Damaged and the Dragon

by Bijou Hunter

  Chapter Eight ~ Nick

  Working hard in the gym, I remained lost in my thoughts. Bailey was at my fingertips, but I could still lose her. Needing to be smart and strong, I instead was afraid if she saw the real me I’d lose her forever. Of course, if I hid my weaknesses, she would fall for a lie. Fucked either way, I punched the bag harder until my hands were numb.

  “Want me hold the bag?” Cooper said from behind me.

  Never slowing my punches, I muttered, “Not really.”

  Cooper took the bag like I knew he would and held it still. “We should talk.”

  “Then talk.”

  “You’re into my sister,” he said then continued after I remained quiet, “You were into my girl. You seem to have a thing for my stuff.”

  “I’m telling Bailey you said she’s your stuff,” I grunted, punching harder. “I suspect she’ll kick you in the balls.”

  “She thinks she’s your second choice.”

  “I know, but she’s wrong.”

  “You wanted Farah.”

  “I liked Farah. She was my second choice. I wanted Bailey.”

  Cooper said nothing while I pounded on the bag. Finally, he shoved it back at me. “Why did you fuck with me that day if you didn’t want Farah?”

  “Because you’re an asshole and I don’t back down to assholes,” I said, taking a break. I grabbed my bottle of water and downed half of it. When I looked back at Cooper, he was frowning in a weird way. “Wait, did you not know you were an asshole? I just assumed someone must have mentioned it before.”

  Cooper rolled his dark eyes. “You’re an idiot. I could have killed you that day.”

  “So?”

  “So you would have died for a chick you didn’t want.”

  “No, I would have died standing up to an asshole.”

  “I saw you always looking at Farah.”

  “She seemed overwhelmed by college. I was looking out for her. She’s hot, but she’s not Bailey.”

  Cooper clearly wasn’t convinced. “If you wanted Bailey, why wait so long? I think you’re full of shit.”

  “Because you’re an asshole. Guys like you have shit handed to them. Guys like me have to work for what we want.”

  “And you want Bailey.”

  “She’s mine. I just haven’t sealed the deal yet. If you want to fight for her, fine. I should warn you that I’m stronger than I was last year. It’ll take more to beat me.”

  Cooper grinned. “You hurt my sister and I won’t kick your ass, Nick. I’ll feed you to my fucking dogs.”

  “Fair enough. Did you want something else?”

  Cooper sat on a bench and scratched at the stubble on his chin. “You get that Bailey comes with baggage, don’t you? And I don’t mean her insecurities and big mouth. I mean our family and what that includes.”

  Stretching my arms over my head, I thought about what he meant. If Bailey had one flaw, it was her family’s business. I spent my whole life wanting to live a clean respectable life. No crime. No drugs. Just a solid life where the only crime was working to pay the least amount of taxes without having the IRS harass me.

  “Bailey’s baggage is a necessary evil,” I said, moving to the speedbag.

  “You really looking to be a teacher?”

  “Yeah.”

  “There are other options if you and Bailey work out.”

  “I don’t want another option,” I said, glaring at him. “I want Bailey and I want to teach. Those are my only options.”

  “Why teach? Did you have a teacher that made you feel special as a kid?”

  Ignoring him, I hit the bag harder. Cooper walked to me and I waited for him to make a move. He only leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

  “I don’t know how to handle this situation,” he said. “I didn’t really want to get to know you. Farah’s mine and I thought you wanted her. Like you were a threat. Or at least an asshole with wandering eyes. Now, I know you’re not that guy. Now, you’re the man who wants my little sister. Bailey has been tossed around from one loser to another for years. I’ve kicked so many asses of guys who did her wrong, but she never seems to catch a break when it comes to dating.”

  Cooper sized me and shrugged. “She likes you though. A lot and it’s not one of her new things that she’s into. Apparently, she’s liked you for a while. You like her too, so you’re my problem. You can’t be a stranger now.”

  “What do you want from me? Are you looking to hear my life story?”

