Page 120 of The Devil's Chaos

Wrenly sighed heavily while her shoulders sagged. She turned to face Theo, her expression a mix of exasperation and apology. “I’m sorry about this,” Wrenly said softly to Theo, her voice tinged with regret. “I didn’t mean for things to escalate like this. Gage is just…overprotective.”

Theo’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at her, but the tension in his jaw remained. “Your brother needs to learn to mind his own business.”

Wrenly bit her lower lip, her eyes searching Theo’s face. “Can we talk about this later? In private?”

Theo hesitated for a moment before giving a curt nod. “Fine.”

Wrenly gave him a small, grateful smile before she turned to me and Kai. “I apologize again for the disturbance. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening.” With a final glance at Theo, she disappeared into the crowd.

Kai let out a low whistle. “Gage’s sister? Damn, Theo. You sure know how to pick them.”

Theo scowled as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Fuck off, Kai.”

I placed a gentle hand on Theo's arm, concern etched on my face. “Are you okay?”

He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. “I will be. I need a minute.”

Kai nodded with a serious expression on his face. “Take all the time you need. We'll cover for you if anyone asks.”

Theo gave a grateful nod before he strode off, presumably to find some solitude.

I turned to Kai with furrowed brows. “That was intense. I had no idea Theo was involved with Gage's sister.”

Kai shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. “Neither did I. Theo's always been tight-lipped about his personal life. But it seems like this Wrenly girl means more to him than he lets on.”

I glanced in the direction Theo had disappeared. “I hope they can work things out. It's clear there are strong feelings involved.”

Kai pulled me close while he pressed a kiss to my temple. I was about to ask him to dance with me when a loud boom sounded near the gardens. The sound of the explosion ripped through the air, shaking the ground beneath our feet and shattering the peaceful atmosphere of the rehearsal dinner. Screams of terror erupted as guests ducked for cover, confusionand fear etched on their faces. Kai’s grip tightened around me as he pulled me closer and his eyes scanned the area.

Thick, black smoke billowed from the gardens which obscured the twinkling lights and elegant decorations. The acrid smell of burning filled my nostrils, made me cough, and made my eyes water. People ran in all directions, some sought shelter inside the manor while others rushed toward the source of the explosion to investigate. Another explosion followed the first, this time closer to us—so close that we were thrown back into the bar. Shards of glass and debris rained down on us as we hit the ground. Kai shielded my body with his own, and I immediately felt his heart pounding against my back. My ears rang from the deafening blast, and my vision swam as I tried to make sense of the chaos that unfolded around us.

“Stay down,” he ordered, his voice strained but firm. He cautiously peered over the edge of the bar and assessed the situation.

I clutched his arm, my fingers dug into his suit jacket. “What’s happening?” I choked out.

“I don’t know,” he admitted grimly.

I looked past his arm. Archer was shielding Mila with his body, and Atlas and Aurora ushered people inside the manor, their faces set in grim determination. Cassian and Evelyn were nowhere to be seen.

Kai helped me to my feet but kept a firm grip on my hand. It was then that loud pops of gunfire erupted around us. Bullets whizzed overhead as Kai dragged me behind a thick marble column and pressed me against the cold stone. His body covered mine to protect me from the hail of gunfire around us. More bullets ricocheted off the stone walls of the manor which, sent chunks of masonry flying in all directions. I could hear the sickening sound of bullets finding their targets, followed by cries of pain and anguish.

His body tensed, his eyes were hard and focused, and the muscles in his jaw were clenched tightly.

“We need to get inside,” he growled, his voice barely audible over the chaos. “It's not safe out here.”

I nodded as my heart hammered against my ribs. Kai kept his body between me and the direction of the gunfire. We crouched low and moved as quickly as possible towards the manor's back door.

All around us, people ran and screamed, some dragging injured loved ones to safety. I saw Archer carrying Mila, her white dress stained with blood. Whether it was hers or someone else's, I couldn't tell.

As we neared the door, a figure emerged from the billowed smoke. It was Theo, his face smeared with blood and soot, and his eyes wild with panic.

“Wrenly!” he shouted desperately over the din of gunfire and screams. “Has anyone seen Wrenly?”

My heart clenched at the terror in his voice. Amid the chaos, I had forgotten about Theo and Wrenly’s heated exchange just moments before. The thought of either of them being caught in the crossfire filled me with dread.

Kai grabbed his arm, trying to pull him inside. “Theo, we need to get to safety. She's probably already inside.”

But Theo wrenched his arm free and shook his head vehemently. “No, I have to find her. She was heading back toward the gardens when the explosions hit.”

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