Page 86 of The Devil's Chaos

I kept my eyes on the display screen, counting along as the bright red numbers increased.Two…Three…Four…Five…Finally, the doors slid open, and we emerged onto the fifth floor. The walls were a clean white color, giving off an air of sterility and order. Framed photographs of various locations in New York City added a touch of familiarity and comfort, evenly spaced between each patient room. The hallway was quiet, save for the consistent beeping of monitoring equipment and the occasional sound of nurses and doctors passing by. As we rounded the corner, I spotted her room number, 5022. I sped upeven more, practically sprinting toward her door. Theo followed close behind me as I burst into the room.

A nurse looked up from her computer and smiled at me. “Hi there,” she said, “are you family?”

I nodded my head quickly. “Yes, I’m her boyfriend.”

“Oh, are you Mr. Montgomery?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Molly. One of our emergency department nurses gave me report and mentioned you’d be on your way.”

“How is she?” I asked, looking at Haven. Her face was pale, a stark contrast to her normal olive complexion.

“She just got out of surgery a little while ago,” Molly said. “She’s still asleep but recovering well.”

Relief washed over me at those words, and Theo put a comforting hand on my shoulder. She looked so small and fragile, lying there with tubes connected to her arms and machines beeping around her. I took a deep breath and approached her side cautiously. Her chest rose and fell evenly with each breath. I sat in the chair beside her bed and took her hand in mine. I sat there for what felt like an eternity, watching over Haven as she slept.

Theo stood by the door, his presence a silent comfort in the sterile hospital room. The rhythmic beeping of the machines was strangely soothing, a constant reminder that she was alive—mylittle fighter.

Theo stepped out to grab some coffee, and the silence was broken when the door opened. A nurse with dark hair entered. She wore black scrubs, and her light gray eyes took a quick look around before approaching the bed and meeting my gaze.

“Sorry if I’m intruding. I just wanted to check on Haven before heading home.”

She noticed my confused expression and cleared her throat before extending her hand for a shake. “I’m Wrenly. I was thenurse who took care of Haven—Ms. Benson in the emergency room.”

I accepted her hand and shook it. “I’m Kai.”

“Nice to meet you, Kai.” She shifted her bag over her shoulder and glanced at Haven’s vitals before turning back to me. “Her vitals look great. Molly is an excellent nurse, so Ms. Benson is in great hands.”

As I was about to thank her, Theo came in with two cups of coffee. He handed me one and then turned his attention to Wrenly. I noticed his eyes widen as he scanned his gaze from head to toe. Wrenly’s cheeks turned pink, and she fidgeted with her scrubs, shifting uncomfortably as if trying to smooth out invisible wrinkles.

“Theo, this is Wrenly. She’s the nurse who found Haven.” I introduced them, breaking the awkward tension. I would ask him about it later.

“Wrenly, is it?” Theo extended his hand, but his eyes narrowed as he spoke. “Nice to meet you,” he said.

Wrenly placed her hand in his, lifting her eyes to meet Theo’s. When he didn’t let her hand go, she quickly pulled it back and checked her watch. “I’m sorry, but I really need to get home and get some rest. I worked all night. It’s nice to meet you.” She gave me a small smile before nodding toward Theo, turning on her heels, and leaving the room.

“Do you know each other?” I asked Theo once she was gone.

His eyes were still pinned to the door that she had left through, deep in thought. “I’ll give you two some time alone.” He grabbed his jacket from the chair and left, leaving me alone with Haven.

37

THIRTY-SEVEN

HAVEN

Death felt different than I expected. I had always thought that when I died, there would be some bright light I needed to walk toward. At least, that’s what the movies and books said.

But they all lied.

There was no bright light.

There was only darkness.

An icy, impenetrable darkness that consumed you, leaving you paralyzed and powerless in its endless grip.

I struggled to remember what had happened to me. I was there at the club, helping Mila escape so that I could finally be free of my brother and his sick games. For so long, I had been a prisoner, all because I was a woman born into the Benson world. My father was equally as cruel as my brother. It takes a monster to create a monster. I was not raised in a home full of love. No, I was raised in a world of greed and death, one where the men took what they wanted, and if you dared to say no to them, you’d end up in a shallow grave, beaten, raped, and hardly human. Or worse yet, fed to the pigs, never to be found again.

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