The Devil’s Chaos (The Brotherhood #2)

3. Three

3

THREE

HAVEN

I f I had a nickel for every time Winston Grey called me sexy on the way to the VIP room, I’d be one rich bitch.

“Do whatever he asks, Haven. Do you understand what I am saying?” my father had whispered as a nonchalant warning in my ear.

I’d nodded and then turned back to Winston, plastered a fake smile on my face, and told him I would love to spend some alone time with him in the Lotus room.

A VIP private room reserved for only the most special, naughty boys.

He grinned like the Cheshire cat when I pushed him down onto the hot pink leather couch and took a few steps back to let him watch me. He raised his hands, and I playfully swatted them away, pretending to be embarrassed by his advances.

“Come on, be a good girl and give me some of that sweet ass,” he purred, reaching for me.

Sweet ass? Give me a fucking break.

“Patience, Mr. Grey,” I replied coolly, trying to maintain my composure.

His face fell into a pout as he begged for more of my attention. “Your father said you are all mine to enjoy. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

It’s not that Winston Grey wasn’t attractive or anything. To the contrary. For his age, he wasn’t half-bad looking. But it felt like I was sacrificing more for this deal than my father was. Though, in the end, it didn’t matter what I wanted to do.

Although I had everything I could want in the form of material belongings, my soul had been tainted years ago, my body used for both pleasure and personal gain, all mostly for my brother. My dad turned a blind eye to most things my brother did behind his back and under the table. The only things that mattered to him were power and money; if anything threatened him having either, he would scorch the earth on whoever compromised his authority. So, when my brother would sneak into my room when I was fifteen, my father looked the other way. When my brother convinced my father to let him manage me, my father allowed it. As long as what I did or didn’t do didn’t tarnish his reputation or affect his bottom dollar, I was at the mercy of my brother and his sick and twisted fantasies. Most of them involved performing sexual favors for him. But sometimes, he would get violent, threatening to kill me for not giving him attention when he thought I should. After my mother’s death, I fought for years against my family. I thought they’d eventually get tired of me and let me leave, or I would meet the same fate as my mother, and maybe then I’d find peace.

That never happened.

I was my brother’s favorite plaything, and he made it clear he would never let me go when I was only seventeen years old.

I learned that very painful lesson when I tried to run. I left school early, took a taxi to the closest bus station, and purchased a ticket for Kansas City, Missouri. Once the bus crossed state lines, I really believed I was free.

God, I was so na?ve then.

The bus pulled into the station just as the sun rose, and I took it as a good sign. We had driven all night and hadn’t run into a single problem. Not even when we stopped for gas and snacks. I was one of the last people off the bus, and I looked around, taking in the green cornfields around the bus stop. The air was slightly chilly, so I zipped my jacket and headed toward the bathroom before deciding my next move. I washed my face and pulled my hair back into a ponytail before walking out. I hadn’t made it two feet outside the restroom when I saw Alex leaning against the side of his car. He waved at me, a look of pure amusement on his face. I turned to run and ran right into Bruno and Rocco.

I never stood a chance.

It turned out my brother and his goons had been following me from the moment I stepped foot on that bus in New York City. The school had alerted my father that I had left early, and he sent my brother after me. He rewarded my brother for finding me by allowing him to choose my punishment. My brother decided to lock me in the dark wine cellar for sixteen days. He told me I had earned a day in the cellar for each hour it took the bus to drive from New York to Kansas City. I lost track of how many hours I had spent in the dark. The only human interaction was when he would bring down scraps for me to eat—just enough to stay alive.

It’s strange what the dark can do to the human mind.

I spent hours convincing myself that every shadow wasn’t a monster and every sound wasn’t a threat. Each creak and groan of the cellar tormented me more than the last. On day sixteen, my brother decided that I had been punished enough and had become a shell of the person I had been before. Any humanity that I’d clung to was gone. I could barely stand on my own two feet, let alone think rationally, and like the shark that he was, he smelled the blood in the water, and that day, I promised him I would never run again.

And I hadn’t.

