In Peace Lies Havoc (Midnight Mayhem #1)(90)

“Right.” Delila claps her hands, standing in front of her chair. “I would like to take this moment to allow anyone who is looking to harm Perse because of her parents’ mistakes to step forward right now, so I know who to kill first.” Some chuckles vibrate around as well as gasps of shock. King’s shoulders shake beside me, his face burrowing into the back of my neck to hide his laughter.

“No one?” Delila looks around at everyone. “Good, because although I know The Brothers and Four Fathers run this world and we answer to them,” her eyes fly straight to King’s father, “I have no problem ending anyone if someone else comes after my prized possession. In fact!” She raises a hand, and I wonder if she has slightly lost the plot after all this time. “If you come near any of my prized possessions, I will see to that ending.” She exhales peacefully and finally falls to her sofa, takes a sip of her vodka, and then flicks her hair over her shoulder. “Now to the issue at hand, Patience.” I’ve heard that name be passed around a lot lately.

Kaius steps out of King’s mom’s grasp, a cigar hanging from his mouth. He reminds me of a drug lord. Tony Montana. “Patience wanted Persephone because they knew her linage with Mayhem. They didn’t get her. It’s settled. We part ways for now.”

Delila shakes her head, throwing back more vodka. “Nope. I’m not okay with that. King, are you okay with that?”

King freezes, and then slowly peels himself away from me, his eyes going to his father. “No. I’m not.”

Kaius shakes his head. “You’re blinded, son.”

“Sorry I’m late! You fuckers didn’t invite me!” Kohen stumbles into the room wearing suspenders and a tie. His eyeliner is smudged beneath his eyes and his colorful socks are pulled up to his knees. His hair is a jumble of chaos like he hasn’t showered in days and his mouth is in a perfect O when his eyes land on mine. “Oh, wow. Looky what we ’ave here.” He staggers toward me, snatching a bottle from the bar.

“Jesus, Dahlia, stop your son,” Draya murmurs, shaking her head while sipping on her glass.

The woman who looks uncomfortable twists her fingers together, her eyes always coming back to mine.

Kohen drops onto the other side of me, taking a long swig of the bottle. He stares at me blankly, void of all emotion. It’s like staring into a machine.

“We share. Did King tell you that?”

“Fuck off, Kohen.” King cuts him with a death glare before we all take our attention back to Delila.

“Personally, I think it’s time we start fighting back toward Patience. This is the first time they have ever tried to actively step on our toes by using one of our own. Nonetheless…”

“Ahhh, yes, let’s talk about little Jack. Where is he?”

King answers quickly, “Dead.”

His father’s eyes go to him. “And was it cleaned properly? I can’t have anything falling back on us. We’ve lived beneath the shadows, quite literally, for decades. I won’t have your dick getting us into trouble.”

“It’s clean,” King clarifies. “He changed teams and went to Patience. Not sure for how long, but I’m gathering it has been a while.”

“Actually, Jack did things to Perse while she was in our care, so I would say that he needed to be weeded out. He and his mom were drug addicts. When they saw an opportunity with Perse, they jumped, knowing that Patience would pay big bucks for a Kiznitch, especially one of the Hendry girls.” They start bickering in the background, so I look to King, finding him watching me. I focus on his soft lips, the dip from his cheekbone, and his perfectly structured nose.

I want this. You. I say.

The fuck you don’t. He replies.

“Where are our brothers anyway?” Delila asks, her eyes flying around the room.

King finally drags his attention away from me and to Delila. “They’re not coming. They’ll agree to whatever I agree to.”

Delila nods. “So it’s settled? We will conduct a plan?”

“Son,” King’s dad interferes. “A word?”

King squeezes my hand and then stands, disappearing with his dad behind the door.





As soon as we’re out of view, Dad turns toward me. “Do you know what you’re doing? Had she not been in the picture, would your decision still be the same?”

I think over his words, though I’m pretty sure I don’t have to think long. I will always do what’s best for Kiznitch—period. It’s why I’m my father’s son, why I will take his place when he passes, because I have no problem making decisions for the families, and most of all mine.

“Yes,” I answer, fishing out my pack of smokes from my back pocket and biting one out. I flip open my Zippo, grinning that I still own it, before blowing out a cloud of smoke. “Like you even have to ask, Pops.”

“Listen.” Dad sighs, and I know what’s coming. The talk about how I stress my mom out and how there has always been bad juju around the Hendry twins because of their witch mother. When I say “witch,” I mean she practiced witchcraft. She called herself a white witch when our parents were younger. People thought they could go to her to be healed, but in actuality, she ended up cursing everyone she touched. I mean, not a real curse, but she let off bad stigma amongst those she touched. It’s one of the reasons why a lot of people who are in Midnight Mayhem steered clear from P when they saw her. They thought she’d—I don’t know—work voodoo on them without even knowing it. When she found out about Dove and P, she became more violent with her evil. “I know she means a lot to you. You four have this twisted little bond—and I blame that on your mother and her poor choice of friends.” My mom was always very close with P’s father. It’s why we were practically raised together. Whether they fucked or not is a different story. You never know in this world. Very rarely do wives and husbands remain in a completely monogamous relationship. “It puts stress on your mother who thinks you will make the wrong decision.”