The Devil’s Chaos (The Brotherhood #2)

50. Fifty

50

FIFTY

HAVEN

“ W hat do you mean you recognize their armor?” Archer questioned.

“My father’s men wear that armor,” I choked out.

My words hung heavy in the air between us. Archer’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Your father? But why would his men be attacking us? That seems pretty reckless, even for Abel Benson.”

“My father is a monster, but he isn’t reckless. He wouldn’t send his men for no reason.”

“What reason would he have to attack us on our turf?”

I shook my head as my mind reeled. None of this made sense. But then, a terrible realization dawned on me.

“ Me, ” I breathed.

Archer’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, you?”

I swallowed hard. “My father…he must have found out I’m here with Kai—with The Brotherhood, his enemies. He stays out of my brother’s affairs for the most part, but he wouldn’t take his daughter's choice of The Brotherhood over him well. I betrayed him. He wanted to make a statement, to show me—everyone— he is in control. And what better way to do that than attack the people I care about.”

Archer’s face hardened as he processed my words. “Your father is willing to risk open war with The Brotherhood just to punish you?”

I nodded grimly as guilt churned in my gut. “My father is a proud man. He would destroy the world and not think twice about it.”

“Then we destroy him first,” Kai growled.

“No! That’s what he wants. He wants you to retaliate. I can guarantee he’s thought of every angle and has a plan for every action you might take.”

“There’s no way you’re suggesting we let him get away with this?” he sneered.

Shocked by his tone, I continued. “I would never. All I’m saying is we need to be smart about this.”

Kai scoffed, “We? We won’t be doing anything. You and Mila will stay here while The Brotherhood destroys that piece of shit’s kingdom.”

I closed my eyes, and my mind raced. There had to be a way to outsmart my father, to beat him at his own game. But he was always three steps ahead, anticipating every move.

“We need to find out what he's planning,” I said slowly while I opened my eyes. "If we can figure out his endgame, maybe we can cut him off before he gets there.”

Kai snorted. “And how exactly do you propose we do that? It's not like we can waltz up to your father's stronghold and ask nicely.”

I bit my lip as an idea formed. It was risky and borderline insane. But it might be our only chance. I turned to Archer. “What if...what if I went back? Pretended to beg for his forgiveness, said I made a mistake siding with The Brotherhood. I could get close to him and try to uncover his plans from the inside.”

Archer's eyes widened. “Absolutely not. It's too dangerous. If he suspects anything, he'll kill you.”

“He won't,” I said with more confidence than I felt. “I'm his daughter, his flesh and blood. He may be a monster, but there's a part of him that still cares for me in his own twisted way. I can use that to my advantage.”

Kai shook his head vehemently. “No way in hell,” he snapped. “I’m not sending you into the lion’s den alone. It’s suicide.”

I met his fierce gaze as my resolve hardened. “It’s the only way. We need intel, and I am your best shot at getting it.”

Kai knew that once I made up my mind, there was no changing it. But that didn’t mean he liked it. His jaw clenched as he stared at me intently. His eyes were a storm of conflicted emotions. “I don’t care. You’re not going back to him. I won’t hand you over, gift-wrapped, to that sadistic bastard!”

Archer ran his hand through his hair. “I agree. I don’t like it all, either. You may be right about this plan working, but it’s not worth something happening to you.”

“He won’t hurt me,” I repeated, though uncertainty coiled in my stomach. He had killed my mother for her betrayal of him. I doubted that I would make it out alive. “Not permanently, anyway. I’m too valuable.”

“Is no one listening to me?” Kai paced like a caged animal. “I said no!”

“Look, we need to handle things here for tonight. Why don’t we worry about the details in the morning?” Archer sighed. He suddenly looked older than his age, like the weariness of this life had settled into his bones.

Kai glared at Archer, and his eyes flashed with his barely contained fury. “There are no details to worry about. She’s not going!” He turned to look at me. “You’re not going!”

I stepped toward him and placed a hand on his arm. “Kai, please. Just hear me out?—”

He whirled on me and shook off my touch. “No! I won’t let you sacrifice yourself again.” He turned and stormed off as he headed up the stairs.

“Boss! We have the manor secured and medical transport on the way for the injured.” Damion, the head of security, interrupted.

