Page 199 of Silenced

“That cost forty grand.”

“He said I could buy whatever I wanted,” is my logic.

Sure, Niko meant clothes, but I have clothes. He bought them for me. I need the specialist camera equipment more than I need another dress.

She huffs. “This isn’t the shopping trip I expected.”

“It’s more fun?” I nudge her arm. “We can head to a clothes store after I pick a desk, seeing as I haven’t thanked you for saving my butt yet.”

Her lips form a pout. “I’m not certain there’s much to thank me for when I got you tied up with the Russian Mob.”

“Harvey’s gone,” I assure her. “That’s a gift in itself. And that gift only came to pass because of Nikolai. Ergo, you.”

“When you texted me about… everything last night, I looked into him. Deeper than a Google search, let’s put it that way.”

I expected no less.

“You know who he is, right?”

That was a multifaceted question. “I mean, yes.”

“They call him ‘Mute.’”

“Knew that.” I’d overheard Dmitri calling him it once.Mockingly.

“They say he doesn’t talk.”

“Well, he didn’t. He does now. Ish.”

“What?”

“He kind of had to start. He doesn’t say much but it’s better than it was. And you can tell it hurts him.”

She frowns. “Hurts him?”

“I don’t really understand it but when he speaks, it’s like he’s in pain.”

I can tell that doesn’t fit the image she’d painted of him, but it doesn’t stop her from asking, “You know he kills people for a living?”

“Excuse you? Who, pray tell, are you married to?” Though she rolls her eyes, I snort. “Managed to figure that out, Savannah. Why are you warning me off him? I don’t think Aidan is any better.”

“Yeah, but I like that about him. I don’t want him to be better. I love that he’s…” Her eyes turn dreamy. “…feral.”

I nudge her again. “Before I lose you to the world of fantasy, can we get this conversation over with so I can go and choose a desk?”

She harrumphs. “I’m just saying, I enjoy that about my husband. You’re not like me.”

“No, I’m not,” I agree. “There’s only one Savannah Daniels.”

“Savannah O’Donnelly,” she corrects with a grin.

I think about my father for a moment, then about what Nikolai said to me on the plane.

“I’m not saying he’s Christian Grey, Savannah, but I think Niko is pretty perfect for me. Just like Aidan is for you.”

Her brows lift but she asks, “As long as you’re sure?”

“I am.”

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