Page 97 of The Devil's Chaos

My dark, tainted angel, haunted by her past demons. Demons that clawed at her mind, fighting to drown her.

I had finally opened the email Theo had sent me weeks earlier of all the information he had dug up on her, which wasn’t much. As I read through it, my rage boiled over like a pot left too long on the stove. Her father, Abel Benson, had been a cruel and heartless man. He had killed her mother when Haven was only six years old, all because she had tried to run away and give her daughter a better life. The details were gruesome and sickening. How Abel and his goons had found them at a lonely gas station a few hours past the city. And then, like the tyrant hewas, he sent a brutal message to his only daughter. He forced her to watch as pigs devoured her mother alive, the stench of blood and death filling the air. It was a twisted demonstration of power and control, designed to remind Haven that there was no escape from her father's wrath. My heart broke for her and the horrific childhood she had endured under such a monstrous man.

And then he allowed his son to rape and abuse her throughout her life. He looked the other way as long as she performed the duties he wanted from her. Flaunting her in front of his clients and associates like she was an escort. His empire was built on his daughter’s back and the backs of innocent women that he sold.

Alexander Benson may be at the top of all of our hit lists, but now Abel Benson was at the top of mine. I vowed to make him pay for every ounce of pain he caused her.

As I sat in the dark, lost in my vengeful thoughts, Haven stirred in her sleep and let out a soft whimper. Her brow furrowed as if in pain, and I leaned forward, my muscles tensed, ready to wake her from the nightmare that gripped her. But before I could move, she bolted upright, a scream tearing from her throat.

“No! Please, don’t hurt her!” she cried, eyes wide and unseeing.

I was at her side instantly, gathering her trembling form into my arms. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe now,” I murmured as I stroked her hair. She buried her face against my chest.

“He killed her,” she sobbed as she clutched onto my shirt. “He made me watch as they tore her apart. I can still hear her screams.”

My jaw clenched as I held onto her tighter. “I know, little lamb. But he can’t hurt you anymore. I won’t let him.”

She pulled back, her tear-stained face tilted up to mine. “Promise me,” she whispered, her voice raw with desperation.“Promise me you’ll make him pay for what he’s done. For what he’s allowed my brother to do to me.”

I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away the tears that streaked her cheeks. “I promise,” I told her. “I will hunt him down and make him suffer for every moment of pain he’s caused you. He will die by my hand, and you will be free of him forever.”

She shuddered, her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned into my touch. “Thank you,” she breathed as the tension slowly eased from her body.

I held her until she drifted back to sleep, her head resting on my shoulder. As I laid her back down on the bed, I gently kissed her forehead. “Sleep well, my lamb,” I whispered. “I will keep watch over you always.”

I returned to my vigil in the corner. My mind was already plotting Abel Benson's downfall as I swore to end his life for causing so much suffering to the woman I loved. His days were numbered, and it would be my hand that would put an end to them.

43

FORTY-THREE

HAVEN

The nightmares wouldn’t stop plaguing me since Maddie shot me. No matter what I did, they creeped into my dreams of Kai and me, but this time, I was watching from out of my body as a grown woman and no longer a child. I could see when my six-year-old heart broke, and I knew I’d never be the same. I wanted to hug my tiny self and tell her to run and never look back, but I knew there was no escape, so I stood silent and watched as my mother was taken from me.

The dream shifted, and I was back in my body, but now I was older, a teenager. I was walking down a dimly lit hallway, the walls closing in around me. I heard a familiar voice calling my name, but it was distorted, echoing off the walls. I started running, my heart pounding, but the hallway seemed to stretch on forever. Suddenly, I was back in that moment, staring down the barrel of Maddie's gun. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The gun fired, and I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, my heart racing.

I sat up in bed, trying to catch my breath. The nightmares were getting worse and more vivid. I could still feel the cold metal of the gun pressed against my skin. I glanced at the clockon my nightstand—4:47 a.m.. I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, so I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Kai was sleeping in the chair, a habit he’d had since I moved in. He wouldn’t disturb me. Instead, watching me from a distance, ready to comfort me when I’d wake up drenched in sweat and trembling from my demons. I went to the kitchen, hoping a glass of water would calm my nerves.

I stood at the sink, sipping the cool water, thinking about how much my life had changed in just a few weeks. The manor was quiet, except for the occasional radio chatter as guards roamed the corridors. I returned to my room and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. I stared up at the ceiling, but I was restless. I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I turned on my side and looked at Kai, still asleep in the chair. He looked peaceful, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Throwing the blankets off of me, I approached him.

I’m not sure I knew exactly what I planned on doing, but I needed to do something to scratch this itch that was unrelenting since he came into my life. I needed his hands on me, like a balm to my black soul.

I knelt beside Kai's chair, my fingers hovering over his face, tracing the lines of his jaw without touching. His eyes fluttered open, and those piercing blue orbs locked onto mine. We just stared at each other for a moment, the air between us crackling with tension.

“Can't sleep?” he murmured, his voice rough with exhaustion.

I shook my head, and my throat suddenly dried. “I need…” I trailed off, unsure how to put my desperate longing into words.

But Kai understood. He always did. In one fluid motion, he pulled me onto his lap, his strong arms encircling my waist. I gasped at the sudden contact, my body molding against his like it was made to fit there.

“Tell me what you need, baby,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. “I'll give you anything.”

A shudder ran through me at his words. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent—sandalwood and something uniquely Kai. “Make me forget,” I pleaded, my voice muffled against his skin. “Make the nightmares go away.”

His grip on me tightened, and he stood up, effortlessly lifting me. He carried me to the bed and laid me down gently, his body covering mine. His weight was a comforting presence, anchoring me to the here and now.

“I've got you,” he promised, his lips brushing against my forehead. “You're safe with me.”

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