Damaged and the Dragon

by Bijou Hunter

  Chapter Thirty Six ~ Nick

  Sporting a black eye, Dylan met me in the front of Cooper’s office. I looked up at where guys were redoing the roof before returning my gaze to my new boss.

  “As much as I appreciate this chance,” I said, “I don’t want you giving me a job just to make Cooper happy.”

  “Cooper’s happiness isn’t really my concern. The guy’s rich and powerful. I’m sure his happiness is pretty much a done deal.”

  I smirked. “Yeah, but you really need me to work for you, right?”

  Dylan nodded. “I had a guy who helped me manage projects, but my dad bought him off to work somewhere else. Now it’s just me. I trust my guys to do their bests, but that doesn’t mean their bests are good enough, you know? Someone needs to check on them and deal with issues that come up.”

  “I’ve never done any of that before.”

  “Cooper said you’re a smart guy. My crews are full of guys who saw you fight too. They’ll treat you with respect in a way another new guy might not get.”

  I sized up Dylan then grinned. “Sorry for the shiner.”

  “Those fuckers were going to kill you. Not even on purpose. They just had idiot written all over them.”

  “How did you happen to be at the college?”

  Dylan shrugged. “Was driving by and saw the commotion. Good thing I was curious.”

  I knew Dylan was lying. Not because I was especially smart, but he was just that bad a liar. Considering he saved my ass, I wasn’t pushing him for details.

  After talking hours and job assignments, we stood on the sidewalk while waiting for Bailey and Cooper. Like most people, we were slaves to the Johansson siblings’ whims.

  Bailey’s whine found me before she appeared with a disinterested Cooper.

  “I want my own office,” she said, staring up at her brother who only had eyes for his phone. “I need my own office. I’ll be running stuff and I’ll need a workplace. A place with desks and file cabinets and shit. Are you listening to me?”

  Cooper didn’t react as he typed on the phone. Bailey glanced at me and frowned. I knew she was about to pull out the full whine.

  “Dammit! I need to be treated with respect. I have skills, idiot, and I can take them elsewhere. Let you handle all the bills and manage shit. Yeah, let you do more work. Is that what you want? You with law school and a new wife and soon a baby. Do you want to do my job? Well, do you?”

  Her last few words were so high pitched that I suspected a dog would howl at the sound of them, yet Cooper never showed the least bit of reaction. Defeated, Bailey replaced the whine with a pout. In that moment, Cooper grinned and looked at her.

  “Oh, Bailey, I forgot you were there.”

  “Asshole,” she sneered.

  Laughing, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “As long as your office is nowhere near mine, I’m onboard with the idea.”

  “You’re still an asshole,” Bailey said, leaning against him and smiling. “You’re lucky Tucker is my only other choice or you’d be my least favorite brother.”

  “How would I survive that?” he asked then looked at us.

  “We good?”

  Dylan nodded. “Nick will start next week.”

  Bailey was eyeballing her brother who turned his glare on her. “What now, bitch?”

  “I demand you to tell me how great a manager I’ll be.”

  “You’ll be a good manager. Scary as fuck, but also capable of a kind word or two. Look at how good you are with Winnie.”

  Next to me, Dylan shifted ever so slightly. I knew immediately that he had a thing for Winnie.

  Ever since the first day of college, I internally reacted to the sound of Bailey’s name. A few times, I just thought I heard her name and my breathing would catch. She was always in the back of my mind, lingering on every thought. Though Bailey was mine now, I hadn’t forgotten how much I worried I’d never get my chance with her.

  Dylan walked back inside, likely thinking about Winnie. I hoped Dylan got his chance one day like I found mine with Bailey. My dream that once seemed unattainable was now at my fingertips.

  Chapter Thirty Seven ~ Bailey

  As soon as Nick untied me the night before, I convinced him to let me explore his back. If he trusted me, I should be able to touch those ugly marks left behind by his evil fuck dad. I knew he hated for me to really see them, but I’d proven I trusted him. Now, it was his turn.

