Damaged Queen (Darkness Within Duet 2)

It had been the final deal that had brought Alan down. Draven had taken over in the hope of ending it. He’d only become more embroiled within it.

Running his hand across his face, he went to his father’s image and set about destroying it, smashing the glass, not caring where the shards fell, and making sure there was nothing left.

With the image in pieces, he threw them onto the fire, and went back to his drink.

Blood coated his hands, and he wiped them down his shirt. The blood stained the pristine white fabric.

He kept on drinking until he started to feel numb, and after finishing one bottle, he moved onto the second.

Halfway down the second, he knew he needed to go and see Harper.

To tell her that he loved her.

He walked up to his bedroom, and when she wasn’t there, he went straight to her room. Not the one where he’d killed a man, but the one where he’d fucked her into oblivion.

Draven wasn’t quiet as he opened the door. It slammed against the wall, and Harper sat up. She had been lying down in sleep, and he saw her eyes were all puffy, even with his double vision.

“Hello, my queen,” he said.

“Draven, what do you want?” she asked.

“You’re right. I can’t look in the mirror. Not unless I’ve got you standing in front of me or your pussy is on display.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Maybe. I’m a little drunk, but I need to say this to you. It’s really, really important, so, shh.”

“Draven?”

“Shh.” He pressed a finger to his lips. “We don’t have time to talk. Not now. I don’t look in the mirror. I don’t like what I see. I’ve never liked what I see.” He touched his chest. “I’ve got a darkness inside, and it’s spreading. I can’t control it, and I want to. I want to make it stop, but I can’t. It’s always there. Always lurking and waiting to come out. I saw it in you, Harper. You feel pain just like me. When you left, I was torn apart. I didn’t want to feel anymore, so I did his bidding. I did whatever he asked for because it was easy. I didn’t have to think of all that I lost, and I lost you. I did everything to get you. Got Axel, Jett, and Buck on board. I knew that four of us against our fathers, we’d win. I didn’t win. I lost, big time.”

“What are you saying?”

“You can run. You can run a thousand miles, and even a hundred million miles, but I will find you.”

“You’re drunk, Draven.”

“I know I’m drunk, and I know that this is going to be the only time I say this. I can’t let you go. I don’t want to let you go. I know you hate me right now, and you’re justified in that. I love you. It’s why I can’t let you go. Even after everything I’ve done and we’ve been through together, I love you. I think you’re the best person in my fucking world, and I can’t let you go. It makes me selfish. I don’t want to lock you in my tower and throw away the key. I want to keep you protected. To love you. To make sure I never break your heart like your dad did to your mom. There’s a lot I want to do with you and for you. I can’t lose you, Harper. I can handle everything else but losing you.”

With that, he fell to the floor in sleep.

Chapter Fourteen

Harper blew across her coffee to try and cool it down. She wanted to be out of the house before Draven finally woke up.

She tried to pull him onto the bed, but he was far too big and heavy. She ended up putting a pillow beneath his head, and some blankets over him.

He’d also snored.

In all the time they were together, she couldn’t remember him ever snoring, and the sound had kept her awake all night long.

She looked up as Ian entered the kitchen. It had been a few weeks since she last saw him. He smiled at her, and she simply watched him.

“Is Draven around?” he asked.

“Do you know everything that goes on in Draven’s life?”

“Harper?”

“You know all the business deals he’s part of. Do you know the complete truth about Hannah?” she asked.

“I know a great deal of it.”

She chuckled. “I knew that their parents were into it, but I figured Draven would move on from it.” She looked toward her father. “He’s not. He’s in it deeper than his father, and now he wants me to marry him.”

Harper hadn’t put on the ring. She’d seen it on the floor on her way downstairs, and had gone and put it in his office so he knew she didn’t steal it.