  “Come hang with us tonight. I know you’re not fighting and most of the crew is hanging at the bowling alley.”

  “Crew?”

  “My brother, his woman, Farah, Tawny, and the others. These are Bailey’s people and that’s nonnegotiable. You can stay away from the family business, but you can’t walk away from the family.”

  “If Bailey wants to go, we’ll go. I’m not choosing for her.”

  “You can’t let her boss you around, man. She’ll own your balls.”

  “She already owns them. At this point, we’re just negotiating visitation rights.”

  Cooper grinned. “Bailey’s a needy chick. You get that, right? A lot of people are fucked up from their shitty childhoods. Bailey’s had an easy life, but acts like people might take her shit away. She’s always clingy and that’s not something she’ll grow out of. Therapy won’t fix what’s broken. Hell, I don’t even know why she was in therapy except she was copying Tawny.”

  Wrapping a towel around my neck, I sighed. “If Bailey wasn’t insecure, what would she need with a guy like me?”

  After glancing around, Cooper whispered, “There are no guys in my crew that want her. They want an old lady who knows her place. Bailey wouldn’t know it if we drew her a fucking map.”

  “She’s a Johansson. I thought that meant her place was at the front of the line.”

  Cooper laughed. “You’re not bad. Bailey could do worse,” he said, glancing at the door then back at me. “And she has. So join us tonight and be part of the crew. It’s important for Bailey to see you around Farah without drooling over my woman. It’ll help her confidence.”

  “How is Farah?” I asked and Cooper’s eyes narrowed.

  “Fuck off.”

  Laughing, I loved how a guy like Cooper could get insecure about a woman already pledged as his. I figured deluded insecurity ran in the Johansson family.

  Chapter Nine ~ Bailey

  Like any other big brother, Cooper was a pain in the ass. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn he hounded Nick. Especially not after I whined to him. Technically, I whined to Farah, but they were a package deal.

  I wanted to be a package deal with Nick, but he wasn’t playing along as quickly as I hoped. Whenever I worried too much, I remembered how weird Tawny got because of her crappy childhood. Nick’s past wasn’t clear cut, but I figured he had reasons to be wary of commitment.

  However, Nick didn’t call me to make plans for bowling. Cooper did and he made it sound like an order. While I didn’t appreciate my brother threatening my boyfriend, I did like the idea of showing off my sexy stud.

  Before bowling, I decided to hang out with Raven and Vaughn. When I arrived, they struggled to look relaxed and not at all like they’d just doinked in a random room.

  “I’m here to brain storm paint colors,” I announced, walking to the kitchen while Raven struggled into a bra hanging from the staircase.

  Vaughn combed his messy hair with his fingers. “I want beige.”

  “Beige?” I said, rolling my eyes. “It’s like you’re not even trying. Why paint at all?”

  Grinning, Vaughn flopped onto the leather couch they bought the week before.

  “I like what I like.”

  “You have no taste. Even bad taste would be a step up.”

  Vaughn squinted at me. “How’s it going with Bacon Boy?”

  “Fantastic. Our love is epic. Someone should write a book about it, so other people can be jealous.”

  Raven
walked past me and joined Vaughn on the couch. “I remember when our love felt that way.”

  “Are you saying we’ve lost our spark?” he asked, playing with her ponytail.

  “You did just bang me on the coffee table.”

  “Yeah and that took the kind of skill a man doesn’t have in the beginning of a relationship. Balance like that only comes from a fully committed man who likes beige.”

  Raven grinned. “I want to paint three walls a nice green with a darker green as an accent wall.”

  “We can call it the booger room.”

  “We already named the other rooms. Why not this one?”

  Vaughn and Raven proceeded to share one of those annoying couple moments where they stared at each other and spoke with their hearts. I was both violently nauseous and glaringly jealous. They only noticed the latter.

  “Don’t worry,” Vaughn said softly as if I’d believe his next words were genuinely supportive. “I’m sure Bacon Boy will stare at you one day and agree to a snot-colored room.”

