Damaged and the Dragon

by Bijou Hunter

  “Can I have whipped cream too?” I asked with my eyes still closed.

  “Sure, sweetie.”

  Tempted by a promised reward, I shuffled after her, more tired than I should be after going to bed so early.

  Raven and Winnie were at David’s Bridal by the time we arrived. The latter surprised me a little since she hadn’t been out of the house in days. Of course, Raven had a way of getting what she wanted. I know Vaughn worried about Winnie. He even blamed himself for the regression she’d suffered after his old biker friends grabbed her and Harlow.

  Today, Winnie looked relaxed. Her long dark hair was away from her face and she smiled whenever Raven leaned over to say something.

  “I’m planning to go redneck chic with the wedding,” Maddy announced, looking through the racks of dresses.

  “What the hell is that?”

  “Redneck chic is a nice way of saying I have bad taste, but I’m embracing it.”

  Sizing up Maddy’s blonde girl next door beauty, I found her dressed normal. “Bad taste how? Is this about Tucker because, yeah, I see it?”

  Maddy rolled her blue eyes then walked to the next rack. “Tucker is gorgeous. He’s the classiest part of my life.”

  Nearby, Raven burst into laughter to the point of nearly pissing herself. I didn’t blame her since we’d all seen Tucker fall off chairs and struggle with push/pull doors. Classy, he was not.

  Maddy ignored us both and focused on Winnie who wasn’t laughing.

  “What’s your name again?” Maddy asked.

  “She’s Winona. I call her Winnie. She’s shy like the fat bear with the honey addiction.”

  “Winnie the Pooh isn’t shy,” Raven said, still sitting next to Winnie. “He’s just dumb.”

  “Whatever,” I grunted. “I call her Winnie. Suck it.”

  Winnie said nothing, just lowered her head until her hair covered her face. Raven caught on and left her alone.

  “I have no regrets doing the justice of the peace thing to make stuff official,” Raven said about her quickie ceremony to Vaughn weeks earlier. With her younger sister on bed rest, she refused to have a real wedding until Lark could be her maid of honor.

  “For the big wedding, I’m wearing my roller derby outfit and skating down the aisle,” Raven announced, standing up and wandering around the store. “Oh, and I’ll wear a veil.”

  “And Vaughn is okay with that?” I asked.

  “He ain’t the boss of me,” Raven grumbled before smiling. “The roller derby outfit gets him hard, so yeah, he’s okay with that.”

  Apparently thinking about Vaughn, Raven strutted around the store, wearing a dumb smile. I wanted to strut too.

  “Did you guys like Nick?” I asked, maybe a little too loudly.

  “When you told me months ago about the bacon guy, I thought you were mental,” Raven said. “Nick is cool. He can’t bowl for shit though. You might want to keep that in mind if things get serious.

  “Things are serious.”

  “You know what’s funny? You love bacon and Nick stinks of it apparently. I love chocolate and Vaughn wears that great body spray. Man, he smells good.”

  I flicked Raven’s nose. “You already got your man. Now shut up and pay attention to me. It’s my turn.”

  “Oh, sorry,” Raven said, erasing the space between us. She looked deep into my eyes and caressed my hair. “Share with me all the delicious details about your bacon smelling stud.”

  “Nick doesn’t stink of anything. He’s very clean.”

  “Even after you finished with him? Your sluttiness has been known to mark a man.”

  “I’ve been celibate since the beginning of summer. My pussy has cobwebs at this point.”

  While the clerk looked horrified at our conversation, Winnie grinned under her hair. Everyone had an opinion of my love life apparently.

  Raven tugged gently at my hair. “Nick’s a nice guy. I hope you two make it work.”

  “Are you being snarky?”

  “No, I mean it. He’s a good guy. Not impressed with money or easy pussy. A guy like him will make a good husband. You know, if it ever gets that far.”

  “I really like him,” I admitted. “He makes me feel different than other guys.”

  “Why worry then?”

  “I worry he’ll lose interest like every other guy. Well, except for Deputy Dickhead who keeps texting me.”