“Great. Check the invites and make sure everyone is accounted for—dead or alive. And find my parents and Atlas and Aurora, please.”

With an apologetic shrug meant for Archer and Mila, I followed Kai. I found him in his room, his back to me while he stared out the window at the night sky. He didn’t turn to look at me when I entered, but his shoulders tensed, betraying his awareness of my presence. I hesitated in the doorway, unsure of what to say.

“Kai…?” I began softly.

“Don’t,” he cut me off. “Just don’t.”

I stepped farther into the room. I refused to be deterred. Kai meant too much to me. “We need to talk about this.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he snapped as he finally turned to face me. I hadn’t seen so much emotion on his face since I’d known him. There was anger, yes, but something so much deeper in his eyes. “You’re not going back to that monster or his spawn. End of discussion.”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “It’s not that simple, and you know it. We need information, Kai. Real information that could help us take him down for good. This might be our only chance.”

“And what if he kills you, huh? What then?” he demanded as his voice rose. “You think I could live with myself knowing I sent you to your death?”

“He won’t kill me,” I insisted. However, the words felt hollow even to my own ears. The truth was, I knew what my father was capable of. I remembered the lesson he had given me when I was only six years old. Betrayal meant death. At this point, it was either him or me.

“You know better than to lie to me, little lamb.”

My eyes stung with unshed tears. He was right—I couldn’t guarantee my safety if I went back. But what other choice did we have?

“I know the risks, Kai,” I told him quietly. “But this is bigger than just me. If there’s a chance that I can be the one to help you bring down my father, my brother, and the whole fucking Collectors’ organization, then I have to take it. For all of us.”

He crossed the distance between us in two strides. His hands came up to grip my shoulders, his touch seared through the thin fabric of my dress. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

I stared up at him in confusion. “Get what?”

Kai’s grip on my shoulders tightened. “That I can’t lose you. Not again.” His voice was rough with emotion. “You have no idea what it was like, standing on that hill waiting for you to come out after Mila. I didn’t hear from the hospital for days, Haven. Each day, I sat here drinking to numb the pain I felt because I thought you were dead, and there was no way for me to know one way or another. Do you know what it felt like to see you in the hospital hooked up to all those wires and tubes? How every second that passed felt like an eternity waiting for you to open your eyes? I can’t go through that again. I won’t.” His voice cracked on the last word.

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had never stopped to consider what Kai had gone through after I rescued Mila. I had inadvertently caused him so much pain and anguish, and he had never mentioned how much the thought of losing me had affected him…until now. Kai had always been so strong, so fearless. To see him like this, so torn up over the thought of losing me...it stirred something deep within me.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. “Kai, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know you didn’t.” His voice softened a fraction. “But that doesn’t change the fact that if something happens to you, it will destroy me.” One of his hands left my shoulder to cup my cheek, and his thumb brushed away an errant tear. “I can’t protect you if you go back there. And if he or your brother hurt you, if he…” He trailed off, unable to finish the thought. “I won’t be able to stop myself from tearing his kingdom apart brick by brick until there’s nothing left but ashes and dust.”

I leaned into his hand and savored the warmth of his calloused palm against my skin. He let go of my shoulders only to wrap his arms around me and pulled me against his chest.

“I can’t do this without you. The Brotherhood, the war with your family, any of it. I need you by my side. Please don’t make me watch you leave again because I know you won’t return this time.”

A sob caught in my throat as I threw my arms around him. I clung to him then and buried my face into his neck. His scent, a mix of pine and tobacco, enveloped me. “I’m not leaving you,” I promised.

“From the moment I saw you in that club, you turned my world upside down. You’re infuriating and stubborn as hell, but you’re also brave and selfless and so damn strong. You make me want to be better, to fight for something more than just survival and revenge. I can’t lose you, little lamb. Not now, not ever. So please, don’t ask me to let you walk into the lion’s den alone. I need you by my side, where I can protect you until the devil comes to drag me down to Hell.”

I nodded against his chest. “Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll stay.”

His arms tightened around me as he crushed me to him. I felt his lips press against the crown of my head, and the only thing I could think of was feeling him consume me. I pulled back slightly, just enough to look up into his eyes. They burned with an intensity that stole my breath. Slowly, never breaking eye contact, he lowered his head until his lips hovered a mere breath from mine.

