Page 70 of The Devil's Chaos

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, knowing full well he could see right through me.

Kai tsked, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “You’ve always been a terrible liar, Haven,” he said, his voice deceptively calm. “Did you really think you could keep secrets from me? That I wouldn’t find out that you betrayed me?”

“Betrayedyou? I haven’t betrayed you.”

“Always with the lies!” he yelled, slamming his fist against the wall. “You knew Lacey got into that car with your brother that night, but you said nothing. And now she’sdead.”

I flinched at the mention of her name. “Kai, I swear I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

He stood slowly, his movements deliberate and predatory as he stalked toward the bed. “But it did happen. And you knew. You knew what he was capable of, and you said nothing. You let him murder Lacey in cold blood.”

I scrambled backward, pressing my back against the headboard as if that could somehow protect me from his wrath. “Kai, please…I didn’t… I should have said something, but I was?—”

“A coward,” he finished my sentence.

His words cut deep, slicing like the blade that had ended Lacey’s life. I wanted to deny it, to scream that I wasn’t a coward, that I had been trying to protect everyone from my brother’s twisted games. But the truth was, I had been afraid. Afraid of what he would do if he found out, I told Kai what I had seen.

“I tried to stop him,” I whispered.

He scoffed, his lip curling in disgust. “You let her die, Haven,” he sneered. “You let him butcher her like an animal, and you did nothing to stop it. And the worst part is you lied to me,” he continued, his anger building. “You’re a fucking hypocrite, standing on your high horse and preaching about betrayal while keeping your own secrets hidden like the snake in the grass that you are. I don’t know why I expected anything different from a Benson.”

Each word felt like a slap in the face, leaving a stinging mark on me. I opened my mouth to defend myself, but the words died on my tongue. Deep down, I knew he was right. I had failed Lacey. Him. Everyone. My cowardice and silence had cost another innocent girl her life.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over.

“Kai, I’m so sorry,” I choked out. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I was just so scared of what he would do to you if he found out I told you. He’s a monster.”

“Enough. I defended you.” His jaw clenched as his eyes hardened. “What about me? Did you ever stop to think about what this would do to me? Lacey was Mila’s best friend. And now she’s gone because of you and your psychotic brother.”

“I know I fucked up. I never wanted this. I tried to stop him at the quarry, and look what almost happened!”

“Almost,” he shook his head in dismay. “Whatalmosthappened, but yet it didn’t.”

I stared at him with hate in my eyes. I hated him in that moment, but I hated myself more. “You know what, I’m not doing this right now. You can see yourself out.”

I scrambled off the opposite side of the bed and headed to the bathroom, determined to lock myself inside. As I walked past Kai, he grabbed my arm in a vice-like grip, his fingers digging into my flesh. I winced, trying to pull away, but he held tight, forcing me to face him.

“You don’t get to run away from this—from me,” he growled, his face mere inches from mine. “You don’t get to hide in your bathroom and pretend like none of this happened. It’s time to face the consequences of your actions.”

I stared back at him defiantly, even as my heart raced in my chest. “What do you want from me?” I spat. “You want me to say I’m sorry? That I regret not telling you about my brother that night? Well, Iamsorry. I regret keeping it from you. But I can’t change what happened. I can’t bring Lacey back. If I could trade my life for hers, I would do it in a second.”

“You think it’s that easy?” he seethed. “You think saying sorry and offering up your life can erase what you’ve done? What your silence caused?”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight with emotion. “No,” I whispered. “I know it’s not that simple, but you don’t know him like I do.”

“You betrayed me. I would have protected you from that sick fuck if you had just been honest from the start.”

“Honesty? You’re really going to come at me about honesty? You fucking hypocrite. As far as protecting me…no one can protect me from him,” I spat. “Not even you, Kai!”

I met his gaze, my eyes brimming with tears.

Kai’s eyes narrowed as he released my arm. “You don’t think I can protect you?”

I rubbed my arm where his fingers dug in. I was sure there would be bruises tomorrow. “It’s not that simple. He’s always there, lurking in the shadows, pulling the strings. No matter how far I run or how much I try to escape, he finds me.”

“Then you haven’t run far enough,” Kai sneered.

I studied his face for a moment before speaking. “The first time I ran, I was ten years old. When he caught me, he broke both my ankles and then raped me repeatedly.” I pointed to my ankles where the scars lived. “The second time, I made it to Kansas City before he found me. He locked me in the wine cellar in the dark for sixteen days to teach me a lesson, starving and beating me. I wasseventeen, Kai.”

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