Page 16 of Daughters of Chaos

Not wanting to waste time arguing, I shrug and head toward our landlord's house. It doesn't take us long to reach it. The middle-aged man with greasy hair and all the charm of a rattlesnake took over managing the property after his mom passed away. She and her husband spent most of their lives buying and fixing up the homes they rented out in our neighborhood. It made sense for them to live close by in case there was an emergency with one of the tenants.

Mr. and Mrs. Marshall were good people. Their son, on the other hand, was cut from a different cloth. I dreaded having to deal with him when we had issues at the house, but there was no way I was going to make Phoenix negotiate with the jackass. He was a slimy nitwit who cut every corner possible when it came to maintenance on the rentals. He'd scared off many long-term renters with his bullshit since he'd taken over as landlord and turned our once lovely neighborhood into a slum.

Our lease was about to expire, and even before the whole Elias situation, we'd considered moving elsewhere. Walking up to the asshole's door, I had a feeling this wasn't going to be a pleasant visit. I took a breath and rang the doorbell.

An hour later, I'm fuming as Jesse and I head back to the house. That creepy little snake tried to argue that we had to pay an extra five hundred dollars, claiming we were breaking the terms of the lease. He was, of course, full of shit. None of the lease terms were broken. We were only required to give one month's notice that we weren't renewing, and we'd given the prick almost double that.

When I pointed that out, the jackoff tried to spew some other bullshit on me. That's when I almost lost it. I was seconds away from taking a swing when Jesse stepped in. He got between meand the idiot, Marshall Jr., and suggested the man drop the issue before things got out of hand.

I thought Jr. was going to kick up a storm, but Jesse shifted, adjusting his leather vest in front of him. Something flashed in the landlord's eyes, and his face paled. After that, he agreed to let our lease expire immediately without any additional payments.

The whole thing still irks me. "What'd you show him back there anyway?" I ask Jesse.

"Whaddya mean?" He plays dumb.

"You know what I mean. That prick was gearing up for a fight until you flashed something at him. I saw his reaction when you adjusted your cut."

Jesse shrugs. "Maybe he was taken by my charming good looks." I roll my eyes. "Look, for whatever reason, he let it go. Isn't that what's important?" he implores.

A long sigh escapes my lungs. I already have my suspicions about what transpired, but maybe it's best that I play ignorant about what Jesse did. I decide to let it go for the time being. He helped me and Phoenix out, and for that, I'm grateful.

We meet up with the others back at the house and inform Nix that things are all set with the slumlord. "That's great," she murmurs as she shoves clothes into an old suitcase. "I think we can have everything packed up in a few hours."

Jesse disappears to help the guys load the truck with the few pieces of furniture we have. With their help, we'll be back on the road in no time.

"I haven't done Mom's room yet," Phoenix says quietly. "I wanted to wait until you were back."

I ignore the knot forming in my throat as I nod. "We can do that now if you want."

Without a word, she walks to the room where we last saw our mother alive. We sort through the few items that are left—mostly clothes and a few knickknacks. Her bed was sold to make roomfor the hospital bed that better suited her needs toward the end. And she made us sell all but a few pieces of her jewelry to help pay the bills.

By the time we finish, there are only two small boxes of her things we decide to keep: a few pieces of clothing, what's left of her jewelry, a few photo albums, and a lockbox. My jaw tightens as I stare at the empty room. The stupid emotions I've held back for so long threaten to burst through.

I clear my throat, refusing to let them get the better of me as I grab a bag for donation and walk outside. We managed to separate all our old clothes and rarely-used items to donate to the local shelter. The pile almost fills the back of the van.

The only thing left to do is drop it off and do a quick clean of the house, then, we'll be officially done with this place. Raptor sends the prospects to do the drop while he and Jesse take our keys to the landlord.If I could be a fly on the wall when that fucker sees those two rolling up . . .My lips twitch at the thought.

Once everything is finished, we double-check the house for things we may have missed and say our final goodbyes.

We're no longer residents of Albuquerque. The stark realization is like a gut punch, but it doesn't hurt quite as bad as I thought it would. I feel Phoenix grab my hand as she gives me a sad smile and crosses an X over her heart. I squeeze back, drawing one over my chest, letting her know we're still in this together. No matter what.

9

Phoenix

Leaving the house I'd lived in for so long makes my heart ache. It was the last place Raven and I lived with Mom. The last place we'd all made memories together. But I know it's time to say goodbye. It's time to start a new chapter in our lives.

When I turn to head back to the van, I find Raptor watching me. His hulking form may make some uneasy, but the way he's watching me gives me comfort. There's a softness in his eyes that strikes right through my heart. For a second, I almost forget how to breathe.

That feeling doesn't ease in the hours we're on the road. Being in his proximity stirs something inside me—something I want to explore.

We lost daylight a while ago, so we decided to stay at a motel for the night and finish our trek in the morning. I didn't realize how tired I was until my head hit the pillow. Thoughts swirl inmy mind as I drift to sleep. Thoughts of Mom and the house. Of our lives here. Thoughts of a certain tattooed biker that makes my heart stutter.

"You girls ready?" Jesse calls as Raven and I emerge from our room.

My head bobs as Raptor meets my eye. "I'm ready."

I look at Raven only to find her glancing between me and my crush. The wheels in her head are turning, and I know she saw the look on my face when I stared at Raptor. Finally, her eyes find mine.

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