The Devil’s Chaos (The Brotherhood #2)

12. Twelve

12

TWELVE

HAVEN

I t took a second for my eyes to adjust to the forest's darkness, but thankfully, a dim glow from the moonlight filtered through the canopy above me. I headed back in the direction I thought I had come from, listening for the sound of music from the party floating through the trees.

As I pushed through the dense undergrowth, the sound of twigs snapping under my feet echoed in the silent forest. I strained my ears, desperate for any sign of the party. But the farther I ventured, the more the trees seemed to close in, casting eerie shadows that danced in the moonlight. Panic surged within me, threatening to engulf my senses as I realized I was lost. My heart raced, my breath quickened, and I was desperate to spot the familiar fairy lights or hear the voices of the partygoers—anything to guide me back to safety.

My heart skipped a beat as a twig snapped behind me, the sound cutting through the silence like a knife. I froze in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. The fear and uncertainty that gripped my mind were palpable, and my eyes strained to pierce through the darkness.

“Who's there?” The darkness seemed to close in around me as I called out into the void, my voice shaking with fear. My heart was a jackhammer in my chest, each thump echoing in my ears until a familiar voice broke through.

“Haven?” The bartender's voice, a beacon of hope in the darkness, called my name. He stepped into the clearing. Relief flooded through me at the sight of him, washing away the fear and uncertainty. "What are you doing out here alone?”

“I had to make a phone call real quick. Can you point me in the direction of the party?”

“Yeah, of course.” he smiled and approached me. “But are you sure you want to head back already? I mean, I just got here. Maybe we could have a little fun out here.”

I was trapped against a gnarled tree, its sharp bark digging into my bare skin as he loomed over me with a dangerous glint in his eye. The fear was like a cold hand gripping my heart, making it hard to think straight. “I actually have someone that is expecting me, so I should probably go.”

“Is that so?” His words were laced with a dangerous undertone, a chilling reminder of the potential threat he posed as his tall, bulky frame closed in on me.

I struggled to keep my voice steady as I feigned confidence, but my heart raced with fear. The stench of vodka wafted from him, clouding my senses and leaving me at his mercy.

“Yes. It’s my boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend, huh? Because you told me you were new in town and were scoping out the scene.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

This blond dipshit was less of a dum dum than I initially thought. He grabbed me without warning, and his hands roamed over my body, groping and violating me while his slurred words mocked my protests.

“You’re drunk, and you’re about to do something that could really turn out bad for you,” I said firmly.

“Is that so, baby?” he slurred back.

“I’m not your baby. And if you don’t get your hands off of me in the next five seconds, I’m going to scream, and when Archer, Theo, or Kai come down to investigate, I’m pretty sure they will beat you into a pulp.”

“The brothers are busy getting their dicks sucked by their sluts. It’s just you and me out here. Come on, I’ll make it worth your time. Let me give you a proper welcome.”

“Listen, you drunk asshole. I’m not interested in playing these games with you. Get off of me.”

He only laughed and continued groping me, his lips finding their way to my neck. I did the only thing I could think of and kneed him in the groin as hard as I could, causing him to release me for just a moment. I took advantage of the opportunity to push past him and run.

However, I didn’t get far before I collided with something firm and unyielding. I dared to look at what solid force had stopped me in my tracks, and then I stumbled backward and saw him.

Kai.

He wasn’t looking at me. His focus was on the blond jock that had recovered from my knee to his family jewels.

“Oh, hey, man!” the bartender slurred, trying to play it cool. “Haven and I were getting to know each other. You know, since she’s new in town, I thought I’d give her a warm welcome. You know what I’m saying.” The bartender laughed, his face filled with mockery, but there was fear in his eyes.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, man. You know how it is. These chicks can’t resist our charm.”

“ Our? ”

His face paled as he realized his mistake. He had clearly underestimated the severity of his situation. As he spoke, his tanned complexion turned a sickly gray.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. The bitch was flirting with me, so I thought she wanted a little of Tanner’s D.”

Tanner. What a douchey name.

Kai’s face twisted into a snarl as he lunged at Tanner. He was a tower of muscle, his bulging biceps flexing as he gripped the jock’s throat in one enormous hand while the other expertly held him in place. His blue eyes burned into Tanner’s soul, his face an unreadable mask of fury.

“I’m going to teach you a very important lesson, Tanner. Pay attention,” Kai growled, reaching up to break off a branch from above his head. “When a woman tells you no, what does that mean?”

“No,” gasped the jock, struggling against Kai’s grip and pleading for mercy with his eyes.

But Kai was relentless.

“It means no. It means that you stop. You listen. You respect. This is why you’re in this situation now, Tanner. Because you disrespected her,” he nodded in my direction, never taking his eyes off me.

His gaze immobilized me. I stood there frozen on pins and needles, waiting to see what he did next.

“I want to hear you apologize to her,” Kai demanded.

Tanner fought against Kai’s grip, but it was no use.

“You can apologize, or I can shove this branch up your ass and show you how it feels to be disrespected.”

Tanner glared at me with hatred in his eyes as he choked out an apology. “I’m sorry,” he rasped.

