Page 10 of The Devil's Chaos

I laughed at the thought.

Yeah, right. The universe was a fickle bitch, and she wasn’t done fucking me over yet.

“Haven! Oh my god, what are you doing? There’s a fire! Get up!” Olivia, one of the dancers, and the closest thing I had to a friend in the club, rushed into the room. Her blonde hair was plastered to her face, and she was barefoot, her tan body starkly contrasting to the club lights.

I looked up at her from my spot against the couch, not making any effort to move. I watched as she tiptoed into the room, careful not to slip on the wet floor.

“Haven?” Her voice crackled with concern when she saw the state I was in. “We need to go.”

I managed a weak smile, winching as I tried to sit up. “I’m starting to think that ‘fuck me’ is the club’s theme, Liv,” I joked, slowly pushing myself off the couch and onto my feet. My body felt heavy, my eyes burned from the water, and my face hurt, the lingering pain from Gerald’s assault reminding me that I should have probably kept my mouth shut.

But what was the fun in that?

The scene was chaotic as we both stumbled into the hallway, and the air was thick with smoke. Dancers and customers were fleeing the building, all crowded around the exit. Everything was soaked, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Despite the pain and humiliation I had just endured, I had inflicted some damage on them—at least to their egos.

When we reached the main stage, the bodyguards shouted instructions at everyone, guiding them out of the building andinto the cold night air. As we emerged outside, sirens wailed loudly in the distance, and Olivia looked at me with concern, touching my cheek, where I could feel a painful bruise forming. “Are you okay? They hurt you, didn’t they?”

I managed a shaky laugh, “I’ll live.”

Olivia wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly. “You’re the strongest person I know, Haven. You always have been. One day, you’ll be free. And we will be sitting on the beach, drinking tequila.”

I nodded, leaning into her embrace. As much as I wanted to believe this life was temporary, I knew that wasn’t the case for me.

Maybe Olivia could escape someday, but I was trapped.

6

SIX

HAVEN

Ididn’t bother waiting for my brother or father to approach me. Instead, I weaved through the crowd and approached my car, a sleek matte-gray Range Rover, in the back parking lot. While most of my life was a nightmare, being a Benson had advantages. And if I was going to be continuously used and controlled, I might as well find solace in regular bouts of retail therapy. But as I reached the car, a chilling shiver ran down my spine, and I couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of being watched. I scanned the area around me, but no one was in sight besides the crowd near the club entrance and the fire trucks screaming into the parking lot. Ignoring the uneasy feeling creeping up in my spine, I hit the code on the car and pressed the unlock button. The Range Rover beeped twice in response, and I opened the door, slid into the driver’s seat, and retrieved my car keys from my purse in the compartment behind the GPS screen. Brushing off my paranoia, I started the car and pushed the gear shift into drive, trying to focus on the road ahead.

I navigated the familiar streets of the city, the neon lights blurring into streaks of color as I drove. My mind, however, was far from the bright cityscape passing by. The unease that hadsettled in my chest at the club lingered, refusing to dissipate despite my attempts to shake it off. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being followed or watched in some way. Glancing in the mirror, I caught a glimpse of what looked like an all-black Impala several cars behind me, its headlights shadowed by the night. My heart quickened its pace as I turned down a deserted alleyway, hoping to lose whatever phantom presence I felt trailing me. The sedan followed suit, so I pressed harder on the gas pedal, the engine roaring to life as I raced through the winding streets toward my penthouse.

I didn’t get far before a sudden screech of tires pierced the night, causing me to slam on the brakes just in time to avoid a collision. My heart pounded in my chest as I peered through the windshield and nodded apologetically when the other driver flipped me off.

I deserved that.

I glanced in the rearview mirror, my heart like thunder in my chest, and to my surprise, the car had vanished into thin air.

Had I just imagined it?The doubt crept in, undermining my confidence and leaving me questioning my sanity.

“Jesus, Haven. Get it together,” I scolded myself, shaking my head in frustration. Once the car I almost T-boned moved out of the way, I pulled onto the street and drove into the parking garage at my complex. I parked and stepped out of my SUV, shivering in the cold emptiness of the garage. There were several cars parked, but no movement.

It was quiet.

Just like normal.

Wrapping my jacket tightly around me, I was thankful I chose a longer one to keep in my car. The other residents weren’t aware of my occupation, and I’d like to keep it that way. As the doors slid open with a soft ding, I stepped inside and pressed the button to the twentieth floor. The elevator lurched intomotion, carrying me upward as I leaned against the cool metal wall. The heat was on, which brought an odd sense of comfort to my chilled bones. The doors opened with another ding, and I hurried out, fumbling with my keys as I quickened my pace down the hallway leading to my penthouse. I unlocked the heavy oak door, glancing at7201in gold, letting out a rush of air when the door opened. Stepping inside the dimly lit foyer, I froze when a creak sounded from behind me, shattering through the silence of the corridor. My heart skipped a beat, and I spun around, only to find the hallway empty. Swallowing hard, I slammed my door shut and locked the deadbolt, taking a deep breath as I tried to calm my racing heart.

Tossing my keys in the bowl next to the door, I shrugged off my jacket and padded through my penthouse. This was my sanctuary, a place where I felt most at peace. The plush carpet of my bedroom was soft beneath my feet as I switched on the lights. The warm glow illuminated the elegant furnishings, a stark contrast to the chaos of my emotions. I poured myself a glass of rich amber whiskey from the crystal decanter on the mahogany sideboard, relishing the familiar burn as it slid down my throat.

Then, the tattooed stranger in my dressing room flashed into my brain. The depth of his blue eyes, and the way his shirt fit tight against his body. Who was he, and what was he doing in my father’s club? He claimed to be there for my father, but somehow, I had inadvertently become his business. I couldn’t make sense of it all. Was he involved in business with my father? And if so, doing what?

It didn’t matter though.

My father’s business only concerned me when I was lying on my back or sucking dick to secure business deals. As the whiskey numbed the edge of my anxiety, I poured another glass, filling it to the brim, before downing the whole thing without hesitation. Setting the tumbler back on the table with a loud clink, I knewI needed a piping hot shower to wash away all traces of Gerald from my skin. Once the bathroom was covered in steam, I stepped into the stall and let the scalding heat wash over me, trying to erase the feeling of his fat hands touching my skin, his dick inside of me. I scrubbed my skin raw, every inch of me, watching as all remnants of him swirled around the drain and disappeared with the soapy suds that gathered there.

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