Free The Debt 8 (Club Alpha) by Kelly Favor Page A

got in the car and Danny started
off.   He whistled as he drove,
seemingly in good spirits.
    “How is everyone?   Mom and Dad?” she asked.
    “They’re happy you’re coming to see
them,” Danny said.   “The prodigal
daughter returns.”   A little sarcasm
had seeped into his voice.
    Raven glanced at him and noticed the bags
under his eyes.   “Is everything all
right?”
    “Oh, sure,” he said.   “We’ve been moving from hotel to hotel,
with twenty-four hour security watching our every move—until they
suddenly left because supposedly they stopped being paid,” he said.   “Of course, a few days later they showed
back up because they’d gotten paid again, so that’s good.”
    “Danny, I know it’s been hard—“
    “It’s been a ball.   I mean, we haven’t been cutting albums
and sunning ourselves on the pristine Florida beaches, but those continental
breakfasts they serve in the mornings more than make up for it.”
    She looked down, feeling the sting of
tears behind her eyes.   “I should’ve
known you’d be angry with me.”
    “I’m not angry,” he sighed.
    “You’ve been mad at me for years because
I left home and you got stuck taking care of Mom and Dad.”
    Danny slapped the steering wheel.   “I just wish you wouldn’t rub my face in
it with those bragging texts you send me.   Now you’re his goddamn manager?   What do you know about managing a musician?   I guess I could be a fucking brain
surgeon, by that logic.”
    “You should stop wasting your time being
jealous and judging me, and start figuring out why you refuse to ever take a
risk yourself,” Raven said, finally snapping.
    “Oh, is that so?”
    “I can’t believe we’re already
fighting.   I just got into
town.   It’s been all of five minutes
and we’re at each other’s throats.”
    Danny sighed and his shoulders
slumped.   “You’re right,” he
said.   “I’m jealous.   And it’s pathetic.”
    “You’re not pathetic.”
    “I said my jealousy’s pathetic, Raven .   I didn’t
say I’m pathetic, but now that you’ve got me thinking that way—“
    “Oh, knock it off,” she said, glaring at
him.   “Stop being a martyr,
Danny.   It’s seriously lame.”
    He grinned at her.   “Lame?”
    “Yes.   It’s very, very lame.   You’re better than that.”
    He nodded and then said, quietly, “I hope
you’re right.”

 
    ***

 
    Luckily, the rest of the day spent with
her family wasn’t nearly as awkward and painful as the initial moments spent
with her bitter brother.   Raven’s
mother and father were overjoyed to see her.
    They were currently staying at a bed and
breakfast in Sudbury Massachusetts, and it was nice and quiet.  
    Security was around the hotel, but they
seemed to stay out of the way for the most part.
    Raven and her family just hung out in the
suite and watched TV and ordered Chinese food in, eating and reminiscing about
the old days.   Of course, they
stayed away from any bad memories or family feuds.
    Her father was breathing well and seemed
happy, and that was a relief to Raven.   And despite Danny’s earlier barbs directed at her, both of Raven’s
parents seemed genuinely grateful at how Jake had protected them after the fire
and made sure that they were in no danger.
    She went to sleep—or she tried to
sleep rather unsuccessfully—on the pullout couch in the suite, covered by
a scratchy blanket, dreading the morning.
    That was when she was going to break the
news to them about her intentions for how to solve their housing issue.
    She texted with Jake in the middle of the
night, because he was awake and told her he missed her.
    It’s
hard being apart , she
wrote back.   Harder than I expected.
    How
are things with your fam ? He asked.
    Pretty
good.   Danny’s
being a pill as usual.
    There was a long break and then her phone
buzzed again with another message from him.   I
don’t know if I can stand a week without you.
    Raven smiled.   I
love