Twisted in Chaos (Destructive Devastation #2)

Chapter 20

"What do you mean he blew up the boat?"

Arrow’s entire face reddens with every word he speaks. A grunt falls from his lips when his leg bounces in place. Destruction rests in the back of his eyes. If he doesn’t get his eyes on Journey soon, he’ll completely lose his shit.

"I could have gone there, and no one would have known I was there. I'm a mother fuckin' ghost! Give me a boat, my weapons, and bam! They'll all be dead.” His hands move as he speaks, getting more erratic with his mood.

He’s liable to murder someone at this point.

My head pounds in tune with my heart. And my goddamn leg. Who knew a stab wound could be so inconvenient? Not me. Of course, I've been shot and stabbed before. It's a hazard of the job. But this? This is tearing through me like an infection I can't take my mind off of.

Or maybe it's the loss of my wife, not by my side. The withdrawals are kicking in with a vengeance. I itch to hold her again. Touch her. Kiss her. And most importantly, protect her from anyone for eternity.

When I get my hands on her again, I'm locking her in a gilded cage. No matter how many times she tells me no. She has no fucking choice.

"Then I'll fucking send you next time and watch as you fucking burn to death!" Carter yells, throwing his hand around with a scowl.

"That's the thing, though," Arrow says with a slight lift of his lips. "I wouldn't have died. I would have been invisible. By myself, I could have made it through that hotel, found my girl and my guy, and fucking left no crumbs behind."

Cocky fucking idiot.

"Shut the fuck up," Carter growls, inching closer to Arrow with a snarl. "Those were my men."

"Shut up, Arrow," I grumble, massaging my temples.

"Well, I'm just saying, Daddy Jer. He let boys do the job I could have done better." He crosses his arms like a child, throwing himself back into the oversized chair he's sitting in.

Carter grinds his teeth. Again. I'm almost positive that's his general state of being. My cousin told me he's always been an angry person, hurling insults and throwing punches at the drop of a hat. Maybe if he punches Arrow, it'll knock a few more screws loose.

"Fuck!" Carter shouts, punching the wall beside him.

"So, obviously Shadow has quite the weaponry and has no issue with using them on people," I say, raising a brow when Carter turns on his heel to face me.

"State the fucking obvious, Mafia Douche," he grunts, rubbing a hand down his face. "I'm waiting to hear from my contacts."

"Contacts?" Arrow asks, re-engaging in the conversation.

"Do tell," I say, waving a hand.

"I have intel on the island." He holds my gaze.

I raise a brow. "As in, you had it before I brought the island up. Is this perhaps how you knew about it?" And why Google had shit all to tell me.

"Shadow has been on our radar for three years since he popped up. He's started turf wars with smaller gangs, basically absorbing them into his organization to build his forces. Along with your fucking father."

I cringe at the fact his blood runs through my veins. "The same could be said for Shadow and my sperm donor. Shadow has been sending men into Briar Cove for almost three years, trying to take our father down."

"He sent a guy with a bomb. It was fucking amazing," Arrow chuckles. "Remember, Jer? How he told us all his secrets, and then BAM! He exploded, decorating us with his guts. Good times."

Carter blinks several times, looking Arrow up and down. "He's fucking serious?" he asks me point blank.

"Over time, you get used to his antics. He's just a murdery teddy bear," I quip.

"I resent that, Daddy Jer. Murdery teddy bear? I'm much more intimidating than that. I made a man piss himself once without doing anything."

"You were literally holding a flamethrower to his face," I say, shaking my head. “I’m not sure that’s the definition of not doing anything.”

"Meh. Semantics. I may have melted his face off, but he was a traitor," he grunts.

"Right. Melted his face off," Carter says in a daze, blinking several times.

"Careful, Arrow. He could be making a list to indict you," I snort when Arrow sits up taller, narrowing his eyes.

"He wouldn't dare," he says suddenly, deadly serious.

Carter rolls his eyes. "As if my ball-buster partner would let me," he huffs. "Besides, you're not the only assholes who have tortured people." That familiar, cruel smile crosses his lips as he rounds his desk and plops down. "Now, shut the fuck up so I can get some work done. I'm waiting on my contact to fucking text me with information again."

"Again?" I question.