“Promise me,” he demanded, his voice low and rough. “Promise me you won’t go back to him, no matter what.”

“I promise,” I breathed. And I meant it with every fiber of my being…in that moment. Nothing else existed except Kai—his arms around me, his scent surrounding me, the heat of his body seeping into my skin.

Unable to resist any longer, I pushed up on my toes and closed the scant distance between us. Our lips met in a searing kiss that ignited my blood. Kai’s hands slid into my hair while he angled my head to deepen the kiss. I opened up for him without hesitation, and he swept his tongue into my mouth and unleashed the tidal wave of need inside me. I threaded my fingers through his dark hair and tugged him impossibly closer. He groaned into my mouth, the sound sent heat rushing through my veins and pooling into my core. His hands slid down my sides to grip my hips as he walked me backward until my legs hit the edge of the bed. As we tumbled onto the mattress, our lips never parted. His weight settled over me, and I hooked a leg over his hip, needing to be closer, to feel all of him. His lips trailed down my neck as he nipped and sucked at my sensitive skin. When he sank his teeth into my shoulder, I gasped his name and dug my nails into his skin. He growled in response and unzipped my dress while he peeled it down my body—exposing my heated flesh to the cool air. I shivered, but not from the cold. It was how his heated gaze raked over me, his eyes nearly black with desire.

“I’ll never let you leave me, little lamb,” he breathed against my skin while he kissed a fiery path down my chest, marking my skin with his teeth as he went.

I arched into his touch. My breaths came in short gasps as his mouth closed over my nipple. He swirled his tongue around the sensitive peak before he grazed it with his teeth, making me cry out. Pleasure shot through me like an electric current. My nerve endings were set on fire. His hands continued their rabid assault while they skimmed over my ribs and down the flat plane of my stomach. When his fingers dipped beneath the waistband of my lace thong, I shuddered. He stroked me through the damp fabric, teasing me—making me squirm with need beneath him.

“I love how your body responds to me. Look at how wet you are, little lamb. Your pussy is soaked for me.”

My head fell back against the pillows as his fingers parted my slick folds. He circled my sensitive bud with a feather-light touch, and it made my hips lift off the bed as they sought more contact.

“So eager,” he chuckled darkly. His fingers slid lower and teased my entrance. “Is this what you want, Haven?” he murmured against my skin. “Do you want my fingers inside you?”

“Yes,” I gasped.

He obliged, sinking one long finger inside my warmth. A moan tore from my throat at the delicious intrusion. He pumped it in and out slowly, letting me feel every inch before adding a second. My inner walls clenched around him as I tried to pull him in deeper. He curled his fingers and stroked that sensitive spot inside me. I felt his other hand move down to a place no one had ever touched. He pressed a finger against my hole and teased it softly while the fingers on his other hand moved at a compelling pace inside my pussy. My eyes flew open at the unexpected touch. A shaky gasp left my lips as his finger circled my other entrance, applying just enough pressure to make my toes curl.

“Kai…” I breathed. I was equal parts nervous and aroused by this new sensation.

He lifted his head from my breast to look at me and searched my eyes for any sign of discomfort. “Do you trust me, little lamb?”

I nodded without hesitation. “Yes. With everything.”

A slow, sensual smile curved his lips. “Good. Because I’m going to make you feel things you’ve never felt before. I’m going to ruin you for anyone else.”

His deep, rumbled words sent a fresh gush of wetness between my thighs. He bit my lower lip and drew blood. I sucked in a sharp breath when, at the exact moment, his finger pressed harder against my tight ring of a muscle. With agonizing slowness, he eased the tip of his finger inside me. I tensed at the unfamiliar stretch and burn. My nails dug into his biceps as I tried to process this incredible new feeling.

“Oh God,” I whimpered.

He claimed my mouth in a bruising kiss and swallowed my pleas. I savored the taste of my blood mixed with the taste of his mouth.

“Shh, relax, baby,” he murmured against my lips. “Just feel.”

