Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

“She stole my money,” I sobbed, knowing he would understand. “She stole my nest egg.”


So angry he was shaking, Cooper started pulling away. “Her boyfriend did that to your face? I’m going to fucking kill him.”

“Coop!” I yelled, yanking at his shirt. “I need you. Kill the piece of shit later. Right now, I need to get away from here. I hate that bitch and I need to leave.”

As Cooper’s gaze focused on the complex, I felt his rage. He wanted retribution, but he finally looked at me as I tugged him back towards the bike.

“I love you and I need to get out of here.”

I love you. Cooper heard those words and his anger shifted into the needy gaze I saw from him too often lately.

“That piece of shit will bleed,” he growled, climbing on the Harley. “Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t care. I just want to get away from here and keep going until…” Wrapping my arms around him, I sighed. “I needed you and you came.”

When Cooper looked back at me, the raw pain and rage in his eyes made me shiver. “Hold on, baby.”

Nuzzling my bloody face against his back, I closed my eyes and soaked in the heat of his body. With Cooper, I was safe and loved and my future still had meaning.

We rode for a long time, but I just held on and listened to his heart beating over the katydids singing in the woods. The snap of thunder awoke me from the dreamy state I fell into after too long on the road. By the time the droplets splashed down on us, I was ready to pull over somewhere and rest. Cooper found a Denny’s at a roadside stop with a few nearby hotels and a store or two.

Cooper’s face was a mask of anger, hard and unyielding, as he helped me off the bike. Hurrying under the awning, I saw a crack in the rage while he examined my face.

“You should be untouchable,” he whispered, more to himself than me. “This shouldn’t have happened.”

“They’re stupid people and you can’t fix stupid.”

Cooper didn’t smile. Just stared out at the pouring rain.

“Can we eat?” I asked, trying to distract him.

“Yeah, baby,” he muttered, more interested in revenge than food.

We walked into the restaurant and were seated by a young waitress who avoided looking at my face. The waitress who came to take our order wasn’t as squeamish.

“Are you okay, hon?” she asked while refusing to look at Cooper.

“My mom’s boyfriend hit me,” I said, hoping she believed me.

The waitress nodded. “Want me to get you some ice for your face?”

“That would be great.”

After she walked away, I looked at Cooper who stared out the window at the rain-soaked parking lot.

“I am going to lay waste to that asshole,” he whispered. “Don’t try to stop me either.”

Climbing out of my side of the booth, I noticed Cooper’s expression change to panic as if I might leave. Instead, I scooted in next to him.

“I saved for three years for my nest egg,” I told him, my hand on his chest. “No movies. No snacks after school with Tawny. No new clothes so I could fit in with other kids. I saved every penny I made in tips so I would have a safety net when I got to school. So many times Tawny wanted to do something fun. Something not even expensive, but I told my little sister no every time so I could keep my nest egg. Three years of doing without, just so my mom and her loser boyfriend could piss it away on a weekend at the casinos.” I paused to wipe my eyes. “I don’t care what you do to either of them. If they disappeared off the face of the earth, I wouldn’t care. I earned that money and I made my sister go without and it meant shit to my mom. Fuck her and that turd she spreads for.”

Cooper held my gaze. “We’re bringing Tawny here.”

“I love you,” I said, believing his words. “I missed you so much and I don’t want to miss you anymore.”

Cooper nodded then glanced at the restrooms. “Why don’t you clean up before our food comes?”

Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, I figured I looked like crap and he was having trouble calming down with me bleeding. After washing my face in the bathroom, I surveyed the damage. I’d have two black eyes for sure. My nose looked swollen, but not broken. My teeth were intact. My face throbbed, but I’d gotten lucky. No major damage. Not even the worst beating I’d suffered that year.

Returning to the booth, I sat next to Cooper, needing to be close. When he handed me his phone, I saw my bank account information was pulled up. Before I could ask how he accessed my account, I noticed my nest egg was back.

“Did the lady get it wrong?” I asked, feeling in bizarroland.

“You deserve that money,” Cooper said, staring outside again. “You earned it.”

“Coop…”

“No, listen,” he said, looking back at me. “I need you, Farah. I want you to say yes to me, but if you don’t have that money, I’ll never be sure if you said yes because you want me or because you need me.”

“I do need you. No one makes me feel like you do.”