“Sorry for what?” Kai challenged.

Though I should have been afraid, seeing Kai like this sent a thrill through me that I hadn’t expected.

“Sorry for not listening when you said no.”

“Good boy,” Kai growled, his voice low and menacing as he leaned in close to Tanner’s face.

I strained to hear what he said next.

“Now, if I ever hear you call her a bitch again, I’ll rip out your tongue. As a matter of fact, if you even look at her, I’ll gouge out your eyes and feed them to you. And if that little shrimp dick of yours goes near her again, well, I suppose you can figure out what I’ll do then, right?” Kai chuckled darkly, using the branch to poke at Tanner’s crotch.

Tanner nodded, tears streaming down his face.

“You’d better hope I don’t see you again,” Kai seethed, finally releasing his grip from Tanner’s throat.

Tanner, now fully aware that his days were numbered and that he had thoroughly pissed off Kai, scurried away as fast as his legs could carry him. I watched him disappear into the darkness, feeling somewhat sorry for him, but mostly relieved.

Kai tossed aside the branch and walked toward me, his face inches from mine. He looked down at me as his stormy eyes searched my face for a moment before he spoke.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice deep and husky. “Did he—” He paused, scanning my face and lingering on my exposed skin where Tanner’s hands had been.

“I’m okay. He didn’t get that far…thanks to you,” I managed to stammer out.

“Why were you out here in the woods in the first place?” Kai’s voice was sharp, accusatory.

“I—I—fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Panic set in as I remembered that my brother was on his way to confront Archer. “I have to go…my brother.”

I took a few steps, but Kai blocked my path, standing firmly in front of me.

“What do you mean, your brother?” His accusatory stare made me feel small and guilty.

Fuck me.

“Shit.” I met his gaze, desperately trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t get me killed.

His eyes narrowed. “I’m only going to ask one more time. What about your brother?”

“He’s on his way here, and I think he’s going to try to attack Archer.”

“What do you know about Archer?”

“It doesn’t matter right now. Look, there’s no time. My brother called me a while ago; he might even be here already.”

Kai studied me, probably trying to decide if I was being truthful. Without warning, he grasped my wrist and dragged me through the dense underbrush, my feet barely skimming the ground as he led me through the forest. Before I knew it, we were back at the party, surrounded by the sounds of laughter and thumping music. He released his hold on me once we reached the cool, dark stones of the quarry near a large boulder.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back,” he ordered, his eyes dark and his tone a warning to obey him.

I nodded in agreement and watched as he vanished into the crowd. I strained to follow his movements, observing as he met with Archer and another tall man with dark hair beside another boulder. While they conversed, Archer’s body tensed, and he scanned the group of dancers before him. My gaze followed his and landed on the girl he had been with tonight.

Mila.

She was dancing with two blonde girls. One faced me, but the other was faced away from me, dancing without abandon.

Searching farther into the crowd, I spotted my brother, Bruno, Rocco, and a couple of other men making their way into the party. His eyes were locked on Mila, a predatory gleam in them. Panicked, I turned to look at Kai, desperate to get his attention. He told me to stay put, but I had to try and stop my brother before something terrible happened. I’m no saint, but I couldn't stand by and watch innocent people get caught in a turf war. Finally, after one last attempt to catch Kai’s eye before I acted, he glanced in my direction. It only took him a second to realize I was about to bolt. He shook his head in warning, but my legs were already moving, and my body had already reached the group of dancers.

I pushed through them, fielding drunken advances and hands that were on a mission to touch as many asses as they could. I stood on my tiptoes, looking for Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, knowing their freakishly tall bodies would tower over everyone there. They were approaching Mila from behind.

Now was my chance.

I shoved through the crowd and stood between my brother and Mila.

“Alex, stop.”

He looked surprised to see me interfering with his plans. “Get out the way, Haven.”

“There’s innocent people here!”

“You confuse me for someone who gives a fuck. Now, move out of the way before you become one of the casualties,” he threatened.

I planted my feet on the ground. “Please, Alex. Don’t do this.”

He nodded, and Bruno grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back, forcing me to lean forward before separating my shoulder from my arm.

I cried out in pain, and Alex leaned down. “I don’t know what’s going on with you lately, but clearly, I’ve been too lenient on you. A mistake I won’t make again. There are plenty of ways to break you without bruising that beautiful face of yours.” He stood back up, leaving me gasping in pain in Bruno’s grasp. “Get her out of here. I’ll deal with her later.”

Bruno’s grip on my arm tightened as he dragged me across the party, ignoring the stares and whispers from the other guests. I watched helplessly as my brother moved behind Mila, pretending to dance behind her. I tried to struggle against his grip, but if I thought Kai was strong, Bruno was made up of all muscle to compensate for his lack of brains.

“Let go of me, Bruno. You’re hurting me, you big oaf!”

“Shut up.”

“Or what? You can’t hurt me.”

“Or I’ll shove my dick in your mouth and choke you until I can’t hear you anymore.”

I let out a boisterous laugh. “You mean that little shriveled-up thing in your pants that you call a dick? Awfully bold to assume that tiny dick of yours could ever make me choke.”

