Damaged and the Knight (Damaged #2)

Softly, I wrapped my fingers around his neck and brought him closer.

“When I was younger, men hurt me.” I whispered and Judd tensed. “They would watch when they were hurting me and I feel like they’re watching me now.” Releasing him, I stared into his eyes and added, “It’s not you that’s scaring me.”

Judd sighed. “I want you to get dressed and pack up extra clothes because yours will get soaked. We’re going to my place.”

“I don’t want to go outside,” I said, crying. “They’re out there waiting.”

Judd’s jaw tensed. “Remember in the hotel when I told you what would happen if someone came looking for you?” When I nodded, he continued, “I’ll kill anyone who comes near my angel. Do you understand?”

“I know it’s stupid, but I feel their eyes on me.”

“It’s not stupid. My place is in a quiet building and you’ll feel safer there. Can you get up?”

Nodding, I stood with his help and followed him out of the bathroom. Quickly dressed, I still felt like someone was watching and laughing. The bikers laughed a lot when they made fun of my body. My big knees and bony legs and flat ass. They didn’t think my breasts were sexy. They called them fat milk jugs. I would stand there and cry and they’d laugh more. I could hear them laughing as I followed Judd from the apartment.

His arm around me, Judd carried my bags in the hand next to my shoulder. His free hand held a gun and I looked at it every time I felt the panic building.

Smelling of Judd’s cologne, the SUV felt safe. He turned on a CD and Bob Seger sounded right for my dark mood. Feeling the filthy gazes of the horrible men on me, I knew they wanted to laugh at me again. I felt so sexy when I was with Judd, but that was gone now. I was ugly and couldn’t forget their cruel words.

“Do you know what post traumatic stress is?” Judd asked as we waited at a light.

“Soldiers get that.”

Judd nodded. “Victims of crime do too. My mom has it. Even after years of therapy, she gets in these moods where she can’t be touched and needs to be alone. She’ll spend days in her place with her little dogs and her knitting and won’t talk to anyone.”

“Your dad hurt her?”

“Yeah, and she broke free eventually, but in her heart, she’s still his prisoner sometimes. She can’t ever truly be free, but most days, she’s happy. When she’s not happy though, it’s bad.”

“I know those men were sick fucks and I shouldn’t care what they said, but I feel like they’re here again. I feel like I’m back there and…”

Judd spoke when I didn’t finish. “You need to feel safe. I’ve got real quiet neighbors. Lots of retired people. It’ll settle you down until you feel more like yourself. Pearl will help too.”

“Who?”

Judd gave me a little grin. “You’ll see. She’s going to be crazy about you.”

Soaked from the rain, I began to chatter and Judd shoved the arm rest back so he could wrap me against him. Even smiling at his gesture, I was tired and scared.

My teeth were still chattering when we reached his underground parking lot. Judd’s arm remained around me as we walked to the elevator where he used a security code to get the doors to open. Closing my eyes, I leaned against him as we headed up to the third floor. Soon, we made our way to his corner apartment.

The minute we entered, I relaxed because this was Judd’s sanctuary. He admitted as much as we walked down the short hall to an open kitchen family room layout.

“I rarely have people in my place. I hate it really. My mom and Vaughn come around. The Johansson brothers on occasion. Their dad a few times. Otherwise, I don’t want people in my place.”

The tone he used told me how seriously Judd felt about having a place to himself. Yet, he brought me.

I smiled up at him. “It’s very manly in here.”

Judd gave me a grin then dropped my bag on a kitchen stool.

“I’ve never shared a bed with a woman,” he said, taking off my wet jacket. “No, once I got wasted and crashed at the place of the chick I fucked. As soon as I was conscious, I got outta there. I don’t like sharing a bed.”

Feeling something at my leg, I flinched away until I saw a fluffy white cat. “You have a cat,” I said, stating the obvious.

“That’s Pearl,” Judd explained, leaving me to kneel down and pet the cat that immediately purred.

Judd walked to the kitchen and found us something to drink. “She’s my neighbor’s cat really. When Helen went in for surgery, she was looking for someone to watch Pearl because she thought boarding the cat would be too upsetting. I didn’t want to do it, but my neighbors were all smart enough to claim allergies. I still wanted to say no, but Helen looked up at me with her big eyes and what the fuck could I do?”

Grinning at him, I sat with Pearl who climbed into my lap.

“Babe, why don’t you get out of those wet clothes and sit on a couch?”