Damaged Queen (Darkness Within Duet Book 2)

by Sam Crescent

  “Yes, what the fuck were you thinking?”

  “I was chained to a whipping post, Draven. I was desperate.”

  “You think your lies are going to save you.”

  Her hands clenched into fists. “My ‘lies’ are the only thing that will save me. If Axel doesn’t find it, I will let him kill me.”

  “I won’t let him.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’ll find a way. He’s part of the Stonewall foursome. You know he’ll do what is necessary.” She went to turn away, but he caught her wrist, stopping her from leaving.

  “Did you enjoy your swim?” he asked.

  “You shoot hot and cold so fast you’re giving me whiplash.”

  “Good. It’s what I want.” He pulled her around to his side of the desk, seating her in front of him.

  He sat down, took hold of the towel, and spread it open, staring at her. The swimsuit she wore did little to hide her body.

  Pulling out Jett’s knife, he watched her tense.

  “I’m not going to kill you. I’ve now got to figure out a way to stop Axel from killing you.”

  “I find your lack of faith in me insulting.”

  “I told you, the past is put to bed. There is no room for it in our future.” He cut the straps of her swimsuit and pulled the chest away from her, slicing it down the center. Another two cuts and it opened away from her body, giving him an uninterrupted view of what belonged to him.

  “You can’t change the deal I made.”

  “I’m not going to have anything happen to you.”

  She smiled. “Are you worried that I’m going to be able to prove what happened ten years ago?”

  “There’s no chance of that,” he said.

  He turned her around so that she was flat against the desk. Anything in her way or that could cause her pain, he pushed to the floor and ran his hand up her back to cup her neck. He stroked back down to her ass and spread her cheeks.

  Draven stared at the puckered hole of her anus and her wet, creamy cunt. Both were begging to be fucked.

  He opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out a tube of lubrication. Opening the cap, he pressed some above her anus and watched the clear liquid drip down.

  When he had enough on her, he dropped the lube back in the drawer. She gasped as he slid his fingers between her crack, stroking over her asshole.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m playing.”

  “Shouldn’t you be working?”

  “Probably, but right now, I want to watch you.”

  With his other hand, he cupped her pussy, sliding two fingers inside her, watching her open up for him, taking his fingers. Soon, he’d fill her with his cock, and when he did, she’d scream for more.

  As he pushed a finger inside her asshole, she let out a pained grunt, and he gave her time to get accustomed to that one finger.

  His patience was wearing thin, and he wanted to own every single part of her. With Axel’s presence, he felt this overriding need to take her, to claim her, to know that every single part of her belonged to him and him alone.

  He pumped his finger inside her ass until she started to wriggle back against him. Her pussy was already soaking wet, and he finger-fucked her with his other hand, working up a pace for her to love it. He added a second finger into her ass and started to spread his fingers so it would stretch her asshole wider.

  “I’m taking this today.”

  She moaned.

  “I’m going to fuck you and fill you, baby. You’re going to be my own personal fuck toy. No more sharing. No one else is going to see what belongs to me.”

  He worked her ass at the same time as her pussy, driving her toward an orgasm but refusing to let her find release. Whenever she was close, he’d stop teasing her, and that would drive her crazy.

  She’d whimper and moan his name, begging for more of what he could give her.

  Only him.

  Seeing Ethan, he knew he couldn’t allow another man near her. Even Axel was off limits to her.

  With her ass prepared, he his cock out of his pants and worked more lube into his length. He let go of her pussy to put the tip of his cock at her asshole. She tensed up, and he gave her ass a slap. “Relax.”

  “Kind of hard to do.”

  He chuckled. “You’re going to love it.”

  Slowly, inch by inch, he stretched her asshole, making her take all of him. She let out a little whimper, but it didn’t stop him.

  When she’d taken most of his cock, he stroked her clit, and brought her even more pleasure as he worked her body.

  She rocked back against him, sinking the last few inches of his dick within her. He was balls deep in her tight ass.

  Staring down at her body, he continued to finger her clit, and as he brought her to orgasm, he gritted his teeth. The pleasure was so intense it nearly set off his own release, only his control keeping him in check.

  He started to pull out of her, and she cried out. Cupping her hips, he rocked back and forth, slowly, taking his time, letting her get accustomed to the feel of him inside her. “I’m going to be the one to take your cherry here as well.”

  “Fuck you,” she said.

  He slammed inside her, relishing her moans. “No, babe, fuck you. I can feel how much you love this. You’re so wet your cum is dripping down your thighs.”

  He pressed against her back, kissing her neck, biting her pulse and sucking on the skin hard. He kept on sucking so she’d have his marks. Digging his fingers against the flesh of her hips, he wanted her to wear his prints.

  Pulling out of her ass, he slid on inside, the lube making it easier for him.

  Over and over, as she got more accustomed to the feel of him within her ass, she began to take more, pushing back against him. Her moans turned to whimpers and pleas, wanting him.

