Page 113 of Vows of Ruin

“No one said she could,” Wrenley murmurs.

Elias slides a notebook closer. “She’ll need structured education. I can help with the basics. Math, reading, writing, science.”

Margot lifts her hand. “I’ll help cover tech. And security awareness. She needs to know how to spot threats.”

Riot wipes his mouth. “I’ll teach her how to pick locks.”

“Riot,” I say.

“What?” He shrugs. “Skill set.”

Wrecker groans into his hands. “That ‘s not—She doesn’t need—Jesus Christ.”

Wrenley hides a smile behind her knee.

Max glances at me over her head. “You’re quiet.”

I shrug. “Just listening.”

“You agree?” Wrenley asks softly, turning to look at me.

I push off the wall, crossing my arms. “If she stays, she’s protected. And she’ll learn more in this house than any school could teach her.”

Wrecker’s shoulders sag in relief.

“But,” I add, “This place is dangerous. It’s always been dangerous. This won’t be easy.”

Wrenley nods, determined. “She’ll learn what she needs to. And she’ll be part of this family. We raise kids differently here.”

Margot snorts. “Understatement.”

Torque mutters, “She’ll need combat lessons eventually.”

“Eventually,” Wrenley says. “Not yet.”

Max shifts forward. “She needs stability. Routine. A room of her own. Someone she can go to when she’s overwhelmed.”

“She already goes to Wrecker,” Riot points out.

Wrecker’s face softens. “I don’t mind. She’s a good kid.”

The tone shifts then. Heavier. Books rustle. Chairs scrape. It’s not an argument, but everyone’s speaking at once, voice overlapping.

“She needs schooling…”

“We’ll need to child-proof the armory…”

“She should know basic first aid…”

“She can’t wander the grounds at night…”

“What about legal guardianship…”

“She needs therapy, too…”

It goes in circles, heated sometimes, emotional always, but not one person argues that she shouldn’t stay. Not one. I glance toward the hallway where Daisy disappeared with Doc. All this chaos. All this planning. All the noise. It means something simple, she belongs here.

Wrenley looks at me again, eyes bright with the realization. “We’re really doing this.”