Damaged and the Outlaw (7 page)

“I don’t care.
Tuck is bringing the baby over. It’ll cry and everyone will pay attention to it
and ignore me.”

“I know the
feeling of being replaced,” Bailey said, smirking at her sister. “Little kids
suck.”

Sawyer rolled
her eyes and looked at me. “Can I come?”

“What do you
want to do?”

“We could barhop
and scope out hot guys.”

I frowned at
Bailey who shrugged. “I didn’t teach her that.”

“A girls’ night
out sounds great. We’ll clean up and meet in an hour. We can pick up my car
before we come home.”

After Sawyer
high-fived me followed by her sister, she ran inside to announce in the loudest
voice imaginable how she was ditching the baby stank for the night.

A grumpy Bailey
nudged me. “You better not ignore me and pay attention to her.”

“I can pay
attention to both of you. I had two little siblings, remember?”

Bailey’s frown
faded and she hugged me. “Your life makes me sad.”

Hugging her back,
I shrugged off her worry. Bailey wasn’t convinced though.

“I wish I could
hit you over the head and give you amnesia, so you’d forget all the bad stuff
that happened to you.”

“I like
remembering who I am.”

“What if I hit
you just kinda hard and gave you a little bit of amnesia?” she suggested,
grinning.

“With my luck, I’d
just remember the crap and forget the good stuff.”

“What good stuff?”

“Lark and Phoenix,” I said, walking away. “Oh and the fucking from last night was pretty memorable.”

“Whore.”

Giving her a
wink, I disappeared down the path to the apartment. A night with the girls
would distract from Vaughn. I wanted to smack him for the stupid text. I also
wanted another night of sweaty fun. Smacking and sexing would have to wait. The
Johansson sisters required all of my attention.

Twenty minutes
later, Bailey was shocked when Sawyer won Rock, Paper, Scissors then chose
Chuck E Cheese as our hangout destination. Sawyer was shocked anyone wouldn’t
want to go to Chuck E Cheese. I was just shocked the sisters hadn’t killed each
other years ago.

A deal was a
deal, so we dropped by Chuck E Cheese. Even though I promised Bailey we would
eat somewhere, she sulked like a bitchy child. I eventually said I was ignoring
her unless she played nice.

Grudgingly, oh
so very grudgingly, Bailey chilled out. Arms crossed in irritation, she watched
Sawyer and I play the
Aliens
game. Duckface present, she stood next to
me and Sawyer while we rode the roller coaster simulator. By the time I was
throwing basketballs, Bailey finally realized there was no harm in silly fun.

When we were
crawling around in the tubes with Sawyer, Bailey laughed before quickly looking
around to make sure no one knew she was having fun. In that moment, I realized
her biggest problem.
Bailey lived her life through the eyes of others.

Despite her big
mouth and claims of awesome, she wasn’t her own person. Everything she did was
to gain the approval of others, but people were impossible to please. I wished
she understood how out of a hundred people, she would still have at least one
hater. I realized this fact as a kid when one grandmother told me I looked like
an angel before another grandmother told me I looked like trailer trash. There
was no pleasing everyone, so life had to be about what I needed and how to
please those I loved. Anyone beyond them was static.

Telling Bailey
any of this would feel like a lecture and she was in a good mood once she
realized Chuck E Cheese was empty enough for her to enjoy. We bought a hundred
tokens and played crappy games until they were all gone. Next, Sawyer danced
with the Chuck E Cheese
animatronic
mouse
while I took pictures. Soon, I joined her and shook my butt to the
horrible music.

When Bailey
seemed unsure about joining us, I yanked her onto the kiddie dance floor. She
smiled like I was the best brain she ever had and I agreed with her. If I was
running things up in that pretty head, her life would be a hell of a lot
easier.

“I never took
dance classes,” Bailey said, swaying her arms.

“Neither did I,”
Sawyer yelled, bouncing around. “I’m a natural.”

Rolling my eyes,
l laughed. “You’re both dorks. It’s Chuck E Cheese. No one cares how you
dance.”