I forced myself to breathe, to let the tension bleed from my body as he worked his finger deeper. The discomfort ebbed, replaced by a strange new pleasure that had me arching into his touch as I silently begged for more. His fingers continued to pump into my slick heat while his thumb rubbed maddening circles on my clit. The dual sensations were overwhelming, which rapidly hurtled me toward a precipice I had never reached before.

Kai groaned into my mouth. “Fuck, you're so tight. I can't wait to feel this sweet little ass wrapped around my cock.”

His dirty words had me clenching hard around his invading digits. He started moving both hands in tandem as he pumped in and out of my two holes. It was strange and dirty and so fucking good. Kai unleashed a wanton side of me I never knew existed. I was lost inside the sinful pleasure he gave me, leaving me writhing and moaning shamelessly beneath him. With the touch of his hand, he could have me coming over and over again.

“That’s it, baby. Let Hell hear you call my name.”

“Kai…please…” I whimpered, unsure if I was begging him to stop or keep going. It was too much, yet not enough at the same time, and I shattered.

My climax slammed into me like a freight train. I cried out his name as wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over me and my inner walls clenched rhythmically around his fingers. He worked me through it, prolonging my pleasure until I was a trembling, boneless mess beneath him.

He withdrew his fingers, and I immediately felt empty and ached for more. I watched through hooded eyes as he brought his glistening digits to his mouth and sucked them clean while groaning at the taste of me. The sight made my core clench with renewed need.

“Fuck, you taste like something forbidden,” he rasped. “I could feast on your sweet nectar all night. But I need more. I need to devour every inch of you.”

Before I could respond, he kissed his way down my body while he trailed his lips and tongue over every inch of my feverish skin. In one fluid motion, he ripped my thong off and tossed it aside. Then he spread my thighs wide and settled between them. He nuzzled my inner thigh, his stubble rasping deliciously against my sensitive skin. I was still coming down from my high, but the anticipation of what he was about to do had me coiled tight once again.

“I can’t take it. Fuck, Kai!” I cried out.

His mouth closed over my aching sex, and I nearly came off the bed. His tongue laved over my slit and lapped up my essence before he swirled it around my swollen clit. I fisted my hands in his hair as I held him to me while he feasted on my flesh like a man starved. He thrust his tongue inside me, fucking me with it as he rubbed tight circles on my clit with his thumb. The dual sensations quickly sent me careening toward another peak.

“Oh god, Kai. I'm going to come again,” I panted, my hips undulating against his face.

He doubled his efforts as he sucked hard on my sensitive bundle of nerves. Two fingers plunged into my dripping core, and he pumped in and out furiously as he worked me with his wicked mouth. My thighs started to tremble as the coil inside me wound tighter and tighter. With a final flick of his tongue, I exploded.

Again.

“Kai!” I screamed his name to the heavens as I came apart, my release gushed into his waiting mouth. He greedily drank down every drop and groaned as if he'd never tasted anything so godly. “Kai, please…”

He knew what I wanted. So, he pulled back, and I looked down at him in desperation—the devil himself smirked up at me, his lips and chin glistened with my essence. “Beg for it, little lamb. Tell me how much you need me to fill you with my come.”

I swallowed hard, “Please, I need it. I need you. Make me come, Kai. I’ll do anything, just please don’t stop,” I babbled incoherently, too far gone to care about my hoarseness.

Satisfaction danced in his eyes as he rose up over me and settled his hips between my thighs. I could feel the hard length of him pressed insistently against my core. He braced himself on one forearm beside my head while his other hand reached down to free himself from the confines of his pants.

“Look at me, Haven,” he commanded.

I obeyed, and my eyes met his heated gaze. His were nearly black, the pupils blown wide with lust. In them, I saw my desire reflected back at me tenfold. He positioned himself at my entrance, the broad head of his cock nudged my slick folds.

“I've ruined you for anyone else,” he chuckled darkly. “You're mine, little lamb. Body, heart, and soul. Say it.”

“I'm yours, Kai,” I breathed without hesitation. “Only yours.”

With a groan, he surged forward and buried himself inside me to the hilt in one powerful thrust. I cried out at the sudden intrusion, my body stretching to accommodate his impressive girth. He stilled to let me adjust to his size as he peppered kisses along my jaw and down my neck.

“Fuck, you're so tight,” he rasped against my skin. “You were made just for me.”