  Raven gave me her irritated big sister look. “You should tell Kirk about the dipshit and make him go away.”

  “I don’t want to run to Pop over a guy. I’m trying to get them to respect me in the club. Needing to be saved from a douche like Ennis makes me look weak.”

  “I guess, but don’t underestimate a creepy stalker type. Especially one carrying a gun.”

  I never viewed Ennis Darling as a threat since most men in Ellsberg knew to behave around me. Those who didn’t know learned the hard way.

  “Can I talk to you outside?” I asked and Raven glanced at Maddy.

  “We’ll be back to watch you try on dresses.”

  “I don’t see any I like. Not my style.”

  “No redneck chic, huh?” Raven asked and Maddy flipped her off.

  When I instructed Winnie to stay, she frowned at me since I used my master to dog tone. Giving my assistant an apologetic smile, I followed Raven outside.

  “What’s up?”

  “It’s about Nick.”

  “Sex issues?”

  “Kinda,” I said, kicking the ground.

  Raven bumped my hip. “Is he too quick? I’ve heard nice guys have that problem. I don’t know obviously since I was only with assholes before Vaughn.”

  “You don’t think Vaughn is an asshole?” I balked.

  “He’s my asshole.”

  Sighing, I looked at the traffic and recognized a guy driving by. He was one of the many dickheads who considered me a bang and hang girl. I didn’t even remember fucking him, but I did recall him blowing me off.

  “Nick and I haven’t done it yet,” I whispered. “We got into it hardcore last night and I knew he was digging it, you know?”

  “Why are you talking in code?” Raven asked, glancing around. “Who the hell is listening besides me?”

  “Whatever. I just don’t know why he stopped. I mean we were getting so hot and heavy. I know I like him so I wasn’t sending a signal to stop. He just did though. It’s not normal to get that hot and heavy then stop.”

  Raven wrapped her blonde hair into a ponytail and held it over her head to allow the wind to cool her neck.

  “Maybe he thinks you’re special and wants to make your first time all special and shit? He’s no virgin either. In fact, I heard he got a lot of play when he started fighting. He’s not fucking around now, but he wasn’t hurting for chicks in the past. Plus, you’ve been around the block a few billion times.”

  “Hey!”

  Raven laughed. “Point is the first time isn’t going to be special just because his scarecrow enters your pumpkin patch.”

  Frowning at her wording, I noticed a mom and her horde of kids approaching.

  “I just want things to work out with Nick,” I said as the kids passed. “I’ve had a thing for him for over a year. This is my chance and I don’t want to scare him away or bore him or whatever. I just want him to be mine and stay with me forever.”

  “Don’t tell him that. He’ll get scared and run.”

  “Duh. What do I tell him to keep him though?”

  Raven let go of her hair and hugged me to her. “Babe, it either happens or it doesn’t. There’s no forcing these things. Trust me. I wasted a lot of time on guys that weren’t the one. When the guy and you click, things happen even if you’re not ready. If Nick’s not the one, no magic words will make him the guy for you.”

  “That’s not what I want to hear.”

  “I know, but I won’t set you up to feel bad by telling you that you can make something happen when you can’t. If it doesn’t work with Nick, that’s not
on you. It’s just life.”

  We returned to the store where Maddy sat next to Winnie on the bench. They both looked bored.

  “Nothing here fits my style.”

  “Hey, when you say the wedding will be redneck chic, will a banjo play as you walk down the aisle?” I asked.

  Raven gasped. “Ooh, I dare you to have them play Cotton Eyed Joe on the banjo.”

  “Not that redneck,” Maddy muttered. “I do think a banjo would be a good idea.

  “I was only kidding,” I said, leaning against a laughing Raven.

  “I know,” Winnie whispered and Maddy leaned closer, “a guy in a blue grass band. He plays the banjo at our church.”

  Maddy smiled softly, putting on her mom face. “That would be great. Do you think you can get him to call me so I can see if he and his band can play the wedding?”

