Damaged and the Outlaw (Damaged #4)

“It is. Are you okay?” I asked, running my finger over the gash on her head. “Did those bastards hurt you?”


“I was scared when they first came,” she said, fighting the fear in her voice. “I saw them shoot Dylan in the chest and thought they killed him. Then, they shot at Tad. When they grabbed us, I felt like I was a little kid getting tossed around. Like I wasn’t real and only existed to do what others wanted. When I made myself stop thinking like that, I stopped being scared. I know people say no one really changes, but I don’t believe that. I know I’ve changed. You can too. Be happy with your woman and have a family. I bet you’d be good with kids. You were really sweet to me when we traveled. I was really scared of you, but you were patient.”

As much as the answer might tear me apart, I had to ask. “Did Caleb hurt you like Playboy did?”

Harlow shrunk away a little when I said Playboy’s name. “No, not Caleb. The guy we killed tried. His eye was messed up and he thought we owed him for that. Well, not really with me. I was necessary to keep around. He saw Winona as the spare girl, I guess. They were rougher with her and that guy wanted to use her.”

When Harlow paused, her fear shifted into a dark anger. “I saw this look on Winona’s face like she was back in the ugly time of her life. She wasn’t my Winona from the Todds. She was someone’s whore and that pissed me off. We’ve worked hard not to live in the ugly past and that bastard wanted to take it away. I got angry and my anger made me strong.” Harlow wiped a single tear from her cheek. “Caleb didn’t try to rape us, but he let his guy go after Winona. I know he was your friend, but he’s not you.”

Touching her chin, I lifted her gaze to mine. “I’m going to kill those fuckers and we’ll both be free.”

“I believe in you. I always did. I was scared, but not really of you. I don’t know how I knew, but I did and I was right. You’re a good man who does an ugly job. You’ll fix this.”

Studying her, I felt the old wounds open up a little more. “I wish I had gotten there earlier and saved your mom and brother and sister. I feel guilty about that too.”

Tears filling her eyes, Harlow nodded. “I think about how I might have saved them. When I was with Playboy, I always thought about running away, but I couldn’t go to the cops. The Devils would have killed me for snitching on one of their guys. If I stayed on the street, I would get pimped out. I just figured it was easier to stay with Playboy and his old lady. The hell you know thing. If I had run off though, my mom might have been okay. If my mom hadn’t freaked out and threatened Playboy, she might have gotten us all out. We all could have done things different, but we weren’t the ones who decided to take their lives that night. It wasn’t my mom or Stacia crying too much or me not running off or you getting there too late. It was Playboy and his sick friends. They were evil and you stopped them from hurting anyone else. You avenged my family and you shouldn’t feel guilty.”

“Fuck, darling. You sure know to pep talk a guy.”

“I’ve been wanting to say this for a long time. All my babble had been sitting in my head waiting.”

Cupping her face, I stared into her fair eyes and swore, “Once I end Caleb and his friends, we’ll be free.”

“I know. I’m glad you know too. Sometimes, you seem insecure.”

Laughing, I hugged her to me. “Smartass.”

Harlow wished me good luck then hurried back inside to check on Winona. I promised myself what I’d promised her. Today, the evil from Tucson would end. Harlow and I would finally be free.





Chapter Twenty Seven – Raven


With Lark curled up in a spare room, I waited with the other chicks in the family room. Vaughn, Judd, Cooper, Tucker, Kirk, and the club were headed into the woods to hunt armed men. I should have trusted they would be okay. On some level, I did trust it. Another part was me worried I’d jinxed Vaughn after all.

Cuddled with Farah, Tawny kept a gun on her lap and a dark stare on the door. She looked so much like Judd that I nearly laughed. A little jealous of her cool, I needed that strength too.

Bailey braided Sawyer’s hair while Jodi braided her oldest daughter’s. It was the Johansson women relaxation exercise apparently. I watched them and waited for news.

Just after four, the phone rang and Jodi answered immediately. She said very little before hanging up.

“Killed the fuckers. One of them turned coward and left town. Some guys are chasing him down. Our men are safe.”

Everyone smiled and laughed and acted like they weren’t worried at all. A crying Farah waved off concerns and claimed it was all hormones. Until the guys walked through the door, we would worry.