Damaged and the Knight (Damaged #2)

Judd opened his mouth to speak until he heard Cooper’s voice from inside the house. When the arriving guests called back to their boss, Judd stepped away from me. Sighing, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown leather jacket.

“I see a prize when I look at you,” he said softly as he walked past, “but it’s not between your legs.” He pressed a little wrapped box into my hand. “Happy birthday, angel.”

Appearing on the porch, Cooper lost his smile when he saw Judd and me. The men gave each other a little nod before Judd stepped off the porch and past the men who also did their male hello gestures. The men disappeared inside, but Cooper remained next to me as I watched Judd drive away on a black Harley.

“Men like that don’t do soft, Tawny,” Cooper said. “You and your sister need soft because you had shit growing up. Don’t shortchange yourself by pining over a guy with ice in his veins.”

“He’s not all bad,” I said, letting my fingers play with the bow on the present.

“If he hadn’t been out finding you, who do you think I’d have used to deal with your mom?” When I looked up at Cooper and frowned, he spoke softer, “Not a lot of men will do a woman like that. Judd would.”

“Who did her then?” I whispered. “Tucker?”

Cooper looked like he might not answer. Glancing back in the house, I saw the unspoken message. The words we shared now were not for Farah’s ears.

“Haven’t you heard?” Cooper nearly whispered. “Tucker’s having a girl and it’s got him all gooey inside.”

“Then who?” I whispered.

“I had Outlaw handle it,” Cooper said, staring out at a passing car. “That’s what he’s good for. Him and Judd, they do the things weak men like me and Tucker won’t.”

“I don’t think you’re weak,” I said, accepting how I wouldn’t hear more details.

“Taking care of a woman isn’t something I have the stomach for. I’m too close to my mom maybe. Judd likes his mom, yet he’d have done your mom in a heartbeat. You keep that in mind when you start swooning for your knight in shining armor. Remember how he saved you because I paid him to. He’s no hero and he won’t treat you right. After the shitty first eighteen years of your life, you need to be treated well, okay? Don’t settle. Not here in Ellsberg where you don’t need to.”

Once I nodded, Cooper returned to the house. I knew he would send Farah to check on me, so I opened the gift from Judd while I was alone. A beautiful crucifix necklace shined in the box. A million times better than my puny necklace stolen years ago by a raping thug, this one made my heart beat too fast. I was again a stupid kid hoping for a dream she would never achieve.





Chapter Twelve


Moving into my dumpy apartment was a two hour ordeal, mostly because Cooper wouldn’t stop complaining. The place was too small. It was in a crappy area of town, full of stupid college losers and druggies. I should get something nicer. Why wouldn’t I just get something nicer? He would pay for something nicer. Had I considered getting something nicer?

Farah said Cooper was spoiled and she was right. He led the charmed life of a winner. He never had to work hard and I doubted he failed at anything. A sense of accomplishment and self-worth wasn’t something Cooper worried about, so he couldn’t understand I needed this shitty apartment. I also needed to work after my uncharmed life of a loser where I failed at most things.

Farah just seemed sad, so I kept hugging her. I suspected she thought I was leaving her. While Farah kept saying she would spend more time with me, she had a busy life between Cooper and school. She had given me everything she could, but it wasn’t her job to baby me. As an adult, I needed to behave like one.

Cooper agreed I could work at Denny’s. I just rolled my eyes when he said that since I hadn’t asked his opinion anyway. Still, I think he felt his manhood was questioned by having me get a job and move out. In his mind, he failed his duty as protector and Cooper wasn’t used to failing. Except he hadn’t done anything wrong, but explaining this for the millionth time seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

Finally, Cooper said I would have someone watching out for me. He also offered to get me a car, but I didn’t want handouts. I needed to earn something on my own. Only through hard work could I feel pride in myself. Taking the bus and watching my money would give me what I needed, but Cooper sighed loudly like I was a stubborn idiot. Next to him, Farah looked as if I was abandoning her forever, even though we lived ten minutes away from each other.