Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

“I’d like to go home.”


“Maybe your boyfriend can take you,” he said, glaring at Nick who ignored him.

“Is that your way of saying you won’t take me?”

Cooper finally pulled his gaze away from Nick and focused it on me. “Who gave you this drink?”

“I don’t know. Some guy.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“No, some guy.”

“Did you drink it?”

“I’m eighteen and it’s illegal for me to drink alcohol.”

Cooper laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No,” I said, crossing my arms. “I take the law very seriously.”

“Nerd.”

Laughing, I tightened my arms and studied him. “Did someone mess with the drink? Like a roofie?”

“Maybe. These guys are idiots. Always fucking with stupid freshmen girls because you bitches don’t know any better,” Cooper said, his gaze locking onto someone behind me. I turned to find the guy who handed me the beer now standing near the door with his friends. “Should I drink this shit?” Cooper hollered at the guy. “Huh, asshole? What happens if I drink it?”

When Cooper lifted the beer to his lips, the guy looked ready to run. Only a second passed before the beer went flying and smashed against the guy’s head. As he crumbled to the ground, the party fell silent except for the music.

“My sister is at this fucking party!” Cooper yelled, running at the guy’s friends who ditched him and fled outside.

Standing very still, I wasn’t sure what to do. I glanced around and noticed Nick watching me like he knew I was scared shitless. He gave me a tight sympathetic smile then his gaze flickered away. By the sound of fists against flesh, Cooper was beating the crap out of someone.

“You the Denny’s chick?” Fuckwad asked, now standing next to me.

Glancing down at my uniform, I wondered if Fuckwad was drunk or simply stupid. “Yeah.”

“He’s going to fuck you. Try not to cry when he forgets your name afterwards.”

With that comment, Fuckwad ran outside. Soon, the sounds of a fight intensified. Inside the house, everything returned to normal except for the guy puking on the ground from his head wound. As I walked past the asshole who tried to roofie me, I kicked him in the balls. Outside, Cooper stood next to his brother as they loomed over three bloodied guys.

“Denny’s chick is getting restless,” Fuckwad said.

“Shut up, Tucker,” Cooper muttered while gesturing for me to follow him. “Watch Bailey and make sure these assholes didn’t roofie her.”

Arriving at his motorcycle, I avoided Cooper’s angry glare.

“You need to be more careful,” he said, studying me. “College is full of perverted shits.”

“I was never going to drink it. You didn’t save me from anything.”

Cooper glared at me then snorted. “Denny’s chick,” he said, climbing on his bike. “My brother’s a turd.”

“No comment.”

Glancing back at me as I settled on the Harley, Cooper sighed. “My sister dresses like a slut, but most of the girls at school dress that way. They act like whores, but they’re not. They just like dressing up and playing sexy. These guys are losers and they come here with these ideas about the country girls being easy. When they aren’t easy, they make them easy. They look down at local girls and poor chicks like you. Now that they know where you work, they’ll come hanging around to make you dance like a monkey. If that happens, you tell me and I’ll hunt them down and make them dance. Do you understand?”

I wrapped my arms around his waist. “We’re going to my place now, right? I’m seriously tired and need to go home.”

“When your makeup gets all wiped off, it’s real obvious you’re exhausted.”

Unsure how to respond, I nodded. “Do you really know where I live?”

“I know everything. Hold on because it’s getting windy.”

Once the bike roared down the road, I hid my face against his back as my hands again felt his beating heart. It had been such a long week and I really needed to take a shower and veg out. In fact, I didn’t even want to do schoolwork. TV time and sleep were all I craved. Maybe a little candy too.

Arriving at my apartment, Cooper not only parked, but turned off his bike. “Invite me in,” he said softly while glancing around as if the place was beneath him.

“I’m not having sex with you,” I said, getting off the Harley.

“Tonight? Oh, yeah, I know,” he said, giving nearby voices a dark glare. “If you meant ever, we’re not on the same page.”

Sighing, I glanced at the walkway leading to my apartment. “My mom is probably home.”

Cooper stood next to me and cracked his neck back and forth. “Don’t let the tats fool you. I can do the choirboy routine. Real chivalrous crap moms love. Now, invite me in.”

“How come?”

“Because I want to talk to you outside of school and Denny’s.”

“No sex.”