Damaged and the Dragon Read online

  “Farah knows what her baby is. She already named it Lily.”

  Lark grinned. “I’m announcing our baby names at the first baby shower.”

  “Tell me now.”

  “Nope. You’ll blab,” she said, finishing the fruit cup.

  “No, I won’t. I promise,” I said, but even I didn’t believe me. “Fine, chunky. Keep your secrets.”

  “How’s Nick?”

  “Changing the subject, huh? Sneaky,” I whispered and she grinned. “He’s amazing. Everything I hoped for, but better. He’s mine.”

  “I’m glad. Nick’s a good guy. Are you treating him right?”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “You know,” Lark said with her eyes closed.

  Frowning at her dogs, I wanted to defend my awesome. I didn’t though.

  “I nearly lost Nick when I gave him an ultimatum and he called my bluff.”

  “What kind of ultimatum?” Lark asked, opening her eyes to giving me a disapproving look.

  “I said he needed to give up fighting or I’d dump him.”

  “I wouldn’t want him fighting either. Did he call your bluff or did you just back down?”

  “Does it matter?”

  Lark shook her head. “Things are good though?”

  “He said he loves me.”

  Poking me with her toes, Lark grinned. “How could he not?”

  “Hell yeah.”

  “And you love him for real?”

  “For real. He’s all broken up inside though. I worried I wouldn’t know how to help him. Or even make it worse. I’m not exactly sensitive.”

  “You do good with Winnie.”

  “Yeah, but she’s weak though. With Nick, he’s strong in some ways and weak in others. I just didn’t know if I could handle the weak stuff. I’m not a sweetie like you.”

  “But you did right by him?”

  “I think so. He loves me, so I must be doing okay.”

  “You sound nervous.”

  Sighing, I both loved and hated how well she knew me. “Nick is difficult to read sometimes and I don’t have patience.”

  “No, you really don’t, but he knows that about you.”

  “True.”

  “Don’t try to control what happens, Bailey. You fear being hurt or embarrassed, so you try to bend everything to your will. With Nick, that won’t work. People don’t bend. They run or break. Just relax and know he’s the one.”

  “He really is.”

  “Then it’ll work out despite his problems and your lack of patience.”

  Rubbing her belly, I grinned. “My man is hanging with your man. He’s getting his dragon touched up.”

  “Aww, we should have you over for dinner. I love double dates especially with such great friends.”

  I squinted at her. “You want something?”

  “Feed me,” she said dramatically. “I’m gorging myself for three here.”

  “Sure, Jabba.”

  Even laughing, Lark struggled for a minute to rest on her side. Once she was comfy, she turned on the television and ignored me while I warmed her a can of low salt soup. Pregnancy definitely looked like a whole lot of trouble just to create a person who would scream at you for the rest of their lives.

  Leaving Lark later as she napped, I returned to the apartment with a plan to be patient. Yeah, I wouldn’t push Nick for anything he wasn’t willing to offer freely. Zen was my new thing.

  Nick sat on the couch, but jumped up when I entered. His face was still bruised, but the gash over his eyes wasn’t as puffy.

  “Bailey.”

  “Nick,” I said, trying to keep things light.

  When Nick frowned, I realized maybe he didn’t want light. I told myself to just roll with whatever he wants.

  “How is Lark?” he asked, looking edgy now.

  “Giant, but adorable.”

  Nick smiled tightly. “Aaron seems worried about her.”

  “He should be. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the twins eat their way out of her soon.

  Finally, Nick stopped standing awkwardly near the couch and walked to me in the kitchen.

  “Are you mad?” he asked when I just stared.

  “No. Are you?”

  “Why would I be mad?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Nick stepped back and studied me. “Should I leave?”

  “Do you want to leave?”

  “No.”

  Finally, I rolled my eyes. “I hate Zen. Pushy is my new thing,” I announced. “You’re mine and you’re staying with me. Fuck, I’ll even chain you down to keep you here. Is that a problem?”