  Draven gave her everything she craved and begged for, driving her toward a second and even a third orgasm before he found his own release. He didn’t pull out. He slammed to the hilt and unleashed within her ass.

  He kissed her neck and pulled her with him as he collapsed in her chair. As he wrapped his arms around her, they were both panting for breath.

  “I think I’m just going to die for a few moments,” she said.

  He chuckled, biting the flesh of her breast. “So, tell me, Harper, was that your first time being fucked in the ass?”

  “You know it was.”

  “I like that.”

  “You’re weird.”

  “When it comes to you, Harper, I like being a lot of your firsts.”

  “Am I any of your firsts though?” she asked. She tilted her head to look at him. Her blue eyes took his breath away.

  “You’re a lot of firsts,” he said.

  “I wasn’t your first lover.”

  “No. With the father I had, I didn’t have time to pick my own first. He did that for me.” He tried not to think about the past. Nothing good could come from dragging up the past. That was all over, finished.

  “Do you miss your father?”

  “No.” He gripped her hips and started to move her up off his cock. “It’s time for me to get you cleaned up.”

  “You don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I’m sticking with our agreement, Harper. We don’t talk about my father, or about the past. It’s finished, over and done with.”

  “He really did a number on you, didn’t he?”

  He cupped her face, staring into her eyes. “Let’s get you washed up.”

  ****

  Draven had an important meeting, and he’d granted her permission to do what she liked for the day but not to go to his office.

  Harper stormed out of the house, ignoring the bite of cold as it burned her skin.

  She didn’t want to stay in the damn house and would gladly move anywhere else. It was Axel’s old place, and she found as she explored the actual building, there was nothing of Draven’s there. Not a lot of work had been done to it. She’d seen Axel’s home
ten years ago. He’d taken her on a tour during one of the days she stayed with them.

  Why live in a home that wasn’t actually his? He’d not made many changes, apart from his bedroom. It was so … bland. Black furniture and white walls.

  Black and white.

  His life was all about the grey.

  Good and bad.

  She walked past the guards, ignoring their presence. One of them would follow her. They always did. She hated their invasion into her life, and so far, she couldn’t get a single thing out of them, not when it came to Draven. She wanted to know more about the man she was going to marry.

  Marriage.

  It seemed so strange to her; it still was.

  She’d never considered getting married before, not even to Ethan. With Draven though, it was different, which was why she accepted. She’d truly thought Draven’s proposal was a joke. It wasn’t. He had people on hand that she could call to give direction on how she wanted her perfect wedding to be.

  He’d even given her an engagement ring. She twisted it around on her finger as she tried to think about anything but the man she was walking away from.

  When she made to pass the cells that she’d been locked in, the scent of cigarette smoke made her pause.

  Every instinct within her was screaming to leave this place. The cells held a lifetime of memories she didn’t want to venture into. Not just for herself, but for the women who were there before.

  She stepped inside, and Axel sat on one of the disgusting beds. His back rested against the wall, a cigarette between his lips.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  “This is where I come to think, or at least in the past couple of weeks. It had been years before that.”

  She looked behind her and then entered the cells.

  “Well, well, well, getting engaged has given you a backbone.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Why are you not at home with your precious fiancé?”

  “He’s got a meeting. Shouldn’t you be part of it?”

  “Nope. I have no interest in that meeting.” He pulled the cigarette from his lips and billowed out a puff of smoke.

  “I didn’t know you smoked.”

  “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Harper. A lot you don’t know about your soon-to-be husband either.”

  “Then why don’t you tell me something?” she asked, stepping into the cell and staring at him.

  Axel smirked. “It would be too easy to tell you everything. Some things you need to work out for yourself.”

  “You’re being really cryptic right now.”

  “I know. It’s the story of my life.”

  She sighed. Glancing out the window, she stared up at the house. “You don’t like it here?”

  “I’ve never liked it here. Growing up with Draven and the guys, I’d hoped we’d demolish all of this shit. Put it all behind us and never look back.”

  “That didn’t happen?”

  “Nope. It has never happened. You see, Harper, when you left, it set off an entire shitstorm of events. What we wanted, never came to pass.” He took another long drag on his cigarette.

  “Did you find anything about that day?” she asked.

  “Not a damn thing. Don’t worry though. I’ve got a couple of other places I can look. You’re still alive and kicking for now. Ready to fight another day and to see what that lovely husband of yours is up to.”

  “You and Draven are not on speaking terms?”

  “Draven and I have our own terms of conversation.”

  “Have you been to see Stephanie?” she asked.

  He laughed. “You’re all over the place in conversation. You’re terrified.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Axel smirked. “Oh, yes, you do. I bet you’ve got an idea of what goes on in our lives. You’re not completely sure, but you’re marrying into it, and you know that if you were to know all of it, you may run again.”

  “Why don’t you make it clear to me?” she asked.

