Page 51 of Goodnight, Sinners

“Saskia!” Shaun couldn’t help the admonishment, nor the laughter that followed at Saskia’s description of her parent’s marriage.

“Well, it’s true.” She grinned, looking happier than she had when Shaun arrived. The two women left the suite and headed down to the main floor, Cooper and Saskia’s guard following them.

“Why do you suspect your sister had a different father? You two look pretty similar.”

“Yeah,” Saskia agreed. “We look like my mom’s side of the family.” The chill morning air hit them as they stepped outside the kitchen door, waving at the cook as they wandered through. She didn’t wave back. Shaun had offended her during her first week in charge of the mansion by asking for more vegetables with their meals. “I overheard Leeza call someone ‘dad’ on the phone and tell him she loved him. Leeza never called Krystoff ‘dad’, and she definitely never told him she loved him.”

“Did your sister know you were listening in on her private call?” Shaun asked disapprovingly, easily able to see the younger woman eavesdropping. She probably did it to everyone who lived in the mansion, not just her sister.

“No, she had no idea.” Saskia’s face grew dark. “It doesn’t matter now; I don’t even know where she is.”

Shaun wrapped an arm around Saskia’s shoulders as they picked their way across the stone path toward Leeza’s cottage. “Are you worried about her?”

Saskia nodded and blinked rapidly, her voice higher than normal when she spoke. “I’m worried about both of them, Leeza and little Kristoph. Leeza can protect herself, but she has to take care of my nephew too. I don’t know what chance she’ll have if she’s worried about him while fighting to save their lives.”

“I’m sure they aren’t at risk,” Shaun tried to reassure her.

Saskia stopped walking. “Don’t you see? In order for Jozef to take this organization free and clear, he needs to get rid of Leeza.”

Shaun frowned. “But wouldn’t that mean you’re a threat too?”

“No. Jozef has more to worry about from Leeza than he does from me. I’m not married, I don’t have children, I’m easy to control.”

Shaun couldn’t help the chuckle that spilled from her lips. “You arenoteasy to control.”

Saskia flashed a brittle smile. “No, maybe not, but I’m easy to find or I wouldn’t be here.”

“I don’t think Jozef intends to hurt your sister. It’s not like him.”

Saskia looked at her pityingly and Shaun wondered if her lack of understanding of the mafia world was showing again.

“I hope you’re right,” she said grimly.

Shaun vowed to talk to Jozef about Leeza. See if he could do for her what he was doing for Saskia. Bring her back into the family… what was left of it and protect her and her little boy.

Shaun’s belly did a backflip as the small dark voice inside her head reminded her of his mafia heritage. If what Saskia was telling her was the truth, maybe Jozef really was trying to kill his cousin. Shaun knew without a doubt she couldn’t live with a man who murdered an innocent woman.

A flash of her colleague jumped into Shaun’s mind, shot in cold blood by the man Shaun now loved. She was a hypocrite. She’d fallen in love with that murderer and now she was trying to convince herself he was a different person from that man, one with enough compassion not to kill innocents.

She took a deep breath and shook the thoughts away.

As they approached the front door of the cottage, Shaun realized they didn’t have a key. “Shoot, we’ll have to go back.”

Saskia dug in her little purse and came up with a set of keys that would put a caretaker to shame.

“You really have your fingers in everything around here, don’t you?” Shaun asked as Saskia unlocked the door and pushed it open.

“I like to stay informed; it keeps me alive.” When Saskia attempted to step through the door, Cooper pushed between the two women and shook his head, going ahead of them. They looked at each other, then followed him in.

Cooper did a quick search of the house, while the other guard stayed at the door. “Okay, looks like the place is empty.”

“What are you looking for?” Saskia asked, swiping her finger across the large dining table, smearing the dust.

“I don’t know,” Shaun admitted. “I wanted to see the place and see if there was anything that could help find your sister.”

“I doubt it. Leeza’s not one to leave paperwork lying around, but if she did have something, it would be in her upstairs safe.”

The two women made their way to the second floor, Cooper trailing behind them. Shaun turned to him and asked that he remain in the hall as they entered Leeza’s bedroom. It was silly, but she felt like it would be further invading Leeza’s privacy if they allowed a man in her bedroom.

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