The Devil’s Chaos (The Brotherhood #2)

32. Thirty-Two

32

THIRTY-TWO

KAI

I t had been nearly two weeks since Alexander infiltrated our masquerade ball and murdered Lacey. Haven had been avoiding my calls, and I hadn’t had the chance to go to her with the plotting and scheming we were doing to end his reign once and for all. Archer had been in a frenzy, juggling meetings and caring for Mila; he looked worn down. He barely slept, and it was starting to show. When he wasn't tending to Mila, he called us in for impromptu discussions about various topics. Frankly, it was draining. I needed to discuss Haven with him, but every time I tried, he would redirect me to another task that needed to be done first.

Archer knew about my female informant, who provided intel on The Collectors, yet he didn’t ask any questions. He relied on me to collect the necessary information but showed no interest in the details. As a result, I kept Haven's identity vague, adding an extra layer of tension and uncertainty between us.

Maybe I was the coward, not her.

I idly flipped through a file resting on my lap while Theo stood beside me, his arms crossed, lost in thought. I’d learned long ago that it was best to let him be when he was deep in contemplation. He was the mastermind behind most of our operations, and this was how he devised foolproof strategies to advance our objectives.

Since Haven wasn’t answering, I cornered her friend Olivia for information. She wasn’t very forthcoming, but once I flashed her a big wad of cash, she sang like a canary. Haven hadn’t been candid about what had happened between us, but Olivia had noticed a change in her. She revealed that Haven had been working harder than ever at the newly renovated club and appeared emotionally detached as she complied with whatever Alexander demanded of her. Just thinking about her entertaining her brother’s vile associates while I was absent made my blood boil.

I understood why she did it, but every fiber of my being screamed at me to punish her for not choosing me. God knows I wanted to.

Olivia also mentioned that the Benson family had organized their annual auction, in which they planned to sell off girls they had picked up. She noted that high-rollers were rumored to attend, though they hadn’t settled on a location yet. She, along with Haven and the other girls, were expected to be there, but she didn’t provide further details regarding their roles.

“Our informant said that The Collectors have a big auction event next month, and the rumor is that some high-rollers will be attending,” I informed Archer.

“Does she have a location?” he asked.

“Not yet, but I can press her to find one.”

“Good,” he nodded approvingly. “Let’s also shake the branches and put some pressure on local law enforcement. See what comes out.”

“I’m on it,” I assured him.

“What about you, Theo? Hear anything?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I am still exploring a couple of leads.”

“Well, keep at it. Let’s keep moving forward. That piece of shit can’t hide forever. I won’t stop until I make him pay for what he’s done. We have to find Maddie and bring her home safely.”

I was on my way to Haven’s apartment to force her to speak to me when I got a call from Archer. “What’s up?”

“He took her.”

“What?” Confused, my mind raced to catch up.

“Alexander took Mila.”

Fuck.

“Shit. What do you need me to do?”

“Gather the men. I’m tracking her from the necklace. Sending you the coordinates now.”

“Archer, we need to be smart about this. If he sees you, he might kill her before we get to her.”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do, Kai? Let him put his hands all over her or worse?”

“I’m not saying that. What I’m saying is, you know how this dickbag operates. He wants you to follow him so he can kill you or kill her to get to you.”

“Goddammit!” he raged.

He knew I was right, but it didn’t lessen the blow. Alexander took the love of his life, and I would react the same way if someone took Haven. Revenge would happen, but right now, we needed to make sure we got to Mila before something terrible happened to her.

“Give me a few minutes. I’ll reach out to my contact and call you right back.”

I hung up and called Haven again. Still no answer. Frustrated, I hit the steering wheel with my hand. This was not a time for games.

I sent her a text message…or three.

I need you to answer.

Haven. Answer your fucking phone.

Please?

There was no response, but the messages showed as read, so I tried calling again.

“What is it, Kai?” her voice was short and clipped.

“Your piece-of-shit brother took Mila,” I told her.

There was a brief pause before she spoke again. “What are you asking me?”

“Did you know?”

“Of course not!” she hissed.

