Damaged Queen (Darkness Within Duet 2)

Seeing the anger flash across Ian’s face, he laughed. “You really think that she loves you?”

“I’m not here to talk about Hannah.”

“No, I’m sure you’re not. You’ve still not handed her back though, have you?” Draven shrugged.

“What happened to you, Draven?” he asked.

“What’s the matter, Ian? Don’t like the man I’ve turned into?”

“You’re a better man than your father ever was, and you know it.”

Draven laughed. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to help you sleep at night.”

“I got a call from Harper.”

This made Draven pause. Hannah had said Ian got a phone call that had spooked him, not who it was.

Now, he was fucking pissed. “And?”

“She … she’s getting married,” Ian said. “She sounded lost, and I don’t know, as if something was bothering her.”

“Why didn’t you come to me with this?”

“She’s my daughter, Draven.”

“And she’s a woman that is on my ultimate shit list. I think you need to understand here, Ian. You or her.”

He pulled out his gun and stared over at Ian. The man went white.

“You think I’m a good guy, but I’m not. I never have been. I’m not a man to mess with, Ian. What else do you know?” he asked.

Ian shook his head. “I don’t have anything else. I don’t … this is the number she called on.” He handed him a slip of paper, and Draven laughed.

“Even after all this time, you’ll sell out your daughter to make sure you live.”

“You don’t have to hurt her, Draven.”

“You’re right. I don’t have to. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to. So, she’s still alive. This is interesting news.” Draven laughed.

“Don’t, Draven, please, I’m begging you.”

“I’ll kill you. Would you like that? Life for a life.”

“What did Harper do to you?” Ian asked.

Draven stared at Ian, and the temptation to shoot him in the head was strong. He could do it, make Hannah clean up the mess. Maybe he should save it for when Harper was back in town and make her watch as he tortured her father.

He wondered if she’d even care.

Staring down at the number, he smiled.

“She left.”

“Women leave, Draven. It’s the way of life.”

“Your ex-wife killed herself because of a broken heart. It is not, nor will it ever be, the same fucking thing,” Draven said. “If you want to save your daughter, then offer your life up on a slab, and I’ll kill you instead of her.”

He stood, waiting.

Ian did nothing.

He said nothing, and Draven burst out laughing.

“Some men, they think they’ve got what it takes to make the ultimate sacrifice, but when they’re faced with a real challenge, they’ve got fuck all to offer.” Draven lifted up the number. “Thanks for this.”

He walked out of the office. Hannah was waiting by the door. She held a smile.

“I did good?”

Draven stared at her.

All of her good looks were long gone. In the war that broke out in Stonewall, she’d put on a considerable amount of weight, and age hadn’t been kind to her. He could imagine Ian was regretting his decision to go with Hannah. From what he remembered, his first wife was a stunner even as she aged.

For a fleeting second, he wondered how Harper had aged.

Pushing that aside, he made way for the anger, for the pain that always took its place.

“You’re still getting paid, aren’t you?” He left the house and climbed into the backseat of the waiting limo.

His driver didn’t say a word as they took him to his home. Axel’s old place. He wouldn’t walk down the street, not to talk to anyone.

They were all afraid of him, which was how he wanted it to be.

Once at his home, he climbed out and headed into his office. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed Axel’s number.

“Oh, yeah, baby, give it to me. Give me that big fat cock. I need it. I want it. Please, Yes, oh yes, oh yes.”

There was another feminine scream and Axel’s chuckle.

“What can I do for you?”

“Your current girlfriend?”

“You know I love the good girls. This one is so beautiful and sweet.”

“What were you doing to her?” Draven asked, mildly amused.

“Me? I was doing nothing to her. I’ve got my bodyguard pumping away inside her. I have a gift, Draven, you know that. A gift of making a woman do exactly as I want. I use it to my advantage.”

“Yeah, well, guess what?”

“You miss me and want me to fuck you,” Axel asked.

Draven burst out laughing. “Harper called her father.”

Silence from Axel met his reply.

The sex was still going on in the background. The sounds faded to silence, and he heard the door close.

“What do you want to do?” Axel asked.

“What makes you think I want to do anything?”

“I know you, Draven. After all this time, you’re going to want revenge for what she did. You want me back home?”