Page 14 of Daughters of Chaos

I jump when a heavy fist connects with the table. "No! Our guys will go with you, end of discussion."

Raven sends an icy cold glare his way but doesn't respond. Her eyes narrow into slits as if she's trying to spear him with her mind.

I try to soothe everyone by intervening. "It will go faster if we have help, Rae. Plus, the extra muscle will be good for the heavy stuff."

Raven rolls her eyes.

"The quicker we take care of things in New Mexico, the sooner I can start looking into school."

That gets her attention, and I watch her soften. "Guess that's true."

Dad nods, looking at his VP. "It's settled then." His voice returns to its even tenor.

"Raptor, Jesse, and the prospects?" Bear asks.

Dad strokes his chin thoughtfully as he replies, "Yeah, that should work. How much stuff do you have to bring back?"

I shake my head. "Not much. Some small furniture and our clothes mostly. We sold the bulk of the valuables to help pay for Mom's medical expenses."

I don't miss the grimace on his face at the mention of Mom. He still seems to be taking her death pretty hard. Any time we bring her up, there's an undeniable sadness in his eyes.

"We can take the stuff we don't want to the donation spot. It's better than tossing it," Raven offers.

"I think everything would fit in one moving truck," I muse.

The men make eye contact. "I'll have the boys clean it out," Bear tells Dad.

"Good. You girls can head to Albuquerque tomorrow to get your things."

"So soon?" Raven questions.

"The sooner we get you settled here, the better."

I look at Raven, who's gone mute once again. "Okay," I tell him. "It's about six and a half hours one way. If we work fast, we'll be there and back in no time."

Dad agrees and tells Bear to fill the guys in on the plan. "We'll get a storage unit set up for your stuff. You can use it as long as you need." He turns to Raven. "I'll get another room cleared out so you can have your own space here."

My sister shakes her head. "Don't bother. When we get back, we'll find our own place."

Dad looks like he wants to challenge her but doesn't. I watch them nervously as he changes the topic. "You mentioned school earlier. Was that the nursing program you told me about?" he asks me.

"Yeah, that's right."

"I can help you out with tuition and expenses."

"We don't need your charity," Raven bites back.

"Think of it as backpay for all the missed birthdays and Christmases."

Raven's mouth snaps shut, and she sinks back into her chair. I'm stunned at the offer. "You'd really do that?"

My father looks at me. "It's the least I can do." His eyes find Raven again. "I could do the same for Raven if she wanted to go to school."

A cold shoulder is her only reply, making me grimace. "Uh, she's not much for school these days, but . . . " I look cautiously at my sister. "Maybe you could help her get a job? She's a phenomenal bartender. It's what she did to pay all our bills when Mom was sick."

From the corner of my eye, I see her glare at me while Dad pauses thoughtfully for a moment. "I can help with that."

"Really?" I beam at him.

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