The Devil’s Chaos (The Brotherhood #2)

41. Forty-One

41

FORTY-ONE

HAVEN

W e found Archer and Kai in Archer’s office, engaged in what appeared to be a heated discussion. They both fell silent as we entered, and I could feel the tension crackling in the air like electricity.

Kai immediately crossed to my side, his arm sliding around my waist in a protective gesture. “Everything okay?” he murmured, his eyes searching mine.

I nodded, leaning into his touch. “Yeah, Mila and I just had a little heart-to-heart. Nothing to worry about.”

Archer and Mila were whispering to each other while I was looking at the cut on Kai’s eyebrow. “What happened?” I asked, looking him over for other injuries.

“I’m fine. Archer and I needed to do this.”

“Do what?” I asked, confused. I looked over at Archer, and his nose was bleeding. Come to think of it, each of them looks disheveled—Archer with the top four buttons of his shirt missing, and Kai with some suspicious red marks on his bare skin. “Wait! Were you guys fighting before we walked in?”

“Just a small tussle,” Kai downplayed it, giving me a wink.

Archer cleared his throat, drawing our attention. “Haven, I owe you an apology. I've been so focused on getting answers and ensuring The Brotherhood is protected that I didn't stop to consider what you've been through or what you’ve sacrificed for me. If it weren’t for you, Mila wouldn’t be here right now, and for that, I owe you more than I could ever repay you. You're one of us now, and I promise we will do everything in our power to keep you safe."

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening with emotion. “I appreciate that, Archer. More than you know.”

He glanced at Kai, something unspoken passing between them. “And I owe you an apology too, brother. I let my anger cloud my judgment. I should have trusted that you had your reasons for keeping Haven a secret from me. I would have done the same thing for Mila had she been in the same situation as Haven.”

Kai's arm tightened around me. “I wanted to tell you, Archer. But I couldn't risk putting Haven in danger. Her brother is a psychopath. If he had even an inkling that The Brotherhood was involved…” He trailed off, shaking his head.

“I get it, man. I do,” Archer assured him. "We're going to figure this out together. Haven is under our protection now. Her brother won't be able to touch her.”

Relief washed over me at his words, so strong it nearly brought me to my knees. After years of living in fear, constantly looking over my shoulder, the idea of having people in my corner, ready to fight for me, was overwhelming.

Mila stepped forward, her hand coming to rest on my arm. “Why don't we give the guys a minute to sort out the details? We can raid Archer's liquor cabinet and have a proper ‘welcome to the family’ toast.”

I glanced up at Kai, silently asking if he was okay with me leaving. He pressed a kiss to my temple. “Go ahead, babe. Archer and I have some logistics to iron out. I'll come find you when we're done.”

He released me with a final squeeze of my hand, and I followed Mila out of the office. She led me down the hall to a cozy sitting room, complete with plush armchairs and a fully stocked bar cart.

As Mila poured us each a generous glass of amber liquid, I sank into one of the chairs, finally allowing myself to relax for the first time in what felt like years.

“Thank you again, Mila. For everything you said earlier. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear it until you said the words.”

She handed me my glass before settling into the chair across from me. “I meant every word. You're a part of this family now, Haven. We take care of our own.”

We clinked our glasses together in a toast before each taking a sip. The whiskey burned pleasantly as it slid down my throat, warming me from the inside out.

“So, tell me,” Mila said, a mischievous glint in her eye. “How long has Kai been in love with you?”

I nearly choked on my drink, heat flooding my cheeks. “I’m not sure love is the right word to use in this situation…lust is more like it.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Please, I see the way he looks at you—like you hung the moon and stars. There’s not a single person who would say that look is pure lust. That man has it bad for you. The way I see it, Kai’s been head over heels for you much longer than either of you are willing to admit.”

I ducked my head, feeling the heat creep up my neck. “It’s complicated. With everything going on with my brother, and Kai’s loyalty to The Brotherhood…”

“So what?”

“Excuse me?” I asked for clarification.

“Love is always complicated,” she said sagely, taking another sip of her drink. “But that doesn’t make it any less worth fighting for. Trust me, I know a thing or two about forbidden romance.”

I smiled, thinking of the way Mila and Archer orbited around each other, like two stars caught in each other’s gravity.

“How did you and Archer manage to make it work, with him being the heir to The Brotherhood throne, and you being the daughter of the man who betrayed them?”

“It wasn’t easy,” she admitted. I watched her twirl the engagement ring around her finger as she continued. “There were times I thought the obstacles between us were insurmountable. But at the end of the day, I realized that a love like ours is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Something worth risking everything for. And fuck anyone who tries to tear us apart.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, resonating deep within my soul. Isn't that exactly what Kai and I had? A love so profound, so all-consuming that it eclipsed everything else?

I thought back to all the stolen moments we'd shared—the secret smiles, the brush of hands, the searing kisses that left me weak in the knees. Even amid all the chaos and danger swirling around us, Kai had been my port in the storm. My safe haven.

“I love him,” I whispered, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them. “I love him so much it terrifies me.”

Mila reached across the space between us, grasping my hand in hers. “That's how you know it's real. When the thought of losing them is more frightening than anything else you can imagine.”

I squeezed her hand, drawing strength from her reassurance. “I just don't know how to reconcile the life I want with Kai with the reality of who I am, who my family is.”

“You’re not your family, Haven. You’re your own person, with your own heart and your own dreams. And from where I'm sitting, your heart belongs with Kai.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. “I want to believe that. More than anything.”

“Then believe it,” Mila said firmly. “Believe in the love you share. Believe that together, you and Kai can weather any storm, because I guarantee you that man will move heaven and earth to keep you safe and by his side. I know this because the way he looks at you is the way Archer looks at me. That man would burn the world if I asked him to.”

As if on cue, the door to the sitting room opened, revealing Kai and Archer. Kai's eyes immediately found mine, his expression softening as he drank me in.

In a few long strides, Kai crossed the room and pulled me up from the chair and into his arms. I melted against him, burying my face in the crook of his neck and breathing in his comforting scent.

“Everything okay in here?” he murmured, his lips brushing my temple.

“More than okay,” I assured him, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze. “Mila was just giving me some much-needed perspective.”

Kai glanced over at Mila with one eyebrow arched. “Oh really? Do I even want to know?”

Mila laughed, waving a dismissive hand. “Just some girl talk. Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about.”

Archer snorted, shaking his head as he crossed to Mila's side. “Why do I get the feeling that you two conspiring together is going to mean trouble for us?”

“Because you're a smart man,” Mila retorted, grinning up at him cheekily.

I couldn't help but smile at their playful banter, feeling a warmth bloom in my chest. This was what a real family looked like—love, laughter, and unwavering support, even in the darkest of times.

And times would get darker.