Five years had passed since that day, but the familiar feeling of dread and helplessness washed over me whenever I contemplated running. So, I played my part until I found the fail-proof opportunity to leave for good.

I let Winston Grey pull me down onto his lap, feeling his boner pressing against my ass. He groped me while he whispered lewd comments in my ear.

“You smell delicious,” he murmured, his hands gripping my ass tightly. “I can’t wait to have you.”

But I didn’t want him. I didn’t want any of this.

“Why don’t you enjoy some refreshments?” I pulled out a bag of pills from the baggie I had stored in between my breasts, placed them on the table in front of him, and unscrewed the top of the vodka bottle that was sitting on ice. He eyed them eagerly, licked his lips, and grabbed the bottle, taking several large gulps before grabbing a handful of pills and drinking them down too.

Good boy.

In my world, drugs were a currency that could sway even the most powerful and elite. Add a little pussy and some alcohol, and you could rule the world. So I played my good-girl routine, following the same steps as always, and hoped that Winston Grey would be too high when I returned to make me follow through with fucking him. I might have to endure some heavy petting and force some fake enthusiasm. Still, eventually, he’d pass out with a satisfied grin, thinking he had scored the young, hot stripper—who also happened to be his new business partner’s daughter.

“Let me just freshen up, and I’ll be right back to really get this party started,” I promised with a saccharine smile.

“Sounds good, baby,” he purred, stroking his hardness through his pants.

I offered him a small smile before slipping into the hallway and shutting the door behind me. Leaning against the cool wall, I took a deep breath to steady myself before returning to my dressing room. Once inside, I closed the door, thankful that the music was muted, and I had a bit of quiet—even if only for a moment. Standing in front of the floor-length mirror, I studied my reflection. My appearance was that of a doll: perfectly painted and dressed up for my father’s gain. So that he could parade me around to impress wealthy businessmen and gain access to every corner of New York City; he wouldn’t stop until he controlled the entirety of the city. I reapplied my lipstick and rubbed my glitter lotion into my skin, taking my time before I returned to Winston.

I heard a slight cough behind me and quickly turned. A man was sitting in a chair in the corner of my dressing room, watching me with those piercing blue eyes. Eyes that I had been distracted by when I was dancing. It was the same man from the VIP section, the one that sat alone in the corner…watching me, and I had watched him. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off of him out there. But now he was here, in my dressing room, staring at me like I was going to be his last meal.

“Jesus Christ!” I cried out in shock and stumbled backward, leaning against my vanity table for support. "What the fuck are you doing in my dressing room?”

The man remained silent as he slowly stood up and approached me. My heart raced in my chest as I took in his appearance: tall, towering over six feet, well-built—muscular and fit. He was covered in vibrant tattoos on his neck, arms, and hands. His clothing seemed to be hiding even more ink. He wore a tight dark blue T-shirt that showed off his biceps and a leather jacket reminiscent of ones worn by bikers. His jeans hugged his muscular thighs and were tucked into unlaced brown boots. I met his stare, my breath catching when I stared into his blue eyes—the color of a sky just before a storm.

“You’re not supposed to be in here.”

A dangerously seductive smile spread across his face. “Maybe not, but yet I am,” he replied in a deep, gravelly voice that made my stomach flutter.

Before I could respond, he reached out and gently cupped my cheek with his hand, his touch sending shivers down my spine. I felt like a deer in headlights, frozen where I stood, captivated by how his hand felt on my skin and the blue of his eyes.

“Who the hell are you, and what do you want?” I demanded, unable to tear my gaze away from him.

Goddamn, his eyes were amazing.

The man smiled, his expression so calm and unreadable it unnerved me.

His answer was short and straightforward. No context, just one single word.

“You.”

“Ex—excuse me?” I stuttered, swallowing hard.

“What is the daughter of the kingpin of The Collectors doing dancing in a strip club?”

“That’s none of your business,” I snapped.

“My business is your father, so you’ve become my business,” he smirked, leaning in closer, his smell a spicy cocktail of leather, tobacco, and sandalwood. “So, tell me, little lamb. Do you get paid for fucking your father’s business associates?”