“Where would he take her?”

“If I had to guess, to his club. Since the fire, he’s turned it into Fort Knox.”

“Thank you, Haven. Archer is tracking her now, so we’ll bring her safely home soon,” I responded, preparing to hang up and call Archer back.

“Kai, wait.” Her tone was urgent, and I detected a hint of concern.

“Yeah?”

“If my brother has her in the club, you’ll never get to her.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” I responded flatly.

“You’ll be dead before you get past the parking lot.”

“Well, then, I guess you’ll have one less problem to worry about,” I sneered.

“Take your shots if it makes you feel better, but regardless of what’s going on between us, I don’t want to see anyone else die,” she sighed. “Listen, I can’t promise anything, but if you guys come to my apartment, maybe there’s something I can do to help.”

“It’s not your concern anymore.”

“I know you’re angry with me, and you have every right to be. But this isn’t about us. I can’t carry another death on my conscience when there might be something I can do to prevent it. My brother won’t keep Mila alive for long. Let me help. But be careful coming here. If my brother brought Mila to the club, I can guarantee he has people watching the perimeter for all of you.”

I gritted my teeth. As much as I wanted to refuse her offer out of spite, I knew she was right. If Alexander had Mila locked up tight in that fortress of a club, we’d need an inside man. Or, in this case, an inside woman.

“Fine,” I said tersely. “We’ll be there in twenty.”

I hung up without waiting for a response and punched the gas. My phone alerted me to a new message from Theo, and I quickly opened it to see a video attached. It was CCTV footage from an alleyway by the café where we had last seen Mila. In the video, several masked men pulled an unconscious Mila out of the bathroom window and into a van. But what caught my eye was one of the “men” helping them—a blonde woman who looked suspiciously like Maddie. My heart sank as I zoomed in on her face and confirmed my fears.

It was Maddie.

Maddie was part of it all. The realization that she was one of Alexander’s rats hit me like a ton of bricks. Not only had I been fucking our enemy’s sister, but I had brought one of his little rats into our manor. Everything that had happened started to make sense. Alexander was always one step ahead of us while Maddie was close to me. And I couldn’t help but think that all the bad shit that had happened was all my fault. This is what happens when you keep secrets. Archer would never forgive me if something happened to Mila. He would kill me, and I deserved it.

I felt like I was going to throw up when I called Archer back.

“Yeah?” he answered.

“Theo and I are heading your way. My contact will meet us when I send her the address where Mila stopped.”

“What’s the status of the men?”

“They’re standing by, ready for action, depending on how you want to handle this.”

“Copy. See you soon.”

“Arch, there’s something else,” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Theo just sent over the footage from the cafe and the alley.”

“What is it?” he snapped.

“Maddie was there,” I managed to choke out.

“What are you saying, Kai? They kidnapped Maddie too?”

“No,” I breathed heavily. “She wasn’t kidnapped. She helped them.” Archer was silent for a few moments, and my heart felt crushed by the revelations that had just been made. “I’m so sorry, Archer. I’m so fucking sorry,” I apologized repeatedly, but even I knew nothing I said would change the severity of the situation.

When he hung up, I felt a pit form in my stomach—I had betrayed one of my best friends, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to Mila because of it. I texted him Haven’s address and pulled into her parking garage. I knew she felt safer meeting us at her apartment than out in the open.

Theo pulled up on his motorcycle beside me, removing his helmet and giving me an apologetic smile.

“I fucked up,” I confessed to him.

“You couldn’t have known what Alexander had planned. Archer knows that,” he reassured me.

“But what if my relationship with Haven and Maddie somehow caused this? What if Haven played me the whole time?”

“Do you believe Haven would do that to you?” he asked hesitantly.

“No, but maybe my radar was skewed because I was fucking her.”

“Maybe I’d believe that if she hadn’t ended things with you, but she did regardless of her feelings for you. That doesn’t exactly scream betrayal to me. And also, I took the liberty of tracking her and her phone to be on the safe side.”

“You’ve been spying on her?”

