Page 35 of The Broken Queen

A low groan coming from the bed snapped me out of the daze I was in. I looked up and noticed Raven starting to move, so I quickly put the book down the way it was and stood up.I’ll find another time to dive into the journal, that is, if she doesn’t try to hide it.

I made my way to the bed, not caring anymore if she knew I was here or not. That’s how we got in this situation in the first place. She thought I was some sort of hallucination. I leaned over, checking for anything out of the ordinary. Apart from some sweat accumulating on her forehead, she seemed to be okay. Placing my hand on her head to feel her temp, her eyes popped open.

Those violet eyes were dim, losing their spark every single day. The part of me that had loved her once was worried about her overall well being, but the current version of me wanted to see her suffer.How had we gotten to this point? Where the hatred for her outweighed the love and passion I once held?

She licked her lips and tried to sit up.

“Probably not a good idea,” I said.

A frown crossed her features, “What happened?”

I pursed my lips and clenched my fists. I was trying to reign in this anger that I had with her. She was the only person who could get under my skin and piss me off to the point of no return. “You tried to kill yourself. The doc said there were underlying injuries on your wrists. How often have you tried to do this?”

Her brows pulled together before she schooled her features. “It’s none of your business what I do anymore.”

The stubborn bitch she was, started moving as if she was going to get out of bed. If she planned to do that and make herself more weak than she already was, I wouldn’t stop her. Maybe her being gone would eliminate this need I had to be near her.

“You are my daughter’s mother. Technically, you are my business.”

She scoffed as she sat up. “You gave up that right a long time ago, Slade. Why are you here? To torment me? Kill me?”

I backed away as she swung her legs over the bed, ignoring the doctor’s orders for rest.She should’ve known that’s not how Raven’s mind or body works.

This woman knew how to drive me absolutely insane. There was a want, no, a need to know how much she had been hurting herself. Was she planning to take her life? Was she training for something? What was going on?

I gritted my teeth. “I just am.”

A laugh escaped her lips, “Yeah, and I was born yesterday.” She slowly stood up and used the nightstand as a crutch before she moved to the bathroom, stopping at the picture on the wall.

My eyes squinted to see the picture. It was a picture of her and her mom when Raven was younger.

She stood straight, barely moving, as if the picture took her breath away. Her mother died years ago, but that pain still lingered inside her. I remember the Queen’s funeral as if it were yesterday. I had never seen Raven so emotionally broken. For the King to announce her as Queen in front of the whole kingdom on a day we were supposed to be remembering her mom, was the cruelest fucking thing I had ever witnessed.

My hand went to my chest, trying to rub away the ache of seeing her in pain. I wasn’t supposed to have feelings for her anymore.Why was letting her go so hard to do?

Raven cleared her throat and disappeared into the bathroom. A sigh escaped me as I sat on the edge of the bed, putting my head in my hands, trying to figure out what the hell to do.What is the next step? Where do I go from here? How do I get back what was rightfully taken from my family?

“Are you okay?” I looked up to see her leaning against the doorframe, looking like sin stepped out of a playboy. She was half naked, wearing a shirt that barely covered her knees. Seeing her like this, I knew she was starting to feel better if the twinge of pink in her cheeks were an indication of anything. I stood up and got close to her. She sucked in a breath when I was standing directly in front of her, my hand going to the base of her neck. Something came over me, all the anger I was harboring faded away momentarily as I brought her face up to mine.

We had been in this position so many times, but there was something different about this particular moment. My chest constricted because I wanted nothing more than to fall back into her trap and be with her for the rest of my life, but I was still so angry. Hurt. Betrayed at what she did. The logical part of me knew it wasn’t her, that there was someone else who caused me to spend all that time in prison, but it was her that didn’t fight for me. She didn’t try to get me out. She forgot about me, and I wouldneverforgive her for that.

Her lips parted, and I lost control. I leaned down and touched her lips with mine, sending a wave of ecstasy through our bodies. I knew she was weak so I wouldn’t go as far as ravishing her body, but her lips were so tantalizing, I didn’t want her to forget who she belonged to.

With Zeke as a threat and the King breathing down her back, she was getting lost in the pressure and unable to live. I may have had my underlying issues with her, but if something happened to Raven, my daughter would be completely lost. I couldn’t have that. Not when that little four-year-old brought so much light in the darkest of times.

Our lips moved together, and I slightly moved so her back would hit the wall. I licked the seam of her lips, trying to get her to open for me so I could easily slide my tongue inside and take complete control. That’s what I wanted, to take control of this woman and make it so she had no control over me. She needed to bend at my beck and call, not the other way around. I was going to use her, and destroy her soul in the process of getting my revenge, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t play with her.

I swallowed the moan that came from her mouth and went deeper. My hand moved down from her neck, over her breasts, all the way down to the base of her shirt. Her leg slid up to where it wrapped around my body, bringing me closer. My fingers dipped under the shirt and found her core, where I started to gently rub. My lips left hers and went to the base of her neck, licking and sucking every inch of skin I could reach.

Her skin was soft, like a feather or a blanket. She smelled like roses and strawberries, a scent that I wanted to devour every time I got a taste of her on my tongue.

“Slade,” a low whisper came from her mouth and that drove me insane. My fingers began to rub her clit harder, eventually sliding in, pumping in and out.

“Jesus Christ, Rav. You’re so fucking wet. Goddamn.” She was weak and I shouldn’t have pushed her to the limit, but I couldn’t think rationally. I should’ve pulled away, but instead I removed my fingers, picked her up and dumped her on the edge of the bed.

She was sprawled out, her shirt lifted and exposing her midriff. I was tempted to take the whole damn thing off, but the sight of her laying back, eyes wide and seductive, lips swollen and red, just waiting to suck my cock.

She sat up, bracing her weight on her arms, her eyes twinkling with mischief and desire. I lifted her shirt and removed her underwear.

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