"Yes. He delightfully fucking informed me that my men were at the bottom of the goddamn ocean thanks to that fucking bastard's firepower. He also mentioned a few newcomers."

"You couldn't have led with that?" I sit up straighter when he smirks.

"That got you to fucking shut up."

"Spill the beans, Agent Man! Tell me how my Kitten and bestie are." Arrow puts his face in his hands, looking as innocent as possible. "I'm desperate here, dude."

"He confirmed they were on the island, along with a third person. A teenage girl. Says Shadow is doting on her and claims it's his fucking kid. Claims to be Sunshine West." He shrugs. "No confirmed ID on the kid. Through the pictures I've sent, he has positively IDed a one Sheppard Mondelli and a Journey West." His expression grows grim, and I see a flicker of emotions pass over his face for the first time. And considering he's not in the presence of his wife, it's odd to see. "Shadow has a lot of fucked up things on that island."

"Fucked up? Like, fucked up I would like? Or fucked up I would want to murder over?" Arrow asks, leaning in slightly.

"Murder over," Carter says, shaking his head. "He has a fucking fighting pit. People from all over can sign up and take the challenge, and if they're the winner, Shadow grants them money and favors. The more they win, the more important they become. My source confirmed your girl was in the fucking pit..." he trails off when I shoot daggers in his direction.

"Don't play with me," Arrow growls, gritting his teeth.

"She won."

"She..." I trail off, my heart beating a million miles a minute. "You're fucking telling me that my wife was forced into a fight, and she fucking won?"

Carter grimaces. "It appears that way."

"What other secrets are you hiding in your colossal head?" Arrow asks, slowly getting up from his seat. His fingers twitch at his sides, aching to wrap around Carter's throat—and possibly more.

I sigh, getting to my feet. I come to a halt in front of Arrow, blocking his view. "You can't murder the fucking agent," I hiss, shaking my head.

"Come on. You never let me have any fun. Wouldn't his skin look good peeled off?" Arrow asks, peeking around me and sizing Carter up.

"Not him," I say, gripping his shoulder tight. “Save that for Shadow.”

"You're no fun," he gripes, tossing my hand off my shoulder. "And I'm still mad at you." He pouts like a damn child. Again.

"Mad at me?" I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Still?"

"You left me," he says through clenched teeth. "I could have died."

"I made sure that nurse was prepared to fucking escort you to safety. In fact, I helped her do that. I killed my father's fucking guards for you, Arrow. I got stabbed! It would have aroused suspicion if I had left with your body draped over my shoulder. Don't you think so?"

Something flares in Arrow's eyes when he steps back from me. He's being an irrational child, holding something against me that I couldn't help.

"Don't be a child, Arrow. If I could have dragged you out of there myself, I would have..."

"Never leave a man behind," he huffs, lifting his chin. "I would have slaughtered the world to bring you out of that hospital had it been you." Then, he turns on his heel and marches out of Carter's lush office, slamming the door behind him.

"Wonderful," I mutter, staring at the door in his wake. “Fucking great.” He’s never going to forgive me. Arrow’s the type to hold a grudge for as long as he’s breathing.

"Would he really fucking skin me alive? Do I need to lock doors and protect what's fucking mine?" Carter's deep voice penetrates through the worry fogging my brain.

"Harmless as a puppy until provoked," I grumble, sitting on the couch. This room seems to be the quietest in his home. A place he invited us to stay at to discuss more business.

"I've got a bazillion fucking kids in this house, asshole. If he..." I put up a hand to stop him from continuing.

"He wouldn't harm a child. It may be hard to believe, but that psychopath is the leader of our Help the Community movement. He's set up shop in his father's church, going to the confessionals to aid abused women and children and help them escape their circumstances. He wouldn't harm your family. Perhaps I need to find him an outlet for his anger." Someone who would deserve to die, that is.

Carter rubs his chin. "I know a guy who knows a guy who has a fighting ring. It's here in town."

"If they don't mind dying,” I quip. “Arrow doesn't stop once the violence takes over. But it might be a good outlet if I can control him." My heart aches at the thought of Shepp. Our silent giant doesn't utter words, but Arrow always listens to him. It keeps his demons at bay.

