Page 56 of The Devil's Chaos

“Get dressed,” he ordered brusquely.

I stared at him dumbly for a moment before shaking myself into action. With trembling hands, I pulled the bloodstained dress over my head. The fabric clung to my skin, still damp with sweat and other fluids.

Kai was already fully dressed, looking as put together as ever despite our frenzied coupling just minutes before.

The high of the kill and our manic lovemaking was fading, replaced by a creeping sense of dread.

Kai crouched down in front of me, his dark eyes searching my face. “Haven. Look at me.”

I forced myself to meet his intense gaze, swallowing hard. “Kai, I…I killed him. I actually killed someone,” my voice wavered.

He gripped my shoulders, his touch grounding me. “You did what you had to do. That bastard was going to murder you. He deserved what he got.”

I shook my head, nausea churning in my gut as I glanced at Gerald's corpse. “But I…I enjoyed it.”

Kai's lips curved into a wicked smile. "Of course you did. There's nothing like the rush of taking a life, especially when they deserve it." His fingers trailed along my jaw, tipping my chin up to meet his heated gaze. “It's intoxicating. The power, the control.”

I shivered under his touch, equally thrilled and terrified by the dark hunger in his eyes that mirrored my own. “What does that make me, Kai? Am I…am I a monster?” I whispered, voicing my deepest fear.

He shook his head firmly. “No, Haven. You're a survivor. A fighter. You did what you had to do to protect yourself.” His thumb brushed over my lower lip. “Never be ashamed of that.”

He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before rising to his feet. “One of my boys from The Brotherhood is here. His name is Theo. I want you to meet him if you’re okay with that.”

“Does he know who I am?”

“He does.”

“Okay, then.”

Kai crossed to the door and opened it fully, revealing a man I had seen before. He had dark hair that was longer on top and light green eyes. He was tall and muscular like Kai. I could see tattoos peeking up from the hem of his suit, but I couldn’t begin to make out what they might be. His eyes widened slightly as he took in the grisly scene.

Theo stepped inside, followed by multiple men wearing janitorial uniforms that mirrored the venue’s logo. Their faces were stern and expressionless. They filed into the room without a word, moving to deal with Gerald’s corpse with a chilling efficiency that spoke of ample experience. I felt a bit of panic building, but then the leader of the janitorial looking men, a bald man with a permanent scowl and a thick scar running across his cheek, broke the awkward silence.

“Quite a mess you’ve made here,” he commented mildly as if discussing the weather.

Kai grunted. “It’s nothing you can’t handle, Ivan. But this was all her,” he turned to look at me. His face held an expression of pride that I hadn’t expected. It was like when you drew a picture for your mom, and it looked like a blob, but she looked at you like you were the most remarkable thing she’d ever seen. Except hidden in his expression of pride was something primal.

“Impressive,” Theo remarked, assessing my handiwork. “It’s nice to meet you finally, Haven.”

I scrambled off the bed awkwardly and moved to introduce myself. I walked over to Theo, feeling strangely exposed and vulnerable despite being fully clothed. The metallic scent of blood clung to my skin, a tangible reminder of what I had done. I held out my hand, trying to keep it from trembling. “Nice to meet you too. I wish it were under better circumstances.”

Theo took my hand firmly, his green eyes assessing me intently. He seemed wholly unfazed by the dried blood. There was no judgment in his gaze, only a glimmer of respect and perhaps a touch of wariness. “In our line of work, there rarely are better circumstances.” His eyes flicked to Kai as he released my hand. “I’m just glad this asshole found someone who can handle his brand of crazy.”

I glanced at Kai, a flush creeping up my neck at the thought of him discussing me with his men. He met my gaze steadily, and a slight smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

Theo turned his attention back to the clean-up crew efficiently disposing of Gerald’s body. “They’ll make sure there’s no trace left. It’ll be like it never happened. I figured you two would need a ride.”

“Thank you.” I nodded.

Kai kept a firm arm around my waist as he guided me to the door. Theo led us out a back entrance to a waiting black SUV with tinted windows. He opened the rear door, ushering us inside before slipping into the front passenger seat himself. The driver, a burly man with a shaved head and a beard, barely glanced at us as he pulled away from the curb.

The ride back was quiet, but my mind was anything but. The adrenaline was wearing off, and reality was setting in. I had just killed a man. Brutally. And I enjoyed it. What did that say about me?

Kai's hand rested possessively on my thigh, his thumb stroking soothing circles on my skin through the fabric of mydress. It was a small comfort, but it helped ground me. He didn't seem bothered in the least by what had transpired. If anything, he seemed…proud. Like my capacity for violence only made him want me more.

We arrived at my apartment, and Theo and the driver remained in the SUV as Kai walked me to my door. I fumbled with my keys, my hands still shaking from the events of the night. Kai gently took them from me and unlocked the door, ushering me inside.

When the door closed behind us, I turned to face him, my eyes searching his. “Kai, what happens now? I mean, we just left a dead body back there. What if…”

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