  Winnie nodded then peeked up at me for reassurance. Giving her a nod, I didn’t understand why she was so edgy lately. For weeks, she followed me around like a confident puppy. Now, her tail was wedged fully between her legs. Luckily for us both, I didn’t express this question out loud. I sensed she wouldn’t have liked it and I was already feeling bad enough without adding guilt to the mix.

  Chapter Twelve ~ Nick

  The Thunderdome had a single locker room, so the girls were forced to show up in their fight gear or change in front of guys. Sometimes, their friends acted as a human curtain while the fighter dressed. The new girl came alone and she came dressed to fight.

  Nearby, I sat on a bench and read Moby Dick. I was supposed to read the book in high school, but the teacher went out on maternity leave and her replacement let the classes run themselves. To ensure we passed the tests, she also gave us the answers. The easiest class I ever enjoyed now meant I needed to read Moby Dick in between head injuries and dating Bailey.

  The new girl stretched and I caught sight of her face. Until then, she had kept her back to me as if I might attack her if she accidently made eye contact. With her blonde hair out of the way, I recognized her, but couldn’t place a name. She was likely a freshman I saw on the quad.

  “Don’t stretch too much,” I said, looking at my book. “I saw a girl strain a muscle in her warm-up. It hurt her ability to run during the match and she lost pretty quickly.”

  “I don’t plan to run,” she muttered, but I heard more anxiety in her voice than anger.

  “No one plans to run until their crazy opponent runs at them. It’s only natural to move the hell out of the way.”

  She smiled softly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  After she sat on the bench, I set aside my book. “I’m Nick.”

  “Joy. I’ve seen you fight once. The guy was huge, but you beat him.”

  “Huge is code for slow.”

  “He didn’t seem slow,” she said, grinning. “You have any advice?”

  “Not really. Everyone has their own style. I’m not the fastest and I’m certainly not the strongest. My strength is an ability to take a punch and pretend my opponent is the person I hate the most in the world.”

  As Joy studied me, I noticed her relaxing. “You focus your anger on the person you’re fighting?”

  “You’ll be surprised how much energy pure rage will give you.”

  Axel poked his head into the room and gestured towards Joy. “It’s time.”

  Smiling at me, she disappeared out of the door. The silence of the locker room allowed me to think about Bailey. About how much I’d wanted her, yet how I couldn’t overcome my self-disgust when she touched me.

  The reality was I never fucked a girl with my shirt off. Even when they wanted to see the tattoo, I showed them from afar. Up close, they’d see the old scars. Pity was the best case scenario. The worst was the chick that noticed the scars in the locker room and said they turned her on.

  Irritated after thinking about those past girls, I decided to watch Joy fight a tall skinny girl with huge hands. I apparently missed a few solid hits because both girls were bleeding. Joy backed away from the taller girl and dodged her punch before running to the other side of the cage.

  The crowd didn’t much care about the skills of the female fighters. They enjoyed watching pretty girls running around in skimpy clothes. While Joy got a laugh from the crowd every time she ran away, the skinny girl grew more frustrated and frenzied. For a while, nothing happened and the crowd lost their fire.

  Joy only needed one good hit to win. She didn’t even knock out her opponent. By the time the punch came, Skinny Girl was worn down and ready to stop fighting.

  Winning her first match, Joy saw me and smiled. I returned her grin. Women like Joy never intimidated me. Bailey did because I needed her. The others could shit on me and I didn’t really care. Take them or leave them, my life went on.

  Not with Bailey though. She was special, yet I couldn’t let her close.

  My father took a normal kid and turned him into trash. Dragon wanted more, demanded it really, but I was just Nick with Bailey. Poor white trash with small dreams and a scarred back only barely better than the horror show in my head, I didn’t deserve her.

  The guy who stood before me smiled awkwardly and asked for me to take it easy on him. Don’t hurt me too bad, Dragon, he said. The moment he said the words, I knew he would cheat. Bite, spit, and go for my balls. His plan was written all over his face.

  Instead of facing this dweeb, I imagined my father before me. Dad knew how to lie and hide the monster inside him. He also knew how to fight like a man. The only thing he ever taught me was to take and throw a punch.

