Damaged and the Bulldog by Bijou Hunter Page A

to spray them if they get out of hand. It works on Bailey
too, by the way.”
    I was still laughing about the Bailey comment when
Harlow rushed into the building. She ignored Vaughn’s hello and came straight
for me. Based on her expression, I suspected I was about to get punched. I
wasn’t wrong.
    Harlow got a decent hit in before Vaughn pulled her back.
Her one punch did the trick and I tried to hide how much it hurt. Rubbing my
jaw, I waited for her to explain.
    “Calm down, Harlow,” Vaughn said when she struggled to
break loose from his grip.
    “Dylan, you fuck! I warned you what Winnie was like!
You said you’d be careful, but you had to be greedy like every other fucking
guy in the world!”
    “You think I’m greedy?” Vaughn asked, sounding
offended.
    “Not now!” she screamed.
    “Shit,” Judd said, standing between Harlow and me.
“What did you do, man?”
    I heard the accusation in Judd’s tone. Vaughn’s humor
was also gone. Suddenly, I was the enemy.
    “I have no idea.”
    Harlow snorted. “You had to push her. What the fuck
did you think would happen?”
    “What did happen?” Vaughn asked before I could.
    “She had a breakdown last night,” Harlow said and her
words were a punch to my gut. “She’s medicated and barely coherent. That didn’t
even happen when the Devils grabbed us. She was messed up, but not like last
night. You did something.”
    “I didn’t…”
    Judd focused his gaze on Vaughn. “Take Harlow home.”
    “No way,” she cried.
    Judd ignored Harlow’s protests as Vaughn shepherded
her out the door. I waited for the enforcer to do what he was paid to do.
Winnie was protected by the Reapers and I hurt her. Despite how much she meant
to me, I’d broken the woman I loved.
    “Did you two fuck?” Judd said quietly, directing to
the back of the office where we’d be alone.
    Nick came along without being asked. I think he hoped
to protect me, but Judd only had me sit down then asked me the question again.
    “No. We got close, but we haven’t had sex.”
    Judd nodded. “Girls like Winnie put up a lot of walls
to protect themselves. To get close to a guy, they bring down the walls. Soon
bad shit gets in and reminds them of the pain they want to keep out. My guess
is Winnie freaked out because her walls couldn’t keep the bullshit out.”
    “What happens next?” I asked, waiting for him to kick
my ass.
    “You be patient. My woman has her issues too. I can’t
snap my fingers and make them go away. If you care about Winnie, you be patient
and wait until she digs her way out of the crap. Maybe going to her will help.
Maybe not. I don’t know Winnie and I’m not a fucking expert about damaged
girls. I just know if you bail now, you don’t get a second chance,” Judd said
then added, “I’ll make sure of that even if her family doesn’t.”
    “Understood. I want to see Winnie and know if there’s
anything I can do.”
    “I’ll watch the place,” Nick said instantly.
    Judd checked his phone. “I’ll call Tad and tell him
you’re coming. Vaughn will talk to Harlow. Go before she gets hold of you
again. I suspect next time she’s going for the balls.”
    Leaving Judd and Nick, I didn’t know what to expect to
find when I reached Winnie. Was she lost to me now? I’d seen such a light in
her the last week. Stronger and happier, she was forcing her way into the world
and keeping the fear from stopping her.
    Toni answered the door and stared at me for a bit too
long.
    “Did Harlow do that to your mouth?” she asked about my
swelling lip.
    “Yeah. How is Winnie?”
    Toni gestured for me to come inside. “I know you
didn’t hurt her. Harlow is angry, but I know Winnie and I know she would tell
me if you did something. When she came home last night, she was in a really
good mood. Smiling and giggling.”
    “We moved too quickly,” I said and my voice broke.
    Nodding, Toni gestured for me to follow her. “Winnie
wants it all now. Young people always do.