"I'll text Ruthless to see if he needs new fighters tonight. He'll want Arrow to promise not to kill anyone," he says, raising a brow.

"That I can do." At least, I hope I can.

Arrow and I have been at odds since I left him at the hospital. He can't comprehend why I left him in the abandoned wing with a nurse who swore her allegiance. I had no choice. He doesn't seem to understand my reasoning.

"Now, any word on my wife? Or what the plan might entail? I want to be a part of this entire operation." I raise a brow when he rolls his eyes, sitting back in his chair.

"These kinds of situations take fucking patience. Do we know she's fucking there? Yes. But an exact location? We don't fucking know. If we do that too prematurely, we chance fucking killing her. And dear God, if I have to hear the fucking West assholes gripe I got their sister killed. I'll never hear the end of it."

I blow out a breath. "Patience is not my virtue. But I suppose I waited years to claim what's mine. What's a few more days before we can rescue?"

"Yeah, well. If it makes you feel any fucking better. My source says they're both being cared for like a king and queen. Now, at least. Once she fucking proved herself to him, something changed. I just don't know what the fuck did."

"Well, then. I'll be waiting," I say, getting to my feet. "And I should probably track down my murderous brother before he finds someone else to take his rage out on." As I turn to leave, a beep from Carter's phone stops me in my tracks. I glance back at him, waiting expectantly for a solution to my Arrow problem.

"Ruthless says that you're in luck. There's an opening tonight after someone dropped out. I’ll send you a text with all the details." He quickly types on his phone and then sets it down just as my phone vibrates in my pocket.

"Ruthless, hmm?" I hum, rubbing my chin. "Now, why does that sound so goddamn familiar?"

"No fucking clue. Now, leave me the fuck alone. I got work to do. Unless you want your wife and bestie to fucking stay on the island." He raises a brow, scowling at me.

Asshole.

"And that's my cue," I murmur, waving as I exit the room and wander around the first floor of their home. The same home Olivia escorted us to this morning before the fucking sun had risen so we could get right to work with Carter.

Olivia's voice echoes through the ample space, mixed with the squeal of kid's laughter. I follow the noise, hoping to glimpse my best friend and talk some sense into him. Or hell, maybe let him beat my ass for what he thinks I did.

"This is LuLu," a little girl's voice fills the air when I stop outside a gigantic playroom filled with a massive amount of toys lining the walls.

"LuLu," Arrow chortles with a grin, spinning the Barbie doll around. "Does LuLu like purses?" He places the doll's feet on the ground, making her dance in front of the little girl, who giggles at his antics.

Maybe he would make a good father one day.

"LuLu likes puppies and kitties," she retorts, holding up a small dog and cat. "See!" She giggles again when Arrow does something funny with the doll and chuckles.

"You play with dolls?" a little boy asks, eyeing Arrow with a frown.

"Why not?" Arrow asks, putting shoes on the barbie while poking his tongue out in concentration.

"Cuz it's for girls," the little boy huffs with annoyance.

"Go away, Roman," the little girl hisses, waving her hand. "I play with dolls. He likes dolls. Go play with your boogers."

Roman huffs, rolling his eyes. "I don't need dolls, Maggie. I have my iPad." He says it like his iPad is more superior than her toys, looking down on her like an older brother would. “I’m only here because Mom said I had to supervise you, anyway. So you don’t eat another Barbie shoe.” He levels her with a glare, and she scoffs at him.

I never had toys to keep me company as a kid. Once my mother was out of the picture, my father forbade them. The only toys I was allowed to touch were sharp and pointy. I'm surprised I never cut off a finger—or his.

My phone vibrates in my pocket again, indicating a text has come through. I bring it out, eyeing Arrow before dropping my gaze to the screen. My heart drops completely into my ass when the name Blue Spider Fucker, aka Elias White, pops onto the screen. He and I have never had any sort of civil relationship. He's been a thorn in my side, distributing drugs into my community and killing innocent people.

Blue Spider Fucker

It seems you've misplaced something important to you

Then, the picture comes through.

My wife. At a table, all alone, covered in blood from head to toe.

Sweat collects on my palms, and I nearly drop the phone. But I don't miss the fact that fucker was near her and I wasn't. I take several breaths, turning my back on the playroom, getting away from the many children and Arrow occupying the space. The last thing innocent kids need to see is me reaching through the phone and strangling that bastard once and for all.

