Damaged and the Saint (17 page)

On my second day back in Ellsberg, I woke up with Harlow’s bare back pressed against my chest and my hand cupping her breast. I smiled and not just because her ass was wiggling against my cock. At peace for the first time in years, I had everything I needed wrapped in my arms.

Well, not everything. I was stuck in a small town controlled by a violent biker club. Kirk might be retired and Cooper might be Harlow’s buddy, but this place didn’t feel safe to me. With her traumatic past and solid roots in Ellsberg, I didn’t know how long until she could say goodbye to her home and create a new one with me.

The night before, Harlow loosened up. She walked around the room naked, only occasionally getting shy and covering up. We enjoyed the hotel’s pool and hot tub. Checked out the gym too for our morning workouts. I wanted her to think of the hotel as her temporary home.

The normally grumpy Harlow woke with a smile. She turned around in my arms until our chests pressed together.

“Hello, Rafael,” she whispered, staring sleepily at me. “Why are your hard this morning?”

Kissing her forehead then cheeks and finally her lips, I smiled. “I’m glad you agreed to sleep shirtless. Tell me why again?”

Harlow remembered my training exercise from the night before. “I have lovely breasts and they need to be free. I should embrace their beauty and give you a sexy show.”

Glancing down at her plump breasts, I grinned. “Training you is a difficult job, but there are perks.”

“The funny thing is I’m training you too.”

“Oh, I know. It’s another reason I want to wait until we’re at the cabin before I strip down and stretch out. I need to be relaxed so I can stay in control. With you, I can’t be a monster.”

“You won’t be,” she said, pressing against me. “I know you won’t. I trust you. It’s why I can be strong. It’s also why I can be weak. If I fall apart, you’ll help me put everything back together.”

Remaining silent, I feared the day I couldn’t live up to what she saw in me. I wore so many masks over the last few years that I wasn’t sure who the real Rafael was anymore.

Harlow ignored my silence. Her hand skimmed over my hip and rested on my ass.

“Rock hard,” she said, squeezing. “I bet I could bounce a quarter off this butt.”

“I have something else that’s rock hard.”

Harlow gave me a confused look and I nearly lost it. She played the lost little girl role so well.

“Here,” I said softly. “Let me show you.”

My hand moved hers to my cock and she acted shocked. “Oh, is Bob’s cock happy or sad? I can’t remember what hard means?”

Smirking, I nudged Harlow onto her back and kissed her parted lips. She responded easily, not a tense bone in her luscious body. We moved together in a frenzied way, kissing and tasting wildly. Her legs wrapped around my hips while I pressed my hungry cock against her damp panties. The relief we found was muted, yet any pleasure was still perfection with Harlow.

We eventually got out of bed and cleaned up for breakfast. Before heading out the door, I checked my laptop. Harlow stood next to me, taking in the sight of all the camera angles.

“I hid the cameras in the lights in the hallway. I also have one set up near my SUV, so I can see if anyone’s tampered with it.”

“Where did you learn all this?” she asked, leaning against my arm.

“A nerd named Jeffy hooked me up with all this gear. He used to work for the NSA or some government agency like that. Bailed and sold his knowledge to the highest bidder. I learned enough to protect my ass and hunt the men I was paid to catch. Don’t know for sure, but I heard a few pissed Columbians killed him. Just as likely that he faked his death.”

I grinned at Harlow who stared with her big eyes. “Jeffy faked his death as often as I claimed to be retiring.”

“I’m not good with computers.”

“They're not that complicated,” I said, sliding my gun into baggy shorts. “Guys like Jeffy do the hard part then teach guys like me how to push the buttons. If I can do it, so can you.”

We left the hotel room and headed downstairs for breakfast. The hotel buffet provided use with a dozen options. I made myself two waffles, needing to carbo load before my next workout. Harlow went smaller with a tiny cinnamon roll and yogurt.

“You’ll starve,” I warned as we sat down to eat.

“I’m saving room for the barbecue. Planning to pig out actually. Raven makes a pretty damn perfect Cole slaw she learned from Jodi then tweaked. She’s lucky Jodi doesn’t cut her for messing with the recipe though.”

"What did you do while I was gone?"

"Whined, pissed, and moaned."

"You fight at the Thunderdome?"

"No. I think I'm done with that."

"Good."

