Page 71 of The Chaos She Brings

Are they okay?

Are they here too?

I’m alone in whatever room this is, so looking around isn’t going to help.

What I need is answers. So I start yelling. Screaming bloody murder at the top of my lungs for anyone who might be listening.

It’s not long before there’s a loud thunk then the door starts pushing open. I stop my screaming to focus on whoever might be coming through from the other side.

A tall man with dark, almost black, hair steps through. His face has a hard edge that says,“Fuck with me and you’re dead.”On his body he’s got an impeccably tailored suit, and tattoos peeking out the top of his shirt.

I’m starting to regret drawing attention to myself.

“You’re awake,” a deep voice says, thick with a Russian accent.

“You’re astute.”Shut up, Tess.

His lips twitch, barely noticeable, before his expression hardens again. He tilts his head, studying me like I’m an insect under glass. “You made quite a noise.”

I shrug. “I was lonely.”

His brow lifts slightly. “Do you feel better now that you’re not alone?”

“No. Actually, I’d prefer better company. One of my travel companions, perhaps?”

His sneer is slow, deliberate, and ice-cold. “They’re dead.”

It’s not a slap. Not a punch. But the words hit harder than either could.

Dead.

Kai is dead.

And Nico.

Oh god.

A sharp, crushing pain blooms in my chest, like something inside me has torn open. The room tilts. My vision blurs. I can’t breathe—like there’s no oxygen left in the world, just a thick, suffocating nothingness.

No.

No, this isn’t real.

Itcan’tbe real.

A sob wrenches out of me before I can stop it, my body shaking, hot tears streaking down my face, the salt bitter on my tongue.

The man leans closer, his features a distorted blur. He’s saying something, but I can’t hear it over the roaring in my ears.

I can’t think. I can’t move.

All I can see is Kai.

And he’s gone.

22

I Can’t Lose Her