  His body remained tight and anxious at first. Yet the more I licked each old wound, the more he relaxed until his body hungered for my touch. Much like I let go when he took away my control, Nick soon fucked me like a man unleashed. I’d witnessed the horror of his past and still desired him. Our walls down, we looked at each other and saw forever.

  This morning began with a trip to Cooper’s office to see my brother and Dylan. Afterwards, Nick thoroughly searched his apartment for anything he might have left behind. While he checked every corner, I sat in the living room with Danny Boy who stared at my tits.

  “One day, some chick will tear out your eyes for gawking like that.”

  Never taking his eyes off my chest, Danny Boy nodded. “Probably, but yours are so perfect.”

  “They better be. My pop paid good money to get me such nice boobs.”

  “Money well spent.”

  Caught between enjoying the praise and raging at his stupid, I did nothing until Nick appeared.

  “Danny Boy, I won’t take your eyes,” he said softly, “but I’ll cut off your dick. That way, you can look at girls as much as you want, but never enjoy them. Get it?”

  The freak finally stopped staring and smiled at Nick. “No worries. You get everything?”

  “Yeah,” he said, taking me by the hand. “See you around.”

  Leaving behind the pervert, we carried the bag with his belongings and headed to the Harley. I was nearly bouncing by the time we got off the elevator.

  “You’re officially mine,” I said. “I own your sexy ass.”

  Nick just grinned, but I knew how lucky I was to be with someone like him. As a reminder of what I left behind, we found a past mistake standing next to the Harley.

  Deputy Ennis Dickhead tipped back his stupid hat and smirked at me. “Hello, Bailey.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I came to talk to your friend here. Just wondering if he’d seen his dad?”

  Nick showed no reaction, but I was pissed to have an asshole ruining my good mood.

  “If his dad was smart, he’d have run the fuck away once out of jail.”

  Dickhead tried intimidating Nick with a dark glare. When that didn’t work, he focused on me. “Bailey, I want to talk to you alone.”

  “No way. Nick and I are going home to have lots of sex. Now go away.”

  “Why are you slumming it with this loser?” Dickhead asked, poking his thumb at Nick. “You’ve got options and here you are settling.”

  “Fuck the hell off, asshole!” I yelled, gaining the attention of a lot of people who immediately looked away when I glared at them. Focusing my rage back on Dickhead, I growled, “You need to learn your place, loser. The only time I was slumming it was when I dated a rent-a-cop.”

  “Listen here, bitch...”

  I never saw Nick move. One moment, he was a few feet away, looking passive then his fist made contact with Dickhead’s face. The cop toppled back against his car as Nick stood in front of me. Since he looked hotter than sin, I wanted to feel him up. I was thinking naughty thoughts when Darling forced his cuffs on Nick’s wrists and shoved him against the car.

  “I guess I’m the one who gets restrained this time,” Nick said, trying to keep the moment light.

  Dickhead was going to ruin Nick’s chances at teaching and I refused to allow anyone to steal my man’s dream. Love made people do weird shit and I was no exception.

  The Taser from Dickhead’s belt felt good in my hand as I aimed it at his ass. The idiot cop didn’t even realize I’d stolen his weap
on until the volts surged through his system. My ex-nobody fell to the ground and twitched. A cuffed Nick stepped back and looked between Dickhead and the Taser.

  “He wet himself,” I said to Nick.

  “I see that. Now what? You just assaulted a cop.”

  “So did you.”

  “True. We’re both fucked.”

  “No way,” I muttered. “He attacked me and I was defending myself.”

  “You shot him in the ass with that thing. I don’t know how you make self-defense stick, babe.”

  “What a pessimist,” I said, digging the keys out of Dickhead’s pocket. “Let’s throw on some Jerry Reed and race home like the cops are on our asses.”

  “They might be soon enough,” Nick said, rubbing his wrists before cupping my face. “My hero.”

  Kissing me softly, Nick glanced at Dickhead who was wobbling to his knees. Still holding the Taser, I followed Nick to his Harley. Soon we were racing to the house where I hoped a magical Reapers’ fix awaited. I got halfway home before it occurred to me to throw the Taser into the woods we were speeding past. Evidence was a word my brain suddenly locked onto.