  “Nick doesn’t need to wait until a far off day to do what I want. He worships me now.”

  “Pansy, huh?”

  Raven grinned, but at least she didn’t laugh at me. Unlike her man.

  “He’s all man,” I grunted, “and I worship him.”

  “Sounds great,” Raven said, gesturing for me to sit down. “He’s bowling with us tonight?”

  Still feeling defensive, I only nodded.

  “I talked to Nick a few times when I was fighting at the Thunderdome. He seems really nice.”

  Defensiveness gone, I smiled. “He is. In class, he’s always sharing his notes with other people. Even idiots who missed class because they were hung over. Nick doesn’t make them beg like I would. He’s a generous person and wants everyone to do well. He also fought off some pig that was roughing me up at a party. He wasn’t even as bulked up as he is now, but he didn’t care. He defended me.”

  “Nice, smart, tough, and smells like bacon,” Vaughn said while sniffing his woman’s neck. “He’s a catch, Bailey. Don’t let him get away.”

  “I don’t plan to. He’s mine and I’m keeping him.”

  Raven and Vaughn looked at me for a moment then burst into laughter.

  “Shut up or I’m leaving,” I muttered.

  Raven left her giggling man and joined me on the chair. “Don’t be upset. It’s sweet seeing you get so sweet on a guy, you know?”

  “Nick is special, but Coop beat on him and I worry he won’t feel comfortable with my family or friends. You guys need to be nice to him.”

  “We will,” Raven soothed, caressing my head.

  Vaughn grinned. “My woman is practicing for motherhood.”

  “But it’s not like we’re rushing into having a lot of kids or anything,” Raven said then started laughing.

  Vaughn laughed too and I figured it was an inside joke.

  “Vaughn, you’ll be nice too, right?”

  “Sure. The guy isn’t in the club. He’s just a normal guy who gets pounded on for cash. Someone average like him can be easily intimidated.”

  I glared at him, but he only smiled. “If you scare him off, I’m kicking your ass.”

  “Sweetheart, I would love nothing more than to get you a man. You know how I feel about pitying others and you’re breaking my heart with your lonely girl routine.”

  Even rolling my eyes, I was relieved to have them cool with Nick. I knew my brothers planned to be overly protective assholes. Farah’s big lips would be there too, but I reminded myself how Nick didn’t want my pregnant sister-in-law. Everything I feared about his feelings for her weren’t true. He really could be mine. I just needed to figure out a way past his walls.

  Raven had returned to the couch where she and Vaughn whispered about green walls and missing panties.

  “Do you guys think I’m easy to talk to?”

  Vaughn started laughing first while Raven tried to make him stop. Finally, his laughter proved infection and she started giggling too. I flipped them off and walked outside. They laughed for a while longer then I think maybe they doinked because Raven didn’t appear until an hour later with a flushed face.

  “Bailey, don’t be mad,” Raven said, sitting next to me on the porch.

  “I’ve been sitting out here a long time. A good friend would have left her stupid man to console me.”

  “It’s true that I sometimes forget a world outside of Vaughn exists.

  “I want that,” I sighed, leaning my head against her shoulder. “To be oblivious to others because I’m so in love. You know, instead of because I just don’t care.”

  Raven grinned. “I hear a Harley. Could that be him?”

  “Maybe or could be a hundred other guys.”

  “Don’t be grumpy,” she whispered. “He’s putting up with your brothers tonight. He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t care about you. Especially after Cooper fucked with him.”

  I nodded. “I just never wanted a guy like I want Nick. I’ve had crushes. Like sometimes guys from other clubs would visit and I’d think they were hot. I thought Vaughn was hot when he first showed up. With Nick, it’s more than his looks. I feel if I lost him that I’d be losing everything.” Pausing, I sighed again. “This is where you tell me I’m being overdramatic and need to get a grip.”

  “The heart isn’t rational. I knew Vaughn was trouble and he knew I was trouble. We made no sense, yet are perfect together. That’s how love works. Maybe what you feel for Nick isn’t love yet, but need is need. No way to get a grip.”

