Page 36 of The Chaos She Brings

Then his face hardens, and before I can even react, he punches me square in the chest.

“What the fuck was that for?” I snap, glaring at him.

“She’s my sister.”

The words hit me harder than the punch.

Oh.

Shit.

10

Everything Is Fine

Kai to Carina: This is your fault. [unsent]

Tess

ThemanglaresatKai, his jaw tightening, before his gaze shifts back to me. His eyes soften, but it’s the kind of softness that makes you wonder if he’s deciding whether to eat you or just toy with you first.

“You’re Tessa.” It’s more a statement than a question. His accent sits somewhere between Italian and American.

“T—Tess,” I whisper, shrinking back behind Kai’s shoulder like a toddler trying to hide behind a lamppost. My heart is pounding so loudly it might as well be auditioning for a drum solo.

This man—Enzo, I assume—is utterly terrifying. His shadow feels like it’s sucking all the air out of the room. His face is a map of bad decisions, and the dark stubble only adds to the“I’ve seensome things”vibe.

His hair is nearly black, styled in that messy-yet-purposeful way that says, “Yes, I look like I’ve just woken up, but it cost £300 to make it look this way.” Everything about him screams wealth and power.

I see no resemblance to myself in him, save for his eyes—those green, piercing eyes that are exactly like mine.

I’m not the type to cower. I’ve killed a man, for crying out loud. I’ve done things that would make most people run screaming for therapy—like feed my dead boyfriend to pigs. But standing in front of Enzo, I feel small—like a teacup Chihuahua barking at a Rottweiler. It’s as if his entire existence is fine-tuned to make people like me squirm, and I hate how effective it is.

Kai squares his shoulders. “Are we going to have a problem right now?”

Enzo looks at him, eyes narrowing, and I swallow thickly. Then his face breaks out into a grin, and he pulls Kai into one of those one arm guy hugs.

“Nah, man. It’s good to see you.”

The tension dissipates and now my mind starts reeling from Enzo’s words.

“What do you mean I’m your sister?” I ask, scowling like a toddler gearing up for a tantrum.

I don’t know who this guy thinks he is, but I’m pissed that he interrupted whatever was happening with Kai. Kai, who will probably pull away and tell me that what happened was a mistake.

After Kai’s revelation about the Mafia being involved, sleeping was impossible. I’d planned to make a late-night snack to distract myself, but the light in Kai’s office had caught my attention. He’s so closed off, always keeping his emotions locked up tight. I know he’s only helping me because he feels obligated, but… the kiss. That kiss didn’t feel like an obligation.

Then he avoided me for days, like it never happened. But when he kissed me again—all my overthinking went right out the window. My coherent thoughts? Gone. My self-control? Non-existent. I might’ve gone looking for a snack, but instead, I ended up being one. For Kai.

“I need to talk with Kai first. Maybe we can talk in a few hours?” Enzo says.

“Good idea.” Kai nods, snapping me out of my thoughts as he motions for Enzo to following him.

“I have work soon.” I cross my arms in front of me, annoyed that I’m being left out of things again.

Both men turn to look at me with identical scowls, their matching disapproval so intense it’s almost comical.

“What?” I snap, suddenly braver now the tension has broken.