  Pulling the Harley towards the house, Nick parked next to the garage then we got off. He seemed calm, but that meant nothing. Nick knew how to hide his feelings, but I had more trouble keeping my cool.

  “I’ve ruined things for you,” I said, eyes hot and tears threatening to fall. “I fucked up and now you’ll end up with a record. You’ll never have your dream because of me. I’m so sorry.”

  Wrapping me in his strong arms, Nick sighed. “I punched him and made the first move. It’s not your fault.”

  “You had to punch him. He was calling me names and you’re my man.”

  Nick smiled down at me. “Yeah, I couldn’t let him trash my girl.”

  “I should have just ignored him or been polite.”

  “I love you enough to know ignoring him and doing the polite shit was never happening. It’s not your way and I don’t want you to pretend. Maybe other people need that from you, but I love all of you even the crazy temperamental parts.”

  “I ruined your dream though.”

  “I’ll get a new dream.”

  My heart broke at how easily Nick accepted his lost dream. “You wanted that one so bad.”

  “I want you more.”

  “Maybe we can run. I have money. Let’s run and hide. You’re giving up your dream. I can give up my home, so we’ll be even.”

  Nick grinned then looked behind me. “This is my home now too and I’m not giving it up.”

  Turning to follow Nick’s gaze, I saw my parents approaching. Pop tossed his cigarette on the ground then laughed.

  “I always figured Sawyer would be the one to attack a cop,” he said as Mom smiled.

  “He called me a bitch and Nick punched him.”

  “Seems fair.”

  “Then he was going to arrest Nick, so I had to do something.”

  “I can see that,” Pop said, hugging me. “Did he rough you two up?”

  “No. Well, his face might have hurt Nick’s fist.”

  “I’m fine,” Nick said, giving me an amused look.

  “Pop,” I mumbled, panicking despite attempts to find the situation funny. “Dickhead is going to ruin Nick’s future as a teacher. You have to do something.”

  My pop grinned at Mom then shook his head. “All this drama is Coop’s problem now. I’m retired.”

  Frowning, I wanted Pop to wave his hand and fix things like he normally did. Instead, he expected me and my brothers to behave like adults. Had he never met us?

  “It’ll be fine,” Nick said, lacing his finger in the loop of my shorts and tugging back against him. “Darling can file charges if he wants, but he’ll put a target on himself too. It’s his choice.”

  My dad smiled and nodded while Mom threw a ball at the dogs.

  “Nick ain’t wrong. Dickhead might have a big mouth and show off, but he knows his place. He went to school with your brothers and understands what happens when the family feels threatened.”

  “Okay,” I said, still worried. “I can’t believe I lost my temper like that.”

  Mom and Pop laughed first then Nick started up. I just rolled my eyes.

  “You and that temper,” Mom said, patting my cheek. “You had it before you were born. Trust me, I still remember you kicking the shit out of me.”

  Frowning, I glanced at Nick. “Babies really suck. We’re never having any.”

  “Okay.”

  “Well, maybe one,” I said.

  “Whatever you say. Can we get something to eat? Even though I stopped all the training, I’m still hungry a lot.”

  Nick and I followed Mom and Pop into the house. Eating leftover meatballs and rice, we didn’t talk about Tasers or injured cop asses. Instead, Pop casually mentioned a rundown house for sale on a farm road.

  “Dylan would know how to fix it up,” Nick said.

  Out of nowhere, I started laughing at how weird my day had gone. During the ride home, I thought I might lose Nick. Now he was talking about buying a house and fixing it up just like I had always dreamed. After a lifetime without a family, Nick bullshitted easily with my parents. He was theirs now, just as much as mine.

  Chapter Thirty Eight ~ Nick

  Autumn didn’t mean an end to the summer heat around Ellsberg. After a long day at school, Bailey told me to get into a pair of swim trunks. Instead of walking to the pool though, she led me into the woods. Along a winding path and down an endless stairwell, we walked hand in hand.

