Page 36 of Rising Queen (Blood Empire 1)

“Look, Daddy, soon I’ll have enough to get my nails done with Uncle Neo,” Rosie says excitedly. Cass smiles and shakes his head.

“You know, Princess, we can just take you. You should save your money,” Cass says, ruffling up her hair.

“Nope,” she shakes her head. “I don’t want you to give me money. I want to earn it. You already give mommy a lot.” Her voice goes low and sullen.

Cass looks up at Axel and me, and we are both pissed. Cass doesn't ask Rosie anything more, but I can see it in his eyes. He’s wondering what else that woman has talked about in front of their four-year-old.

Rosie is crazy smart. She might be four, but it's like talking to an eight-year-old. She loves educational shows and is always watching kids YouTube on how to make things or learning about a new animal. So, it doesn't surprise me that she picks up on this kind of thing. It’s also why we watch what we say and do. Making sure not to bring work home with us. When Rosie is here, it's all about her.

“Well, speaking of nails. I know someone who always gets her nails done, and they always look really pretty,” I say, smirking at Cass as he narrows his eyes at me. Harlow has been bugging him to see Rosie for a while, but Cass is iffy on the subject. Sure, she slits men’s throats and laughs while she does it, but that means nothing. I see her eyes light up every time she forces Cass to show her new photos. I know Harlow would be amazing with Rosie. I’ve killed people, and I'm not exactly what someone would call... stable. But I'm helping to raise her too. And I think we are doing a fan-fucking-tastic job at it.

“You do?” she asks, her bright blue eyes wide.

“Yup, her name is... Queenie,” I say, catching myself because I don't want her to know Harlow's real name and repeating it to the wrong person. “She is the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Next to you, of course.” I wink at her, and she giggles.

“Is she a Queen?” Rosie asks with a head tilt.

“She’s mine,” I smile. “And you’re our Princess.”

“Does that make you Kings?” she asks, looking around at the rest of us. Dean walks out into the backyard and leans against the pen’s fencing.

“He wishes,” Dean says, then looks around the yard. He sees Bob, and his eye twitches. “Now I remember why I never come back here. This place smells and looks like a farm.”

“Well, there are two farm animals here, so it's bound to happen,” I laugh.

“Couldn't you have gotten a dog?” he asks.

“That's what I said,” Axel mutters.

“Oh, come on,” I shout and open my arms, gesturing to everything back here. “It's our very own petting zoo. And we have tons of room for add-ons. We could get more animals.”

“NO!” Axel, Dean, and Cass shout as Rosie yells, “Yay!” They all glare at me, knowing they hate to disappoint her. I burst into a deep belly laugh. I love fucking with these guys.

“Hey!” Rosie shouts. Our heads snap over to her. “Give me back my dollar!” she yells as she starts chasing after Bob. The guys start trying to catch Bob as I stand there, watching everything play out.

Dean is in a suit, so he's no help besides yelling out what they should be doing. Cass is trying to stop Rosie from getting hurt as she chases after Bob, and Axel trips over the hose we use to fill the water bucket and ends up landing face first in a pile of Susie's shit.Oops, I must have missed a spot.

Axel slowly stands up and wipes the shit from his face. I bite my lip, trying to hold in laughter. But I fail as soon as he looks at me, and the sight of him has me losing it. I'm laughing so hard that my sides are hurting.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you!” he roars as he charges towards me, cursing up a storm. Rosie yells out, “Bad words!” in between her own fit of giggles. Dean shakes his head and takes off, and Cass is holding Rosie as he laughs with her.

I, however, run. I know I can take Axel, but I prefer not to kick his ass in front of Rosie, and Axel is definitely out for blood.

I run across the lawn and into Susie's pen. He hates her and won’t come in here after me. Susie isn't a fan ofhimeither; she bites him anytime he gets too close.

“I'm gonna kill you,” he growls before taking off into the house.

“That's about a hundred bucks you owe Rosie,” I call out.

“Yay! Pretty nails,” she cheers and hugs Cass's neck tightly. He looks at me with a smile and cocked brow.

I shrug. “I saw the poop, I said nothing. Now Rosie gets her nails, and I bet Queenie would love to come.” I grin.

“Sometimes I wonder who the bigger child is. You or Rosie.”

“Uncle Neo,” Rosie says, giggling.

She's not wrong.

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