Page 118 of Silenced

His face, God, his expression…

I know what he’s capable of, but I’m so used to seeing that blankness etched into the lines of his features that this is terrifying.

My brain is slow to react.

All I see is a twofold threat.

Then, not even breathing heavily from the exertion, he rumbles in a tone that feels like it’s unearthed from Hell itself, “You are safe,solnyshko.Just like I promised you,” and with that, he brings me back.

His broken voice. Tortured and twisted. More of a snarl than a timbre. It’s him.

It is safety.

It’sNikolaiwho’s been using the man’s head as a basketball, who’s about to twist his—

“Nikolai! You can’t kill him!” I gasp when I realize he’s going to snap the man’s neck.

He frowns at me in confusion, but it’s Dmitri who steps toward us, his hands spread placatingly wide.

At me. Not Niko.

My brow furrows as I realize I missed Dmitri’s approach. “Tell him, Dmitri! You can’t let him—”

“He insulted you, Cassiopeia,” Dmitri informs me softly. “He made Nikolai break his promise.”

That’s when Nikolai growls.

It takes me back to the penultimate time Harvey had me in his grasp. Growls and spittle flecking me as he laid into me—

“You’re frightening her, Pakhan,” Dmitri soothes, his tone calm as he flicks a look at Nikolai.

Niko grits his teeth but manages to grunt, “He called youslut.”

That he’s talking, period, tells me how furious he is. Christ, he’s spoken more today than he has in all our time together.

Select mutism? Or just orneriness?

It’s only then that it registers he’s speaking in English too.

That, however, is a problem for another day.

I suck in a breath. “But I’m not a slut. You know that. I know that—”

Dmitri shakes his head. “He dishonored you.”

“Youdishonored my daughter,” the stranger cries, his hands flailing at Niko’s hold on him.

The power Nikolai exudes has me flushing.

The brute strength, the raw force—I can’t imagine how much his punches must hurt especially after Niko slams the stranger’s head into the ground again.

My mouth trembles as Dmitri snaps, “Your daughter is more of a slut than Cassiopeia is.”

The stranger tries to break free but it’s nothing,nothing,to the grip that holds him fast.

“Nikolai courted her—”

“He’s broken bread with her—once. You and your wife were in attendance. It was hardly a fucking date,” Dmitri retorts. “I’ve screwed Myata more than Nikolai has even seen her.”

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