SOFIA:

I sit on Carlos’s couch with my arms locked around the kids, holding them so close it feels like I’m trying to melt them into my skin. Killian’s cheek is smashed against my chest, his little body trembling. Cherry curls into my other side, silent but wide-eyed. My heartbeat hasn’t slowed since the gunshot outside Liam’s house. Every sound in this apartment, every creak, every footstep hits my nerves like lightning.

The front door clicks softly. The softness of it keeps me from ...