He began to move then withdrew almost entirely before slamming back in. I met him thrust for thrust, my hips rising to take him deeper. The pace he set was hard and fast, unforgiving and punishing. Each snap of his hips drove him deeper into my willing body. I wrapped my legs around his waist to change the angle so he hit that spot inside me with every thrust.

“Harder,” I pleaded, my voice a breathless moan. “Fuck me harder, Kai.”

He growled against my neck, and his teeth roughly grazed my racing pulse. “As you wish, little lamb.”

He gripped my thigh while he hiked my leg higher on his hip to change the angle of his thrusts. The new position allowed him to go even deeper, and it completely took my breath out of my lungs.

“Oh god, right there! Don’t stop!” I keened as my nails scored angry red lines down his sweat-slicked back.

“Never,” he grunted. “I’ll never stop fucking this perfect pussy.”

One of his hands snaked between our sweat-slicked bodies to find my virgin entrance. He rubbed tight circles around the sensitive bundle of nerves, and that was all it took to send me flying over the edge.

“Milk my cock. Take every drop of my come,” he ground out through clenched teeth.

My body convulsed around him, and I cried out his name like a prayer to a God I didn’t believe in. With a final, bruising snap of his hips, he buried himself to the hilt and stilled, a guttural groan tore from his throat as he spilled his seed deep inside me. I couldn’t stop trembling in the aftermath, and my inner walls continued fluttering around his pulsing length. He held me close as we both struggled to catch our breath. He nuzzled into the crook of my neck as his hot breath fanned over my damp skin.

“I’m going to put a baby in this pretty belly of yours,” he said softly as he trailed his fingers to my stomach.

So soft I almost didn’t hear him.

A baby?

The thought both thrilled and terrified me. I looked at him and searched his face for any hint of uncertainty or jest, but found only pure adoration shining in his eyes.

“You really mean that?” I whispered, my voice trembled as I spoke. “You want to have a baby with me?”

“More than anything, little lamb. I want to fill this belly with my seed and watch it grow round with our child. I want the world to know you’re mine in every way possible.”

He traced reverent circles on my stomach, his touch feather-light, as if he had already imagined the life we could create together. My heart swelled with an emotion I was too afraid to name.

“I love you, Kai,” I breathed, the words tumbled out before I could stop them. “I think I've loved you since you first called me little lamb.”

His hand stilled on my stomach, and his eyes snapped to mine, searching, probing. For a moment, I feared I had said too much, that I had let my heart override my head. But then a slow, beautiful smile spread across his face, the kind that always made the rest of the world fall away.

“I love you too, Haven. More than my own life. You're my reason for breathing, for fighting. And I'll burn down the world to keep you safe.”

He kissed me then, slow and deep and poured every ounce of his love into it. He had settled into my soul to fill the cracks and heal the broken pieces that had been shattered long ago. For the first time in my life, I felt whole. The future was stretched out before us, uncertain and dangerous, but with him by my side, I knew we could face anything. Kai—the fearless warrior of The Brotherhood, the man who had seen and done unspeakable things— loved me; me, the daughter of his greatest enemy. There was only Kai and the unbreakable bond we had forged through blood, pain, and now love.

“Promise me something,” I whispered, tracing my fingers along the chiseled planes of his face.

“Anything,” he murmured while he turned his head to press a kiss to my palm.

“Promise me that no matter what happens, no matter what my father or brother do, we'll face it together. That you won't shut me out or push me away in some misguided attempt to protect me.”

Kai's jaw clenched, and I saw the war raging behind his eyes. His every instinct screamed at him to lock me away somewhere safe, far from the incoming storm. But he also knew me, knew that I would never sit idly by while he risked his life.

“I promise,” he said, at last, the words heavy with reluctance and resolve. “We're in this together, little lamb. Until the end.”

I smiled tremulously as I blinked back the sudden sting of tears. “Until the end,” I echoed.

Kai pulled me closer as he tucked my head beneath his chin. I listened to the steady thrum of his heartbeat, and I let it lull me into a sense of peace.

“Sleep, my love,” he murmured while he pressed a kiss to my hair. “I'll keep the demons at bay tonight.”

Wrapped in his embrace, I let my eyes drift closed and succumbed to the pull of slumber. And that night, I slept without nightmares.