Tension encapsulates every inch of my muscles, tightening them like rubber bands ready to spring free. But I shake it all off. Anger will get me nowhere when it comes to situations like this. I need to use the training my father drilled into my head and face this with a level head and clear mind.

And that's how I find myself outside, on the back patio of Carter's home, lounging on a chair and taking in the scenery. Olivia once mentioned that the Wests—or Cole family—as they took their wife's last name—built this house with the utmost security measures. I don't blame them. After what they each went through at the old prep school here in town and had to endure, I'd doubly make sure that the secret society behind the murders never made an emergence again.

"Jericho Viotto," Elias's deep voice comes through the phone smoothly.

"Elias White," I say in a clear, unbothered voice when I'm anything but unbothered. "Care to explain why you were near my wife while she was covered in blood?" I can only surmise it's from the fight pits Carter mentioned earlier. It’s the only logical explanation I can think of as to why her appearance was bloodied.

"I could," he says easily. "But maybe I don't want to."

"Is there anything I could entice you with to encourage loose lips?" I pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance. This is what it's going to come down to. If I have something he wants, he'll aid us in whatever Veritas can't.

"There are many things in life, Jericho. Maybe I'll give this one for free if you offer to meet with me later to discuss business."

My spine snaps straight. "Business?" I question. "I didn't think you did business with the likes of me." Only my father, if I recall correctly. The last time we spoke business was when I had to threaten his balls for distributing lethally spiked drugs into Briar Cove. The bodies were piling up, and the coroner was finding a singular cause in every case—laced drugs. Fentanyl, to be exact.

"Times change," he snaps, momentarily losing his cool. "They change when leaders slip and threaten what shouldn't be touched."

I raise a brow. "Agreed, then. Did you happen to see my second-in-command? Tall. Scar on his face. Doesn't speak?" My heart thumps loudly at the prospect of getting information about him.

"No." Fuck. How was Shepp not there by her damn side? "A little birdy told me you've escaped Briar Cove?"

"It's a possibility," I confirm.

"I want to set up a meeting for this evening. Say 9 p.m. at the old East Point Prep gym?"

"East Point, huh?" I hum. "Did your little birdy give you those clues?" Because according to the text Carter sent me, that’s the exact location of our fight tonight.

"No. My brother did. He mentioned someone named Arrow needs to let off some steam in his fighting ring. I told him he was being fucking daft for letting a person like him fight and to have the coroner paid off for the evening. But he laughed at me instead." I can practically hear the roll of his eyes from behind the phone.

Well, then. What a small world, after all.

"Then it's settled. I'll meet you there where we can have a nice long talk about my wife and friend."

"He won't harm her," he says lazily, with a hint of emotion. "His son and your wife are too important to him right now. They're a good bargaining chip for whatever he's got cooking. But that's what we'll discuss tonight."

"And his son is?"

Elias chuckles to himself, sounding proud. "Few men have met the man called Shadow face to face. I've had the displeasure several times. He's a real piece of work. Unpredictable at best. But he's a good businessman because he learned from the best." Cryptic fucking bastard. Why does everyone around me insist on speaking in riddles? If we spoke directly and got to the damn point, everyone would stop wasting my time.

"Explain," I say, losing my patience.

"Shadow learned everything he knows from your father. Because once upon a time, before he died and became reborn, he was Thomas Mondelli. So, no. He won't harm them. He can still use them. But you had better believe that when they prove no longer useful, he'll eliminate them. But not before he tries to marry his children off.”

I rarely blanch. Ever. Or lose my cool. But at the moment, I swear everything stops inside me. My heart. Blood. Thinking. Everything ceases as his words play on repeat.

Thomas Mondelli is alive?

How is that possible? I remember the day we celebrated the death of Thomas Mondelli, dancing on his grave with smiles on our faces. That rat bastard was supposed to be rotting in Hell for an eternity. Not walking around and kidnapping his son and my fucking wife.

This is not good. Not good at all. Thomas is unstable at best. Always has been, especially if alcohol has been swimming in his veins. And if Shepp is locked on an island with his father—well, nothing good can come of that.

