Sin of Silence (Sinner's Empire #1) - Nikita Slater Page 0,97
to keep up and almost lost sight of Saskia when they reached the top of the staircase. She looked both ways down wide opulent hallways, completely lost. She rarely came up to the second floor, as Jozef’s suite was on the main floor at the back of the house. She knew Dasha and Krystoff’s rooms were on the second floor, and Leeza’s family occupied a cottage on the estate grounds.
Shaun guessed that Saskia was leading her to her own suite.
She stopped abruptly at the top of the stairs, looking around and trying to figure out which way to go. Saskia’s head popped out from one of the doorways. “Come on!”
Shaun entered the suite and stared in bemusement. Considering Saskia tried to pass herself off as some kind of badass, Shaun was not expecting a suite that looked like the girly girl’s pink monster vomited all over it. Wherever she turned there were frills, pillows, stuffed animals, dolls and gold, white and pink striped wallpaper. The whole effect was chaotic, disorienting and over the top.
It felt human.
“This is your room?” Shaun asked as she stared around.
“Uh huh,” Saskia said, grabbing a stuffed unicorn and dropping onto a pink couch covered in so many frilly, flowery pillows that Shaun wasn’t sure where she should sit. “I know it looks like a little girl’s candy shop, but I like it. I feel comfortable in here.”
Shaun couldn’t image why. The creepy porcelain dolls were arranged in lifelike poses behind the glass walls of their cage, their soulless eyes following her every move. But what she thought didn’t matter; this was Saskia’s sanctuary, and after experiencing the chaos of the Koba family, Shaun didn’t blame her for creating her own version of paradise.
Shaun tried not to look at the dolls as she lifted a few pillows off the couch and carefully set them down next to the coffee table. She sat gingerly, lifting one of the oversize teddy bears and setting it on her lap. She tugged its ear, enjoying the super soft faux fur against her skin.
“What did you want to show me?” Shaun asked.
“You have to promise not to tell anyone.” Saskia’s words came out in a rush and she glanced guiltily at the door. “This house has ears and it’s impossible to keep anything a secret. My parents can’t know. Jozef definitely can’t know.”
Shaun frowned, her concern growing. “Maybe you shouldn’t show me then. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
She looked at Shaun, her eyes wide with excitement. “It’s not me I’m worried about. Well, not as much.”
“You’re worried about me?”
“Yes, no, sort of. This surprise is definitely not allowed, but you deserve it and I don’t want to see you suffer anymore.”
Shaun blinked, trying desperately to decipher Saskia’s words. Oddly, she was comforted by Saskia’s declaration that she didn’t want Shaun to suffer. In a family whose staunch loyalty to each other made Shaun feel like an outsider, Saskia was the one she felt most comfortable with. Perhaps it was the other woman’s blunt honesty, her youth, or her ridiculously over-the-top suite, but Shaun didn’t think she would lie. She was not nearly as carefully calculated as the other members of the family.
Saskia projected herself as a world-weary adult. It was easy to forget her youth until she let her guard down. The nervous excitement surrounding her now made Shaun realize Saskia needed an adult to guide her. She was looking for permission, though she was attempting to control whatever surprise she had for Shaun.
“I think you’d better show me what you have,” Shaun said gently. She was careful not to promise not to tell Saskia’s parents. She didn’t know what the surprise was, and some things simply couldn’t be kept secret. If Saskia showed Shaun something potentially harmful to herself or others, Shaun would have to take the knowledge to Saskia’s family.
Saskia either didn’t notice or didn’t care about Shaun’s lack of promise. She bit her lip, glanced at the door one more time and then reached into her pocket, digging out an object. She extended her hand toward Shaun.
“A cell phone?” Shaun asked bewildered.
“A burner phone,” Saskia said gleefully. “Untraceable. I got it from a friend, but he doesn’t know why I wanted it.”
“And why do you want it?” Shaun asked carefully.
“It’s for you.” Saskia couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face as she gave Shaun the news. “So you can call your family and tell them you’re okay.”