Damaged Queen (Darkness Within Duet 2)

It explained so much. Draven hadn’t changed. He was still a little minion for his father.

Tears fell down her cheeks, and the only satisfaction she had was knowing she’d hurt that bitch. All those women. They had to be let go. She had to help them, to do something that would save them.

Time passed, and she wiped the tears from her eyes. Her throat was sore from her screaming. She didn’t know what else to do.

When the car came to a stop, she wondered if he was going to push it into a river or something. She sniffled, hating how broken she felt.

The trunk opened up, and she stared up at Draven. They were back home in Stonewall, where it all began.

He reached for her, and she kicked out, hard. She made sure he felt it as well, sitting up. Draven let out a curse, but he didn’t stop there.

When he made to touch her, she slapped him away. She was very much aware of the guards, watching.

“Get off me. I don’t want you near me. Get the fuck away from me.”

She didn’t stop, and he held her, controlling her. He carried her over his shoulder even as she hit him, until they were inside his home.

“Leave us,” he said.

One by one the guards disappeared.

Harper pulled off her heels and threw them at him. “You evil son of a bitch!”

When she threw them off, she grabbed a vase and threw it. He dodged that.

“You shouldn’t have gone looking.”

“They are nothing more than slaves. You are in the human trafficking business.”

“You really didn’t know.”

“I knew you weren’t exactly legal. I didn’t know the extent of what you did. The fucking cells. The whipping post. I thought all of that was in the past. Something Axel’s father did.”

“He did do it. “

“And you don’t? Those girls are there of their own free will?” she asked.

“Harper.”

“No! You will tell me now. Alan wanted to get me out of the way because he knew you would change his ways. He knew his time for power was coming to an end while I was there. You … became him. You became the exact monster he was.” The tears fell thick and fast.

“I do what I have to do.”

She shook her head. “No. You do what you’re told to do. You do what is expected of you.” She sniffled. “You’re not going to let those women go, are you?”

“They are not mine,” he said. “I was there to deal with one that caused a problem.”

She burst out laughing. Once she started, it was impossible to stop. Holding her stomach, she kept on laughing, let it out, and snorting as she did.

Someone cleared their throat, and she saw Axel had joined them.

“Well, I guess the joke is on me, right? All those years ago, this was the life you wanted. The life you all envisioned. Pimps, criminals, bullies, rapists, murderers.”

“I’ve never taken a woman against her will,” Draven said.

“You help rapists. Every man that touches them, every woman that does the same, you help them because you keep them captured. You paid for them. If not those women in those cages like fucking dogs, then it was others. Other women at other times.” She couldn’t stop crying thinking about it. She saw Draven from the past. “I ran to keep you guys safe. I don’t care anymore if you believe it or not. It doesn’t matter. No matter what, I didn’t cause this. I didn’t make you buy those girls. I didn’t make you do anything.” She stepped back. “I won’t be part of this. I can’t be, not anymore. Not after all I’ve done before this.”

“Harper,” Draven said.

“You can kill me, Draven. I’d gladly die rather than be by your side, knowing that … you take them. They have a life, too. Not working for you. They have worth, so much of it, and I can’t do this. Not this.” She turned on her heel and was about to walk away to her room. She stopped and walked right up to him. “What is it you do?”

“Go to your room, Harper. Now.”

“You can’t even say it, can you? You can’t even acknowledge what you are? I’m a human trafficker! It’s what I did. I helped sell girls. There is proof out there about what I did, and it kills me. I can’t look at myself in the mirror because of all that I’ve done. I have to live with that, but I don’t pretend I’m something I’m not.”

She glared at him, and Draven glared back. He took a step toward her, but she stayed right where she was.

“I’m a murderer, killer, I buy and sell women to be used for whatever purpose their owners want. I run drugs and guns, and I have control of over half a city, maybe even more within a couple of days. I took my father’s legacy, and I made it grow. Women earn a lot of money on their backs, Harper. I’m just one of many who use it.”