Kristoff remained quiet and I knew he wasn’t happy about it. Well, tough shit.
It might make me a hypocrite, but I refused to risk Sophie’s safety, and until I handled this threat, she was staying with me.
“You’ll keep her safe, right?”
I closed my eyes for a moment.
“With my life,” I vowed. “Do you need help with Sienna’s security?”
“I got that handled. And, Kian?”
“Hm.”
“Thank you.”
The line went quiet, like both of us were waiting for the other to say something.
“I want Jacqueline to suffer,” Kristoff suddenly said. “For what she put Sienna and Sophie through.”
“You can count on that,” I said, then ended the call.
Chapter 19
Sophie
Aday later, I stepped into the kitchen just as the mid-afternoon light slanted in through the wide windows, turning the sea beyond them into a sheet of molten blue and gold.
The kitchen was outfitted with state-of-the-art appliances—not that it meant anything to me. I was hopeless as ever when it came to cooking.
A woman stood at the stove. She moved with a quiet confidence, one hand stirring a pan while steam curled up around her, carrying the rich, savory scent of garlic. She was older than me, maybe mid to late forties, but her skin was evenly tanned and smooth, as if she spent her days in the sunlight rather than inside.
She glanced over her shoulder, eyes warm, and smiled as if she’d been expecting me.
“Hello, miss,” she said. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” I admitted, my stomach agreeing a little too loudly. “And please, call me Sophie.”
I took a couple of steps forward, the cool stone floor solid beneath my feet, and held out my hand. For a brief second her eyes flicked to it, surprised. Then she turned off the burner, wiped her hand on a towel, and shook mine.
“Sonya.”
Her grip was firm, her palm warm.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, and for the first time since leaving the States, I actually felt at home.
“You as well, mi—Sophie,” she corrected herself with a smile. “Would you like to eat now?” My stomach growled again and she nodded. “You sit down, and I’ll make you a plate. Everyone else usually eats much later, after the sun sets.”
I remembered Kian mentioned the same thing.
“I can hold off until then,” I offered, hating the idea of her having to clean up twice.
She shook her head. “Nonsense. You’re hungry. You’ll eat now, and then you can eat again later.”
I chuckled. “If I eat two dinners, my hips will get wider.”
“Your hips are perfect in any shape. You’re perfect."
My eyebrows shot up. “Thank you?”
