Damaged and the Outlaw (Damaged #4)

When Caleb headbutted me, the pain nearly caused me to pass out. Stumbling back while holding my bloody nose, I looked at him for only a second before realizing it was over. Caleb was going to kill me now.

With no other way to warn the other before I died, I screamed as loudly as I could. My cry lasted until Caleb’s fist hit me hard enough to knock my head back. Finally, my balance gave out and I tumbled flat on my back. Anger overwhelming his revenge plan, Caleb straddled me then threw one punch after another.

Every time I tried to block him, he held my arm away. Caleb even laughed at my attempts to protect myself. Laughter full of hate, he sounded like a monster.

After the first three punches, I couldn’t see through the blood and pain. I couldn’t think either. I was suddenly a little girl again hiding from the monsters my mom brought home. Terrified of those evil men, I would hide with Lark and Phoenix in the closet and tell them stories. This time, I told myself my hero would save me. Even when the monster stood up and began kicking and stomping on me, I imagined I would be okay because my knight was coming.





Chapter Twenty Eight – Vaughn


The first guy I killed was a murderer himself. Taking his life meant shit, but it still bothered me afterwards. By the time I killed Playboy, I knew what kind of man I was and never made excuses. The thing keeping me from becoming a complete monster was my unwillingness to murder Harlow. Otherwise, I’d never shown any hesitation.

As I hunted my old club members in the woods of Kentucky, I wondered if I’d hesitate when facing Caleb. He and I were friends once. We bowled every week. Got drunk off our asses and stumbled around on the streets of Tucson together. Before Caleb, I’d never had a really close friend my age. My buddies were the old timers at the bowling alleys. My confidants were Mom and Granddad. Caleb was my friend, but I planned to kill him anyway.

I remembered the bruises on Harlow’s face and the way Winona trembled. I thought about Dylan in the hospital with a gunshot wound and Bailey under attack in a place she considered safe. Most of all, I had Raven to protect. Once these bastards were dead, I was free to build a real life with my woman.

Yards away, Judd moved in sync with me. These last few years of training, we’d learned to work well together. Behind us were Cooper, Kirk, Tucker, and a half dozen other Reapers.

After Harlow and Winona escaped, Caleb and his guys were left with two choices. Run or double down.

We walked near the only road from the cabin to the main road. Thirty minutes passed before we heard movement coming in our direction. Judd and I squatted down to lie in wait.

Two guys hurried down the path with bags on their backs. A chunkier third guy farther down the path was breathing hard while trying to keep up. None of them were Caleb.

The rifle felt comfortable in my hands as I prepared to take my shot. Judd aimed at the guy on his side of the road. The out of breath third one would give us info about where his boss was hiding.

Once Judd and I fired in unison, the two front guys collapsed instantly from head wounds. They’d died quicker than they likely deserved.

The third guy stopped his huffing and puffing. Standing very still, he studied the woods. I wasn’t sure what he hoped for by standing so still. Did he think we hadn’t seen him or heard all of his bitching about the walk? Whatever he hoped, reality took hold. He bolted into the woods, not far from my hiding spot.

Taking off after him, I expected gunfire. Clearly, he hadn’t the time or brains to grab his weapon. Recognizing him, I thought his name was Freddy. When I yelled it out, he turned and I tackled him.

Nailing him across the jaw, I quickly had Freddy shoved against a tree with my gun at his head.

“It’s the traitor,” Freddy hissed, catching his breath.

“Where’s Caleb?”

“Fuck you.”

I relaxed the gun from his temple. “Look, I can make you talk. It’ll be long and painful and you’ll likely piss yourself. You will talk though. Why suffer when we can make it quick?”

“Fuck you.”

“When you came here, I assume you knew you would die. Caleb made that clear, didn’t he? How coming into Reapers territory to attack the locals would make you dead. Why act shocked about death now?”

“Caleb never said we were going to die because you Reapers are pussies.”

“You know Lloyd’s dead, I assume. Now, the Mexicans will tear apart the Devils, so there’s nothing for you to suffer protecting.”

After glancing at Judd, Freddy noticed Kirk and his boys approaching. He clearly hadn’t thought he would die by coming to Ellsberg. While I didn’t know Freddy well, I felt safe in assuming he was an idiot. In his defense, Caleb could be persuasive.

“Where’s Caleb?” I asked.