"Children?" I question, shaking my head in confusion. From my knowledge, he only has Shepp. Of course, he could have been like my father and been hoarding heirs. Something I’m still not sure my father did. Only time will tell, though. Whoever the poor bastard is, they’re in for a rude awakening when my father takes them.

My entire skull aches from all the secrets slipping out in the past few days. I need a day's sleep to heal my mind and leg. Time is not on our side, though. The more these things keep piling on, the more desperate I am to retrieve my friend and wife.

"Indeed. Speaking of weddings, Jericho. You're invited to mine if you don't mind returning to your old stomping grounds. Briar Cove Grand Hotel. I'll tell you the details tonight."

Click.

I blink several times, staring at the phone in disbelief.

Fuck.

A headache immediately forms in my mind. A-fucking-gain. Aching when I close my eyes. The information processes at a slow rate. Anxiety boils under my skin.

"I hear I have a fight. Can I skin one of them alive?" Arrow's dark voice comes from beside me, sitting on the patio furniture. “I'm desperate, Jer. It's… bad.” He pounds his skull a few times, closing his eyes with sweet relief.

I know that look. I’ve seen it many times in the past when the demon inside him gets to be too much. It’s riding him hard, aching for bloodshed and mayhem. Well, he’s about to get his wish, minus the murder part.

I peek one eye open. "Apparently, they've been warned about your tendencies. No murder, though."

“Boo, you whore. You’re no fun. What’s a fight without the loss of life?” His eyes darken immediately when he checks me over. "Who was on the phone, Jericho? It sounds like you were making plans without me again." He narrows his eyes, and the hurt is evident in them.

"While you fight, I have a meeting with Elias White." I dig my phone out and show him the message and picture of Journey covered in blood.

His head tilts curiously, taking in our girl. "Uh, instant boner-alert. Warn a guy before you present him porn." His tongue pokes out, and he taps a few times on my phone and then grins. "I sent it to myself. You think she'd be mad if I blew the picture up and put it on my wall?"

"You're not even the least bit concerned that she's covered in blood and sitting at an unknown table?"

Arrow's face doesn't move an inch, but his fingers tighten on my phone. "Well, when you put it like that. Yeah, it makes me a little angry." More than a little. His features darken further as his demon takes him over. The Devil is truly shining through him right now.

"Elias saw her. This is from what I assume is the fighting pit Carter spoke about. Remember, she won. Elias had a meeting with Shadow. Apparently, he's seen his face and knows exactly who he is. Shadow is Thomas Mondelli."

A pin could drop between us and be heard for miles. Arrow doesn’t react immediately; simply soaks in the information like I did. No doubt remembering the funeral where we surrounded Shepp in support and laughed when Thomas’ ashes were put to rest.

It makes me wonder if my father has known this whole time and has said nothing. But if he knew Shadow was his former second-in-command, would he have done anything? Surely, he would have tried to get Shadow in his pocket or eliminated him for good.

"So, my Kitten and our bestie are with his father," he snarls. Ah, there’s the reaction I was waiting for. "You know what that bastard did to him!" He jumps to his feet, throwing my phone back at me. "We need to swim to that island right now. I want to slaughter every fucking inch of that place and make it rain blood." He cracks his knuckles in preparation.

"Patience," I say, holding up a hand, attempting to reel him back in. "I know it's not your strong suit. Mine, either. We can't think with our rage and desperation right now. We know exactly what he is capable of. He'll rip our fucking heads off before we can even enter the building. We have to plan this carefully and rely on Veritas to help."

Arrow roars toward the sky, letting all his agitation go. Momentarily, at least. He'll be back to his disturbed self in a second or two. For now, he’s draining the rage from his system.

"I'm trusting you with this, Jer," he growls, huffing a breath. "I need her so goddamn bad. And Shepp. I feel like a piece of our quad is gone."

"Our quad?" I quip, chuckling at his words.

"We're a fucking quad. We can't live without Shepp and my Kitten." With a huff, he plops down in the chair again, running his fingers through his blond hair. "I'm..." He shakes his head, wincing when he rubs his chest.

"I feel it, too," I murmur. "But we're not giving up until they're back with us, okay? Trust the process, even if it takes another week to get the manpower to get there. And if Veritas doesn't come up with a plan, I will. We'll gather our own damn soldiers and invade that island."

