The Devil’s Chaos (The Brotherhood #2)

53. Fifty-Three

53

FIFTY-THREE

KAI

T onight was the first night I thought the devil was actually going to personally come and drag me down to Hell, where I belonged. I had accepted my fate long ago—a cat only has so many lives before they meet their maker. If I was going to die, then I guess I could find comfort in the fact that I was dying next to my brother, Archer. I would know that I did everything possible to keep Haven safe, which included stationing two guards outside her room while I snuck off with the boys and wreaked havoc on that slimy bastard’s compound.

But I made sure I had a backup plan because I wasn’t ready to leave this world without knowing that I took out every member of Haven’s family that could ever find her and hurt her. What I didn’t account for was the fact that she was more stubborn than I gave her credit for. There was a reason I gave her the nickname little lamb because, against all odds, that damn woman would always sacrifice herself to save the people she loved and cared about. So, when Alex recorded that video, I knew she would come.

She couldn’t help herself.

It was in her nature.

My beautiful, self-sacrificing lamb stood before us, and for the first time in my life, I found my reason to want to survive whatever Alex had planned for us.

Not just survive but live for her.

Her eyes remained locked on her brother’s every move as he gave his theatrical speech, and it was then that I realized just how much I had underestimated her strength and courage. She wasn’t just some fragile lamb who needed protection—she was a lioness ready to fight for those she loved. She knew the risks and the danger she faced by coming here, yet she stood tall, unwavering, and prepared to do whatever it took to bring us home—to bring me home.

When Theo and our men showed up, it was almost a moment too late, but the feelings they brought me were indescribable. I would never forget the look on his face when he realized it was over for him. All I could think about was getting to my girl.

She was it for me.

Nothing else mattered.

No one else mattered.

It was her and me against the world.

Forever.

As the dust settled, and the chaos subsided, I stood next to my queen as I watched Alex and his men being placed in a line in front of us. I had made a promise that I would free her from her family, and I intended to keep it, one asshole at a time. She watched silently as I poured gasoline around the club, but I saved the last of it for the men who stood before her.

“Oh my God!” Mila’s voice called out from behind us. “Archer!”

Archer looked up with a smile, went to her, and pulled her into his arms. I knew he was just as thankful as I was that Theo and Damion arrived when they did. So, when Archer lined her up beside Haven, I knew this was the most critical moment of their lives.

The moment they set themselves free.

Something they had to choose for themselves.

Archer dragged Mila’s father, Winston Grey, into the room and forced him to his knees next to Alexander Benson, and he, too, was doused in gasoline.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Winston yelled as he struggled against his restraints. “Do you know who I am?”

Mila stared at him impassively. Her eyes were cold and unforgiving. “I know exactly who you are,” she said. “You’re the man who was supposed to protect me, but instead, you hurt me in ways no father should.”

Winston’s eyes widened in shock as his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “Mila, please,” he begged. “I’m your father. You can’t do this to me.”

But she just shook her head, a disappointed smile on her lips. “You stopped being my father the moment you made a deal with the devil,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t get to call yourself that anymore. I’m just glad Mom isn’t alive to see the man you truly are.”

“Everything I did, I did for you, for our family.”

Mila let out a humorless laugh. “For me? For our family? No, Father, everything you did, you did for yourself and your own selfish desires.”

Beside her, my queen stood tall and proud, her eyes never left the face of the man she thought was her brother. “You thought you could break me,” she told him. Her voice rang out clear and strong. “You sold me off like a piece of property to the highest bidder. You never once showed me an ounce of love or compassion. You thought you could control me, make me into something I’m not. But you were wrong.”

The hate and disgust in his eyes made me want to go over there and rip his head off his neck. But I couldn’t. This was her moment.

“You’re nothing but a weak little girl,” he sneered. “You’ll never be free of me. I’ll always be a part of you.”

