They threw Catalina back in her cell like she was nothing.
She hit the floor hard, her knees scraping against the cold stone. The door slammed behind her and the lock clicked into place. Then there was nothing but silence pressing down on her from all sides.
She stayed on the ground for a long time, just breathing. Her whole body felt heavy, like something inside her had cracked open, and she didn't know how to piece it back together.
Lucien's face kept flashing in her mind. The bruises spread across his skin. The blood crusted at the corner of his mouth. The chains cutting into his wrists, and his eyes—God, his eyes—looking at her like she was the only thing keeping him from disappearing completely.
She pressed her hand flat against her stomach. The baby moved, barely. A tiny flutter
