Harper stood.
He saw how awkward she looked. Unsure. Nervous.
“Look, I can see that you’re pissed.”
“You think I’m pissed.”
“What happened ten years ago, I can explain.”
“You want to explain to me why you betrayed me. Betrayed all of us?”
“I didn’t betray you.”
He stared at her. The urge to hit her was strong, but he wasn’t going to. If he started hitting her right now, he wouldn’t stop.
He had big plans for her.
“I don’t want to deal with you tonight.”
Putting his whiskey down on the counter, he grabbed her arm and pulled her along the corridor. He passed men who didn’t even look at him.
He forced their loyalty, tested them relentlessly. They all knew not to interfere with his dealings. People who came onto his property were always handled by him.
Draven only employed people who were loyal to him. Those that were loyal, were always handsomely rewarded, and those that weren’t, suffered. He made sure every man and woman were given the option. Those that failed didn’t live to see another day.
He headed out into the garden, down the steep path, and across the small field.
“Draven, what are you doing? Please, stop. You’re scaring me.”
He didn’t let go even as he heard the fear in her voice.
Ten years ago, he’d have pulled her into his arms, protected her, stopped her from feeling fear or pain, or anything. All fucking four of them would have been there for her. She’d belonged to all of them, but she had to go and throw it in his face, in all of their faces.
Now, he relished her fear, wanted it.
He wanted her to experience everything he’d felt in the past ten years, but also, what he’d had to deal with after she left.
“Will you stop and just talk to me?”
Talking was over.
He got to the building. This was where they kept the disobedient women that were brought here. A couple of days out here in the winter, and well, some women died because of it, men too.
Oh, yes, rather than fight the inevitable, he’d expanded into men but taken kids off the menu. He had some morals still at least.
Harper fought him, trying to pry his fingers from around her wrist. Draven held her tightly and pulled her down into the cells.
Opening one up, he threw her inside and locked the door. Harper cried out as she landed on the hard ground. He held the bars of her cell tightly, staring down at her. She looked so small, so fragile, breakable.
Draven intended to break her. He was going to hurt her. This was just the beginning.
She got up, and the sound of a rat scurrying echoed in the small space. She turned her head, and he saw the tears fall down her cheeks. She looked pretty when she cried.
“What happened to you?” she asked.
He smiled. “What happened to me?”
“You heard me.”
“Nothing happened to me, Harper. I grew up. I saw that there was no point in fighting this. Fighting who I am.”
She stepped toward the cage, and he saw she limped.
“Who you are?”
He smiled at her.
“You’ve become the exact monster your father wanted.”
“You want to talk about my father?”
“Where is he? Is he laughing right now? Joyous in knowing he got what he wanted.”
Draven smiled again. “My father is dead.”
“Oh,” Harper said.
“Yes, I killed him.”
She swallowed and looked away.
“What’s the matter, Harper? Can’t handle it?”
“You killed your own father and yet you’ve let mine live?” she asked.
“Oh, yes, you see, my father betrayed me. He didn’t like that not only did I take this place, and expand, I moved him from the top. When I decided to help him, to make all of this mine, my end game wasn’t the same as his. I’m a fucking king, and there’s no way I’d work to put someone else in my place. I don’t follow. I lead.”