Chapter137:

Chapter 137 CELESTE Except that he'd promised to be home by morning and he wasn't. Except that his phone was going straight to voicemail. Except that after everything that had happened—the shooting, the threats, Victor Bennett's betrayal—I knew that our lives were dangerous in ways I usually tried not to think about. I must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I knew, I was being gently shaken awake. I opened my eyes to find Troy, Lake, and Soren standing around the couch, all three looking concerned. "Mommy, why are you sleeping on the couch?" Soren asked. I sat up quickly, my neck protesting the awkward angle I'd been sleeping at. Sunlight was streaming through the windows. I checked my phone—7:15 AM. And still no messages from Xenois. "I just fell asleep watching TV," I said, forcing a smile. "What are you boys doing up so early?" "We wanted to make Dad breakfast as a surprise," Troy explained. "But his door is still closed. Is he still sleeping?" My stomach dropped.