Damaged Queen (Darkness Within Duet 2)

“Thanks.”

“I know Draven’s going to want to fuck you again.”

“Let me go, Axel. I don’t want to harm any of you.”

He burst out laughing. “Oh, baby, you couldn’t harm us if you tried.”

“What happened?”

“Life happened.” The doors opened up, and she kept with him as he marched out to the waiting car.

Part of her expected him to dump her in the back of the trunk, but instead, he held the door open.

“Your carriage awaits.”

She stepped inside and slid to the far door. She tried the handle, only to find it was already locked.

“I love that you’re a fighter. It’s going to be so much fun watching you break.”

“I don’t break.”

“You’re not as strong as you think you are. That’s okay. You’ll soon learn your place.”

“And where is my place?” she asked, snapping out each word.

He smiled.

“With the scum of the earth, Harper. You deserve to rot in fucking hell.”

She had nothing to say. His hatred of her shocked her to the core.

All she did was leave Stonewall to protect them. He clearly didn’t know the truth. What did she expect though? Alan to tell the truth? That bastard needed to weave a tale that made her look like the enemy.

He’d never tell anyone what he did or what he threatened.

Rubbing at her temples, she felt the first stirrings of a headache. She had a feeling that in ten hours, her life was never going to be the same again.

****

“None of them are any good,” Draven said, pointing at the line of women. The stench coming off them irritated him as he stood looking at the merchandise.

“Sir, they are the best on offer.”

“I bet half of them are already carrying diseases. You need to learn to keep your hands off the merchandise. I see dried cum on their legs. They are filth.” Draven nodded to his man, who raised a gun and shot each woman in turn.

They were all sick, and besides, it would be a more peaceful ending for them than what this piece of shit pimp had planned.

“What the fuck, man? They were good women. They sucked cock.”

“I’m growing increasingly bored with your idea of ‘good women,’ Ralph. Let’s get one thing straight, this is not good.”

“You’re going to pay for them,” Ralph asked.

Draven stared at Ralph. He did business with him because he was normally reliable when it came to women who served.

“You dare to speak to me like that?”

“Draven, dude, come on. Times are tight.”

“You think I can make that excuse to my clients. The ones that want fresh pussy three times a year. You think I tell them times are tight. Pussy is hard to come by.”

Ralph went pale.

“You’re one of many kinds of men, Ralph, and I grow increasingly bored.”

“Draven.”

It was the last word Ralph spoke before his man shot him.

Draven stared down at the bloody mess on the floor. With the stench of sex, death, and decay in the air, he needed a shower.

What a total waste of his time.

“Clean this shit up,” he said, leaving the docks. He went straight to his car, climbing in the back, and checking his messages.

Axel: I’ve got her. Heading to the house. Be there in ten, maybe sooner.

Draven kept reading over it.

There was only one person Axel could possibly have.

Harper.

Axel had Harper.

He held his cell phone so tight that the screen cracked. Dropping the device back into his pocket, he’d have to get rid of it safely. He tended to drop his cell phones in buckets of acid so nothing remained.

Rubbing at his temple, he wondered what she looked like. Had the ten years of separation been good for her? It wouldn’t matter to him regardless.

Once he got his hands on her, he was going to kill her.

Harper Miller had fooled him once, and he’d vowed he’d never give her that kind of power again.

He watched as the container started to burn. This was the only way to handle the dead bodies.

Rubbing a finger across his lip, his patience grew shorter as he thought about who was coming to his home in a few short hours. He should have known Axel would find her.

His father had been the one to keep close tabs on her for the entire five years he’d been alive after she left. Every single time Draven had doubts, Alan was always there, showing him how helpful she was being to the enemy. She supplied girls, doing everything she wanted, and with a smile on her face, looking so fucking happy. When he killed the bastard and took over all the reins, the trail had dried up for a long time. Then, he’d been more concerned with his own businesses. Finding Harper hadn’t been as important as building up his reputation, and dealing with the men and women who felt he wasn’t ready to take over from Alan.