Page 115 of The Chaos She Brings

Enzo scoffs. “You two are worse than the actual mafia.”

“You’reliterallythe mafia, big brother,” I reply, eyebrow raised, unable to stop the sarcastic grin pulling at my lips.

“Exactly!” He throws up a hand. “You’re more psychotic than—wait. Did you just call me your brother?”

A flicker of something unreadable passes over his face. Like it’s only just sinking in.

“I did.”

Enzo’s eyes widen, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face. It’s as if the words take a moment to settle. Then, without warning, he pulls me into a tight embrace, his arms strong around me like he’s trying to convince himself I’m really here, really his sister.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters, his voice rough. “I have a sister.”

I squeeze him back. “Has it only just sunk in?”

“No? Yes? I don’t know,” he mumbles.

His grip on me just tightens, like he doesn’t want to let go.

“Um,” I tap his shoulder, “bit tight.”

He jolts back like I just shot him.

“Fuck.”

I shiver, adrenaline wearing off. Kai shrugs out of his hoodie and helps me get it over my head. It comes to my upper thigh, just enough to cover me.

Enzo’s expression hardens as he steps back. “Alright. We’re not feeding the body to pigs. Kai and I have enough on the Ivanov’s to blackmail them for the next century. We’ll dump the body at their compound with a message—make sure they never come after us again.”

I shrug. “Fine by me.”

He’s not done. “Then we’re all going home, cleaning up, and pretending this night never happened.”

I glance down at my blood-splattered skin. “You think we can just forget all this?”

Enzo smirks. “No. But we can at least get some damn sleep before dealing with the fallout.”

Nate sighs dramatically. “You’re no fun, Enzo. I was looking forward to an impromptu body disposal adventure. I’ve already got my playlist ready.”

Carina elbows him. “Not everything has to be a horror movie, Nate.”

“Speak for yourself.”

Enzo’s private jet is packed full.

I hate how unsettled it makes me feel.

How I flinch at sudden movements.

Kai sits next to me. Neither of us have spoken.

“What happened, Tess?” Kai whispers once the silence between us becomes awkward.

The memories I’d buried deep under the rush of adrenaline crash over me, and a sob breaks free—loud, raw. It shudders through my entire body, filling the silence of the cabin. The eyes of the others are on me, but I don’t care. I don’t have the strength to hide it anymore.

I let the tears fall, hot and unstoppable.

I cry for the version of myself that died on that cold, wet ground, that broken girl who couldn’t escape the hell she was in. My chest aches, as if every sob is tearing open a wound I thought had closed.