Page 85 of Crowned Queen (Blood Empire 2)

What was it that saved me from being raped so young you might ask? Especially since other girls they kidnapped and sold didn't get that same courtesy. Well... it’s because Triver was my uncle.Yup, how fucked up is that?

My crackhead of a mother owed her brother a ton of money, and instead of selling our house, car, or other material items, she sold me.

Thank fuck, my uncle never touched me himself, but he did stand there and watch while other monsters did.

He used to praise how his niece and his hummingbird were so close. His two highest moneymakers, and prized possessions.

When Harlow came up with the idea to burn the place down and everyone in it, she asked me if I'd be okay with it, knowing he was technically my family and all. I never agreed to something so fast in my life. The only regret I had was that I wasn't the one to kill him myself. No, that was Harlow’s right. She earned it.

When Harlow was tossed into the bottom bunk that night, I took it as a sign from God that she was meant to be mine. I never had a roommate in all the years I was there. All the other girls were corralled into small rooms with mattresses on the floor. The only time they would get to shower was when it was their night to dance, or someone requested them.

Harlow and I had beds off the floor, and although the others had toilets, we also had a sink. It might not sound like a lot, but having the chance to freshen up and have something that gives you the illusion that you’re still human does wonders for the psyche. I remember the frigid nights when our feet would get so cold that we would sit on the counter, filling up the sink with hot water, and just let our feet soak until our bodies warmed up.

We’d also share the bottom bunk, using the extra blankets to help keep warm. It wasn’t much, but we made do with what we had. To be honest, I didn't care about all that was missing from my life. When I was in her arms, all the nightmares went away and were replaced with what our lives could be outside of that prison. I often dreamed about Harlow and I getting married and having a chance at a real life.

Never did I think it would have turned out this way, with her being a ruthless killing avenger. But in a way, it's so much better because the amount of demons that she has and will slay, makes the world a better place than it was the day before.

I was starting to get worried about her. The more she killed, the more she was slipping into darkness, and even I wasn't able to keep her in the light. But these guys... they were the final piece that she needed to anchor herself to that line between dark and light. It's not that I’m not needed, just that I wasn't enough in that sense and that’s okay. To make this work, she needs each of us for different reasons. What she gets from me, she wouldn’t be able to get from the guys and vice versa. But I know now, that if one of us leaves, it will send her crashing down and sinking below the darkness with no way to reach the surface.

I don't care what she does with them. I'm just grateful that I have a piece of her heart. That's all I ever wanted, and I’ll never let her regret giving our relationship the chance to move in a different direction.

“Alright my lovelies! Tonight we are going to do things a little differently. You see, my girl, Lila, got dumped,” Harlow announces and the crowd starts to boo. “Right?!” Harlow grins. “I wanted to deal with him, but Lila asked me not to.” She rolls her eyes, and the crowd laughs. “So, to cheer her up, we're going to have a bit of fun and let loose. So, I hope you all don't mind my crazy random self. Because even if you do, oh fucking well, bitches!” She cheers and the crowd joins her.

Neo is in the front row, whooping and making a scene. I smile at how devoted he is to her. They match each other’s level of crazy and that's not something the rest of us can offer her.

Ruby comes out dressed as a guy and the songOver Itby Ashnikko comes on. Harlow starts singing to Ruby, who I think is meant to be Lila’s ex.

Harlow gets into Ruby’s face, singing the song. When the part about the teddy bear plays, Harlow grabs a teddy bear, ripping the head right off, and sends stuffing flying everywhere. My eyes go wide when she brings out a red can of spray paint and draws a dick on Ruby’s shirt.

“Well, this is going to beveryinteresting,” Cass says with an amused look on his face.

“Did you expect anything less from our girl?” I grin.

“Never.”

She continues singing the song but is now addressing the audience while swaying her hips to the music.

During the next verse, someone tosses her something. It’s a big ten-inch vibrating dildo. When the song makes a buzzing noise, she switches it on.

For the next few words, she just waves the thing around, but when it says, “you can suck it,” she places it on her pubic bone and does the windmill motion with it. Neo is losing his shit as he cheers her on, laughing his ass off. She tosses it at Neo and when he catches it, he holds it up in the air like someone catching a drum stick at a rock concert.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that's our woman up there,” Cass says under his breath, but the look on his face is one of pure love. This is one of my favorite things about Harlow. She can be so carefree and fun. She doesn't care what people think of her. You take her for who she is or you can fuck off.

She never apologizes for being herself.

When the song is over, Lila gets up on stage and hugs her. People start throwing money at them, and Harlow tells her the money made during that song is all for her.

I just fell in love with her ten times harder, all over again.

Harlow hops off the stage and makes her way over to us. “Enjoy the show?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows before pulling me into a heated kiss that has my pussy pulsing and my knees going weak.

“That was some grade A, Broadway material right there.” Cass laughs, shaking his head.

“Thank you! Glad someone notices my talents,” Harlow says, grinning up at him.

“Oh, I see many of your talents,” he says, giving her a heated look.

“Nope. Nope. Not right now,” Harlow says, grabbing ahold of my hand. “Tonight, I’m with my girl.”

“You two have fun!” Cass calls after us, his voice filled with amusement. We pass Neo, the dildo over his dick as he thrusts it at Axel, who grabs the thing from him and beats him upside the head with it.

Harlow snorts out a laugh and turns to me. “Thank you,” she says.

“For what?” I ask as we stop at the main door.

“For keeping me going long enough to get out of that Hell. And then continuing to do the same after that. My life wouldn't be the way it is right now without the strength you lent me, time and time again.”

My eyes prick with tears, but she wipes them away before they fall. We go back to my place, and she shows mejusthow thankful she is, over and over again. All night long.

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