Arrow tilts his head. "We should do that, anyway." He grins. A diabolical plan obviously springs to life inside him. Once again, granting him life in his darkened eyes. "That's what we'll do. We'll build an army and take on Shadow and your father. Fuck. We can take them both down."

"You're absolutely right. But that would mean returning to Briar Cove."

"Yeah. We can take up the apartment at the club and start recruiting our soldiers. We can erase your dad off the damn maps, and we’ll hide with the citizens we’ve vowed to protect.”

"And you don't think Gabe the Great would see that coming?" I quip, rubbing my temple again. I need a damn nap before we venture to our meeting spot tonight.

"He wouldn't," Olivia murmurs, sitting beside me as she cradles a hot cup of coffee.

"He knows everything, Liv. Hell, I'm pretty sure he knew you were in town." He’s like a damn wizard with eyes living in the walls of every establishment in his territory. The worst fucking Viotto to ever live, and there are six brothers to compete for that title. Even over Liv’s piece of shit father, who never amounted to anything but became her biggest nightmare. Maybe they’re tied.

Our fathers could win a prize for the shittiest humans in the entire universe.

Liv licks her lips and nods. "Veritas has agents in almost every crime organization in the world. You name the family. We've got people undercover." Huh. Why didn’t I think of that?

I side-eye her. Of course, she’d have agents infiltrating the family she grew up in. She knows the ins and outs of what it takes to be a Viotto. "Really?" I grunt, shaking my head. "Of course you do."

"Who is it, Livy? Let me at 'em," Arrow says with a grin. “I just want to talk to him. Just a little.”

"That's a negative," she says, raising her middle finger to Arrow, who pouts back into his chair.

"No one in the Viotto family will let me have any fun. What's a little murder? Come onnnnnn," he whines again, playfully stomping his feet.

"Call me the fun-ruiner," she quips, sipping her coffee and sighing, staring off into the distance. "I just got word this morning that Gabriel is sick. He’s still functioning as the head of the family, but he’s visibly pale in public and slurring his words." She raises a brow to emphasize the catastrophe brewing over Briar Cove. “He’s holding secret meetings. Meetings your mother is attending with him.”

"Ill?" I say with an even tone, sitting up in the chair. My muscles turn rigid. Before sneaking out, my father was coughing, and my dear mother was handling it. "Gabriel Viotto doesn't fall ill. He..." Fights through it. He doesn't get sick. Never has. Never will. But apparently… “And my mother is helping?” Well, that’s very suspicious, isn’t it? Considering she was following him around with drinks in her hands, offering him her help.

"That's the word on the street. So, it seems we have bigger problems than him retaliating against you. We have an ailing mafia leader who is experiencing unrest within the organization. No word on what’s got him down.” My mother is the one who has him down. She’s done something. “If it’s a permanent thing or not. There’s talk about overthrowing him, anyway.” She side-eyes me with a knowing look. “From people who aren’t you.”

Yeah. That was us. We were the ones who were going to overthrow his tyrant ass.

I shake my head. "He won't die until I put a bullet in his skull.”

It’s a promise. After all the hell he’s reigned down on me, Journey, Arrow, Shepp, and anyone in between. It’s the least I could do to make him suffer. Hell, I’ll let Arrow drill holes through his flesh in retribution for it all.

"And I'll help," Arrow chimes in, laughing maniacally in his seat.

Olivia raises a brow in his direction, worry tinting her eyes. I know that look. It’s the same look she gave us as kids when she thought we were headed over the edge—which we are. We’re teetering on the edge of a tall mountain, about to plummet head-first into the abyss below. The valley. The darkness. If we don’t reclaim what is ours soon, we’ll be gone for good. Arrow has held onto his humanity by a thread for years, and I have a funny feeling that it’s about to be snipped.

"Arrow and I have a meeting tonight at the old East Point Prep gymnasium."

"Oh?" she questions, sipping her coffee again like she already knows.

"Indeed," I hum, counting down the hours until I could talk to Elias face to face.

"Need backup?"

"No. I can handle Elias White while Arrow pummels whoever dares to enter the ring with him."

Olivia snorts. "Oh, bless their hearts for even trying to fight him.”