Bailey and
Sawyer proceeded to display their lack of formal training by holding hands and
jumping in place. I stepped back and allowed them a little sisterly bonding.

Lark and I used
to do goofy things together. I missed those easy times, but I’d left and she
built a life without me. Despite my pride in what she created with Aaron, I
longed for what I left behind. With those days gone, I could only follow my
sister’s lead and build something better.

Relieved to have
company, I refused to run back to Raven. Nothing said a guy was hooked like
spending two nights in a row with the same chick. No, I needed to keep my
distance and play it cool. Problem was most days were boring as shit and my
evenings were even duller. That was where Judd and Tawny came in.

The dark haired couple
walked into the restaurant connected at the hip in the way couples tended to
enter any room. Judd’s arm was wrapped around Tawny’s shoulders and he walked
slower so she could keep pace. Normally, the pretty girl who stole my buddy’s
heart was bouncing or nearly humping him. Tawny always seemed in a state of
happy since snaring her man. Tonight, her dark eyes looked depressed.

“Something I
said?” I asked as she sat across from me in the booth.

“Fuck off,” Judd
growled.

Even grumpy,
Tawny smiled at his growling. She thought the sound of it was hilarious.

“What’s the
deal? Are you that upset about having dinner with me?”

Judd’s blue eyes
glared at me and I knew he was really pissed.
Like jump across the booth and
cut my throat pissed.
While he might kill me, I figured I’d make him work
for it.

“Therapy is
hard,” Tawny said, staring at the menu in front of her. “Not everything is
about you, Vaughn.”

“Fair enough,” I
said, backing off now that Tawny looked ready to cry.

Judd stopped
trying to murder me with his eyes and rested an arm on the back of the booth.
He glanced at Tawny who seemed smaller than usual. When his gaze returned to
me, I knew I was about to get mocked. I mentally prepared to give as well as I
got.

“The chick last
night marked you,” he said, gesturing to my throat. “Might be a stalker. You’ll
want to prepare to wake up with your balls removed.”

“Raven might cut
off my balls, but not because she’s a stalker. More like she’s just in a bad
mood or gassy.”

Tawny looked at
me then shook her head. “Oh, Vaughn. You’re fucked.”

“Actually, I was
and quite well. In fact, I think she bruised my hip bones.”

Laughing, Tawny
cuddled against Judd. “When’s the wedding.”

Once Judd
started laughing, I flipped them off and looked at my menu.

“We’re fuck
buddies. Nothing more.”

Judd nodded.
“Makes sense. A man of your stupidity couldn’t handle a relationship. Best to
keep your life simple.”

“She’s hot.
That’s all I care about.”

“She is hot,”
Tawny said, smiling easier now. “She could probably land a rich guy with those
looks.”

“Did you just
call me poor?”

“I only mean she
could get someone better than a manwhore with commitment issues.”

“Fuck you,” I
said and Judd looked ready to hit me. “I could commit if I wanted to. If I
wasn’t expecting to die soon, I’d commit all over the fucking place.”

“You don’t even
have a pet.”

“Who would take
care of my pet when I died?”

“If it was a
cat, we’d take it in.”

Judd frowned.
“No more cats.”

“One more
wouldn’t hurt. In fact, if we have a bunch of cats, people will stop asking
when we’re having a kid.”

Judd’s frown
disappeared. “Another cat wouldn’t be the end of the world.”

“Judd’s the one
who can’t commit,” I muttered.

“He’s married
and we have two cats. We’re plenty committed. You’re the one getting hickeys
from a girl who likely will marry someone else in a few months.”

“Why a few
months?”

“I don’t know. I
just feel like she’ll be married in a few months. A rich guy.”

“Are you psychic
now?”

“Yes, I’m going
to open a shop and tell people their fortunes.”

Smiling, Judd
kissed her forehead. “A businesswoman. That’s sexy.”

“Don’t even
think about ditching me again so you two can fuck. You can hump each other
later.”

“Oh, we will,”
Tawny said, waving over the waitress. “I wonder who Raven is humping tonight?”