  “I used to think the woods were magic,” Bailey said, looking embarrassed under her baseball cap. “I imagined fairies watched me when I played. There was a tree near the river that I was sure was their home. When I was twelve, the tree fell over in a bad storm. It’d been dead and rotting, so I don’t know why I was so surprised when the tree disappeared into the river. I still cried because I thought the fairies died and that’s why I didn’t feel them anymore. Does that seem stupid to you?”

  “I used to think a dragon would destroy all my enemies,” I said, squeezing her hand. “So no, I don’t think fairies sound stupid.”

  Sharing her smile, I followed Bailey down the winding staircase to a deck below.

  “Don’t be afraid,” she said then jumped off the deck and into the river.

  I watched her splash into the water then reemerge seconds later wearing a big grin.

  “The water feels nice.”

  “I don’t know how to swim, remember?”

  “I’ll keep you safe.”

  “You can’t make that promise.”

  “Swimming is nothing more than kicking your feet. I’ve seen you kick guys plenty in the Thunderdome,” she said, flashing a tit at me. “Besides, there’s an inner tube down here for you to hold onto while I feel you up.”

  My erection made the decision for me. Diving into the water, I hoped the water cooled my arousal. So focused on how much I wanted to be inside Bailey, I didn’t think about how I couldn’t swim. Once under water, I kicked my legs until hitting the surface where she waited topless.

  “I wanted to reward your bravery,” she murmured as I wrapped one arm around the tube and the other her waist. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Prove it.”

  “However will I do that?” she said, wiggling her hips against mine.

  Cupping her face, I brushed her lips with my thumb. “You’re medicine for my soul, Bailey. Never forget that.”

  Her naughty gaze shifted into something softer. “Thank you for being brave enough to love me.”

  Despite her earnest expression, I laughed. “Like I had a choice.”

  My inability to swim and the public nature of our tryst didn’t matter next to my need for her. Soon, my trunks floated next to her bikini bottom.

  Once I was inside Bailey, I felt like Dragon. I didn’t need to hurt anyone or bleed myself to be powerful. I just needed Bailey.

  Chapter Thirty Nine ~ Ba
iley

  Watching Maddy walk down the aisle of the church, Tucker was a smiling fool. I’d only seen my brother so happy at Scarlet’s birth. Now he was finally making things official with the woman he loved.

  I stood next to Farah, Tawny, and Raven, wearing matching pale yellow bridesmaid dresses. With a little alteration, I could see wearing it again on a normal occasion. Redneck chic turned out to be pretty awesome.

  Unable to attend, Lark still watched the ceremony live. Aaron sat up front and sent the feed to his wife. Later, she would say she missed most of it from crying so much. I could understand since Maddy made a beautiful bride and my brother looked pretty spiffy too. Hell, even demon spawn Sawyer looked like an angel in her yellow flower girl dress.

  The reception was a blast. We enjoyed messy food and a Blue Grass band. The open bar certainly didn’t hurt either.

  Watching my brothers dancing with their wives, I saw them as men for the first time.

  “This is my family,” I said to Nick.

  Instead of making a snide comment about how I was stating the obvious, Nick understood. A girl could be forgiven for being proud of a family like mine. I finally had great friends who supported me no matter what, but also knew when to tell me to shut the fuck up.

  “I dance like shit,” Nick said, taking my hands. “Fortunately, no one will be looking at me.”

  Grinning, I liked how comfortable he was these days. A storm still sent him into a dark mood and he continued to shower more than a normal guy. Otherwise, he felt at home in Ellsberg. With a new job allowing him time for school, he also had friends who watched his back. Nick finally had a family too. At dinner with Pop, Mom, Sawyer, and me, he never kept them at a distance. He was like a third son and even managed to help me get along with my little nemesis.

  Even growing up the princess of a powerful family, things didn’t fall into my lap. I finally stopped whining about wanting more and took charge of my life. My reward was the man of my dreams.

  Epilogue – Nick

  All through college, Bailey and I lived in the garage apartment. Those years cooking with Jodi, swimming with Bailey and Sawyer, and hunting with Kirk and his boys changed how I saw the world. Even more important, it changed how I saw myself. By the time Bailey and I married on the deck overlooking the river she loved growing up, I rarely thought of my life before Ellsberg.