  Nick took a step forward and kissed me softly. He still seemed edgy, so I kissed him back with more intensity. I wanted him to know where I stood.

  “I love you. Fuck anyone who thinks that’s a problem,” I said once our lips separated.

  “Who would have a problem with it?”

  “I don’t know. People, I guess. I’m just saying that I’ll kick people’s asses if necessary.”

  Nick finally laughed “You’re acting weird.”

  “So? Is that a problem?”

  This time he rolled his eyes and walked out of the kitchen. “I’ll tell you later.”

  “Tell me what? I don’t do secrets. Is that a problem?”

  Nick flopped onto the couch and stared at the TV playing football. Joining him, I felt awkward now about ditching my Zen plan so fast.

  “I said I loved you and you didn’t say it back,” I whined. “I’m feeling insecure. Coddle me please.”

  Nick extended his hand to me and I caressed it until realizing he wanted me to look at his wrist. When I realized what was written on his flesh, I lost the ability to think.

  Zen. Pushy. None of it mattered. My man had my name on his wrist. Just like Pop did with Mom, Cooper with Farah, and dumbass Tucker with Maddy. Nick wouldn’t mock something so important to my family. By having my name tattooed on his wrist, he was claiming me.

  “Are you happy? I can’t tell from the look on your face,” Nick asked.

  Staring into his worried green eyes, I only smiled. “It’s beautiful. I’d really like to fuck your brains out now as a reward.”

  Nick grinned. “Your smile is reward enough.” Yet he stood up and tugged me to my feet. “I wouldn’t mind a shower though.”

  Walking into the bedroom, I lovingly held his wrist and looked at those letters. With each one, Nick took a step away from the darkness of his past and towards the future we could enjoy together.

  Chapter Twenty Eight ~ Nick

  Bailey wanted me to stop fighting. A part of me wanted to stop too, but fighting gave me a freedom I wasn’t willing to throw away. So I still woke up early and drove to the Reapers’ gym. Even if I couldn’t fight for a few days to allow my eye to heal, I wanted to stay in shape.

  One of the few guys to beat me in a fight remained a thorn in my ass. Entering the gym, Cooper talked on the phone and I hoped he might walk past me. I wasn’t that lucky and he stopped next to my punching bag while finishing his call.

  Hanging up, Cooper shoved his phone into his back pocket and sized me up. “You and my sister work. I like that, but this fighting shit can’t continue.”

  “Stay out of it,” I muttered, punching the bag.

  “You need money. I get that. Farah was afraid to spend too much and always looking for ways to make more.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “I just want to know if you fight because you love it or because you want the money?”

  “I’m not giving up fighting.”

  Cooper nodded. “Do you worry about your brain at all? Teaching won’t be easy if you’re brain damaged.”

  I glared at him. “Brain damaged?”

  “I gave you a concussion. You’ve probably gotten a few others in the cage. What happens when you fuck up your brain so much that your dream to become a teacher isn’t something you can have anymore?”

  Saying not
hing, I punched the bag without any real force.

  “I know how it is to have a dream like you have with teaching,” Cooper said, leaning against the wall. “Farah is the same way. It’s what she used to pull herself out of a shitty childhood. You used it too, but fighting so much will leave you fucked up, man. I’m saying this as the brother of the girl you love. I’m not shitting on you. I take care of what’s mine and Bailey’s my responsibility. Her happiness was always something iffy. She screwed losers and had no direction. I wrote her off as someone I needed to baby, but she’s not that chick anymore. She’s got goals and a guy she loves. I see her future looking real and I want to make sure she gets what she dreams. My family is tight like I bet yours wasn’t so maybe this seems like meddling. It’s not. I love my sister. She deserves to be happy and she wants you to be happy too. That means I am telling you that fighting will fuck you up. The guys who stick with it always end up losers.”

  “I need the money,” I muttered.

  “For school.”

  “And rent.”

  “Bailey wants you to move into the apartment. If you wanted that too, you’d need less money.”

  “I’m not living off Bailey’s money.”

  “No, didn’t think you would. I can get you a different job. Something that pays decent and gives you time to study.”

