Page 135 of Cruel Juliet

As I follow Kira out of the nursery, though, a faint ache pulls at me. Lilia is sleeping soundly, but every instinct in me resists walking away from her. The house feels too big, too quiet, and the idea of leaving her alone—no matter how briefly—makes my stomach twist.

Still, Kira’s face told me everything I needed to know. She’s barely holding it together. If I tell her to wait until morning, she’ll just fold in on herself again.

I promised myself I’d try. Petyr would want me to. We both agreed she needed someone to lean on.

Besides, Petyr should be home soon. He said the meeting wouldn’t run late, and there’s an entire security team downstairs. Even if his night turned upside down for any reason, this is the safest house in the city.

I hope he’s safe, too. Wherever he is.

We reach the end of the hallway, and I pause outside the kitchen. “Give me a second,” I tell Kira. “I just want to check in with Anya.”

The housekeeper is wiping down the counters when I step in. She looks up, her usual expression somewhere between mild irritation and deep suspicion.

“Anya,” I say carefully. “Would you mind keeping an ear out for Lilia while I talk with Kira for a bit?”

Her frown softens the instant the baby’s name leaves my mouth. “Of course,” she says, her accent thick but kind for once.

“She just went down,” I say. “But if she wakes up?—”

“I will be there.” Anya nods firmly. “You go. Talk. Miss Kira looks like she needs it.”

“Thank you,” I say, and I mean it. Lilia might be the only person in the house Anya doesn’t disapprove of, and by extension, the only reason I ever get a smile out of her.

I rejoin Kira in the hall. She’s waiting, arms crossed, eyes down. I can see the exhaustion in her posture, the heaviness she’s been carrying alone for too long.

“Ready?” I ask.

She nods. “Yeah.”

Together, we head down the stairs toward the sitting room. The faint hum of the security monitors following us, a quiet reminder of the safety net around us.

Then Kira picks up her keys.

“What are you doing?” I blurt.

“I thought we’d go for a drive. Maybe grab a bite to eat.” She turns, surprised. “You don’t want to?”

“Drive?” I repeat. “You mean… out?”

“Well, yes. Unless you’d rather do donuts in the living room?”

She smiles as she says it, a little coy, a little teasing. That kind of humor from her is new to me. She’s never shown me her good sides before, except for the day I brought Lilia home. It makes it hard to say no.

“I’m not against it,” I mutter, even though I very much am. “But will it be safe?”

“Of course.” She nods, already pulling her coat off the rack. “We’ll just take a short drive. Get some air, grab food. I need to clear my head, and driving always helps.”

I hesitate. I want Kira to get what she needs, but leaving the house wasn’t part of my plan. “Is Luka coming with us?”

“He’ll be following behind,” she says without looking up.

I search for him with my gaze, but I don’t see him. He could already be in the SUV, though, or coming from the control room. Nothing weird about that.

Before I can question any of it, she’s already opening the front door and gesturing for me to follow.

The night air is cold. I pull my sweater tighter around me as I walk toward the car. Luka’s SUV sits idling near the gate, headlights on, and casts long shadows across the drive.

The sight relaxes me. So Lukaiscoming with us.