Page 151 of Nyx

I stand to the side, waiting to speak with her, my eyes tracking every move she makes.

She doesn't seem completely unnatural in the kitchen, and there really isn't a way to mess up fruits, vegetables, and sandwiches, but she also seems to be a little out of her element, deferring to Emmalyn with a handful of questions.

I get the sneaking suspicion that she's afraid she's going to mess up or disappoint the other woman.

Em is patient, giving her the information she asks for and directing her on what to do next.

When the meal is prepared and sitting on one of the long tables in the kitchen, I watch her take a step back and look at it with such pride.

She gives a hundred percent, no matter what she's doing, and that says a lot about her character, considering the sacrifices she’s had to make to stay safe for so long.

I can't help but wonder if she feels like all the energy until this point has been wasted, considering Whitmore has been in prison up until the last eighteen months.

Does she wish she had stayed closer to home until he was released and then changed her life?

Does she regret even coming to New Mexico?

Maybe she thinks this last move is what triggered her ex into action.

I know Kincaid shared what has happened recently, but I doubt they told her about his obsession in prison, because it would serve no purpose other than to make her more fearful.

She glances at me again, her smile growing, and it's a vast difference from the terrified and trembling woman I left in the living room an hour ago.

Em walks past, winking at me as if she knows just how grateful I am to her for helping Juliet settle by giving her something else to focus on.

"Hungry?" Em asks.

"Not right now," I tell her, looking over her shoulder at Juliet.

We have a lot to discuss, and since I have no way of knowing which direction she'll go, I'd like to get it over with so preparations can be made either way.

"We'll have something a little more adult-friendly for dinner," Em assures me.

"Nothing wrong with sandwiches," I assure her as she walks away.

"Hey," Juliet says as she steps closer.

"We need to talk," I tell her, wishing I had the ability to approach shit in a softer way when her smile immediately vanishes.

Chapter 38

Juliet

"It's busy in here," I say when I step out of the kitchen.

Kids of all ages run around, laughing and playing without a care in the world. Amelia seems to be the oldest, and a handful are still in diapers.

Gigi and several other women mingle about, making corrections when needed, but overall it looks like controlled chaos.

"I can help with that," Emmalyn says as she walks past, heading deeper into the room.

She clears her throat, and the chaos stops, every child in the room turning their attention to her.

"Lunch is ready," she says calmly, but the news of food sends the kids into yet another frenzy as they run toward the kitchen.

"No, ma'ams and sirs," Em says. "We wash hands first."

The kids change direction, heading toward the bathroom just down the hall to the left of the conference room.