My insult had the desired effect. Bruno’s face reddened, and the veins in his neck bulged, but he released his grip for the slightest moment to punish me for what I said. When he released his grip, I turned my body, going for the knife he always kept on his waistband. This time, he grabbed me by my throat, lifting me into the air. By the time he realized what I had done, it was too late. I plunged the blade deep into his shoulder. The sickening squelch sounded as the blade sank into his flesh.

“You fucking bitch!” he bellowed, shaking me violently as I struggled to free myself, but I couldn’t move. His grip around my throat had my vision swimming. I was dangerously close to passing out. My blood was dripping down my wrist from the wound I got when my hand slipped down the hilt and onto the blade as I had stabbed him.

Suddenly, I heard a cracking sound. Bruno stopped shaking me, he released his hold on me, and I crumpled to the ground. His eyes rolled back, and he, too, fell to the ground; a new wound on the back of his head bled profusely, staining the gray stone beneath him.

I coughed, gripping my throat as air flooded into my lungs. Strong arms picked me up, and I smelled his scent before my eyes focused on his face.

“My brother—he’s already here,” I managed to say. My throat was on fire. “He’s using Mila to get to Archer.”

Kai’s brow furrowed as he looked at me and back toward the crowd. “I need to get you out of here.”

“No. You need to get to Archer. My brother and his men outnumber you. People will die if he isn’t stopped.”

He was conflicted. I could see it on his face. I was fully aware that there was a chance that this would be the last time I had him. There was a good chance my brother might kill him, and I was powerless to stop the wheels that were already in motion. My heart hurt at the thought for reasons I couldn’t understand. I grasped his face and pressed my lips firmly to his.

It was a desperate, impulsive act, born from the awareness that my brother would take everything from me, no matter what I did. I tried to say everything I needed to say in that one kiss, but my words fell short. It was a silent plea, an understanding, just for one more moment of life. His lips were soft, and all I wanted to do was fall into his arms and be saved by him, just like the princesses in the fairy tales.

But this was no fairy tale, and I was no princess.

When I stepped away from him, his eyes were filled with surprise and confusion. The sound of yelling and people screaming broke the haze of our kiss.

“Go,” I whispered, my voice hoarse from the struggle and the kiss.

He was gone before I could even stand up. My legs shook as I got my bearings. People were screaming and running toward the exit that would lead them out of the quarry. Others hid behind boulders, clinging to each other, mumbling prayers to a God they didn’t believe in, just for a sliver of comfort in what could be their last moments.

My brother was engaged in a fight with Archer, while Kai and their friend were brawling with my brother’s men. I watched the scene in front of me play out, horrified as bullets flew and bodies fell to the ground. A petite dark-haired girl stumbled into me, clutching her stomach, as her blood spilled through her fingers.

“Please help me,” she begged.

She crumpled to the ground, her eyes wide with fear. I kneeled next to her and pressed my hands firmly to the gunshot wound to her stomach. “It’s okay. You’ll be okay.”

I frantically looked around for help, but there was none to be had. Blood gushed from the wound in her abdomen; the bullet had torn through her stomach, forming a dark puddle beneath us. She wouldn’t survive this. She didn’t know it, but I had seen enough gunshot wounds to know she would never make it to the hospital. The only thing I could do was stay here and comfort her.

“What’s your name?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the panic rising inside me.

“My—my name…my name is Delilah,” she gasped out, her pale face contorted in pain.

“Nice to meet you, Delilah,” I smiled at her, hoping to fake the reassurance she needed right now. “My name is Haven.”

She coughed violently, blood spewing from her mouth and staining her skin. “I’m scared, Haven.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m right here with you. Help is on the way,” I lied through gritted teeth.

I looked around me, taking in the scene that was pure chaos. No help was coming. If it did, Delilah would be stone cold, her skin pale and mottled.

“Will you stay with me?” she asked, her voice tired, barely a whisper.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised her, keeping my hands tight against her wound, the blood flowing slower now. Her chest rose slowly, no longer able to compensate for the severe blood loss. Her body was going into shock. Within seconds, her chest no longer rose, and her hands went limp to her sides. My eyes filled with tears, and I apologized to her. I apologized for the life my brother had taken—for the life she would never get to live.

Shaking, I looked up and saw my brother running toward me. I didn’t have time to enjoy the fear on his face or the blood pouring out of his broken nose before he was on me.

Yanking me up, he dragged me through the forest. He said nothing, but I could feel the anger seeping from his pores, radiating off him like heat waves. When we made it to the makeshift parking lot, he shoved me toward my car, and I stumbled into the trunk, waiting for my punishment.

“Go the fuck home, Haven. Disobey me, and I promise you’ll regret it.”

I chose not to argue with him, nodded curtly, and watched as he and the remaining men piled into several cars and peeled out of the parking lot, leaving me alone at the back of my car. I collapsed against it, shaking uncontrollably as I struggled to catch my breath. Delilah’s lifeless eyes haunted me, a constant reminder of my brother’s cruelty and the fact that I was truly powerless to save anyone from his wrath.