Page 82 of The Devil's Chaos

“See you on the other side,” I announced before opening the door to the staff entrance.

Taking a deep breath, I headed inside, moving swiftly but also trying not to draw attention to myself. My heels clicked against the polished floor, echoing in the stillness. My brother was preoccupied with some esteemed guests in the club, so I moved quickly down the stairs to the basement. When I approached his bedroom door, I could hear Maddie inside. When I opened the door, I saw her hit Mila across the face with a loud crack.

“Maddie!” I shouted. “Alex needs you upstairs.” I leaned up against the doorframe, feigning nonchalance.

Maddie snapped her head in my direction, hatred burning in her eyes. “I’m not done,” she protested.

“Okay, I’ll tell him you’re busy leaving bruises on his plaything. It’s your funeral,” I scoffed as I turned to leave, hoping she didn’t call my bluff.

“Wait. Wait! I’m coming. We’ll continue this later, Mila.”

“I won’t bother waiting up,” Mila responded.

I chuckled to myself. Mila had some fire in her.

Maddie shot me a menacing glare before following me into the hallway. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I enjoy seeing you so flustered, that’s all.”

She came to an abrupt stop before stalking toward me. “Watch yourself, bitch. I could end your life if I wanted to,” she hissed.

“Promise?” I teased. “Don’t get my hopes up.”

Maddie sneered at me, her eyes narrowing into slits. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? But you’re playing a dangerous game, Haven. One of these days, your luck will run out.”

I met her gaze unflinchingly. “We’ll see about that. Now, run along. You don’t want to keep my brother waiting.”

With a final glare, Maddie stomped off, her heels clicking angrily against the floor. I waited until she disappeared around the corner before returning to get Mila.

I slipped inside, closing the door behind me. “Stand up!”

She looked up at me, her face bruised and swollen from Maddie’s abuse. Despite her injuries, there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. I helped her stand up, moving to untie the ropes that bound her wrists behind her back. Rushing to Alex’s wooden desk, I ran my hands underneath it, smiling when my hands touched the cold metal of his stashed handgun. I checked the magazine before sliding it back in and pulling back the slide to load a bullet into the chamber.

“Wait, please don’t shoot me,” Mila pleaded.

“I’m not going to shoot you, you idiot. It’s just for protection. Stay behind me, and stay quiet. I move fast, and you need to move faster. We only have five minutes before the cameras reset and alert the entire compound that I helped you escape.”

“You’re helping me escape? But why?” she asked. “You’re his sister. Why would you help me?”

“Kai told me you’d ask a lot of questions,” I huffed impatiently. “It doesn’t matter right now. We don't have much time. Can you walk?"

She nodded, pushing herself to her feet with a wince. I wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting her weight as we approached the door. The clock was ticking, and every second mattered.

"Kai, I have Mila. We're heading out now," I whispered into the comm.

We exited the bedroom and proceeded down the hallway, moving as quickly as Mila's injuries would allow. I could hear the muffled thump of music from the club above us, the bass vibrating through the walls.

Static crackled in my ear before Kai's tense voice came through. "Roger that. Cameras will reset in three minutes. You need to move fast."

I quickened my pace, half-dragging Mila along as we raced through the corridors, hiding in the shadows when guards passed. I took her through the back hallways, knowing there would be less foot traffic. If all went well, in the next thirty seconds, we would be at the door that led out near the dumpsters and, subsequently, the back of the compound. We turned the corner, the red metal door in sight, and I yanked her toward it.

“One minute, little lamb. Move faster,” Kai reminded me.

My heart sank when Maddie’s voice shouted behind us. “Hey! Don’t fucking move, or I’ll shoot you.”

Fuck.

I turned around first, putting Mila behind me. Maddie had a gun pointed right at my face. “Maddie, put the gun down,” I tried to keep my voice calm.

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