Chapter 144

• Lucia's POV
• We ghosted through the side door of the cathedral right as the midnight bells started rolling, deep and heavy, shaking dust from the rafters. The place was packed.. old women clutching rosaries, kids half-asleep on parents’ shoulders, candles glowing soft in every niche. Perfect chaos to hide in. My pulse thumped loud in my ears, Ryan’s arm slung over my shoulder like dead weight, his steps dragging, blood seeping warm through the rag we’d tied around his side after the jeep wreck. Sofia stuck to my other hip, small hand gripping my jacket, eyes darting wild. Her dress hung in shreds, face streaked with dirt and tears, but she kept moving. Brave kid.
• “Back pew,” I breathed, steering us left. Knees hit the wooden kneeler.. thud. Pain flared up my bad arm, sling soaked red again, but I bit it down. Organ music swelled, hiding Ryan’s grunt as he folded into the seat. I slid in beside him, Sofia squeezing next to me. Hymn books open like shields. Ryan’s fingers found mine under the cover, cold but squeezing.. still here. I squeezed back. Yeah. For now.