One Chance (Hogan Brothers 1)

Rushing out the front door, she wasn’t paying attention as a car skidded into the parking lot and clipped her as they came to a stop. Hands on the hood, the breath stolen from her body, she eyed the man behind the wheel with a wild stare as he climbed free of the vehicle.

“I am so fucking sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she croaked, straightening up and walking away.

She was ready to be done with people. She was tired of being hurt and used. Being no one was exhausting.

It wasn’t until she was four blocks away that she realized she didn’t have her purse, her phone, no money. She was stranded. With her mind in complete and utter chaos, she hadn’t thought about them once she’d walked into the office and Joey had made his degrading remark.

Searching around her, Sophia had no idea where she was. She hadn’t been paying attention while moving as far away from Lennox as she could. Church bells ringing from close by had her hustling in that direction. A block and a half later and she was standing in front of St. Catherine’s Cathedral. The sheer size of the building intimidating as she walked up the steps to the large oak doors.

Opening them, she made her way inside quietly. Candles cast an ethereal glow around the large room as she was awestruck by the beautiful stained glass windows around the tops of the walls. The sun radiating through made a multitude of colors bounce off the sparkling surfaces.

A fountain of holy water was to her right as she entered mass. Stopping to dip her fingers, she made the sign of the cross and said a Hail Mary before continuing to sit in the last row of pews closest to her.

There were very few people inside the holy building as she sat for what could have been hours when another man came to sit in front of her. He was quiet while she thought about her situation, what she would do, where she would go.

Laying her head on the back of the bench in front of her, she had no answers. Nothing forthcoming. All she wanted was to have an ordinary life. Being in danger from whatever ghosts her father was seeing, wasn’t going to help any.

“Please give me insight, help me understand,” she whispered so quietly she didn’t think anyone would hear.

“God is a mystery sometimes,” the man said. “Sometimes he’ll make you wait for his guidance. Sometimes his answers are right in front of you.”

Her head popped up when he started talking. As he turned to look at her, she was shocked to see the white collar around his neck. She hadn’t expected to see or speak to anyone, let alone the minister of the church.

His bright blue eyes met hers. “Sometimes we aren’t ready for the answers we often seek.” As he smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners, and the candlelight shone off the gray hairs nearing his temple, giving him a distinguished look. “Are you alright, young lady?”

“Yes,” she answered quietly. “Just trying to understand.”

“Perhaps I can help?”

A sad smile crossed her face as she replied, “I don’t think anyone can.” She got up to leave. No destination in mind.

Uselessness.

Stupidity.

The words kept ringing in his head. When she’d spoken them, he’d been flabbergasted. Completely thrown off guard. He didn’t understand how anyone could say something like that to another person, especially someone as sweet as Sophia.

“Nox!” Mac yelled from the door. It took him a moment to realize she was gone, and he was standing there like an idiot.

“What?” he snapped, walking over to the man.

“She’s gone, dude.”

His words froze Nox’s heart. She couldn’t be gone.

“Where’d she go?”

“Took off out the front after Joey was a dick, almost got hit by a car.”

“You let her leave?” he bellowed.

Raising his hands, the man backed up two steps befor

e darting a look at the waiting customer. “She took off east on Fifth Street,” the customer answered him.

“You hit her?” Nox snarled.