His question caught me off guard but ignited a fire inside me, burning angrily to the surface. “How dare you?” I glared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. Who the hell was this guy, and why was he asking me these questions?

“Ah, so you fuck them for fun then?”

“Fun?” I scoffed, feeling my temper flare. “I do it for survival.”

He chuckled, his blue eyes never leaving mine.

“I don’t owe you any explanations,” I continued angrily. “You don’t know anything about me or my life.”

“Oh, I know more than you think, Haven Benson,” he said softly, his voice seductive.

“I think you should leave before I yell for help. Trust me, you don’t want my father or brother finding you in here.”

“Why is that?” he questioned calmly.

“They will kill you.”

“Is that so?” he raised an eyebrow at me, a devilish smirk playing on his lips.

“Yes. My father’s reputation alone should have you running with your tail between your legs.”

“I know all about your father’s reputation. And I don’t run with my tail between my legs. Ever.”

“So, you are aware that you are gambling with your life.”

He laughed a deep, hearty sound that made my stomach flutter. “Nothing worth doing is without risk, after all,” he replied, his lips curling into that devilish grin.

“This isn’t a game.”

“I think you’ll find it is,” he countered, stepping closer to me until I could feel the warmth of his body against mine.

“No, it’s not,” I acknowledged, my voice shaking slightly.

He leaned in closer, his breath warm on my face, and whispered, “But it could be.”

My heart raced as I considered his words. “I don’t know you,” I murmured.

His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Yet, you’re interested.”

“See, this is literally what happens in every scary movie. The girl trusts the hot guy with the fuck-me blue eyes and then ends up dead,” I stuttered, pushing my body farther into my vanity.

God, why did I say that out loud?

He chuckled softly, running his fingers through his messy hair, which only made him look more dangerous and alluring. What the hell was wrong with me? I should have yelled for one of the bouncers, but I didn’t. I just stood there, completely entranced by him. Clearly, my stranger danger meter was fucking broken, and if he chopped me up into tiny little pieces and threw them to the dogs, I’d probably thank him for saving me from my pathetic existence in a life I hated.

“And yet, here you are, standing in a room with me—a hot stranger with…how did you put it? Oh, that’s right, fuck-me eyes, considering my words instead of running for the door and alerting your bodyguards.”

He had a point there.

I couldn’t deny that I was drawn to him, even though he’d let himself into my dressing room and now had me cornered. There was an allure to him, pulling me in, a magnetic force that I couldn’t resist.

“What do you want from me?” I demanded, trying to sound more confrontational than curious.

"A dance,” he responded.

“A dance?”

He leaned in closer, his warm breath tickling my ear. “Just one dance, Haven Benson. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”

I hesitated for a moment, my thoughts racing like a wildfire. What was it about this stranger that made me feel so alive? The thrill of danger? The excitement of the unknown? Something my father didn’t control? Or maybe I was just a whore, as everyone thought, and the idea of something dangerous was too good to resist.

I had to get out of here, far away from this guy, before I did something foolish. I took a deep breath, “I’m sorry. I have somewhere else to be right now. I suggest you don’t come around me again because my father or brother will have you killed.”

Without waiting for his response, I pushed past him and hastily opened my dressing room door, closing it abruptly behind me. I didn’t wait to see if he followed. I knew well enough that my father was a monster. I learned that at a very young age. If I ever forgot, he would surely remind me. My brother wasn’t any better. I was his property, his personal whore. And I did what he demanded, without question, to survive under his rule.

I reached the Lotus room and pushed the door open. What I saw made my stomach drop. Winston Grey was no longer alone. He was sitting next to my brother and two other men.

“There’s my beautiful baby sister.”

I knew that look.

That was the look he had when he was up to something. Something I wouldn’t like. Something that reminded me that I was not in control of my own life.

Alex looked up, a pleased smile on his face. “I told Winston and his friends how you love making our associates feel good. It’s your specialty, really.”