“I don’t care,”
I lied. “Sloppy seconds don’t bother me.”

Judd grinned.
“They must not bother Raven either if she fucked you.”

“How quickly the
male slut turns judgmental? You’ve been monogamous for less than a year, so
save the lectures.”

“Did I lecture
him?” Judd asked Tawny who shook her head.

The idiots were
ganging up on me.
Typical.
I was tempted to find a woman and become a
couple, just so I could tag team against them. Realizing this was stupid, I
sighed.

“I’d make a
great husband and father. I have what it takes.”

Judd and Tawny
frowned in unison then focused on the waitress. After we ordered, Judd tucked
Tawny against him and she got melancholy again.

“So Farah’s
knocked up, huh?” I said when they sat silently for too long. “I hope Cooper
has a girl. Serves him right.”

“Serves him
right for what?”

“I don’t know.
I’m pissed because I could have sat and talked to myself without you two
sitting there ignoring me. Plus, I wouldn’t be eating here and listening to
losers on karaoke in the bar.”

Judd exhaled
hard. “I feel like you’re looking for sympathy or a hug. I’m not giving you
either.”

“I don’t feel
sorry for you either,” Tawny said. “I can’t hug you anyway. Judd doesn’t like
when I touch other men.”

Grinning, I
remembered how Judd reacted to Mac who Tawny touched once. No doubt if Mac ever
needed saving, Judd would allow him to die. He was still pissed having anyone
near his woman. My grin faded when I realized how much I wanted to find a woman
and go stupid for her.

“When this
Devils’ thing is taken care of,” Tawny said after our steaks arrived, “what
will you do? Like will you get a pet?”

Judd and I
looked at one another and neither thought I’d be alive to get a pet when the
Devils’ thing was done. Tawny was bummed already though, so I played along.

“I’ll get
married and have a bunch of kids.”

“A bunch?” Judd
asked, smirking. “What’s that? Like six?”

“Sure, why not?
The world is an ugly place and I could make it better with my blond kids
running around.”

“Why do you
assume they’ll be blond?” Tawny asked and I spotted a smirk on her face.

“Because I’m
blond. In my fantasy future, my kids will look like me.”

“Or you’ll hook
up with some random blonde chick. Makes sense,” Judd said, smirking at Tawny.

Even rolling my
eyes at their hinting, I had been thinking about Raven when I imagined those
blond beauties running around Ellsberg. Our kids would be more beautiful than
the sun and people would secretly hate us for having better kids than them.

Made sense to
me, but I wasn’t having any kids and I certainly wasn’t having them with Raven.
Hell, forget the Devils shit. Raven hadn’t even texted me back and I knew she
must be up by then. After all the hot sex and laughs I gave her, she was just
blowing me off.

“Why do you look
like you’ll cry?” Tawny teased me and Judd smiled.

“You two are
annoying.”

“I love Judd and
he makes me happy.”

Crap.
I knew I might
as well disappear at that point. Judd’s gaze locked onto Tawny’s and they
shared a silent conversation. Normally, I would interrupt and remind them the
world existed outside of their little love match. Tonight, Tawny looked tired
and a little lost. She needed something chitchat wouldn’t offer.

The two of them
said nothing for the rest of the meal. Not to me or each other. I knew Judd
could go hours, hell days, without talking. I’d always done all of the talking
while he brooded. Now, I had to brood too and I didn’t enjoy it half as much as
Judd did.

My boredom
became so intense from their silence that I focused on the various awful
karaoke renditions in the bar area. I couldn’t see who was singing, but I
pictured them. A senior citizen serenading his woman to Kenny Rogers, rednecks
remembering Skynard, and college girls pretending they had the pipes of
Christina Aguilera. By the time Judd and Tawny bailed on me, someone decided to
be the billionth loser to sing Journey’s
Don’t Stop Believing
.

Figuring I might
entertain myself with heckling, I walked to the bar. I never made it through
the door. Instead, I leaned against the doorway, crossed my arms, and enjoyed
the spectacle of Raven, Bailey, and Sawyer singing horribly along with Steve
Perry.

