Page 97 of Daughters of Chaos

I gnaw on my bottom lip as I battle with myself. Either choice means I'll be abandoning someone, and I don't know what to do.

A knock at the door startles me, and I look up to see Lace peeking through the opening as Mason answers. "Hey, I heard about Kat. I wanted to check and see if she’s doing okay."

I introduced them when the semester started, and they hit it off right away. The three of us hung out several times and the two of them became fast friends.

"Lace?" Kat says, leaning over to see the new arrival.

The two talk quietly after a tearful reunion, and Kat fills Lace in on what happened. She tells her what Doc said about moving her somewhere to get checked out, and Lace doesn’t miss a beat.

"Do you want some company at the hospital? I could come with you." Lace’s offer washes away some of the fear on Kat’s face.

I could kiss her.

Kat's eyes light up. "I'd really like that, Lace. Do you mind?"

Lace shakes her head. "I don't mind at all. I'm going kind of stir-crazy here. A change of scenery would be nice." She takesKat's hand, and I watch as my friend relaxes. I shoot Lace a grateful look, relieved at what she's done for Kat.

Twenty minutes later, Kat is taken to the hospital by Doc, Lace, Stitch, and Tweak. Bear follows behind on his bike, unwilling to let his niece too far out of his sight. Once the van disappears over the horizon, I tell Mason it’s time for me to see Raven.

58

Phoenix

Mason takes me to the room where Raven is staying. With every step closer, my stomach clenches harder and harder. I can't remember if Doc ever said how Rae was after he went to check on her. I was too worried about Kat when he returned to ask.

When we reach her door, Mason stops, eyeing me to make sure I'm ready for whatever we're about to see inside. "How is she?" I ask, afraid to hear that she's worse off than Kat was.

His jaw hardens before telling me, "She's pretty beat up. Doc thinks she has a few broken ribs, and she has several cuts and bruises that we can see." He pauses, gauging my reaction before adding, "She's tough, Nix. She'll come out of this stronger than before."

I know deep down that he's right. Rae's one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can come out of this swinging, it'sher. Even so, I can't help the feeling nagging at the back of my mind that she may have come back broken. The Bastards had her for days. The damage they could have inflicted in that time is monumental. Especially considering how horribly they treated Kat.

The things they did to her—what they would have done to me . . . Even thinking the question makes me sick, but I need to know. "Did they" I can't finish it. I can't say the words as bile creeps up my throat, but Mason understands me.

With a hard swallow, he shakes his head. "We don't know. She was conscious enough to give us bits and pieces, but she passed back out before Doc could ask her that."

I nod, feeling the dread coiling in my stomach. I stare at the cracks on the sidewalk, fighting back tears for my sister as Mason draws me close to him. "She's safe now, baby. They won't ever touch her again."

For a minute, we stand there holding one another as I gather my composure.Rae's inside. She's safe.I tell myself.The Bastards are gone. The war is over. My sister needs me.

With a deep breath, I pull away, nodding to Mason that I'm ready. When the door swings open, I see Dad, Reaper, and Jesse keeping watch over Raven, their faces grim. She's lying so still in the motel bed, and even from here, I can see the bruising on her face.

I move closer, holding my breath as if one hard gust will turn her to ash, and she'll disappear. She's never looked like this before—pale, weak, broken—it hurts to see her like this. Tears well as I take another step then another. My fingertips tremble as I reach out to touch her hand. She doesn't stir. She doesn't move at all as I fold her hand into mine. I look around the room at the men surrounding us.

Mason and Jesse are watching from the foot of the bed with stoic looks painted on their faces. Reaper's eyes are glued toRaven. He looks deadly and dangerous, with blood spattered all over his skin and clothes. The intensity of his stare is so unnerving that I have to look away.

When I do, my eyes land on my dad. He looks devastated as he looks at Rae. My heart breaks a little for him. I know he's blaming himself for everything that happened to her, but she's back now. She's safe with us, and no one will ever touch her again.

His eyes shift to me when I ask, "Has she said anything?"

"Not since Doc came to check on her. She hardly slept while she was there. Ran on adrenaline the whole time. Doc says she just needs rest."

His voice trails off as he looks back at Raven. "She's gonna be fine," he says in a whisper. "She's got my blood. She's strong."

The devastation he’s feeling is written all over his face, and I can't help but go to him. Sliding my small hand into his, I squeeze, offering him the comfort we both need right now. His mouth tugs up at the corners as he holds onto my hand.She's going to be okay.I repeat the mantra in my head over and over, willing my sister to heal and come back to us.

The sun is setting when I startle from a nap I didn't mean to take. Looking around me, I see not much has changed since before I dozed off. Dad, Jesse, and Reaper are still in the same spots they occupied earlier, and Mason is on the floor next to me. One hand traces circles on my ankle as his head lolls against my side.

Raven is still asleep. Her steady breaths come with every rise of her chest under the sheets. Aside from the cuts and bruises marring her skin, she looks peaceful. I try not to let myself think about what she's been through, about all the things they may have done to her. It breaks my heart to think about that.

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