A Silent Reckoning: Sinner's Empire by Nikita Slater (ereader iphone .txt) 📗

The rest of their flight passed mostly in silence, but somewhere along the way the quiet went from tension-filled to relaxed. Shaun fell asleep at some point and when she woke up, her seat was reclined so that she was laying down and a blanket was tucked around her. She yawned and sat up, blinking as she looked for Jozef. He was behind her, giving his men instructions on what to do once they landed.

It was then, as she tried to catch what he was telling them, that she realized he hadn’t been home at all. He had left prison and got on an airplane. To go see her. He hadn’t waited even a single day. He must be exhausted and eager to see his new home.

Warmth crept into her as once again he proved the depth of his feelings. It didn’t help Shaun though. His love for her was creating a world of difficulties for them and the people around them. They would be so much better off if he let her go and they lived their separate lives. It was a devastating thought and her sadness lingered throughout the journey from the airport to her new home.

Shaun thought Jozef meant a single apartment when he told her he had a place in the city, but it turned out he owned the entire building.

Jozef’s home was in the building where the Koba-owned nightclub, Zmatek, was located. The old stone and brick building was sprawling, taking up nearly half the block. It was five floors high with windows on all sides.

Jozef explained that the nightclub took up the first two floors, while the third floor housed the offices for his new organization, the fourth floor was living space for his men and the top floor was Jozef’s condo and a private gym for him and his men. He told her there was a rooftop terrace, but it was unused.

As they travelled to the top floor, Shaun shivered, prompting Jozef to put his arm around her. She thought about pulling away, setting the precedent that he wasn’t allowed to touch her.

Maybe later.

For now, she needed him too much to push him away. The déjà vu of being back in Prague made her feel vulnerable.

It was 3:00 AM and between her long day and the time difference, Shaun was swaying on her feet.

Jozef entered a code into the panel next to his apartment, then unlocked the door and pushed it open, waving her inside.

Shaun glanced over her shoulder as two of Jozef’s men took up positions in the hallway. She didn’t recognize either of them. When she’d lived in the mansion, she’d gotten to know some of the security, but not all. One thing she had come to understand was that Jozef’s elite team didn’t do the menial security jobs. They certainly didn’t stand sentry next to apartment doors.

Jozef closed the door, shutting out her view of the guards.

She turned, curious about his apartment. Her mouth opened in surprise as she took in the beautifully decorated modern room. Two entire walls were dedicated to windows, showcasing most of downtown Prague, the Vltava river below and the districts surrounding it.

Shaun couldn’t help herself. She was drawn to the stunning view, momentarily forgetting where she was and why she was there.

Jozef followed her as she stood in front of the windows, gazing at the brightly lit buildings, the bridges, the dark winding river and the moving cars.

“It’s really beautiful,” she murmured, looking at him in the glass.

He didn’t touch her or try to say anything. Instead, he stood silently, watching her watch the rest of the city. It felt like she and Jozef were the only people on earth, the silence wrapping them in a frozen cocoon while the world went busily by on the other side of the glass.

She turned to face him, her gaze travelling over the apartment. It was huge, with an industrial feel. Pipes lined the ceiling overhead, but they weren’t ugly. In fact, they’d been integrated into the artfully decorated space. Modern paintings decorated the walls, giving splashes of colour to the otherwise austere room. The stainless-steel appliances were shined to perfection and the furniture was plush and inviting. A large glass-top table stood between the kitchen and one wall of windows. The living room, on the other side of the room, was filled with plush leather furniture, a glass coffee table, a large fluffy white rug and a floor-to-ceiling fireplace.

Shaun would bet her life savings that this place hadn’t been decorated by Dasha, Jozef’s aunt. The woman’s style tended toward obvious wealth and heavy opulence, while Jozef’s condo had a light, airy feel to it. The paintings were probably very expensive, but they’d been chosen as a complement to the room, not to show off Jozef’s wealth.

Shaun turned a serious look on her captor. “Last time I was in Prague, someone tried to kill me.”

His face darkened. I know.

“What if they still want me dead? What if they try again?”

They’ll have to go through me.

She nodded, feeling the truth of his words to her bones. Though she trusted him to protect her, the thought of her would-be killer, who had targeted her a year ago, still on the loose was a disturbing one.

The police had only wanted to talk to her about her experience in Ukraine, her kidnapping from the hospital and her time with Jozef. They asked her a couple of questions about the poisoning and then dropped the line of questioning. They quickly veered away from inquiries about the Koba family and estate and set their sights on the Koba enforcer.

Once she realized the police weren’t going to prosecute the family, Shaun had been both pleased and offended. It was obvious that the Koba money kept law enforcement on the side of the crime family. Unable to shake the image of Saskia, the youngest Koba, from her head, Shaun hadn’t wanted to press charges anyway.

Then there had been the question of