Page 22 of Sin of Silence

"Girls, we have a guest present, please don’t argue," Aunt Dasha chided gently.

The rest of the meal went well, with conversation flowing easily around the table. Unless spoken to directly, Shaun remained silent. She ate the food placed in front of her and watched the family as they chatted with each other, her gaze remaining slightly concerned and haunted but occasionally amused at the gentle ribbing. That was the look Jozef hoped he could grow. He hoped that one day she would forget their beginning and settle into some semblance of a relationship with him. It didn't even need to be happy, just real. Because a real marriage would bind her to him, erase the danger of her knowing too much. And it would place in his grasp a good woman, a person who would have been far out of his reach only a week ago.

He looked down at her as she bent her head to fork a bite of eggs into her mouth. Meeting her had been a stroke of luck and Jozef wasn’t stupid enough to let go of his lady luck.

Chapter Fifteen

Shaun stood quietly and watched while preparations were made for the shopping trip. She was surprised at how long it took and how much was involved in the planning. Jozef had lined up the five guards who would be accompanying the women and was lecturing them, his hand signals rapid and smooth. Once again, she marvelled at his lack of expression. It was so unusual to see someone use sign language without involving facial expressions.

At first, Shaun tried to follow what he was saying. He was instructing them on things like checking the vehicles before entering, making sure all exits were covered, and making sure each woman was accompanied by at least one guard, with three guards for Shaun. She was not allowed out of their sight for any reason, except to go into a change room without an exit.

His movements were so rapid that she quickly grew tired of watching. The group was standing in the lobby of the mansion, next to the large double doors. Dasha was talking quietly with her daughters while Jozef instructed his guards. Shaun’s gaze lingered on everyone and everything as she attempted to retain as much information as she could, which was a lot. Shaun had learned many tricks in medical school for memorizing information so she could pass her exams.

Each of the guards had at least one weapon visible, though she suspected they probably had more beneath jackets, and strapped to hips or ankles. Even Saskia was checking a small pistol, opening the chamber and squinting at it before snapping it shut and shoving it in her purse.

It was the sort of scene Shaun might expect to see in a movie. She was the only one shocked by the extravagance, the security, the weapons, everything. She felt like she was living some kind of dream, or more accurately, a nightmare. It was so difficult to wrap her head around the things she was seeing and experiencing.

Leeza reached out to touch Shaun’s arm. “Everything okay?"

Shaun thought about the question. Was everything okay? Not really. At that very moment she was supposed to be in a field hospital, preparing for surgery on a soldier who been struck in the chest with shrapnel. She’d been waiting for the swelling to go down, for him to gain strength so that he could survive the surgery. Now, he would be left in the hands of a less skilled surgeon.

Shaun didn’t know how to feel about that. She should be angry that she'd been dragged from her extremely important work and forced to come here, to this mansion, to be married off to a member of the Koba crime family. But she wasn’t angry. She didn't feel scared or sad, either. Any of those emotions would've been appropriate, even welcome.

Instead… she felt numb. If she were to self-diagnose, she would say that she was likely experiencing prolonged shock. A physiological response to her kidnapping; a response meant to protect her. But the shock was slowing her down, making her brain feel sluggish. She needed to snap out of it, come up with a plan.

"Hey… we can plan a shopping trip for another day if you're not ready." Leeza’s concerned gaze was on Shaun’s face.

Shaun blinked and shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to miss a chance to go into the city. There were far more opportunities for escape there than at the heavily guarded mansion.

"Sorry," she murmured and attempted a smile. "I drifted away for a moment. I'm fine, all set to go."

Leeza looked relieved while Saskia let out a short cackle of laughter. Dasha frowned at her youngest daughter.

"She said sorry and she's Canadian," Saskia giggled. "I've always wanted to hear a Canadian say that. She had the accent and everything, it was perfect.”

Leeza laughed too but reached out to swat her sister's arm. "You're so immature; be polite to our guest."

Shaun's lips curled up at the exchange and she surprised herself by wanting to laugh with the sisters. It was so strange to watch the Koba family interact. They seemed so… normal. Not what she would've expected from a ruthless mafia family, though she didn't know exactly what she expected. Maybe guns at the dinner table, snide comments, backstabbing, a graveyard in the garden. She certainly hadn't expected the warmth and caring she was experiencing from them.

Shaun jumped when someone touched her arm and she looked down at the strong fingers wrapping around her. Jozef tugged her to the side, away from everyone else. Her gaze travelled up his fingers to his veined hands, past the tattoos to the rolled-up sleeves of his dress shirt and finally to his face.

His deep blue eyes were solemn as he looked down at her, the scar across his lips a stark reminder of the violence surrounding these people. Everything about him was tense and serious. Shaun hadn’t actually seen him in any other mood yet. He always looked grim, as though he expected the worst. Maybe he had to be that way in order to be an effective enforcer. If he prepared for the worst, then he would always be ready for whatever came at him. Shaun had personal experience with the terrible decisions this man had to make.

She thought about how deftly he’d handled his uncle's kidnapping. How he'd found the one woman in that area of Ukraine who was both a doctor and could understand sign language. The way he’d gotten the information he needed out of his hostage, despite the setback of his victim having a heart attack, and then proceeded to release his uncle from imprisonment. Like clockwork, everything he did was smooth and well-planned.

Everything except her. He hadn’t planned on keeping her alive.

He gave her a little shake and Shaun realized he was trying to communicate with her, but she’d been gazing blankly at his face. She blinked rapidly and dropped her eyes to his hands, interpreting what he was telling her. He slowed his movements so she could easily follow.

You will not try to escape while you are in the city. Purchase anything you need or want, regardless of cost. You will listen to your bodyguards and follow my cousins’ lead.

Shaun nodded. She wanted to ask what would happen if she did try to run or if she refused to listen to her bodyguards, but they were surrounded by people, both family and security. She didn't want to hint that she was going to do her level best to figure out a way to get away from her escort.

Perhaps he could read her mind, or maybe her intentions were written on her face. Either way Jozef gripped her chin and tilted her face up to his. His eyes darkened and he frowned down at her, warning her without a word what would happen if she tried to escape. She shivered under his fierce glare and took a step back, her gaze fixed on his scarred throat.

Jozef guided her back to his men and introduced her to one of them.This is K-A-R-L, he’s in charge of family security. He will act as your personal bodyguard.

Shaun shook Karl’s hand and wondered if he was in charge of making sure she didn’t escape or in charge of keeping her safe. She wondered if he was being permanently assigned to her or if it was just for the day, and how he felt about having to protect a foreign captive. She didn’t ask any of her questions though. Karl had a large bulge under his jacket that could only be a gun and his face was carved from a boulder.

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