you probably feel at sea with all this.” Dasha smiled warmly at Shaun. “I hope you know you can come to me about anything. I’ve been a source of great comfort for my daughters and Jozef in their times of need. I can be the same to you.”
Shaun stared at Dasha in bewilderment. Was she delusional or was this her attempt at comfort? It was like Shaun had never been kidnapped and forced into their lives against her will. A significant part of her wanted to start shrieking like a banshee at the strange unfair turn her life had taken. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs that she was their captive and no amount of golden plates and opulent parties was going to change that.
Then she caught the hard glitter to Dasha’s eyes. She was standing next to Shaun, her body carefully arranged in a picture of beauty and poise, but Shaun sensed the shark under the manicured exterior. Dasha would always say and do the correct thing, but her thoughts were carefully guarded.
Instead of shouting that she’d been kidnapped and of course she missed her friends, family and home, and no it had nothing to do with the upcoming sham of an engagement party, Shaun forced a smile and said, “Thank you, I really appreciate all that you’re doing.”
There was no point in alienating the people living under the Koba umbrella. She needed them if she was ever going to get back to her real life. They’d made sure escape was impossible and most likely dangerous. Shaun’s best play was to appeal to their human side. The family’s interactions with each other proved that they had finer emotions, even if they were cold and calculating toward the outside world. If they were prepared to embrace Shaun as part of their family, maybe she could eventually appeal to them to send her home.
It was long shot, but it was all she had at this point.
Dasha seemed to accept Shaun’s response, her face creasing into genuine happiness. “I just know you’re going to make an excellent part of the family.” She gave Shaun a quick hug. “Now, back to the drapery.”
Shaun would rather give stitches to an injured grizzly bear than try to choose drapery with Dasha. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a long day. I’d like to go back to Jozef’s… to our suite.”
“Of course.” Dasha’s face took on a look of concern that Shaun was becoming quickly acquainted with. The woman was a master of her emotions, arranging them for whatever was most appropriate in the moment. “I’ll have a tea setting sent up for you. You just need a little snack and some caffeine, and you’ll feel fine.”
Shaun smiled wanly, backing toward the dining room entrance. “Thank you, you’re probably right.”
Shaun turned and left, relieved to be out of Dasha’s energetic presence. Shaun couldn’t pin down the other woman’s motives. Sometimes she seemed sweet and understanding and other times she was the hardened matriarch of a mafia dynasty. Was she both? Neither? The entire family made Shaun feel like she was standing on quicksand, shifting around and trying to find where she belonged.
She stopped walking when she realized she had no idea where she was going. She didn’t want to see Jozef, which meant their suite was out of the question. She smiled in amusement when she realized Jozef was about to get an unexpected tea setting. She thought about the garden, but there was little to do out there other than contemplate her strange new Alice in Wonderland life. Besides, she didn’t want to run into Krystoff.
She was standing in the hallway undecided, when the decision was taken from her hands. Saskia came rushing down the hall toward her, her pace so fast that Shaun took a step back, thinking the younger woman was about to walk right into her. Instead, Saskia took her arm and tugged.
“Come with me, I have something for you.” Her words were rushed, her face was flushed, and she was glancing around as though someone was after her.
Shaun was intrigued. “What do you have for me?”
“Come on, we can’t talk here.”
She dropped Shaun’s arm, spun around and walked rapidly in the direction she came from.
“Uh, sure…” Shaun followed after her, both confused and amused.
Saskia climbed the wide staircase, her high-top running shoes noiseless against the hardwood flooring. Shaun was wearing heels again, since it was expected that she dress appropriately for a meeting with Dasha. She struggled