  Smiling at Raven, I appreciated the support. Nick made me feel amazing and awful at the same time. I wondered if he knew how much power he had over me.

  “How’s Winona doing?” Vaughn asked, stepping onto the porch and wearing one of his goofy bowling shirts.

  “She does good most days. She did call in sick on Monday because of her agoraphobia, but I knew that was a problem when I hired her.”

  “What do you need with an employee anyway?”

  “She takes notes in class for me. You know, so I can stare at Nick and think about him naked.”

  “Makes sense,” Raven said, giving me a bright grin. “I think it’s nice that you gave her a job.”

  Vaughn frowned at a barking dog. “Harlow says Winona ain’t been right since they were taken. Like it brought back a lot of problems she had conquered. She was helping the Todds with their business then she just shut down,” he muttered then glanced at me and smiled. “You’re doing a good thing giving her something new to focus on. Something separate from the Todds.”

  I struggled to hide how much I loved getting compliments.

  “On fall break, Mom is having me trained to take over the financial stuff at her bar. It’s my first business to run. Winnie will have more to do then. She’s good at organizing stuff and we’ll both learn to be in charge. Might make her a manager one day when she’s better at talking to people.”

  “Look at you,” Raven said, hugging me, “being a mentor to that poor girl. You’re strong and she’s weak. Soon, you’ll both be strong.”

  The next few minutes consisted of me feeling super awesome about myself. Raven and Vaughn hung out on their porch and talked about HGTV.

  “Ever since you broke your leg, your TV choices have gone downhill,” Vaughn said while wrapping his arms around her. “Get pickier.”

  “Accent walls are hot.”

  While they took turns sucking on each other’s necks, I ignored them and waited for Nick. Harleys came and went. With each one, I became more worried he wouldn’t show. I was checking my phone to see if he had bailed when Nick arrived.

  Nearly running to him, I forced myself to slow down. I hoped I looked sexy enough in my jean shorts and stripped tank top. Nick was sex incarnate in a tight black tee and jeans I suspect fitted him better before he bulked up.

  “Hi,” I said like a dipshit.

  Nick grinned as if knowing I was too hot for him to even form sentences.

&
nbsp; “You look…” he said then shivered. “Like perfection. I’m sorry I was late. There was a fight in the courtyard of my apartment building.”

  “Are you okay?” I asked, caressing his face to check for injuries I knew he didn’t have.

  Nick grinned again. “Yeah, I just helped them settle down. It was stupid shit. Nothing serious.”

  “I like how you help people,” I murmured, sounding too horny to pretend otherwise. “It’s sexy.”

  Nick’s grin faded. “Bailey, I have to bowl with your brothers and friends tonight. Please don’t make it difficult for me to walk in these tight jeans.”

  We both smiled. “They are tight. Maybe after bowling, we can hang out,” I hinted then added when he didn’t understand, “Hint, hint.”

  Nick leaned down and kissed the corner of my mouth. “Can we keep things casual until I’m done enduring your brothers play their ‘Who has the bigger balls competition?’ If we survive that, I’ll relax,” he said then whispered, “Hint, hint.”

  Even though I laughed, his worry over Cooper and Tucker made me worry too. Would they ruin the evening? Would I ruin it? Would Nick injure himself in those tight jeans because my tits looked so hot? A lot of unanswered questions awaited us.

  Chapter Ten ~ Nick

  In my head, Bailey existed as two people. One girl was the rich pampered brat who deserved a million times better than a trailer trash loser fighting his way through college. She needed a guy who knew how to give her everything she wanted. I would never be rich. I’d never be a part of her family’s business or the Reapers Motorcycle Club. Even on my best days, I struggled to be Dragon rather than loser Nick.

  The other Bailey waited for me on the porch at Vaughn and Raven’s new house. This Bailey was the girl next door. She wanted a simple life where she was safe and loved. This Bailey didn’t need pampering as much as to feel cherished. I could imagine the second girl loving me one day without her feeling like she was slumming it.