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All I could see was the empty hallway where my men had vanished.
All I could feel was the crushing weight of everything I’d lost.
There in the midst of chaos, I cried.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
KAT
Three weeks had slipped by since the confrontation with Jonas and his gang.
Three weeks of waiting and hoping.
Three weeks of listening to the silence where the voices of my men should have been.
And they still hadn’t returned for me.
Like most mornings since the incident, I sat in the institute’s backyard, perched on a rock, my gaze fixed on the mountain peaks behind us. The church, an ageing reminder of my expedition up there with Mason, cast a long shadow over the landscape. I tilted my face to the sun, feeling its warmth against my skin, but my heart felt hollow.
Father Michael wandered into the yard. He and the two other original priests had returned from their extended vacation to their positions at the institute, running the place their way. Lily was right when she’d said Father Michael operated the place strictly.
He strolled over the lawn, his gait slower, hands clasped tightly in front of him. His white hair was short and tidy, the dark fabric of his robe fluttering around his legs from the breeze. His skin was lined, and his eyes held years of experience.
After the police had stormed the institute, an official statement was released, blaming the Bloods gang for the attack. Their intention, they’d said, was to traffic the girls at the institute. A shiver ran down my spine at the truth of what had really gone down.
Each one of us had been interviewed about the three priests who had seemingly vanished into thin air. The authorities were desperate to talk to them, to understand their part in the fiasco and impersonating the Fathers. Like the others, I had feigned ignorance, knowing nothing about their whereabouts. However, I did emphasize their exceptional care and dedication to us.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Father Michael remarked, nodding at me as he shuffled past. His voice was soft, almost as if he was afraid to disrupt the peace of the day.
I forced a smile and nodded, my throat tight. “It sure is.”
Even the bright day could do nothing to lift the heaviness in my heart. I missed them. I missed their admiration and the protection they’d provided, the flirting and sexy times they’d given me, and the times we just sat around chatting.
Blinking back tears, I stared at the mountains again, which were comforting and terrifying at the same time. Comforting because it carried the promise of their return. Scary because with each passing day, their absence felt more permanent.
I held onto hope… all I had left.
A shadow fell over me, and I looked up to find Lily standing there, a cupcake in her hand. She knelt down beside me, a smile inching across her face.
“Happy Birthday, gorgeous. I heard you like cupcakes and figured this would make you smile.”
I pulled her into a hug, breathing easier in her company.
“You have no idea how much I love that you remembered. My stepdad never once said happy birthday to me, let alone brought me cake.”
“That’s ‘cause he’s an asshole,” she huffed.
As we pulled away, I noticed Louise standing in the doorway farther behind us. She was smiling, and for a moment, I was taken aback. Ever since the incident, Louise had cooled her crazy jets significantly and even started being nice to me.
“You’re the best,” I told Lily, my heart warm. Then I took a bite of the cupcake, savoring the sweet chocolate taste.
“So,” Lily began, settling down beside me on the rock. “Are you still getting phone calls at the office from your stepdad?”
“Thank god, no.” I shook my head, relief washing over me. “After I reported him to Officer Garcia for trying to hurt me a second time, with Louise acting as a witness, a restraining order was placed against him. He’s been ordered to move out of my mom’s home, so I’m sure he’s cursing me.”
Lily laughed. “I bet he is. He deserves nothing.”
I nodded, a sense of lightness at having him out of my life. It was refreshing to know I had a home to go back to without him in the house. I knew he’d fight me in court for some of Mom’s money, but that was a battle for another day.
