Damaged Queen (Darkness Within Duet 2)

“I had a trying day at work, Harper. Let’s say, it was one of the worst I’ve had.”

“You keep a list of worst days?”

“Yes. Two of them are because of Buck and Jett.” He saw her wince. He liked seeing her pain.

In a strange way, it was her punishment for knowing they died because of her.

“You must really hate me. You keep throwing their deaths up in my face, and you always look satisfied when it hurts.”

He sat back. She made no move to run. They were in a different city. There were no guards around to keep them both in check.

He was on his own when it came to her, and yet, if she did try to run, he’d catch her. She’d been gone from his life once, but never again. Her time for running was over.

She flicked a hand back, and he watched her hair fall away.

The waiter came to get their drinks order. He opted for whiskey while she just took some water.

“Not feeling well?” he asked.

“I’m feeling fine. I just don’t want to not remember the night before.”

“You don’t remember the night?” Draven asked.

“No.” She shrugged. “That’s why I’m going to keep a clear head.”

The waiter brought them their drinks. He took a sip of whiskey. It would be his one and only for the night.

Harper looked through the menu, and he was more occupied with her.

“You’re staring,” she said, looking up.

He smiled. “You look pretty.”

“It’s amazing what a couple of hours can do, right?”

“So true.” He winked at her. “I couldn’t see you sitting through all that in high school.”

For the first time that day and night, he saw her smile.

“Could you imagine? No way in hell would I allow someone to poke and prod me. It would drive me insane.”

“And now you sat through it willingly.”

“You look so very proud.”

“I am.”

Silence fell on their table, but it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable. It was … relaxing.

He signaled the waiter over and gave their order when they were ready, and Harper sat back, sipping at her water the moment they were alone again.

“I could get used to this.”

“There’s nothing to get used to. This can all be yours,” he said.

“You wanted to hurt me, Draven. Are you telling me that is not the case anymore?”

“I’m saying to you that I’m willing to put the past behind me. No more talk of you leaving. Nothing about you running away. Not even my father.”

“And in return?”

“I want you by my side. As my wife.”

Those words took him completely by surprise. From Harper’s open mouth, it had her as well.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am deadly serious. This is what I want. You and me. Like it was always supposed to be. Us together.”

She ran her fingers through her hair. It was the only sign of nerves he’d seen on her. She sipped at her drink.

“See, this is why I shouldn’t be allowed alcohol, ever.”

He smiled.

“You’re being completely serious right now?” she asked.

“Yes. Totally serious. No more talk of the past. Of my father. Of anyone else but us. You and me. No one else. I don’t want to know what you did or why you did it. I want us to start over, a clean slate.”

“This is also for you?”

“Yes.” He didn’t need to bring up the whipping post or anything else. He watched her.

“As your wife?”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean I can come and go as I please?” she asked. “No more prisoner status?”

“You’ll be free to do what you want, but knowing there will always be a guard on your side. I hope Axel will consider it.”

She leaned forward, and he knew without even looking that she was touching the ink on her back.

“What about the initiation?” she asked. “What does that mean?”

“Axel has shown no interest in being with you, with us. He’s a man of many mysteries, and he likes to keep his life away from me and away from what we do.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“It’s life, and it was the one we were born into.” He took a drink of his whiskey, a little shaken he’d offered her marriage. “The offer is open until the end of the night. When morning comes, it’s gone.”

The waiter brought them their food.

Harper looked a little pale, but she didn’t require him to force feed her.

She ate the food, and they made conversation about nothing. The food. The restaurant. The weather.

Anything that wasn’t related to the topic of a wedding.

“Harper, is that you?”

Harper looked up from her dessert menu as a man with short blond hair and green eyes approached.

“Ethan,” she said.

Draven’s hands clenched into fists as he saw the man that had been willing to marry her. He didn’t like him on sight.

“I’ve been trying to call you. To find you.”

“I dropped my phone. I didn’t want to be found.”

He found himself watching her, seeing her reaction.