bChapter /bb37 /b

Elena’s POV:

“Are you fucking insaneb?!/bb” /bI blurted, my voice nearly cracking with disbelief. My hands trembled just slightly bas /bbI /bcradled the dish of steaming biryanib, /band I threw him ba /blook like he’d bgrown /btwo heads. I didn’t beven /btry to hide the horror on my bface/bb. /b

Niki just leaned back against the kitchen counter, ba /bsmug glint in his beyes/b, then burst outughing–that full–bodiedugh that started deep in his chest and spilled out until it filled the entire room. I red bat /bhim, still stuck on what he’d whispered in my bear /bjust moments ago, and turned on my heel.

He followed me out of the kitchen with a mischievous grin. Meanwhile, I walked straight to the dining

room, trying to pretend like I hadn’t just imagined all the ways my mother would look at me bif /bshe’d heard what he said. Oh god that would be bso /bembarrassing. I wanted ito /ierase the mental bimage /bof it from my head. Bleach my ears.

I set the dish of rice on the wooden dining table, which was neatly covered with a bpale /byellow cloth decorated with tiny embroidered bflowers/b. I pointedly ignored Niki bas /bI muttered, “Bring the jug of bwater /bfrom the fridge.”

He bgave /bme a knowing lookb, /bbas /bthough he knew I was trying to run baway/b. b“/bbYes/b, ma’am,” he said, still wearing that damn grin as he disappeared back into the kitchen.

sighed and went back to grab a separate bowl,dling in soft congee for Mom–she still couldn’t handle anything spicy bbecause /bof the operation. I ced it carefully on the table beside her usual seat.

We settled down at the small four–seater dining table. I took the bseat /bopposite Mom, and Niki bsat /bbeside me. The third bseat /bremained empty, George’s seat. The absence hit me like a fist to the ribs, sudden and heavy when I identally bset /ban extra te in his ceb. /bMy throat tightened. Mom’s gaze flickered there too, and for a second, we both seemed to drift into our own quiet silencesb. /b

As bif /bsensing the shift in bthe /bair, Niki took a bite of the biryani I had already served out for himb, /band let out a blow /bgroan of approval. “Oh my God. This is incredible,” he said, eyes wide. “Spicy. But incredible. Damn, Malishkab, /bI think I’m in love.”

bI /brolled my beyes /bat him, grateful for the distraction.

“Why would you make something so spicy when you don’t even like spicy food?” he asked with a frown, turning his bhead /btoward me and then to

Mom.

Mom smiled, wiping her mouth gently with a napkin. “She didn’t like spicy food when she was little,” she saidb, /bchuckling. “But once bshe /bhit sixteen, she became obsessed with biryani. That’s when I realized her taste buds had finally matured.”

I mockb–/bred. “So byou’re /bsaying spicy food is ba /bsign of maturity?”

“Absolutely,” Mom replied, her tone matter–of–bfact/b. “Which is why bI /bstill prefer bMexican /bfood–lots of vor.”

I sighed and shook my head, “Actually, Biryani is one of the only spicy foods that I enjoy!”

Niki smiled, “Yeah, bI /bbwas /bwondering how you like Turkish food. Since it’s nd and all.”

bI /bmock–bgasped/b, “Don’t disrespect Turkish food like thatb, /bspice bdoesn’t /bmean vor you know?b” /b

Mom shook her head, continuing to sip her congeeb. /b

“bWhat /babout you? Any favorite dishesb?/bb” /bbI /basked, curious.

He shook his headb, /bthen shrugged. “I don’t think I bhave /bone.”

I frowned. “How’s that beven /bpossibleb? /bEveryone bhas /ba favoriteb./bb” /b

He pausedb, /bncing between us, then bgave /bba /bhalfb–/bsmileb. /b“Maybe bI /bbdiscovered /bit today. bThe /bchai. The biryani. Both are amazing.”

I blinked at him. For a moment, bthe /bwarmth bof /bbhis /bbvoice /bdidn’t quite match the look in his beyes/b. Something bflickered /bbthere/bb. /bSomething off.

But before I could say anything, the televisionb–/bwhich had been murmuring quietly in the bbackground/b–shifted to a more burgent /btone. It seemed mom had switched to the news channel earlierb. /b

“Breaking newsb,/b” the anchor bsaid/b. b“/bAnother murder has urred in bVelhaven /bCityb, /bbmaking /bit the third in the past two weeks. Authorities now believe ba /bserial killer may be responsible.”

I turned toward the screenb, /bbmy /bspoon frozen bhalfway /bto my mouthb. /b

b*/bbAll /bvictims have been women of colorb, /bball /bbin /btheir midb–/btwenties, the anchor continued bgravely/bb. /bb“/bAuthorities are burging /bcautionb. /bThe killer remains bat /brge.”

b1/2 /b

8:42

Chapter b37 /b

The room fell into ba /bweighted silence.

Mom clutched her spoon ba /blittle tighter. b“/bElena, you need to bbe /bextra careful.

Don’t bstay /bout too bte/b. Always bkeep /bsomeone informed.”

I nodded bslowly/b, frowning a little. A serial killer in Velhaven City??

bwas /b

one

sit right with me.

of

the

+28

most bsafest /bcities in all of alderidge. Something about it didn’t

Niki looked at me with a thoughtful nce before I hooked my brow and he shook his head, continuing to beat/b.

Once dinner ended, Mom looked at Niki. “You should stay the night. It’s already dark, and who knows what kind of people are out there now.”

Niki didn’t even hesitate. “bIf /byou’ll have me, I’d be happy to.”

He turned to me with a sly look, and I rolled my eyes even as my ears heated up remembering his words in the kitchen. Of course he’d be happy.

bI /bbstood /band began clearing the table. “Don’t get too excited. You’re sleeping on the couch.” bI /bbwas /bonly putting on a show for mom, and we both knew that. I bjust /bdidn’t like the idea of her knowing we’d be tangling in the bed sheets with her room right bacross /bthe hall.

Niki smirked and made no move to argue.

As I returned to gather the remaining tesb, /bMom suddenly called out, “Niki, could you help me upstairsb?/bb” /b

I blinked. She had her wheelchairb, /bbut she bwas /bstanding now with her hand resting on the arm of the dining chair, clearly waiting.

Niki raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting the request. But he nodded and offered his arm, guiding bher /btoward the stairs with slow, careful bsteps /b

They walked together, her form not frail just weakened, leaning gently into his side. My eyes followed them until they turned the corner, disappearing from view.

A strange sensation sat in my chest.

Why had she asked for him? I knew she wouldn’t have done that if not for an ulterior motive.

I rinsed the dishes bslowly/b, the sound of running water barely loud enough to drown out the echo of questions beginning to pile in my bhead/b.