Page 44 of The Devil's Chaos

"You fucking liar!" she spat at me. "You led me on and used me for your pleasure, and now you're telling me you don't feel anything for me? I can't believe how deceitful you've been!"

I felt a pang of guilt, but I knew I had to be honest with her, even if it would hurt her.

"Maddie, please, just hear me out," I said, trying to calm her down. "I didn't set out to hurt you or lead you on. I just never intended to become serious with anyone. This,” I gestured between us, “thiswas just a fling. The Hunt, the sex, it’s all just for fun because one day, we will be corporate stiffs working in the concrete jungle. You were just something to distract me. That’s all.”

“Oh, is it? Is that what it is for Archer and Mila too?”

“I can’t speak on what it is for anyone else. You know better.”

“That’s right, bros over hoes, right? Guy code? Well, loverboy, I suggest you get your shit together because I know things that would destroy your little Brotherhood.”

“You don’t know shit. You only know what we allow you to know, and trust me, little girl, we make things disappear all the time. So go ahead, flex your muscles and cross us.”

“Is that a threat?” she sneered at me, her eyes furrowed in disbelief.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s not a threat. It’s a promise. Do with that what you will.”

“We’ll see about that,” Maddie spat back at me. She turned on her heels and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

As I heard the echo of the door slamming, I felt a sense of unease creeping up on me. Maddie was a wild card, and while I didn’t believe she had much to go on, she still knew what went on during The Hunt. If she wanted to create chaos, she had the power to do so. But there was something else that didn’t sit right with me. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but Maddie might be up to something.

I spent the rest of the night combing through security footage of Maddie’s comings and goings on the property but ended up with nothing. Other than Maddie texting all the time, she didn’t do anything suspicious. Maybe my concerns were unfounded, but it still didn’t ease my paranoid feelings. However, I watched in real-time as Archer chased Mila through the manor and into the garden maze where the mausoleum was. The mausoleum is where we held our binding ceremonies if we knew that the girl we were with was wife material, which led me to walk right into Archer’s office bright and early the next morning.

“You and Mila gave quite the show on the cameras last night,” I said when I barged right in.

“What did you see?” he asked, his eyes angry and accusatory.

“I just so happened to see a very frightened Mila running through the halls and then your naked ass following her, dick swinging in all its glory, heading toward the maze. So, of course,I followed and watched her running through it and to the mausoleum. Judging by the blood on your dick when you came in, I’m assuming you entered the forbidden back door.”

Archer studied me for a moment. “Even if I did, it’s none of your business,” he snapped.

I chuckled and leaned against the edge of his desk, crossing my arms over my chest. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m just teasing you. Besides, it’s not like you’re the first one to fuck someone in front of the mausoleum.” I paused, dramatically scratching my chin. “Actually, you probably are. But now you’ve given me an idea.”

“I’m sure Maddie would love that,” he scoffed. “Speaking of Maddie, how are things going?”

Okay, he didn’t know anything about Haven. Was now the best time to tell him? I’m not proud of what I did next, but I did it to protect Haven. I wasn’t sure what we were yet, but I knew the minute Archer found out, there was a good chance he would shoot me in the skull for being so reckless. He wouldn’t listen to me if I argued that she wasn’t like her family—that she was a victim of their cruelty.

So, I lied.

“Good. She’s a hellcat, and my dick is raw, but I can’t complain.”

“That’s a good problem to have.”

“Yeah, well, someone’s gotta keep things interesting around here.”

“Hmph,” he shifted in his seat but stayed silent.

“Is Mila ready for The Ceremony this weekend?”

“I haven’t told her about it yet,” he mumbled, looking at something on his computer screen.

“She needs to be prepared. This is a big commitment. And somehow, I don’t think Mila is the obedient, submissive type,” Ileaned in, my voice turning to a whisper. “Have you told her how we will share her?”

“I haven’t,” he growled.

“But you will?”

“I don’t share,” he responded in a matter-of-fact tone.

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