“Hell, yes, I have. After Lacey, I didn’t want to risk something happening to anyone else.”

“Did you find out anything?”

“Nope. Her routine has been consistent. She goes to the club and dances and then goes home. She’s had zero interaction with her brother outside the club, and it’s in front of their customers. There’s been no plotting or anything resembling plotting since I’ve watched her. And I haven’t seen Maddie at all until the alleyway video. My guess is she’s been lying low since the ball. I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but I think your girl is actually telling the truth.”

“Has she had any visitors?” I asked, hoping the answer was no.

“Only her friend from the club.”

“Olivia?”

“Yeah, they’ve gone out to brunch several times, but otherwise, no one. Not even her brother.”

All I wanted to do was put the blame on someone. To explain away the decisions I made, but Haven wasn’t the villain in this story. She was a victim just as much as Mila was. Her cutting off contact with me wasn’t for her brother. It wasn’t for her. It was for me. She thought she didn’t deserve anything good in her life, and when she said she didn’t want anyone else to get hurt, I realized now she meant it. It wasn’t a cop-out. It was the only choice she thought she had.

Damion and Archer arrived, parking next to Theo’s motorcycle. When Archer got out of the car, he looked like a man about to commit a murder.

“Where are we?” he asked.

“My contact’s apartment,” I replied.

“Where is she?” he questioned.

“We are going up to her.”

“Why?” he asked with suspicion in his eyes.

“She’s risking a lot by helping us. It’s not safe for her to meet us out in the open so close to where Mila is.”

“What does that mean?” Archer raised an eyebrow.

“She’ll explain everything when we get up there,” I assured him as I led the way to the elevator.

I hoped this interaction didn’t solidify my death.

We reached her floor, and I knocked on her door. She opened it, and her green eyes met mine before scanning over Archer and Theo. She stepped back to let us in, quickly closing the door behind us.

“This is Haven,” I introduced her. “Archer and Theo are with me.”

“What exactly do you think you can help us with?” Archer cut straight to the point.

But my little lamb had claws, and I smiled when she snapped right back. “Really, Kai? Who does this asshat think he is?”

“Asshat?” Archer laughed bitterly. “Tell us what you know and how much money you want for the information.”

“Fuck you,” she retorted, walking away and leaving us standing at the front door.

Goddammit, if I didn’t enjoy watching that tight ass of hers walk away.

“Archer, I told you to hear her out,” I sighed. “I wouldn’t waste your time and jeopardize Mila’s safety for some fool’s errand. Please show her some respect.”

“Fine,” Archer huffed, gesturing in the direction Haven had gone.

I led them into the living room, where Haven was standing with her arms crossed, that same angry expression on her face that made my dick hard.

“Archer wants to apologize for being an asshat,” I told her as I grinned in Archer’s direction.

Haven looked at Archer, planting her feet as she waited for an apology.

“I’m sorry. Now, can you please tell me how you think you can help find Mila?” he asked begrudgingly.

She walked over to the long black-out curtains covering her windows and pulled them open. She pointed toward a building in the distance, which I knew to be The Collector’s headquarters-slash-strip club. “This is where Alexander took her.”

“GPS already told me that.” Archer scoffed, rolling his eyes like this was all a waste of his time.

Haven didn’t let it phase her, though. “Yes, but you’ll never get within a mile of that building.”

“What, and you can?” he sneered.

Haven briefly glanced at me, seeking permission to reveal the truth about who she was. I gave her a slight nod and hoped for the best.

“As his sister…I’d like to think so,” she challenged him.

I realized that I subconsciously positioned myself between Archer and Haven, ready to protect her if needed. I knew how this must look, my contact being Alexander’s sister, and if I were in his shoes, I don’t know if I could resist killing the closest person to him just for the satisfaction of it. But, if I had to, I would stop him. I couldn’t make any other choice. She was imprinted on my soul, even if she wanted nothing to do with me.

“What makes you think I won’t use you as leverage to get her back?” Archer threatened.

“And in doing so, you’ll get yourself and everyone else killed, and what do you think will happen to your wife then?” she countered, surprisingly calm.

