I force myself forward, each step stiff and unsure. I don’t know what will happen. Don’t know if she’d even recognize me. Will she scream? Run? Shut down completely?.
I hesitate briefly, gathering every ounce of courage I possess, then slip into the pew next to her.
“Hello, sister,” I say, mouth dry with surprising nerves.
She turns, and our eyes meet—ice blue eyes, just like mine.
I suck in a sharp, involuntary breath.
Kayla.
33
KATIE
“Hello,” Kayla answers, her voice soft, cautious.
My eyes flicker as I hear my sister’s voice for the first time in over a decade. Memories assault me without warning—flashes of us together when we were young and the world was simpler. Fighting over who got to go on the swing first at the park. Her running to tell Mom when I hit her during one of our countless squabbles.
Tears sting fiercely, and my throat locks up until it hurts to swallow.
For a few stretched, fragile seconds, I don’t speak—Ican’t—terrified that if I do, I’ll break and scare her off. All the while, she just watches me through those achingly familiar blue eyes, studying me.
“I’m Katie,” I manage at last, voice barely more than air. I flick a quick glance over my shoulder, making sure no one is close enough to overhear. “Katie Pierce.”
Her brows furrow together as her gaze searches mine more intently. “I know who you are.”
My heart slams into my ribs in one long, brutal thud. “You—you do?”
“Of course I do. The woman who took me from foster care ten years ago told me I was going to a better place because of my sister. That if I behaved myself and didn’t cause trouble, I wouldn’t be hurt. Then she showed me your picture.”
“What?” The word scrapes its way out past the tightness in my throat. Stacey did that?
She shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “She took me to this pretty house where I was homeschooled by private tutors. Stacey said I could never leave, but she’d give me anything I ever wanted otherwise. And she did.” Her mouth twists faintly. “Everything except company. The staff were trained not to interact with me beyond necessity. I had everything except my own family. They took pictures of me—for you, they said. Then they showed me your pictures too.”
She speaks so matter-of-factly, like she’s reciting facts, not pieces of a stolen life, and it guts me. My vision blurs, emotion pressing hard against my chest. I shove it down, forcing myself to stay steady.
“It was an okay life,” she continues with that same detached tone. “Better than foster care was. I suppose I should thank you for that.”
I blink at her, throat aching. “N–no. God, no, you don’t have to thank me. You shouldn’t thank me.” She shrugs again, and I realize how careful I need to be with her. One step at a time. “Come on, we’re getting out of here. We’ll talk more when we’re home.”
“We can’t leave.” Her voice goes low, her body stiffening. “The man who brought me here—he has guards watching me. So I don’t run. They’re dressed as abbey workers.”
My hand moves towards my gun. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll protect you.”
Kayla hesitates, and I hold my breath while I wait for her decision. Her life has been nothing but upheaval—first losing our parents, then getting torn away from me, then beingimprisoned by Stacey. Because fancy house and education or not, shewasa prisoner. And right now, I can’t tell if she’s even glad to see me… or if she hates me for becoming the reason she was used as collateral all these years.
“Okay,” she finally exhales, getting to her feet.
Dizzying relief floods through me so intensely I nearly sway. I smile at her as I stand as well, then quickly scan the cathedral. No one seems to be paying us any attention.
“Come on.” I slip my hand into hers and tilt my head towards the large doors. She nods, notably not pulling her hand out of mine, and my heart squeezes at that small, simple trust.
We move together, out of the cathedral and through the courtyard, heads down, her small hand clenched in mine. Shit, I hope Dhimitër and the others have managed to lose the priest and are ready to get out of here too.
The hallway leading to the main entrance feels longer now, every footstep echoing loudly against the stone floors, syncing with the frantic pounding of my heart.Almost there. Just a few more steps. Once I get Kayla into one of the cars, I’ll give the others five minutes to catch up before we leave.
I have the wide double doors in sight when someone suddenly moves into our path, blocking the exit. Kayla gasps beside me, and I tighten my protective hold on her hand as I look up.
