Damaged and the Outlaw (Damaged #4)

“What was it like fucking Vaughn? He seems like he’d be selfish in bed.”


“Vaughn is the best fuck I’ve ever had. Not that I’ve had a lot of really great lovers or anything. Vaughn isn’t sensitive in bed. He fucks hard and fast. I like that though. He can also go and go. I like that too. Oh, he is sensitive enough to go down on a chick. At least, he did with me. More than once. I really like that.”

Bailey grinned, but her eyes looked irritated. “The guys I fuck are lame. Half of the time I don’t come. When I do, it’s usually because I did all the work. I haven’t been fucked well ever. I hate you a little right now.”

“That’s okay. I hate you all the time. Look at this house and your parents. I also like how nicely you tan. I usually get blotchy.”

Bailey smiled again and this one brightened her eyes. “I like that you’re jealous of me. I know I shouldn’t feel that way, but I do.”

“Don’t worry about pretending to be nice around me. I like having a bitchy friend. Lark has been my best friend since birth and her niceness makes me feel like an asshole.”

“I think she’s nice because she’s tiny. If she were taller, she could be a bitch more. That’s my theory anyway.”

“Probably. What she lacks in size and strength, she makes up for in speed. I could never catch the little bitch when we’d play tag. I guess everyone has their skills.”

Bailey dipped her head into the water then came back up refreshed. “Don’t get too attached to Vaughn.”

“Not a problem. He’s a fuck buddy. Well, he was. I don’t know after he ditched me. The guy is weird.”

“Very weird, but he’s allowed to be that way because of how he’ll be dead soon.”

Goosebumps rose over my skin and I shivered. Vaughn wasn’t a nice guy and he pissed me off. Despite his asshole personality, he was full of life and I couldn’t imagine all of his energy snuffed out.

“Why dead?” I asked quietly. “I knew he was an outlaw or something from his old motorcycle club. What happened?”

Bailey shrugged and glanced around. “No one really tells me anything. I just know he showed up years ago with some girl and Pop said he killed an important asshole in the Devils. He’s been on borrowed time since then. I don’t know why, but lately the Devils are pushing hard to have Vaughn killed.”

“What girl?”

“Harlow. I saw her when they arrived and she was around my age. Beat up and skittish. She reminded of the old cat I had. We found Rainbow by the pond and she was kind of feral. We cleaned her up and fed her and took care of her, but every little noise made her run and hide. She was scared of the dogs. Sawyer would get loud and the cat would hide for hours. Eventually, she just ran off. That’s how Harlow seemed. Everything made her jump and she was always hiding behind Vaughn. If he moved, she moved with him.”

“Where is she now?”

“The cat or Harlow?”

“Both.”

“I don’t know about Rainbow. Dogs probably ate her. Harlow lives with the Todds. They take in runaways or other fucked up kids from clubs. Like a charity or something. Tad Todds is the local minister for the Reapers. He’s all religious, but not in a boring lame way. Anyway, they had moved to Tennessee for the ministry, but came back when the Devils said they wanted Harlow dead too.”

“Sounds like bullshit. Vaughn’s one guy. Who could he have killed that was such a big deal?”

“Who cares? Vaughn was their enforcer. He cleaned up the Devils’ messes then went and made a mess. They want him cleaned now.”

“Your dad won’t let that happen, will he?”

Even knowing I sounded like a whiny kid, Vaughn was too beautiful and funny to die. I imagined him saving that girl and being a hero. While I wasn’t an idealistic person, I liked the thought of him killing an evil fuck and plucking the abused child from hell.

Vaughn was just special. I wasn’t sure why he was special besides the sex and how he made me laugh. No matter what made him remarkable, I wanted him to live a long happy life.

“Pop’s not really running stuff anymore. It’s on Coop and cutting Vaughn loose might be easier than dealing with the Devils’ shit.”

“It’d make him look weak,” I said, immediately regretting the words.

“Cooper isn’t weak,” Bailey hissed and I thought she might hit me. I knew I’d hit her back and things would get messy. “He has to think about the whole club and the family business. That’s not easy. You don’t know the pressure, bitch.”

“No, but I know men and their images. If Cooper hands over Vaughn, it’ll send the signal that he’s weaker than your dad. That won’t be good for the club or the business.”

“Eat it, Raven. I know you like fucking Vaughn, but shut up about my family’s problems.”

Rolling my eyes, I swam to the other end of the pool and ignored her. Bailey did what she always did when insecure. She looked for someone to fix the hole inside her.