Chapter144:

Chapter 144 CELESTE The paramedics wanted to check me over, which I resisted until one of them pointed out that I had blood on my left hand that wasn't mine and a laceration on my forearm I hadn't even noticed taking. Adrenaline was a remarkable thing. It turned out a piece of shattered picture frame had caught me somewhere during the chaos, leaving a shallow but angry cut that needed cleaning and closure strips. I let them treat it while keeping one arm wrapped around Soren, who had decided he wasn't letting go of me under any circumstances and whom I had no intention of arguing with. Troy sat beside me on the couch with his knees pulled to his chest, watching everything with those too-old eyes of his. Lake had attached himself to Jason, who to his credit was handling it with the steady patience of someone used to managing frightened people in aftermath situations. The house was still full of people—tactical officers, paramedics, someone taking photographs of every bullet hole and blo