  “I don’t want to work for your family.”

  “Again, I figured that out,” Cooper said, smirking. “Dylan Campbell is working on my office. He has a lot of projects and needs help. Not just the physical crap either. Project manager stuff too. I talked to him and he’d be cool with trying you out. That is, if you’d be interested.”

  “Is this how it’ll be? You running Bailey and my life together.”

  “Yeah, Pop and Mom too. Hell, even Sawyer will boss you around. It’s how family works, Nick. You can’t just have the fun stuff like barbecues. There are responsibilities that come with family and one of them is watching each other’s backs. You want to be with Bailey and that’ll make you family. That means your life matters to me. I want you to be a teacher. I want Bailey to finish college and do whatever she wants. If it’s helping with the family business, great. If she wants something else later, I’m cool with that too. I’m happy to know she won’t need me running her whole life, just the small stuff.”

  Stepping back from the bag, I grabbed my bottle of water. Cooper gave me a few minutes to think then stood up.

  “Your strength in fighting comes from taking a beating and remaining upright. You win those fights, but you’ll lose the battle. If you were a punk with no skills, I’d say fight away. Enjoy the victories, but you have bigger goals and you need a healthy brain for them. Don’t think of it as me telling you what to do or the family pushing you around. Think of it as you getting what you want because you deserve it. If you were an asshole, I’d bury you rather than let you ruin my sister.”

  Finishing my water, I frowned. “I’ve never done construction.”

  “Dylan has a few contracts. Fix it shit. Lawn stuff. I don’t know it all, but he wants to expand and prove himself to his old man. I’m sure you know something about that and Dylan’s a good guy too. I thought you both sucked, but I’m perfect enough to admit I was wrong.”

  Rolling my eyes, I grinned. “Perfect.”

  “Look, I nearly lost my girl because I let my ego get in the way. You might lose Bailey for the same reason. Why give up what you want when everything is just waiting for you? You’re not proving anyone right or wrong by taking Dylan’s offer. You’re doing what you need to do to make shit right for you and Bailey.”

  Cooper looked ready to leave when I spoke.

  “It’s not that I think your family is bad. I just can’t be part of the business. I saw the junkie side growing up and I need to be away from that shit.”

  “I get it. Aaron is my best friend and like a brother, but he didn’t want to be part of the club. The life doesn’t interest him. No harm in feeling that way.”

  “I do love Bailey, so I’ll think about the job with Dylan.”

  “Good. I care about Ellsberg and don’t want the kids having a brain damaged teacher.”

  “Asshole.”

  Cooper grinned. “Take a break from all this shit and go see my sister. Life is too short to be frowning all the time.”

  Opening my mouth to say something, I decided to let it go. My enemy wasn’t my friend, but he had my back as long as I took good care of his sister. I intended to do just that.

  Chapter Twenty Nine ~ Bailey

  Ready for her baby shower, Lark waddled out of the bedroom in a polka dotted maternity dress slash muumuu. She wore no shoes because her bloated feet wouldn’t fit in anything except flip flops. Of course, she couldn’t see her feet enough to slip on her shoes anyway.

  Following her sister out of the bedroom, Raven looked winded. “I think I pulled something shoving your ass into that dress.”

  Lark settled onto the couch and placed the TV remote on her bump. Once she was comfortable, she double gunned the middle fingers for her laughing sister.

  “You look ravishing,” I said. “Like a sex kitten flower with a hint of angel around the face.”

  Lark grinned. “You’re doing your fake nice thing again. Aww, thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. You deserve it.”

  Lark glared at Raven. “Why can’t you be more like Bailey?”

  “I didn’t fuck away my personality when I got a man. Apparently, Bailey did.”

  “Allow me to translate,” I said, sitting on the coffee table and rubbing Lark’s belly. “Love suits me better than it does Raven. She remained a grumpy hag while I blossomed into a Candyland of joy, rainbows, and other happy crap.”