  Within two minutes, I left the dweeb sprawled on the ground. A short dull fight for the crowd, but I didn’t care. I needed to leave the noise of the Thunderdome and ride on my Harley. Completely free, I owed no one. If I drove fast enough, I might even be free of myself.

  Chapter Thirteen ~ Bailey

  After two days without seeing Nick, I was depressed. Finally when we could go out, I needed to bail on our date when my recent lethargy turned out to be the first symptom of a cold. Calling Nick to tell him I was sick and couldn’t go out to dinner, I swore he sounded relieved. I hung up and cried for long enough to get so stuffed up that I could barely breathe.

  Mom brought me a few boxes of tissues and a bag full of cold medicine. After she made me soup and tucked me in bed, I dozed off to her humming Alan Jackson.

  I woke later to knocking at the door. Peering out the curtain, I found Nick wearing another tee too small for his current chest size. He looked yummy and I felt crummy. Checking myself in the mirror, I panicked at him seeing me all red-nosed and bleary-eyed.

  Ignoring his knock didn’t make him leave, though it did draw the attention of the dogs. The idea of them eating my dream guy finally overruled my vanity and I opened the door.

  “I’m sick,” I said, peeking out. “I don’t want you to catch it.”

  “Hello, Bailey,” Nick replied, ignoring my crabbiness. “I missed you.”

  My chest soared at the sound of those three little words. “I missed you too.”

  “I’ve come to take care of you.”

  “I’m sick,” I said again like a dope.

  “I have no work,” he murmured, pressing softly on the door. “All caught up on my studies. Nothing to do, but think about you over here sick and needing attention.”

  “You’ll get sick.”

  Nick responded by kissing me softly. Before I could complain, he deepened the kiss while nudging me back into the apartment. Once the door was closed and locked, he smiled and our lips parted.

  “Were you sleeping?”

  “Yes. I’m all gross, Nick.”

  “Look at your pink nose,” he said, caressing the chapped tip. “Do you want to rest more?”

  “You’re going to sit around while I sleep?”

  “I could take a nap too. I even promise not to feel you up while you’re out.”

  “You want to share the bed?”

  Nick finally stopped smiling. “Do you not wa
nt me to?”

  “Well, I just don’t want you to get sick.”

  “Too late to worry about that now,” he said, kissing me again.

  Groggy from the cold meds and confused by Nick’s sudden affections, I followed him to the bedroom where he kicked off his shoes.

  “Need anything before we crash?” he asked then flopped on the bed when I shook my head. “Comfy.”

  The relaxed expression on Nick’s face sent me rushing towards the bed. He looked so open to the idea of us being close. I couldn’t wait to spend time with him, even if I was sleeping for most of it.

  “Are you sure you don’t need anything?” he asked, resting on his side and caressing my face.

  “I didn’t want you to see me looking gross, but I’m really glad you came.”

  Nick studied me. “I suck at relationships and I know I’m messing up things with us. So despite my idiot moves the other night, I hope you see how much I don’t want to lose you.”

  “I do see,” I lied, wanting to touch him. I kept my hands to myself and watched him instead. At some point, I dozed off. When I woke up, Nick was sleeping.

  I never noticed how long his lashes were until his eyes were closed. My fingers ached to touch them. I wanted to explore his cheeks and lips. Even needing to touch him, I stopped myself.

  After sneaking off to the bathroom where I washed up and checked for booger issues, I returned to find Nick still asleep. He almost looked like a stranger when he slept. I never realized how much tension he held in his jaw.

  Watching him sleep, I struggled to understand his hot and cold routine. If he were any other guy, I’d have dumped his ass at the first mixed signal. Nick was special though.

  I downed a dose of cold medicine then cuddled under the blanket and watched him sleep. My mind returned to Cooper’s early complaints about Farah.

  My brilliant brother thought his newest conquest was playing with him. Her hot and cold moods were just games to keep his attention. Cooper bitched about Farah, but refused to give up. He wanted her. He also needed her to want him. Like usual, Cooper pushed too hard and nearly lost her.