Page 67 of The Devil's Chaos

I lost myself in the rhythmic pounding of my fists against the bag, sweat dripping down my chest and back. But no matter how hard I pushed my body, I couldn't shake the all-consuming need that possessed me. Haven was under my skin, in my blood.

A sharp knock on the door frame snapped me out of my lust-fueled haze. I caught the swinging bag and turned to see Theo leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.

"You want to tell me what's really going on with you and Haven?" he asked, his tone making it clear it wasn't a request.

I grunted in response, not breaking the rhythm of my strikes. Theo walked over and held the bag steady for me. “Seriously, man, what’s going on with you guys? You two were at each other’s throats out there.”

I landed a particularly brutal punch, making the bag shudder. “She’s just so fucking stubborn.” I ground out between clenched teeth. “She won’t listen to reason.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Theo remarked wryly. I shot him a glare, but he just shrugged. “Hey, I’m just calling it like I see it. You’re in deep with this girl, aren’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Yeah, and she’s going to destroy me.”

“I think it’s already too late for that.” A wry chuckle escaped his lips.

I inflicted one last punishing blow before stepping back, my chest heaving. Theo was right. It was too late. Haven had already wrecked me, mind, body, and soul. And the worst part was, I couldn’t even bring myself to care. I’d gladly let her ruin me a thousand times over to feel her touch again.

I grabbed the towel and wiped the sweat from my brow. “I don’t know what to do, man. She’s got me all twisted up inside. I can’t think straight when I’m around her.”

Theo clapped a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. “Welcome to the wonderful world of women. They’ll make you crazy in the best and worst ways.”

I barked out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, well, the difference is that Haven is the daughter of Abel Benson, so we can’t be together.”

“Why can’t you?”

“Are you serious? All I’ve been doing since I met her is hiding and lying to the people I care about. To Archer, to you, to Haven. It’s all just a tangled web of deceit that blew up in my face when she saw that video tonight.”

“What video?”

“Somebody recorded us during The Ceremony. She saw me with Mila, and she lost her shit.”

“Wait, somebody sent her a recording of us during The Ceremony? Who sent it?”

“She didn’t say.”

“Kai, someone deliberately recorded and shared that footage with Haven. Why her?”

I froze, my mind reeling at Theo's question. Why would someone send that video to Haven? The ceremony was sacred, secret. Recording it was strictly forbidden, and sharing it with an outsider was an unforgivable betrayal.

“I…I don't know,” I admitted, a sense of dread settling in my gut. “But whoever did it was trying to drive a wedge between us. They wanted Haven to see me with Mila.”

“Who else knows about you and Haven?” Theo asked, his brow furrowed.

I shook my head. “No one. We've been careful.” But I knew it wasn't entirely true even as I said it. “Fuck.”

“What?” Theo asked.

“Alexander.”

“Her brother? How does he know about you two?”

“I don’t know. The night of the charity event, she told me he had people watching her, and he told her if she told me anything, he would kill me and make her watch.”

The realization hit me like a sledgehammer. If Alexander knew about us, then he could easily be the one who sent thatvideo to Haven. It was the perfect way to tear us apart and keep his sister under his control.

“Goddammit!” I slammed my fist into the punching bag, sending it swinging wildly. The pain that shot through my hand was nothing compared to the anguish in my heart. Haven was in danger, and it was all my fault. Knowing the risks, I never should have let her get close to me.

Theo gripped my shoulder, his expression grim. “Kai, if Alexander is behind this, then Haven is in serious trouble. We need to get her somewhere safe, away from him.”

---