The three
blondes sang their talentless hearts out with Sawyer on a stool in the middle.
Bailey wasn’t singing as much as yelling to the music. Sawyer was talking the
song. Raven though was really trying to sound good. Unfortunately, her sexy
voice didn’t translate well into song.

The few people
in the bar clapped when the song ended. Mainly because Bailey and Raven were
hot. Sawyer ran to the bar and ordered a beer. The bartender nodded and gave
her a big glass of root beer. She winked at him and told Bailey to pay the man.
The kid was going to rule the world one day.

Raven walked
over to me with a strange frown on her face. “I feel like I know you. Vaughn,
was it?”

Grinning, I
leaned forward and whispered, “I could make you remember it the way I did last
night.”

“When I woke up
alone, I assumed you needed space,” Raven said, pushing me away. “There. Enjoy
it.”

“Someone’s
getting clingy.”

Raven shared my
smile then punched me in the arm.
Hard too.
I was impressed.

“Fuck you,
asshole,” she muttered, glancing at Bailey who looked irritated. When Raven
looked back at me, her expression was pissed. I still thought she looked hot
though. “You were the one talking about getting dinner together and fucking me
to sleep tonight. You were clingy then you ditched me. Why talk about all that
shit if you didn’t intend to stick around?”

“What can I say?
I’m a flake. Call it a blond moment.”

“Which part?
Where you said you wanted to hang or where you bailed?”

“Both and
neither. Why are you so upset if you aren’t clingy?”

“If I wanted to
have a guy jerk me around, I would date for real. I thought the cool thing
about fuck buddies was that we could enjoy the fucking and hang out without all
the damn games.”

Rubbing the back
of my neck, I sighed. “I dig you, okay? I like you more than some random chick,
but I’m not looking to get involved.”

Hands on her
hips, she glared up at me. “I don’t want to get involved either. We’re on the
same page, so what’s the fucking problem?”

“I don’t know
how to be buddies who also bang.”

“What about you
and Judd?” she asked without missing a beat.

“You’re never
letting that go, are you?”

Shaking her
head, she smiled. “Well, it was good seeing you.”

Before she could
return to Bailey and Sawyer, I grabbed her around the waist.

“Let’s hang
tonight. I’ll make it up to you.”

“You sound like
a boyfriend who cheated or forgot my birthday. Ick. Go away,” she muttered,
breaking loose.

Slipping a
finger in the loop of her jean shorts, I tugged her back against me. “I’m still
hungry after dinner.”

“I don’t want to
eat,” she grumbled, struggling weakly.

“I don’t mean
for food,” I said and whispered in her ear, “I still remember the way you taste
and I crave it.”

Raven glanced at
Bailey then sighed. By the way her body relaxed against mine, I knew she was on
the hook.

“Let me ditch
the Johansson sisters and I’ll meet you outside. Where are you parked?”

“In the back.”

“I’ll walk them
out then come around and we’ll play in the dark.”

Grinning, I
leaned down and sucked at her lips. Raven smiled softly then glanced around.

“Let’s go to
your place again. I don’t want Bailey getting mad and interrupting on
accident,” she said, air quoting “on accident.”

“Hurry. My jeans
can’t contain how much I miss being inside you.”

Raven’s
expression froze. “You are truly blessed to be so hot. Seriously, with those
lines, I can’t imagine anyone would fuck you ever. Even hookers would laugh in
your face.”

Already thinking
about how much I enjoyed being inside her, I ignored her insult. “Yeah, but I
am hot, so I’ll be waiting for you in the back.”

Running her
nails down my chest, Raven smiled before walking to where Bailey and Sawyer
waited. I watched the sisters frown at whatever Raven told them. As Bailey paid
the bill and they headed to the restroom, I walked out to my Harley to wait.

I leaned against
my bike and thought about Raven. She was hot and fun, but I wasn’t falling for
her. I was falling
into
her. Fucking was what I needed to help with the
boredom and fucking her was better than fucking other chicks. Not because she
was special. She was just hot and knew how to make a man beg. It was only sex.