"Don't. I'm following him," Matteo said, his gaze fixed on Father Giuseppe's slow, deliberate stride. His voice was low, but there was a silent warning not to argue.
"And if he's leading us into a trap?" Isabella asked, glancing over her shoulder into the shadows, her stomach tightening with every echoing footstep behind them.
"Then we'll deal with it when it happens," he replied, jaw tightening. His eyes never left the priest, but the faint twitch in his fingers told her he was already for whatever it might lead to.
She swallowed. With all the dangers and secrets surrounding her life, at least Matteo never hid the truth. For now he was the only one she could trust.
They reached a staircase, this one leading upward. At the top was a reinforced door, its lock gleaming in the dark.
"The church basement," Father Giuseppe said, resting his hand briefly on the wall as if steadying himself. "From here, you're on your own." His eyes were almost apologetic.
