Page 72 of Killer Love

“What’s that?”

He raises my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “Grandmother.”

Chapter 22

Luka

I lead Sofia toward the back of the house. The closer we get, the louder my mother’s voice becomes. She speaks with a high pitch, cooing and cawing in ways no one would ever think to speak to an adult.

We enter the kitchen and there she is, sitting at the table with Lucian.

She looks over at us and smiles, her eyes subtly glancing at our entwined fingers. “Good morning, you two.”

Sofia’s face turns pink and she lets go of my hand, no doubt realizing how obvious it is where she was all night. She clears her throat. “Good morning, Madam Lutrova.”

“Nina.”

“Nina,” Sofia repeats, allowing yet another Zappia chain to fall to the ground.

Lucian fidgets in a wooden highchair at the end of the table. I haven’t seen it in ages, but it’s still solid as a rock.

“Where did you get that?” I ask, pointing to it.

“I never got rid of it,” my mother says. “Markov pulled it out of storage this morning. This is the same chair my little boys used. I thought it would be appropriate to pass it on to my grandson.”

Sofia sits down at Lucian’s other side and runs her fingers along the intricate wooden carvings along the back and arms. “It’s beautiful,” she says.

“Niko built it himself.”

“He did?”

My mother nods and shifts her attention back to Lucian. “Sofia… this boy…”

“I’m sorry if he’s been trouble…” she says, still visibly hung up on an excuse for her whereabouts.

“Heaven’s no. He’s perfect.”

Sofia smiles. “Yes, he is.”

“I gave him some cereal to calm him down, but he’s been looking for you.”

“Sorry.”

My mother rolls her eyes. “Every young mother deserves a chance to sleep in now and then, especially after what you’ve been through. That’s what grandmothers are for.”

I catch her fire a knowing glance in my direction, soft and strategic, one that Sofia would never notice. It’s the same scolding scowl she used to give Yuri and me whenever one of us would sneak a girl up into our rooms. I suppose some things never change.

“Where is everybody?” I ask.

“Your father and Yuri have spent the morning getting to know your new friend.”

“Fox?”

She nods. “They’re in his study if you’d like to join them.”

I look at Sofia, hesitant to leave her alone again, but she nods at me.

“We’ll be all right,” she says.

---