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” He was going around in circles.

  “I have my reasons, and I’m not afraid to use you to get what I want. You need to see the truth to wake him up.”

  “What kind of reasons?” she asked.

  He sighed. “You know this life isn’t normal. Having armed guards around the house. The party you were part of. The whipping post, these cells. It all tells you of a life that happened before Draven became in charge.”

  “Your parents.”

  “And they inherited it.” Axel ran fingers through his hair and sniffed his body. “I need a fucking shower, I stink.”

  “Why can’t you just tell me?”

  “Draven’s in love with you.”

  This made her pause.

  “That took you by surprise, didn’t it, sweetheart?”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Oh, I know. He’s been in love with you for fucking years. It’s because he loves you so fucking completely, which is why I can’t tell you what you need to hear. He’s still my best friend. My brother, and for Jett and Buck, if I don’t do … this, then I know we’re stuck where we are until we die. Fuck, I’m doing this to help him, to help the both of us.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “I’ll do something for you, and you’ve got to promise me, you’ll never breathe a word I told you.”

  “Go on, Axel.”

  “When you go to Tillie’s club—and you will. You’re going to have to—he’s going to get busy. Make sure you go to the basement.”

  “The basement?”

  “Yes. There you will find a great deal of … insight into part of what goes on here,” Axel said.

  He got to his feet, dropped the cigarette to the floor and stood on it, rubbing his boot along the floor to rub it out.

  “Why did you tell me that?” she asked.

  “The clock’s ticking, Harper. The wedding is fast approaching, and you can’t enter a marriage with someone you don’t have a fucking clue about. That’s all I’m going to tell you.”

  He brushed past her, and she looked toward him, watching him go. Axel was so different from who she remembered. Staring at the cells, she rubbed her arms, feeling a chill seep into her bones. Women had been killed here; she just knew it.

  The question was, how far did Draven take his father’s life?

  Stepping out of the cells, she made her way back to the house, to Draven.

  She didn’t go to his office but went to the library, pulling out the first romance book she could find. She took a seat, curled up, and read.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It took Draven three weeks before he mentioned going to visit Tillie at her club. He wanted her to go with him. Harper was torn as he stared across the dinner table at her. She was very much aware of Axel staring at her. He had yet to make a decision if he wanted to kill her or not.

  Whenever she asked him what he’d found, he kept saying he was looking.

  She didn’t know what was taking him so long, but for now, she was just happy to still be alive.

  “What?”

  “I’ve got to head out tonight on business, but I’d like you to see something. I’m going to take you to Tillie’s.”

  “The woman who used the whip on me?”

  “Yes. You will play nice tonight, Harper.”

  “Do I have much of a choice?” she asked.

  “None. You don’t have a single choice with anything. You’re going to do as you’re told.”

  “I am,” she said.

  “Please, Harper. I want to show you something, that’s all.”

  “But you’ve got business.”

  “It’s another side of that whip,” he said.

  “Fine.” If it hadn’t been for Axel’s warning, she wouldn’t have even questioned him.

  Draven�
��s cell phone rang, and she watched him step away to take the call. Since her conversation with Axel, she found herself more and more curious about him, about what he did. The full extent of what Alan had done to him, to them.

  “Remember to go to the basement,” Axel said.

  “Will you stop already? I don’t think I can handle this.”

  “Harper, do you love him?” he asked.

  She stared at him without saying a single word. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

  “He’s in love with you, Harper. It’s why he never stopped wanting to hate you.”

  “He doesn’t even believe me.” She got up. “I don’t want to have this conversation with you.”

  “Harper, you need to be ready. What you’re going to find out, you’re not going to like. That’s the only warning I’m going to give you. Draven won’t kill you, he can’t. You two are both too fucking stubborn to see the truth? Well now, I’m giving it to you, plain and clear, for you both to see.”

  With that, she left, going straight to her bedroom.

  Did she love Draven?

  She didn’t like the answer that entered her head the moment she thought of the question. He’d been in her thoughts for years, but that didn’t actually have to mean anything, did it?

  Running a hand down her face, she tried to clear the fog that was there. Everything was moving so fast. Draven, the wedding, life, everything.

  She’d been dragged out of her life and thrown into this one, and it scared her. Especially as she knew without a doubt she wasn’t going to like the truth. Alan had always been a bad person, but had Draven taken over? Was he just as bad? She put the whipping party aside, as she truly believed it was because he’d been pissed at her, angry. She even felt like she deserved it, after all that she’d done, and she never truly believed Draven was a bad guy.

  There was no way she could stay at home, lingering on her thoughts. She took a long shower and prepared herself for the night ahead. She was terrified.

  When he knocked on her door, she wanted to run.

  She didn’t run though.

  Harper got up and met him at the door. Straightening her spine, she was ready for whatever she was about to find out.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  “You clean up really well yourself. I didn’t mean to cause a fight at the table.”