  While Lark laughed, Raven rolled her eyes while no doubt terribly jealous of my happiness. I remembered hating her something fierce when she and Vaughn hooked up. Hell, I resented everyone who found what I didn’t have. Now, I had Nick which seriously cut down my hate list.

  “Is Nick still fighting?” Lark asked, patting the hand on her stomach.

  “Yes, for now. He’s not ready to stop being Dragon.”

  “He’s living at your apartment though.”

  “Not technically. He still goes back to his apartment every day, but never stays long. I’ve offered for him to move into my place or get a new one together. He’s not ready though and pushing Nick makes him close himself off from me.”

  As Lark studied me, I felt insecure under her gaze, thinking she was judging me and Nick. Of course, Lark wasn’t a judgmental type, but things came easily between her and Aaron. When Lark reached for Aaron last spring, he was fully willing to embrace her. Though my touch comforted him, Nick still squirmed away when I held him too tightly.

  “Typical guy,” Lark said, giving me a smile. “They want you, but commitment makes them wet their pants. The important thing is he makes you happy and you’ve never smiled more than since you two hooked up.”

  I hugged Lark gently. “This is why I like you more than Raven.”

  Heading to the door, Raven snorted. “Kiss ass.”

  Lark and I grinned then I returned to rubbing her belly. “I feel bad that you’re trapped in the house all the time. I promise when you pop out these rugrats that I’ll take you out and party. Let Aaron deal with them. It’s his fault you got pregnant with twins even though you were on birth control. Him and those Thor sperm.”

  Lark laughed again while rubbing her bouncing belly. “I’m really nervous as the due date gets closer. Mostly, I’m nervous I won’t make my due date and the babies will be born too early. I’m not really so nervous about taking care of them. I figure they’ll be easier to deal with once they’re born.”

  “Maddy and the Smith sisters are here and they brought food,” Raven announced. “Lots of food.”

  Soon, a plate full of barbecue and the fixings rested on Lark’s belly as we enjoyed lunch.

  “We’ll do a real big baby shower once the babies are here and you ca
n get out of the house,” Tawny said. “The whole roller derby crew will come. A few chicks from Denny’s plus Jade. I’ve got it all planned out.”

  Even smiling, Lark already looked worn out.

  “I hope I never have twins,” I mumbled.

  Raven snorted. “We all hope that for you, Bailey.”

  “Well, I’m totally wishing them on you.”

  Rolling her eyes, Raven ate the spicy ribs. “I could handle it. Lark and I are made of tougher stuff than you sissy Johanssons.”

  “You’ve been pushing,” I said, standing up and showing her my barbecue covered fingers. “Someone clearly wants an ass whipping.”

  Raven set down her food and revealed her sticky fingers. “Let’s do this thing.”

  “Take it outside,” Lark cried. “I don’t want my house dirty.”

  “As you wish,” I said, winking at the baby bump I called friend.

  Raven gave me her game face then took off out the front door. I chased after her while the two ugly dogs barked excitedly. Quickly catching her, I smeared sauce on her face. Raven flipped me over onto my back, but ensured I landed gently on the grass.

  “You’re so messy. Didn’t your mama ever teach you to be a lady?” she asked, pinning me to the ground as we wiped our hands on each other’s shirts.

  “What’s this about?” asked a familiar voice.

  Turning my head, I found Deputy Ennis Darling standing on the other side of the fence.

  “We’re having a baby shower,” Raven muttered. “You’re not invited.”

  Dickhead ignored Raven and focused his greedy blue eyes on me. I knew I looked a mess from my barbecue wrestling, but he still acted like I was standing in front of him naked.

  “What do you want?” I asked as the dogs growled at Dickhead.

  “I tried calling you.”

  “I blocked your number.”

  “Now, why would you go and do that?”

  “You had your chance,” I said, glaring into his eyes. “You blew it. Now, I have someone else.”

  Dickhead flicked the tip of his stupid cop hat. “That fighter Dragon?” he said, rolling his eyes. “You know cage fighting ain’t exactly legal. Your boyfriend could get himself into trouble.”