But Haven just smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong,” she said. “I’m stronger than you ever gave me credit for. And with Kai by my side, I’m invincible. You no longer have any power over me.”

I handed her a box of matches and stepped back. She stared at the container in her hand.

This was it.

This was the final act of defiance against the man pretending to be her brother while he raped and tortured her for years. With a deep breath, she struck a match and held it up, the flickering flame casted an eerie glow across her face. She passed the box to Mila, who followed suit.

She approached him. “This is for every time you made me feel worthless. For every bruise, every scar, every nightmare you inflicted on me. I am done being your victim. I am taking back my life, and you will never hurt me or anyone else ever again.”

Alex’s eyes widened in fear as he realized what was about to happen. “Haven, please,” he begged. “We’re family. You can’t do this.”

“You are nothing to me. Not anymore.”

She tossed the match onto the puddle of gasoline at Alex’s feet. The flames roared to life and quickly spread to engulf him in a fiery inferno. His screams pierced the air as the fire consumed him.

“Goodbye, Alexander,” Haven said coldly. “Burn in Hell where you belong. I hope the devil shows you the same mercy you showed me.”

Winston began to sob and plead next to him. “Mila, have mercy! I’m sorry for everything! Please! I’ll do better. I’ll do anything!”

Mila’s eyes were as hard as flint as she lit a match. “It’s too late for that. You made your choice. Now you pay the price.”

She flicked the match onto him and watched stoically as her father writhed and shrieked as the flames hungrily devoured him.

Haven reached over, took her hand, and intertwined her fingers with Mila’s as they watched their demons burn before them. They shared a meaningful look, years of pain and trauma passed between them—an unspoken understanding as they watched the men who had caused them so much suffering burn alive.

The putrid smell of burning flesh filled the air, but Haven and Mila stood resolutely as they watched the monsters who had tormented them for so long become reduced to nothing but ash and charred bone.

Once the flames started spreading to the men beside them, we moved outside to watch the place that had been her prison crumble to ash, cleansed by the purifying fire at last.

I came up behind Haven and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest. She melted into me as she finally allowed herself a moment of vulnerability.

“It's over, little lamb,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. “You're free.”

She twisted in my arms to face me, and her green eyes shone with unshed tears. “I’m free because of you, Kai. You saved me in every way a person can be saved.”

I cupped her face tenderly while I wiped away a stray tear with my thumb. “You saved yourself, baby. You stood up to him. You fought back. I was just there to love you through it all.”

She shook her head. “Don’t you see? That’s what saved me, Kai. Your love. It gave me the strength to face my demons, to stand up to Alex, and finally break free from his hold over me. Before you, I was just surviving, going through the motions. You believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. You are my reason, Kai. My reason to keep going—to want more out of this life than just surviving. You showed me what it means to truly live. To love with every fiber of my being.”

I leaned down and kissed her, hoping I was conveying all the love, passion, and devotion I felt for the most incredible woman I had ever known. When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against hers. “You and me, little lamb. That’s all that matters now. I love you, Haven. You are my beginning, my end, my everything in between. I will spend the rest of my days showing you just how much you mean to me.”

“I love you too, Kai Montgomery—more than I ever thought possible. You are my savior, my protector, my heart.”

She gazed up at me with those soulful emerald eyes that captivated me from the very first moment I saw her. “I like the sound of that. No more looking back, only forward.”

Hand in hand, we turned to face the smoldering ruins of the compound as we watched the last embers die out. It was a fitting end to a horrific chapter in her life. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I knew she would emerge stronger, more resilient and radiant than ever before. And I would be right by her side, loving her, supporting her, and building a future together—a future where the shadows of the past held no power over us anymore.

As the smoke dissipated into the night sky, I squeezed her hand. “Let’s go home.”

Archer fell into step beside me, Mila tucked protectively under his arm, their own demons laid to rest.

“What now?” Mila asked.

I smiled as I glanced down at Haven. “Whatever our queens desire. The world is ours for the taking.”