Page 98 of Crowned Queen (Blood Empire 2)

Chapter 25

Sam

Life’s been prettycrazy since Harlow saved me from the pits of Hell. The moment I laid eyes on my dark, avenging angel, I knew I could trust her.

Much like her, I grew numb to the abuse and it became a part of my everyday life. Even so, I was still afraid of the world. Afraid of the evil lurking around every corner, ready to snatch me up the moment I let my guard down. It’s taken me months to accept that I’m safe, that I’m okay now, and that I have this amazing woman protecting me like I’m part of her family.

She’s given me everything. A safe place to live, food, and clothes. Anything I wanted I could have if I just asked for it, but I didn't want things that money could buy. I just want her. But that's not going to happen.Why would she want me?I'm just a damaged man who can't be around people most of the time; especially when she already has four strong, deadly men at her back along with a stunning woman to stand by her side.

Even if I can't have her in the way my heart aches for, I’m beyond grateful to call her a friend, a best friend, my family.

I’ve been pretty damn lucky in that department. Evie is also amazing. She’s always there for me, keeping me company while the others do what needs to be done. She’s someone I can talk to, laugh with, and just spend time with as my good friend.

Axel, on the other hand... He’s become one of the most important people to me. But God, that man really needs to get his head out of his ass. The way he pushes Harlow away and treats her as a way to deflect his true feelings is wrong. I know that man loves her. It's clear as day, but he's afraid. He’s afraid of being rejected again. When she came back into their lives, she was a stranger to them. A ghost from their past, so he treated her as such. But as they started to get to know the new Harlow, and her crazy counterpart, Queenie, I think he thought that he had already fucked-up so much that there was no redeeming himself, so he continued to self-sabotage.

I hate seeing him hurt like that. The pining, longing, and heartache. He needs to talk to her and tell her how he feels before they reach the point where he’s fucked up so much that she won't forgive him, or view him any other way other than an asshole who sees her for less than what she really is.A Queen.

“Hey,” Axel grunts out as he grabs a beer from the mini fridge of the rec room. “Where's Rosie?”

“Hey. Happy New Year’s Eve. Rosie is sleeping. She tried to stay up, but we’ve been playing all day, and I guess she was tuckered out.” I grin, taking the can of pop he offers me. “Where's everyone else?” I ask.

Axel tenses. “Don’t know,” he mutters.

“Weren't you with your brother and the others? You last texted me that you were going to pick up Harlow and Evie.”

“Well... things came up,” he says, not looking at me as he plops down on the couch.

“Okay...” I say, taking a seat next to him. Something is bugging him, I can tell. “Axel, talk to me.”

He sighs heavily, bending over to place his can of beer on the table. He scrubs his big hands down his face in frustration.

“We went to go pick up the girls from the club, but when we got there, Neo was there with someone for them to play with.”So, someone to kill.Got it. It used to make me uneasy how much Neo and Harlow enjoyed taking the life of another person, but it didn't take me long to realize that they only got a sense of satisfaction when it came to the people who deserved it. That they would never do something like that to an innocent person.

“Then Penny came in with her boyfriend, so we had to make sure he was good enough for her,” he says, sounding protective of the girl. I’ve met Penny a few times. She's a good kid, and the guys seem to care for her. I get it. I would too if I trusted that person enough to watch my kid.

I wonder if they feel the same way about me, or if they are only nice to me because I’m some charity case of Harlow’s.

“So, did he pass your test?” I smile, trying to distract my mind from the negative thoughts crawling up in the back of my mind.

Axel scoffs. “No one’s good enough for Penny. She's a smart, good kid. But he's alright, I guess.”

“What happened after that?” I ask, crossing my leg on the couch angling my body towards him.

“We went downstairs to do what we always do. Watch Queenie and Neo do their thing. I don't know why we stay for it. I mean, I love seeing the sick fuckers get what they deserve, but I’m more of a shot-to-the-head-and-be-done-with-it kind of person. They're the ones who enjoy the more theatrical side of it.”

I snort a laugh, and he gives me a side-eye. “From Neo’s retelling of your group activities with the guy who stole from you all, you seemed to have enjoyed yourself then.”

“He deserved it,” Axel growls. “And if I had a choice, I would have drenched him in gas and watched him burn alive; I would have gladly roasted fucking marshmallows over his burning flesh as he screamed until his lungs gave out.”

I grimace. “Not sure they would taste very good being cooked over gasoline and burnt flesh,” I say.

His scowl cracks a little, and I smile knowing I made his crappy mood a little brighter.

“True,” he says.

“Where is he?!” A voice booms from upstairs. Seconds later the sounds of footsteps come thundering down the stairs. Thank goodness we are on the other side of the mansion, meaning Rosie probably won’t wake up. I quickly check the monitor and see Rosie’s door is still closed.

“You!” Harlow bellows, pointing at Axel. She looks mad. No, enraged. What did he do now?

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