Damaged and the Outlaw (Damaged #4)

A few hot dogs, soda refills, and strikes later, Raven was on my lap nibbling at my ear.

“What were you yelling during the fight?” she whispered. “I saw you yelling, but couldn’t hear you over the noise.”

“I wasn’t yelling. I was cawing.”

“Huh?”

“Like a raven caws.”

As Raven laughed into the crook of my neck, I wrapped her tightly in my arms. She felt so good and I swear she was wearing my body spray. When her eyes met mine, she smiled.

“What happened in the fight tonight?” I asked. “It was like you flipped a switch and were suddenly a raging bull.”

“I just thought about everything that pissed me off in life and I made it the chick’s fault.”

“Well, you made her pay. She nailed you in the jaw at one point and you didn’t even blink. It was crazy,” I said then added, “Sexy crazy.”

Raven traced my lips before her fingers caressed my stubbled cheeks and jaw. As her fair blue eyes studied my face in the most relaxed way, everything around us felt too loud now. We were sharing a private unspoken moment in a very public place.

“I wanted to work at a bowling alley,” I told her and Raven met my gaze. “Growing up, I wanted to own one really. I loved the sound of the ball hitting the pins. This place is a lot like the ones my mom worked in when I was a kid and it feels like home to me. Nothing else feels like a home. Not anymore. In Ellsberg, I’m an outsider and my apartment feels temporary. In fact, when I came here, I was put up in the building where Kirk keeps his visiting friends. Like when the big wigs from Memphis come, they stay in the building. That’s why it’s so empty. The Johanssons own it and no one there is planning to stick around. I’ve lived there for three years and it still feels like a place I’m visiting. The alley feels like home.”

Raven watched me in a way that told me she understood. Not the way a pretty girl fake sympathizes with the guy she likes. No, Raven knew what if felt like to be on the outside.

“I have a cabin though,” I continued as she caressed my face. “Kirk sold me a chunk of his land in the woods and I built a cabin out there. I only go a few times a month. It’s mine in a way few things are.”

“You go out there alone?” I nodded and Raven sighed. “I’m afraid I’ll end up the girl everyone feels sorry for. Like in a few years, Lark and all my friends will be settled and I’ll be the loser they invite along out of pity. I don’t want to be that person, but I don’t know how not to be her. I’m not good at anything besides fighting and roller derby. I can’t do even the most basic math. Like I’m just stupid about that stuff and I’m a shitty waitress. I have no skills. Also, I have a way of ruining good things and holding onto bad things. I don’t know how to be different.” Raven blinked a few times and exhaled raggedly. “I don’t know why I told you that.”

“Because we’re friends and both losers.”

“You’re no loser.”

“I fucked up and ruined my life. Now, I wait for the bullet to my brain. That’s not exactly winner behavior.”

“Fucked up how?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about it. We were having fun and I got all feelings and shit.”

Raven smiled softly. “It must be something in the water because I got all feelings earlier too. Feelings really aren’t our friend, but I am your friend, Vaughn. If you need anything, I’ll help you. I mean, I already give you all those mind blowing orgasms, but I can be helpful in other ways.”

I let my hand tease the soft flesh on her inner thigh. “Let’s finish up our game then I’ll take you to my place for some of those mind blowing orgasms.”

“Hot damn,” she murmured, biting my earlobe.

A few rounds later, we walked into the muggy evening. I had my mind on making her sigh, giggle, and maybe scream. Yeah, most definitely scream.

The bikers from inside were sitting on their hogs when we got outside and I knew they were waiting for us. Raven was nuzzling my arm and I think she was whispering a love song to my cock. Giggling, she didn’t notice the men until we were nearly to my Harley.

“We’re looking at your woman,” Jeff said. “You gonna cut off our faces now?”

“Sure, why not?” I announced full of confidence, pushing Raven behind me. “Who wants to go first?”

“Oh, I don’t think we’re playing by your rules. In fact, we were thinking that the bounty on your head would be a pretty nice chunk of change for our trip to Atlantic City.”

The killer in me knew these fuckers were ready to shoot me down. I wasn’t ready to die though. Not with Raven behind me, vulnerable to their bullets and dirty thoughts. I’d seen what happened to the Smith sisters in their one week with a small nothing biker gang like this one. I wouldn’t allow Raven to suffer the same fate.

“Let the girl go and I’ll make killing me easy for you,” I said and Jeff just grinned.