"I'm not stopping for you."

Smiling, I studied her face. "Then why?"

"I used to be angry a lot and fighting made me feel better. With you around, I'm not really angry anymore. So I'm not stopping for you, but I am stopping because of you."

"We bring out the best in each other. Isn't that what love is supposed to do?"

Harlow watched me in a weird way. “We're changing. Maybe you could change enough to want to stay in Ellsberg."

“I’m a big man,” I said, stretching to emphasize my point. “I need to live in a big city in a big state.”

“What’s so great about Houston besides its size?” she asked about the city I mentioned the night before.

“Lots of restaurants. It has a decent downtown plus the suburbs. Not too far from Galveston. We can disappear there or be as friendly as we want. There's no disappearing in Ellsberg.”

“No one ever notices me,” Harlow muttered, even knowing I stood out in the college town.

“I’m on vacation for the time being, so let’s not worry about Houston.”

Harlow gave me a thankful grin. Both edgy, we finished our meal in silence. I assumed she worried about leaving town. Imagining her unhappy thoughts, I flinched when she laughed behind her hand.

“What?” I asked.

“I was thinking about tonight with us at the cabin.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Me naked makes you laugh, huh?”

When Harlow blushed, I knew me naked was exactly what she had on her mind.

“I’m excited,” she said, flushing more. “Aren’t you excited?”

Grunting, I finished up my food. “Don’t get me hard before I walk into enemy territory.”

Once breakfast settled and we enjoyed a mild workout, Harlow and I prepared to drive to Vaughn and Raven's house. We walked out to the SUV, but her thoughts remained on my view of her friends.

“They’re not your enemies.”

“Maybe, but they’re club guys. Men like them put out vibes. Even if they're your friends, I refuse to bow down to a bunch of little boys.”

“I’m fairly sure Judd and Vaughn are your age.”

“Whatever.”

“You just like being top dog.”

I gave her a grin. “Wouldn’t you?”

Harlow gave me a big smile. I sensed she was thinking of me on top of her tonight. The girl had sex on the brain. In fact, she smiled lazily the entire ride to Vaughn's house.

We arrived to find Harleys and SUVs parked along the driveway. I wasn't sure how many people were included in the crew. I kept on my guard, just in case.

A blonde and sunburned Raven opened the door with one hand on her belly. Harlow glanced at the hand placement and rolled her eyes. Raven gave her friend the once over then shook her head.

“Did you get laid?”

Harlow balked. “No.”

“So that’s why you look that way. Hmm… I haven’t looked that way since meeting Vaughn.”

“And this is where you mention you’re carrying his spawn.”

Raven frowned. “I like being pregnant.”

“So you’ve said only a million times.”

The women glared at one another and I wasn't sure if they were playing. Tawny opened the door wider, took in the sight of the angry women, and focused on me.

“Women, huh?” she asked, waving me inside.

Following Tawny, I left Harlow and Raven to their contest. We walked through a long hallway, past the living room and kitchen until we reached the sliding glass doors off of the family room. I took a moment to imagine living as a domesticated man like Vaughn Majors.

On the back deck, Vaughn and Cooper battled over the grill. Judd sat nearby with his feet up and a cold beer in his hand. Tawny joined her husband while I stepped onto the deck and tried to relax.

“Need a beer?” Lark asked, wearing a baby on her chest.

I shook my head. “It's a little early for me.”

“Wuss,” Harlow said, wrapping her arms around me. “Do you need me to stay close or can I go play with the girls?”

“Stay close.”

Staring up at me, she smiled. “If you ever want to lose your tat virginity, Aaron is the best.”

Lark’s face lit up. “Cooper, show Saint your tats, so he can see Aaron’s talent.”

The men quickly took turns showing me their crosses, hearts, skulls, pirate ships, kids’ names, and an angel with Tawny’s face. By the time I finished looking at way too much male flesh, Harlow was no longer at my side. She’d distracted me long enough to run off and gossip with the girls. I knew they were chatting about me when they all looked at me and laughed. It was awkward.

A text jingle from one of my burner phones allowed me to break away from the men. My gift for Harlow had arrived in Ellsberg. The timing was perfect too. Tonight, she needed to trust me. Today, she’d learn I was always thinking about how to make her happy.

My happy vibe ended when Vaughn appeared on the side of the house. He crossed his arms and frowned at me.

