Damaged and the Outlaw (Damaged #4)

“Are we fucking here? Should I start fake moaning?”


“Why fake moaning?” he asked, wide eyed. “Am I not satisfying you? Am I a failure in bed? Is my dong too small?”

Laughing, I looked at Judd who rolled his eyes before taking Tawny’s hand and walking away. When I returned my gaze to Vaughn, he was fondling me under my shirt.

“You looked so damn hot skating around tonight.”

“Did you like how I fell?”

“No,” he said as his cocky smile faded. “I hate seeing you bruised up. Are you in pain?”

“Yeah. In fact, I might just go home and sleep. Save our fun for when I feel better.”

Vaughn stared at me expressionless for a minute. I thought he might let me leave and I really needed the separation. Talking with Tawny made me hope for more with Vaughn. I was even thinking about him alive at Christmas, next year, in a decade. My hopes had gotten too high and I needed time to bring them back to earth.

“Listen, candy apple,” Vaughn said in a low seductive voice that instantly made me smile, “my place has that deep bathtub. How about we head over there and you soak for a while in the hot water. I promise I won’t climb in and join you. Boy Scout’s honor. Afterwards, I’ll dry you off with my tongue then we’ll play a little. After that, we’ll order something yummy from that takeout place you like and play videogames. Finally, I’ll massage you before bed.”

“That sounds nice,” I said, running my fingers over the rough hairs on his cheek. “Promise you won’t be mad if I’m not the best company tonight.”

“Mad? Never. Will I cry like a bitch? Yeah, probably, but we’ll make it work.”

Hugging him, I inhaled his divine scent and listened to his heart beat. “I don’t normally fall down that much,” I said as he played with my hair.

“Were you thinking of me naked and got distracted?”

“Yes,” I lied. “My brain couldn’t handle the image.”

Vaughn laughed and kissed my head. Following him to his place, I used the drive to think about why I couldn’t keep my mind on the game. Every time I saw Vaughn acting like an idiot in front of his friends, I realized how special he was. I also realized how much I loved him, but he would be gone soon. The thought of him dead sent me sprawling every time.





Chapter Eighteen – Vaughn


Lies were my sustenance for years. I bullshit myself so easily until I met Raven. When I broke down after my mom died and she held me, I knew I loved her. The way she looked at me sometimes made me certain that she loved me too.

The lies kept on coming though.

We were fuck buddies. Nothing more. Even if I wanted to call bullshit on this lie, Raven needed to pretend. Whenever I talked about how I’d never met a girl like her, she’d pull away. I’d feel her closing herself off from me and I hated that feeling. So I let her lie because I wasn’t sure I was strong enough for the truth either. I’d met the woman of my dreams just as my death was on the horizon.

Every morning for the last week, Raven awoke in my bed with her wild bed head and sleepy smile. This was the face I wanted to wake up to every day for the rest of my life. Too bad my life wasn’t going to amount to much.

The Summer Fun Fair was a chance to think about something besides death. Raven was the perfect kind of girl for the fair too. She loved shitty food, unsafe rides, and the noise. In the first hour, we had a hot dog eating contest that I easily won. Next, we rode the Tornado to see who would puke. Neither of us did, but Raven ran to the restroom to deal with the huge sodas she’d downed.

Standing near the restrooms, I was relieved Raven didn’t carry a purse. With how whipped I felt, no doubt I’d agree to hold it like a chump.

The fair was pretty packed despite the lack of college kids in town. I noticed a few club guys with their families. Kirk had Sawyer on his shoulders as they walked with Jodi. The little girl was eating cotton candy and pointing at rides.

If I wasn’t an outlaw, I might have that one day with Raven. The possibility was so real, yet just out of reach.

“Boo!” a voice said and I felt a poke at my back.

Turning around, I came face to face with the girl who inspired me to be the outlaw. Harlow looked young with her hair in a ponytail and face paint making her look like a cat.

“Hi, Vaughn. Can’t believe I snuck up on you like that,” she said, smiling brightly as if life were all rainbows and unicorns.

“My enemies don’t tend to be cats, so I overlooked the threat.”

Harlow’s smile faded at my tone. Her hurt expression made me sigh. It was always awkward with Harlow.

“This is Winona,” she said, nervous now. “She’s my Todds sister.”