” Bailey demanded as her laughing sister ran away.

  “She wants me to be nice to you.”

  Bailey’s angry expression faded and she smiled at Sawyer who was now fighting for Cooper’s attention.

  “Oh, well, Farah’s been training her to be less evil. It’s working too,” Bailey said, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Was Pop nice to you?”

  “Yeah, he taught me how to grill.”

  Nuzzling my chest, Bailey sighed. “He likes you because you’re awesome and you’re mine.”

  “Just like that?”

  “No one has ever made me happy like you do. I’m glad I waited for you.”

  Staring into her beautiful blue
eyes, I knew I loved this amazing woman. As much as this realization scared the shit out of me, being with her and the Johanssons felt comfortable. For the first time ever, I didn’t feel like an outsider.

  Chapter Twenty One ~ Bailey

  The Thunderdome was one of three good ideas Tucker ever had. The other two were Maddy and Scarlet, but those were more about luck.

  I had loved the idea of watching fights until I saw Nick in one. He bled for money after a childhood of bleeding for a freak. Since then, the whole idea of the Thunderdome bothered me and I never liked visiting.

  Now waiting for him in the empty locker room, I wished he was safe and healthy. Instead after his latest fight, Nick stood over me, bruised and broken. The guy even fucking bit him!

  As Nick held an ice pack to his eye, I wished he was back at my place. We’d take a hot shower then I could soothe the pains he must be feeling. I couldn’t imagine him returning to the cage to bleed again. Yet he’d agreed to fight twice tonight. Nick didn’t value his safety. I had to protect him if he wouldn’t protect himself.

  “If you want me, you have to give up fighting.”

  “You’re kidding,” he balked. “You’re doing this now?”

  “If you’re going to have your face bashed in every night, I don’t want to be with you. I want a normal guy with a normal job. So it’s me or fighting.”

  Defiantly, I crossed my arms and waited. Nick stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Then he cupped my face with bruised fingers.

  “I love you,” Nick said in a rough voice. “I also hate you for making me choose. If you loved me, you’d know I can’t do what you want. If you knew me at all, you’d already know the answer. Fuck you for not knowing.”

  Nick let go of me and stormed out of the locker room. The moment he disappeared out of the door, I burst into sobs.

  Sitting on a bench, I didn’t understand how he could say he loved me while choosing to fight and lose what we had. I didn’t understand him. He was right about that part. I thought I made him happy, but apparently getting battered a few times a week mattered more.

  “Are you okay?” a chick asked from behind me.

  I had to wipe my eyes a few times to realize the blonde girl was Harlow. Her cheek was red and her knuckles bled.