“You’re his sister,” Archer hissed. “I’m sure he’d be willing to make a trade.”

Archer looked at me after speaking, and I silently mouthed, "Calm down.”

“Alex couldn’t give two shits about me. Even his own sister isn’t enough for him to trade for someone he fought so hard to get.”

“How do you know that?” Archer inquired.

Haven hesitated, weighing her words carefully. She was trying to decide what information to give him and what to keep to herself. I could see her internal struggle, and I felt guilty for putting her in that position. All I wanted was to retreat into the secret world she and I had hidden in, away from the bullshit.

“You don’t know him like I do,” she said softly.

“All I care about is getting to Mila and burning him and the rest of those nasty fucks to ash,” Archer replied, uninterested in anything else.

“The chances of me getting you inside unnoticed are slim. There are too many cameras, and he has that place guarded by an army. You’ll be dead before you can even step inside,” she warned.

“Then what good are you?”

“I can get to her. I can get her out,” she stated confidently.

“How much do you want?”

“I don’t want your money. I have enough of my own.”

“Then why would you help me?”

Archer suspected ulterior motives, which was understandable. But Haven's response surprised me.

“I want out, and the only way I can do that is to deliver Mila to you. I know who you are, Archer. I’m well aware of the reach The Brotherhood has. I know once Mila is safe, you will get your revenge. And when you do, I want to watch you burn him alive. I want to be free of my brother and The Collectors once and for all.”

I snapped my head in her direction because she had never said words like that to me.

She avoided my gaze.

“You want me to kill your brother for you?” Archer asked her.

“There’s no love lost.”

“Can you excuse us for a second?” he asked, gesturing toward Theo and me.

Fuck.

“Of course. Take all the time you need,” she responded before leaving us and entering her bedroom.

Once she was gone, I turned to him. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking the last time you trusted a woman, she helped kidnap Mila,” he pointed out.

I couldn’t tell if he was angry or making a joke.

“I’m sorry, man. I feel terrible enough as it is. I didn’t know. But I wasn’t looking for anything other than pussy with Maddie, so I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary,” I explained.

“How do I know it’s not pussy clouding your mind again?” he retorted, raising an eyebrow at me.

Well , this conversation may be taking a turn for the worse.

“With Haven? Come on, man. She’s Alexander’s sister.” I tried to deflect, but I was unsure if he would buy it. Now wasn’t the time to get into a fight over how close I had really gotten to Haven in the past couple of months. That conversation was for another time.

“She turned you down,” Theo chuckled, attempting to buffer the interaction.

“Shut up. That’s not why we’re here. Look, Haven is nothing like her brother. She’s ruthless and cunning, but I trust her when she says she can help us.”

“How do I know it’s not a trap?”

Valid question.

“You don’t,” Haven’s voice interjected from behind us.

Haven approached us with a large black bag slung over her shoulder like she was preparing to leave.

“Sorry to rush you. I just got a text from Alex. He needs me to pick up a shipment and bring it to work tonight for some of his buyers.” She moved through the apartment, gathering her jacket and keys.

“A shipment?” Archer questioned.

“Yeah, a shipment. I’m sure Kai has filled you in on my role in The Collector hierarchy,” she snapped, looking irritated.

“Not yet, actually,” Archer pointedly remarked, glancing at me.

“I’ll explain later. For now, you’ll have to settle for the cliff notes. I sell his drugs to high-end buyers at my place of employment.”

Which happened to be located in his headquarters.

“If you don’t want to use me, that’s fine. If you need more time to think, so be it. But you need to go. And I need to go. He doesn’t like it when I’m late.” She ushered us toward the front door, following closely. I tried to get her to look at me, but she acted like I wasn’t there. “Listen, when you make a decision, Kai knows where to find me.”

She entered the elevator without looking back at me.

“Jesus Christ, Kai. Is she the best option?” Archer asked.

“I like her!” Theo chimed in.

Archer looked at me, clearly doubtful that Haven was “the best option.” She wasn’t just the best option.

“She’s our only option,” I said out loud.