Page 47 of Crowned Queen (Blood Empire 2)

“No.” Rosie shakes her head. “Your scream scared me.”

Neo bursts into a fit of laughter, making Axel’s face turn a darker shade of red.

“Fuck you! Fuck all of you!” Axel shouts, turning around and storming out.

“Hey! Don't go!” Harlow calls out while laughing. “There’s still the after-party.”

“By after-party, do you mean?” I say, looking at Rosie, not wanting to say the words.

“Yup,” Harlow says, popping the P, extra perky. “First one back and it's long overdue. I’m really itching to play.”

“I wanna play!” Rosie says.

“We will play another time, baby girl. Penny is going to come and pick you up, and Sam said he's okay with you guys hanging out with him to have a sleepover.”

“Yay!”

Rosie has met Sam a few times, and she's really taken a liking to him. She loves to ramble on about all her favorite toys, shows, and movies, and he just sits there with a smile on his face, listening to everything she has to say.

I might like the guy well enough, but what I don't enjoy is the look Harlow gets whenever she's around him. I don't mind sharing her with my cousins, and, hell, even my brother, Evie is a given, but him?I don't know.I do know that I don't think that man is ready for any of that yet. So I won’t worry about it for now.

Axel has been spending more time over there too. I don't know if it's because he just likes hanging out with his new friend, or if he wants to get away from Harlow.

We go back to the shelter's booth, and we are beyond happy to see that every little critter they brought had gotten a new home.

“So, Rosie, you still haven't told us what you wanted as your birthday present?” Harlow asks as we wait outside the carnival grounds, waiting for Penny and Evie.

Rosie fidgets with her fingers and looks up at Harlow with a shy look. “Can I get a new sister?”

Harlow crouches down in front of her. “Not right now, sweetie. We don't need a baby right now, we already have you,” she smiles.

“Not a baby,” Rosie says. “My friend at school.”

Harlow looks up at me, her brows pinched in confusion. “What do you mean?” I ask, not quite sure where she's going with this.

“My friend, Abby. She doesn't like her house. She says she wishes she had a new mommy and daddy.”

“How come?” Harlow asks.

“I can't say.” Rosie shakes her head.

“Hey, remember when we first met, and I told you you could tell me anything?” I can tell by the look on Harlow's face it pains her to remember that time, but if she's bringing that up she really wants Rosie to trust her right now. There's something Harlow is sensing that we’re not.

“She always comes to school with bruises. She tries to hide them and told me I couldn’t tell anyone.” A determined look takes over her small features. “I know you get the bad guys. And Mama, he's a bad, bad guy.”

Harlow looks ready to blow. I can see it in her body language that it's taking everything in her to be calm for Rosie.

“What did he do?” Harlow asks softly.

“He did what my stepdaddy would do.” Rosie looks to the ground. My stomach threatens to empty, rage filling my veins.

“But she didn't get gifts and candy to be quiet. Her daddy hits her instead.” She looks up at Harlow with tears in her eyes. “Mama, can we please save her too?”

I bite my lip, holding back my tears.

“Thank you for telling me, baby girl. We will save her, I promise.”

The look on Rosie’s face at how happy she is with her mother’s words fucking destroys me.

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