“I’m giving you the keys to my place, but I’m not happy about it.”

“If this is where you threaten me if I hurt her, I already got the speech from her dad.”

Cooper came up behind me. “We want what’s best for Harlow.”

“You two are making aggressive moves. Didn’t Kirk teach you how to play with killers?”

“Excuse me?” Cooper grumbled.

“You’re standing behind me. He’s in front of me. That’s attack mode. A guy like me will feel threatened and kick your asses or more likely pull a weapon. You should be more aware of the signals you send out, just in case the next guy isn’t a gentle giant like me.”

“What would be the proper way to stand?” Vaughn asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“You both in front of me, but not lined up. One a little farther back than the other, so it doesn’t look like you’re ganging up on me. Gives the person you’re talking to a false sense of security.”

Cooper walked around me then stood directly in front of Vaughn.

“Better?” he asked, struggling not to laugh at Vaughn’s irritated grunt.

“Sure. Now I think you’re his enemy, not mine.”

Vaughn leaned his chin on Cooper’s shoulder. “Yeah, this works.”

Cooper rolled his eyes. “We want Harlow protected. In Ellsberg, she is.”

“We’re in Ellsberg,” I pointed out.

“You’re planning to leave. It’s why you checked into a hotel rather than rent a place.”

“I figure I’ll stay for the summer. Like a vacation.”

Cooper glanced at the front of the house where a car pulled into the driveway. When he looked back at me, his demeanor shifted.

“You’d have a place here, if you wanted one.”

I gave him a nod. “I’m not a club guy and I’ve never done the team thing. I might have to change that though.”

My gift for Harlow arrived in a black Suburban driven by two trained killers I hoped would soon be my business partners. For now, Troy and Minka acted as lackeys doing delivery runs.

Cooper and Vaughn tensed immediately at the approaching people, but I waved them off.

“Are they friends of yours?” Cooper asked.

“They’re delivering a gift for Harlow. Keep your testosterone in neutral, guys. Minka bites.”

Walking out of the backyard to the front driveway, I smiled at golden boy Troy and his exotic partner Minka. She was glancing around the suburban oasis as if on another planet.

“Why?” Minka asked, shaking her head.

“A chick.”

Minka smiled, but Troy looked uneasy about Cooper and Vaughn being joined by Dylan and Judd.

“I had it wrapped,” Minka said, handing me the package. “You’re welcome.”

Setting the gift in the backseat of my SUV, I smiled. “Harlow will like this. Thanks.”

“Do we get to meet her?” Minka asked, craning her neck to look past me. “Is she a blonde or brunette?”

“Once I talk her into moving to Houston, you two can be best friends. Until then, I’d suggest you leave before the Reapers crew gets curious.”

Troy snorted. “I think we can handle bikers.”

“True, but I’m hoping to marry into the family. Bloodbaths aren’t welcome, so leave.”

Giving me a grin finally, Troy sighed. “You have a way with words. See you in Houston.”

I watched them before I turned to find Cooper and his boys exuding scary killer vibes. Laughing was a bad choice, but I couldn’t help myself. These guys needed to get out of town more.

“No worries,” I said, walking past them. “They’ve promised to leave town without shooting anyone. Didn’t get a promise about stabbing though.”

“Funny. Who are they?” Cooper asked, following me.

“They do what I do,” I said then added, “Just not as well.”

I reached the deck where the women chatted in between bouncing babies. Harlow looked up at me and smiled in the most beautiful way. She owned my heart, but I didn’t feel like a chump for being her slave. Who could argue with such a smile?

“Ready to eat?” she asked, gesturing towards the grill where Aaron flipped burgers.

“Sure, but is there anything else to do in Ellsberg besides grilling?”

Harlow stood up and hugged me. “No, not really.”

“Hey, that’s not true,” Raven grumbled. “We have bars and shit.”

I took the plate Aaron handed me then sat down with Harlow. “So you eat and drink.”

“We fuck a lot too,” Judd said. “What more do you need?”

Everyone laughed except Vaughn who sidled up to me. “Can you bowl?”

Noticing the others roll their eyes, I remembered Harlow saying Vaughn was a little nuts about bowling. The competitiveness shined from his blue eyes. I met it with my own. Bowling was one of my many skills and I might have finally found my match.