Damaged and the Knight (Damaged #2)

“No, I like being up high. It makes me feel special. Rich people live up high.”


Judd said nothing, his normally cold gaze a bit warmer. “You look like shit. I checked the room service menu and they have soup here. I wouldn’t suggest you eat too much. Just the broth then crash since I don’t need you carsick tomorrow.”

When I just stared at him, Judd rolled his eyes and stared at the view.

“How do I order the soup?” I finally asked.

Judd looked ready to say something nasty, but stopped himself and returned to the room to order. As I sat on the little loveseat and stared at the dark television, he watched me like he was trying to figure out how to fit the chunks of my body into a suitcase. When I finally met his gaze and dared him to chop me up, Judd grinned.

“You look funny when you give that look. Like you’re thinking real hard,” he said, flopping into a chair with the remote. “Don’t hurt yourself, kid.”

“Do you live in Ellsberg?” I asked as he flipped from channel to channel too quickly to really be looking for anything to watch.

“Yes.”

“Did you grow up there?”

“No.”

“Do you like it there?”

“Sure.”

“Do you think I’ll like it there?”

“Your sister is shacked up with the prince of the fucking place. I’m sure you’ll live a pretty sweet life in Ellsberg.”

“Are the people nice there?”

“Not really. Maybe two percent of the people are nice.”

“So the other ninety eight percent are like you?”

Judd grinned. “Sounds about right. You should fit in.”

“How am I not nice?”

“You got a look about you. Like the little girl act is a con and you’ll shiv me while I sleep.”

“It’s getting late, so I guess we’ll see.”

Smiling growing, he watched the TV, instead of me. “I’m sleeping in here next to my weapons and keeping one eye open. You best mess someone else, little girl.”

“I’m not feeling great, so I’ll probably wait to shiv you until I’m up to all the laughing and pointing I’ll want to do after I get the drop on you.”

Judd laughed. “You would mock me afterwards, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course. You’re a big guy. Fast and strong too. If I take you down, I’m totally enjoying the triumph.”

“Good for you,” he said quietly, a smile on his lips and a strange look in his eyes.

Even feeling awkward under his gaze, I didn’t look away. Judd was handsome and I wanted to feel safe with him. Until I was back with Farah, I craved a few moments of safety. Mostly, I feared what I would find in Ellsberg. Now that Farah was safe with Cooper, would she slowly stop loving me now that she found someone better?

“Soup’s here,” Judd finally said after we watched each other for a few minutes.

As I sipped the broth, Judd pretended to ignore me. I knew he wasn’t really watching television. His face was too perfectly stoic like he was working hard to make himself seem cold.

“Do you want the rest?” I asked.

Judd frowned at me. “If I wanted soup, I’d have ordered myself some. I’m not a dog begging for scraps.”

Scowling at his ridiculous anger, I shrugged. “I don’t want to waste the rest. Can we put it in the mini frig and I’ll eat it in the morning?”

Judd’s frown eased. “Fuck it. I’ll eat it.”

“No, it’s mine,” I said, standing up. “I offered and you got grumpy. Now, you can’t have it.”

“I’ll just eat it after you go to sleep.”

“I respect your honesty,” I said, setting the bowl into the little frig next to the expensive treats. “It’s a rare quality in a thief.”

Judd grinned. “Don’t lock the bedroom door. If we have trouble, I don’t want to have to kick that shit down.”

When I stared at him, he stared back. We were both thinking how with it unlocked he could whatever he wanted. Before I might be bothered, I remembered that with his size, strength, and weapons he could do whatever he wanted anyway. Of course, he’d have to deal with Cooper. Either way, I was going to bed and leaving the door unlocked like instructed.

In the dream, I was back at the motel, starving and trapped. The weirdoes had broken through the door and were coming for me. I was trapped in that room and no one was coming to save me. Judd had been a dream and I would die violently just as I always feared.

Even after I knew it was only a dream and Judd had saved me, the weirdoes kept punching me and the blows felt achingly real. By the time I woke up, I was sweaty and in a panic.

Grabbing a blanket, I ran to the living room to see if Judd was real. I found him asleep in a chair with his feet propped up on a table. The TV was still on and it threw off weird lights in the dark room. Watching Judd, I tried to calm myself, but I felt hands on me, tearing away my clothes. It wasn’t real, but Judd didn’t feel real either.