Page 14 of Goodnight, Sinners

When Jozef looked at her, his face revealed nothing, though she could feel tension thrumming through him. He shook his head, and she knew he was about to lie to her and tell her nothing was wrong.

“Don’t you dare,” she said sharply. “I know you well enough to know when you’re concerned. Spill it, mister.”

His face creased in surprise, then he laughed.

Mister?He signed.

She shrugged. “We don’t really have pet names for each other like dear, sweetheart, whatever.”

He nodded thoughtfully.My family called me the dog.

She wrinkled her nose and signed back,I don’t like that nickname; it sounds so derogatory. You aren’t a pet, you’re a person, and you deserve to be treated that way.

He stared at her and she saw the softening in his eyes that showed he liked what she said to him.

Don’t change the subject,she signed, though her lips curved in a smile.Tell me what’s going on.

He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it.I don’t know, just a feeling.He swept the area with his arm.There’s only one home in this area, buried deep in the woods. The caretaker doesn’t have a car, which means he must have a visitor.

Shaun nodded, but asked, “Could it be a hiker?”

He looked skeptical.Maybe, but we have to assume there’s someone at the cabin who doesn’t belong. We need to proceed with caution.

Jozef glanced around the small clearing with the two cars as if looking for something. Then she realized he was searching for a place to stash her while he checked out the cabin.

“Absolutely not,” she said sharply. “I’m going with you.” He shook his head, but she talked over his objection. “I’m not trying to be difficult, Jozef, but I can’t be alone here. Iwillhave a panic attack. I won’t be able to help it.”

She let him hear some of the fear and frustration in her voice. She hated that she couldn’t control the panic that swelled up inside her regularly. It made her feel so helpless, so out of control.

Jozef curved a hand against her cheek before dropping it to sign.I won’t leave you, I promise.

“Thank you,” she whispered, blinking back the tears that had leapt to her eyes when she thought he would insist on leaving her alone.

When she was looking at him again, he signed,we need to leave our stuff so my hands are free. I can come back for it. You’ll have to walk behind me. Stay tight to my left side and slightly behind.

“Okay,” she said, her heart pumping in fear. “Should I… should I be worried?”

He shook his head emphatically.No, this is probably nothing. I’m being cautious.

Shaun suspected he was just saying that to make her feel better, but it worked. She trusted him. If he thought there was really a threat, he would bundle her back into the Bugatti and get her out of there.

Together they made their way through the forest. The walk to the cabin took about half an hour and by the time they could see it, nestled among towering maple trees, the sun was high overhead, shining across the area.

Jozef moved silently through the forest, while Shaun probably made way more noise than she should have. She couldn’t help herself. She’d never been outdoorsy, hated camping, and hadn’t actively practiced stealth guerilla tactics while moving through a forest the way she suspected Jozef had.

When they sighted the cabin, Jozef stopped her. He made them stand silent and mostly unmoving while he surveilled the area. They stood that way for about fifteen minutes before he deemed it safe enough to approach the cabin.

As they made their way down the path, the gate to a high fence opened and an elderly man stepped through. Though Jozef reached beneath his jacket for his gun, Shaun sensed that he wasn’t alarmed by the older man.

The man didn’t seem surprised to see them.

“Jozef Koba, it’s good to see you again.”

The words seemed sincere, and some of the tension left Shaun as Jozef’s hand fell away from the butt of his pistol.

Jozef reached for Shaun and pulled her forward, signing,I need you to translate, V-A-S-I-L-I-Y doesn’t understand sign language.

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