Page 57 of The Devil's Chaos

He silenced me with a finger to my lips. “Shh, it's taken care of. You don't need to worry about anything.” His dark eyes bore into mine intently. “Do you trust me, Haven?”

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes. I trust you.”

A ghost of a smile played on his lips. “Good. Then trust that I'll always protect you, no matter what.”

He cupped my face in his large hands, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones tenderly. The contrast of his gentle touch with the violence we had just committed was jarring. But that was Kai—a walking contradiction. Brutal yet tender, dangerous yet protective.

I leaned into his touch, my eyes fluttering closed. “I don't regret it,” I whispered. “Killing him. After what he tried to do to me, what he wanted to do…I'd do it again in a heartbeat.”

“I know,” Kai murmured. “That's my girl. My beautiful, deadly queen.”

He captured my lips in a searing kiss, swallowing my gasp. I melted against him, my hands fisting in his shirt as I pulled him closer. His tongue delved into my mouth, stroking and exploring possessively. I yielded to his dominance, a soft moan escaping me as he backed me against the wall. His hard body pinned mein place, the evidence of his arousal pressing insistently against my stomach.

He broke the kiss to trail his lips down my throat, his teeth nipping at my sensitive skin. “I want you,” he growled against my racing pulse. “I always want you.”

I was going to respond, but his phone started ringing. He ignored it, but then it started ringing again. “I’m sorry,” he apologized and answered.

“Yeah? I’ll be down in a second,” he sighed as he hung up. “That was Theo. Archer has called an emergency meeting.”

“Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know. He only calls emergency meetings if something is wrong. I’ll call you when we’re done.”

“Okay. Be careful,” I murmured. I was reluctant to let him go, but I knew he had to leave.

He pressed one last hard kiss to my lips before stepping back. “Lock the door behind me.”

I nodded and watched as he slipped out the door, waiting until I heard his footsteps fade before engaging the deadbolt with a soft click.

Alone in my apartment, the events of the night crashed over me like a tidal wave. I slid down the door, hugging my knees to my chest as silent sobs wracked my body. The tears I had held back all evening finally broke free, streaming down my face in hot rivulets.

I killed a man tonight. Brutally, savagely, and without an ounce of remorse.

28

TWENTY-EIGHT

KAI

Theo and I changed before going to Archer’s office, both aware of the weight of the impending conversation about Haven. I knew I needed to have that conversation with Archer, but when was a good time? The second I brought her into the inner workings of The Brotherhood, her life would no longer belong to her. She would be expected to perform certain duties and be burdened with responsibilities I wasn’t sure she was ready for. I was uncertain about Haven's readiness for The Brotherhood, and this uncertainty was eating me up.

Deep down, I knew Haven could handle whatever I threw her way. She had been a survivor all her life, and The Brotherhood was summer camp compared to what she had lived through.

But I wanted Haven.

I feared losing her to The Brotherhood.

I wanted to keep her to myself.

I paused outside Archer’s door, my hand hovering over the knob. Theo glanced at me. His eyes were filled with understanding. He knew my struggle, the internal battle between duty and desire.

“You don’t have to tell him right now,” Theo said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s just get through The Ceremony and the masquerade ball.”

“You’re right. Archer deserves the truth, but there’s no harm in waiting another day.”

I knocked on the heavy oak door before entering. Archer sat behind his desk. His green eyes were lighter today, but he studied us as we sat.

“What is so important that you can’t wait until morning to speak about?” I complained as I took a seat on the leather couch. I yawned obnoxiously and waited to see what this was all about.

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