Page 84 of Crowned Queen (Blood Empire 2)

Evie

“HEY,” CASS SAYS, TAKINGa seat next to me at the bar.

“Hey,” I say, looking away from the girls performing.

“Life’s been crazy. I’ve been meaning to check in on you. How are you doing?”

I give him a smile. Out of all of Harlow’s guys, he’s the one I can tolerate the most. I mean they all turned out to be good men.Well, except Axel.I’m still waiting for Harlow to kick his ass. I know it's coming and someone better film it.

“You know what? Despite a few unfortunate things that have happened lately, life’s been good,” I say, looking at the stage where Harlow is dancing with some of the girls. It’s a slow night so they’re kind of just doing what they want up there.

“Has Queenie been treating you well?”

I turn back to him with a look of surprise. “Of course she is. Why would you think she wouldn't?”

“Queenie’s not exactly the cuddliest person when it comes to her feelings.”

“Maybe not with you,” I snort. “It’s different with us. We have a bond that's so strong, it’s bypassed any wall she built around her heart and mind. Sorry.”

He lets out a lighthearted chuckle. “You do have a point. But she's been coming around.”

“Heard you finally got laid since she’s been back.” I smirk. He chokes on his drink, looking at me with a raised brow.

“And you know that how?”

“Dude, she tells me everything. Some things I could go without knowing. Did you forget we were best friends before anything else?”

“Right. Guess I should have expected that. So... what did she say about me?” he asks, trying to hide a smile behind his cup.

“Sorry, but that I can not say. What I can tell you is that it's nothing bad.”

“I can live with that.” He grins.

“She loves you guys, a lot,” I say, closing my laptop. I look over at the stage as Alex gets up to do her set. Harlow is off to the side, her skin shining with sweat and I just wanna go over there and lick it off her.

“She loves you too.”

I find myself smiling as she laughs at something one of the girls said. “There are no words to describe the things I feel for that woman,” I tell Cass. “I’m just glad she's willing to let me in this family she's building.”

“Look, I may have come first, and I know what she feels for all of us individually is strong. She would never have let us get close if it wasn't, but what she feels for you, it's always going to top what she feels for us. We’ve all accepted it. Well, not Neo, he will forever be in denial, but it’s not worth fighting him on it.”

“Nah, let the crazy bastard think what he wants,” I laugh. His words ease the doubts that I’ve kept to myself. Knowing that she won’t leave me behind satisfies my heart.

“What's going on over there?” Cass asks, pointing to all of the girls as they run out onto the stage.

“Oh boy,” I say. “Not sure, but Lila, one of our girls, got dumped. Took all of Queenie’s willpower not to go out and kill the man. But it was just a regular breakup, two people growing apart, so she can't really do anything about it. Plus, Lila doesn't want that. So, I think we're about to see Queenie’s version of‘cheering up her friends.’”

“Is it different from her normal shows?” he asks, watching Harlow throw on a red feather boa.

“Queenie dances how she wants. She almost never has a dance routine unless it's with a group, so expect anything at this point.”

Seeing Harlow like this, letting loose and enjoying herself sends excitement through my belly. She's been doing amazing with opening up since she came back, but all that hurt, pain, and trauma can fuck with a person's head. The Harlow I first met wasn't this cold, hard person. Years of assault slowly wears on your brain, and chips away at your soul. It forces you to choose between succumbing to the devastation that is your life or shut yourself off. She shut herself off, leaving the door open just a crack for me.

After we got out, she slowly started opening the door, but it took special people to be able to get a sneak peek beyond that crack.

The things Triver did to her, and what he let those men do to her, fills my veins with fury.My heart breaks for her every time I think about it.

For me, that life was what I grew up in. I was only thirteen when I was sold to Triver. No one was allowed to have sex with me until I was eighteen, but I was forced to do other fucked up, disgusting things. Then my virginity was auctioned off to the highest bidder.

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