The Devil’s Chaos (The Brotherhood #2)

36. Thirty-Six

36

THIRTY-SIX

KAI

S he haunted my every thought and desire. I found Theo asleep on the couch, his arm slung across the back, his mouth open slightly. I nudged him awake, causing him to groan and flinch when he saw me.

“I was having such a good dream until I woke up to see your ugly mug,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“Can you drive this ugly mug to Riverview General Hospital in the city?” I said urgently.

“Why can’t you drive yourself?”

“Because I drank too much. Come on, man. Get up. It’s an emergency.”

“Kai, what in the hell is an emergency at 4 a.m.?”

“ Haven. ”

His body tensed as he abruptly sat up. “She’s alive?”

“For now. She’s in surgery.”

“Okay, yeah,” he sighed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Let me get my keys, and I’ll get you there.”

Theo wasted no time, quickly retrieving his keys and jacket, his usual nonchalant demeanor replaced with a sense of urgency. I followed closely behind him as we rushed out of the quiet house and into his sleek, blacked-out Lexus. The drive to Riverview General was a blur of streetlights and sharp turns, the silence between us thick.

Theo wasn’t one for idle chatter. He preferred to sit in silence and observe everything around him. Not much escaped his awareness, and that was something that I was grateful for right now. I didn’t know if I could verbalize my feelings, so I appreciated the quiet understanding between us. As we screeched to a halt in a parking spot near the front of the emergency room entrance, I practically leaped out of the car before it fully stopped. Theo followed closely behind, his tall frame mirroring mine as we rushed inside. Nurses in scrubs bustled about, and doctors in white coats hurried past us with urgent expressions.

I scanned the signs on the wall until I found the one pointing toward the elevator. I pressed the button to call it and impatiently waited for the doors to open. Once inside, my fingers mashed the fifth-floor button repeatedly until the doors started to close. Theo stared at me with a shit-eating grin, and I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t say a word.”

He laughed.

I kept my eyes on the display screen, counting along as the bright red numbers increased. Two…Three…Four…Five… Finally, the doors slid open, and we emerged onto the fifth floor. The walls were a clean white color, giving off an air of sterility and order. Framed photographs of various locations in New York City added a touch of familiarity and comfort, evenly spaced between each patient room. The hallway was quiet, save for the consistent beeping of monitoring equipment and the occasional sound of nurses and doctors passing by. As we rounded the corner, I spotted her room number, 5022. I sped up even more, practically sprinting toward her door. Theo followed close behind me as I burst into the room.

A nurse looked up from her computer and smiled at me. “Hi there,” she said, “are you family?”

I nodded my head quickly. “Yes, I’m her boyfriend.”

“Oh, are you Mr. Montgomery?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Molly. One of our emergency department nurses gave me report and mentioned you’d be on your way.”

“How is she?” I asked, looking at Haven. Her face was pale, a stark contrast to her normal olive complexion.

“She just got out of surgery a little while ago,” Molly said. “She’s still asleep but recovering well.”

Relief washed over me at those words, and Theo put a comforting hand on my shoulder. She looked so small and fragile, lying there with tubes connected to her arms and machines beeping around her. I took a deep breath and approached her side cautiously. Her chest rose and fell evenly with each breath. I sat in the chair beside her bed and took her hand in mine. I sat there for what felt like an eternity, watching over Haven as she slept.

Theo stood by the door, his presence a silent comfort in the sterile hospital room. The rhythmic beeping of the machines was strangely soothing, a constant reminder that she was alive— my little fighter.

Theo stepped out to grab some coffee, and the silence was broken when the door opened. A nurse with dark hair entered. She wore black scrubs, and her light gray eyes took a quick look around before approaching the bed and meeting my gaze.

“Sorry if I’m intruding. I just wanted to check on Haven before heading home.”

She noticed my confused expression and cleared her throat before extending her hand for a shake. “I’m Wrenly. I was the nurse who took care of Haven—Ms. Benson in the emergency room.”

I accepted her hand and shook it. “I’m Kai.”

“Nice to meet you, Kai.” She shifted her bag over her shoulder and glanced at Haven’s vitals before turning back to me. “Her vitals look great. Molly is an excellent nurse, so Ms. Benson is in great hands.”

As I was about to thank her, Theo came in with two cups of coffee. He handed me one and then turned his attention to Wrenly. I noticed his eyes widen as he scanned his gaze from head to toe. Wrenly’s cheeks turned pink, and she fidgeted with her scrubs, shifting uncomfortably as if trying to smooth out invisible wrinkles.

“Theo, this is Wrenly. She’s the nurse who found Haven.” I introduced them, breaking the awkward tension. I would ask him about it later.

“Wrenly, is it?” Theo extended his hand, but his eyes narrowed as he spoke. “Nice to meet you,” he said.

Wrenly placed her hand in his, lifting her eyes to meet Theo’s. When he didn’t let her hand go, she quickly pulled it back and checked her watch. “I’m sorry, but I really need to get home and get some rest. I worked all night. It’s nice to meet you.” She gave me a small smile before nodding toward Theo, turning on her heels, and leaving the room.

“Do you know each other?” I asked Theo once she was gone.

His eyes were still pinned to the door that she had left through, deep in thought. “I’ll give you two some time alone.” He grabbed his jacket from the chair and left, leaving me alone with Haven.