I didn’t move, but gave Alex a look that personified my hatred of him. If he noticed, he didn’t seem fazed, or the least bit bothered. Instead, his lips tightened into a thin line, and he stood, straightening his suit jacket before walking toward me.

I turned and walked out the door and made it a couple of steps into the hallway before I felt his firm grip on my hair, followed by a brutal yank that sent my head snapping back. I heard a sharp crack, and my vision blurred. A wave of pain washed over me as he viciously slammed my head back against the wall.

“Do not piss me off, sister,” Alex growled.

“Is this you pissed off, brother?” I mocked.

The searing pain that roared across my cheek as he backhanded me across the face sent me stumbling, barely catching myself before I fell to the ground.

“You’ve been as stubborn as our mother, never learning your lesson, and look at where that got her, Haven,” he hissed, his eyes dark and dangerous.

I spat blood from the side of my mouth and glared up at him, letting the derision in my voice thicken. “And you’ve always been a monster, just like our father,” I sneered, hoping to rattle him.

Alex laughed bitterly. “Is that supposed to hurt my feelings? Monsters rule this world, and I am the most powerful monster here. Look around you. Do you see anyone rushing to your rescue? Of course not. And do you know why? Because you’re nothing but a whore. Just like every other woman. Just like our mother. Only good for wrapping your mouth around our cocks and birthing our spawn. There are no heroes in your story, Haven. You’ll always be exactly what I allow you to be. And right now, that’s the good little slut that is going to go back in there and please Winston and his geriatric friends so that our father can secure a very important deal and be one step closer to taking down that Brotherhood trash,” he hissed the words at me, his face twisted with hate, and the veins in his neck bulging in anger.

“Dad won’t be pleased when he learns you hit me and damaged his bargaining tool.”

“Maybe not, but once he and Winston form an alliance, he won’t care. You better not screw this up, or I’ll lock you up so far underground no one will find you.”

Why was this partnership so important?

My father was a powerful man, while Winston Grey wasn’t at the highest level of the elite. What could Winston Grey possibly have that my father wanted? Clearly enough to waste his time entertaining Winston and his associates. My father was not the one to entertain others—they entertained him.

“The way I see it, this deal with Winston Grey must be pretty advantageous if you’re willing to let a bunch of old men touch what is yours. Tell me, brother, what’s in it for you?” I challenged, baiting him.

“Archer King.”

“Archer King? The son of Cassian King?”

“The one and only.”

“But what does he have to do with our father?” It was effortless to get Alex talking, especially when his ego got in the way. He loved bragging about his intellect, and all it took was a little nudge to get him started, and secrets would pour out.

“Cassian King, along with a few others, runs New York City. Right now, they are the leaders of The Brotherhood. When Cassian gives up his throne, his son Archer will take his place. Archer is ambitious, reckless, and more of a thorn in my side than his father. He and his merry band of followers have been sabotaging our business dealings and have created quite a headache for dear old Dad, which trickles down to me since I’m trusted with ensuring that these business dealings happen. If they don’t, we don’t get paid. So, the sooner the Kings are out of the picture, the faster we can—well, that’s really none of your concern, Haven. It’s above your pay grade.”

That’s when it hit me.

I could trade information for my freedom. I knew the extent of The Brotherhood’s influence in the city. I surmised they would do anything to eliminate the Benson family cancer that was spreading. It was time for me to stop playing it safe and put the few skills I had to offer to the test. Everyone in my family, especially my brother, thought I was only good for lying on my back or sucking dick. I would prove them wrong, even if it killed me in the process.

“It may be above my pay grade, brother. But I’d like to know if my life is in danger, given that you and our father are planning an assault on the most powerful family in New York City. And using little ole me to secure an alliance with a traitor.”

“Focus on following orders, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.” His eyes narrowed, and his face went blank, lost in thought.

When his forehead furrowed, I could tell my words had affected him. My brother was nervous. I wanted to push him more, but I would never see the sunlight again if he figured out I was digging for information.

“No more stalling,” he said through clenched teeth. “It’s impolite to keep our guests waiting.”