Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

“I don’t get it.”


Skye twisted her long blonde hair around a finger and shrugged. “Kirk worked in Memphis for a long time for a powerful business. When he met Jodi, she wanted to move somewhere quiet to raise their kids. She also wanted to be near a college so she could take courses. It was always her dream to do that, so Kirk found this place. Back then, another business managed the area, but Kirk talked to his bosses and they agreed to help him remove the businessmen. Kirk would take over and give a percentage back to his old bosses. That was obviously a few decades ago and since then the Johanssons have managed this area.”

“Managed what exactly?”

“Do you really want to know?”

Everything about Cooper was something I wanted to know, even the bad stuff.

When I nodded, Skye squinted hard at me. “If you mouth off about his family business or blab to the cops, even Cooper can’t protect you,” Skye said, snapping her fingers. “Just like that you’d be gone and no one would even ask about you. You understand, right?”

Even with my heart pounding like crazy, I needed to know because I wanted Cooper to be mine.

“They manage everything,” Skye said, holding a pillow on her lap as if for protection. “Drugs, whores, guns, gambling. Anything that doesn’t fall under the banner of legal, they manage it. They allow people to work in their territory for a chunk of the profit. If someone doesn’t pay or starts trouble, the family gets rid of the problem and installs someone new. If this area’s criminal activity is a business, they are management. Soon, Cooper will be the new CEO.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t fucking tell anyone,” Skye hissed. “Don’t think it’s cute or cool and talk about it with anyone. Not your mom or anyone. If you do, Cooper will have to cut you loose. I don’t think he’d have the stomach to get rid of you himself because he seems really into you, but Tucker would do you in a minute. That’s what the idiot’s good for. He doesn’t care about that shit, so don’t fucking talk.”

“I won’t,” I promised, thinking of how I’d have no one to tell even if I wanted to blab. “I wouldn’t hurt Cooper or his family.”

Skye’s angry expression eased and she sighed. “I just don’t want you blabbing and anyone getting mad at me, okay? My dad is an accountant. He’s not some badass. If we were in trouble, he wouldn’t know how to hide like some other fuckers. Man, you better not tell.”

“I promise I’ll never tell. I just want to go to school and hang out with you and be with Cooper. I have no reason to start trouble for anyone.”

As Skye nodded, I saw both fear and anger in her eyes. After a few minutes of sitting silently, she nodded again.

“You’re cool, Farah. It’s why I told you,” Skye said, calming herself. “I have a good life though and my parents worked hard to do well. I don’t want anything fucking that up.”

“I’ll never tell anyone what you said.”

Skye looked around the room then back at me. “You need to fuck Cooper soon if you want to keep him. I’m not trying to be mean, but he doesn’t go long without fucking. He shouldn’t need to wait for anyone and no other girl would tease him. If you’re teasing to make him like you, just stop. If you’re scared or nervous or whatever, get over it. Guys like Cooper get what they want and he wants you. Either you’ll give him what he wants or he’ll stop wanting you. Again, I’m not trying to be mean, but if you want to keep him then you need to ditch your emotional shit and put out.”

“I was thinking this weekend.”

“Good. Anything longer and I don’t think Cooper would want you anymore. I mean, he likes you for real, but he’s got needs,” Skye said, glancing towards the door where girls talked loudly. When her gaze returned to me, she smiled. “I know he likes you, so maybe he’d wait. Not wait for sex, but for you. He’ll just fuck someone on the side until you’re ready. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want Tyler fucking someone on the side because I was too uptight to put out. Not that you’re uptight. I mean, if you’ve had crappy fucks before then you’re bound to not want to jump in bed. Still, Cooper’s really good so just put out as soon as possible.”

“This weekend,” I said quietly, feeling anxious now.

“Look,” Skye said, sitting closer and softening her expression. “I get how you’re scared. A guy like Cooper can be overwhelming, but he can also be a great friend. Like even after he’s done with you, he’d still help you out if you needed something. Like if you were short on cash or if someone’s hassling you, Cooper would make things easier.”