The Devil’s Chaos (The Brotherhood #2)

24. Twenty-Four

24

TWENTY-FOUR

HAVEN

W ith a final kiss, I broke away from him. I needed space and time to figure out how to navigate through all this. Kai seemed so unbothered by the fact that my brother knew about us, but he didn’t know my brother like I did. He didn’t see him as the abusive monster that he was. He didn’t experience my brother’s ‘ punishments ’ like I had. I made my way back to the party, and I had full intentions of drowning myself in champagne until I had to do the literal walk of shame up to the suite my brother reserved to torture me for all of my indiscretions. He promised he would continue my punishment later, and later had arrived.

As I walked into the dimly lit bar, I caught sight of my brother sitting at the counter next to Mila, her stoic smile belying the tension in the air. My heart sank as I knew things were about to take a turn for the worse. With a heavy sigh, I sat at the opposite end of the bar, surrounded by other patrons, and tried to keep an eye on the situation. But it was hard to ignore the heated exchange as Archer and Kai stood over my brother, their voices growing louder with each passing second. Fear pooled in my stomach as I saw a dangerous glint in Archer's eyes, and I prayed he wouldn't act on his murderous intent. Suddenly, my brother's men and several others I assumed were part of The Brotherhood began circling and shifting positions. When it seemed like violence was inevitable, Mila stepped in between my brother and Archer, her small frame surprisingly effective in diffusing the tension. I took another sip of my drink, thankful that the tense standoff they were engaging in was now resolved.

Until it wasn’t.

Mila stormed back toward my brother with a steak knife in her hand. I expected his guards to intervene, but they seemed preoccupied or didn’t think she would do anything in front of so many people. She moved gracefully, and I recognized the look on her face. She was a woman full of rage. When she plunged that knife into my brother’s hand, I giggled out of pure satisfaction. My brother cried out, and I closed my eyes, relishing the sounds he made.

“Serves you right, you sick bastard,” I muttered under my breath, taking a long sip of my drink.

My brother and his men headed past me and toward the entrance, but I couldn’t get lucky enough to be left alone because Maddie sashayed over to me, blonde hair bouncing, and her hips swaying like the fucking Barbie doll she was.

“Don’t get too drunk now, Haven. You don’t want to pass out before you settle the score with Mr. Beckett,” she grinned, her blue eyes glinting with malice.

“Oh look, everyone. It’s Maddie, New York City’s cheapest whore.”

Maddie took a seat next to me and leaned in close. “Last time I checked, you’re the only whore in this building. I mean, you’ve probably slept with what would you say, at least half of the men here?”

“Those are rookie numbers, cupcake,” I pretended to scan the room and fake count on my fingers. “I’d say it’s more like three-fourths of the men in this room.”

“You’re disgusting. Celebrating like the trash you are, I see,” she spat.

“The trash I am? Tell me, Madison,” I used her real name because I knew how much she hated it. “How many dicks have you sucked thinking you’re doing a great service for my brother. Or maybe, ‘This will be the last dick I suck, and then he will notice me.’ How many times have you told yourself that?”

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

“I’m going to do you a favor because no one else will tell you this, but while I may be trash, as you so eloquently put it, I’m still Benson trash. What are you? Just ordinary trash. Just some punchline in our family. Nothing more. You’re out there swallowing cum for a man that has no intentions to ever marry you. So, who is the real trash?” I taunted.

Her eyes turned murderous, seething with rage. “One day, Haven Benson, your mouth is going to get you killed, and I can’t wait to be the one to witness your death, or maybe it’ll be me behind the trigger.”

“Oh god, do you promise?” I mocked, gasping for effect. “Don’t get a girl’s hopes up.”

“You’re fucking mental,” Maddie grabbed her clutch and stood up. “Oh, I almost forgot. Your brother said not to forget about your date with Mr. Beckett, and I’m to let him know if you leave before you’ve paid your debts.”

“You can put makeup on a pig, but at the end of the day, it’s still a pig,” I sneered, turning back to my drink.

As the last candidate finished their speech, I made my way toward the stairs with a glass of champagne in hand. The sooner I finished, the better. Just as I reached the stairs, a woman’s voice caught my attention from the stage. My curiosity piqued, I turned to see Mila standing there, holding her glass of champagne and gesturing for someone to join her.

Archer.

Intrigued by this unexpected turn of events, I decided to linger a little longer to see what was about to unfold. Mila’s words rang out loud and clear as she began to speak.

“One of the things I love about my father is how accepting he is and how he always makes the best decisions for me, even if I can’t see it at the time. And one of those decisions was letting fate decide if my mother’s wish came true. My mother passed along her strength and grace, and I am proud to be even half the woman she was. Archer and I are so excited to announce that we are officially engaged. No matter who you fine people decide to be your governor, rest assured that our two great families will forever be connected, fulfilling my mother’s wish. And I have you to thank for that, Daddy. Cheers to you.”

The room erupted in applause and cheers, but my eyes were drawn to Mila’s father, who stood with an unreadable expression on his face. He wasn’t happy about this union. But why? This night just added another layer to this elitist drama, and the puzzle pieces were beginning to fit together.