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

faced with having to ingest something in the same place where she’d been poisoned. The memory of her weeks of recovery were sharp in her mind.

Jozef caught her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, reaching over with his fork to take a bite off her plate. She watched, fascinated, as he placed a steamed asparagus spear in his mouth, wrapping his lips around the fork, then sliding the food off. He chewed, then nodded. He reached over twice more, trying something from each item on her plate, then taking a large sip of first Shaun’s water, then the wine sitting in front of her.

She was so grateful, she could’ve cried. He didn’t care what other people thought. He didn’t care that it was ridiculously unlikely someone in the house would attempt to poison her again. He wanted her to feel comfortable and safe while she shared a meal with his family, and he ensured that by taking bites off her plate.

As he set her wine glass back on the table and gave her a significant nod, telling her she could go ahead and eat, Shaun caught his hand and held it against her chest. If he didn’t care that others were watching, then neither would she. She kissed his fingertips, showing him her gratitude, before letting his hand go.

Shaun and Jozef may have some major relationship obstacles, but his caring for her was not one of them. Shaun knew without a single doubt that Jozef loved her and would do almost anything for her. His devotion was beautiful, seductive and frightening in its intensity.

“Switch plates with me,” Saskia said from across the table, glancing around at her family. “No one would try to poison me.”

“Saskia!” Dasha said sharply. “No one here tried to poison Shaun.”

Shaun smiled her gratitude at the younger woman. “Thank you, but I’m fine with my plate.” She extended her smile to Dasha, though Dasha’s own expression was a mixture of annoyance and frustration. “Thank you for this lovely meal, Mrs. Koba, it looks incredible.”

It took Dasha a moment, but her expression finally smoothed out and she was able to smile once again. “Of course, dear. We’re so grateful to have you back. You weren’t here for long, but you certainly made an impact on us.”

Though the words were friendly enough, Shaun was left with the distinct impression that Dasha wasn’t at all pleased to have Shaun back.

Shaun looked at Krystoff from beneath her lashes, wondering how he felt about her presence. His gaze was on Jozef, a troubled frown wrinkling his brow.

It was becoming clear that despite Jozef’s move, intrigue still shrouded the Koba mansion.

Chapter Thirteen

After they finished eating, Krystoff suggested he and Jozef retire to the study for a drink. Jozef was hesitant. He didn’t want to leave Shaun alone. Throughout dinner she’d been tense and jumpy. She was thinking about the poisoning and likely wondering if her would-be murderer was sitting across the table from her.

Perhaps it had been too soon to bring her back to the Koba estate, but Jozef was still family. Though his position had shifted, this had been his home for thirty years. His aunt had acted as mother to him, his uncle a father figure.

Despite their rift, the Kobas were still the most powerful organization in the Czech Republic. Jozef would have to work with them if he wanted his own budding organization to succeed. He’d far rather be on Krystoff’s good side than his bad. Though Jozef had been his enforcer for two decades, growing in both intelligence and brutality, he was under no illusion that his uncle didn’t still have a few tricks up his sleeve. If Jozef decided to take the old man on, he would have the fight of his life.

Jozef squeezed Shaun’s shoulder reassuringly when he stood to follow his uncle from the salon, where they would leave the women. Adam, Leeza’s husband, excused himself to go back to the house and check on his son. It was a bullshit excuse not to linger with the family. Adam didn’t care about his son any more than he cared about his wife. The strange pairing was a mystery to Jozef. His uncle had arranged it, but Jozef hadn’t paid much attention at the time, having been too young and cocky to want much more than to hang out with his crew.

“Drink?” Krystoff made his way to the bar in his office and picked up a decanter of Scotch, glancing at Jozef with a raised brow.

Jozef nodded and walked to the fireplace, warming himself while Krystoff poured drinks. It was fall, nearly winter. Soon the snow would come, and the mansion would become blanketed. Krystoff would hire local artists to create ice sculptures in his rose garden. Aunt Dasha would throw her annual Christmas bash, inviting half the countryside and beyond. Jozef wondered if he and Shaun would receive an invitation. He hated the idea of taking Shaun anywhere near a crowd after what’d happened at the engagement party.

Krystoff pressed the drink into Jozef’s hand and stepped back, his eyes sharp on Jozef’s face. He pulled a cigar from his inside suit pocket and lifted it in question. Jozef nodded his permission for Krystoff to light it, appreciating the silent exchange. His uncle knew him well enough that there were few words needed.

Jozef felt a pang in his chest. He’d managed the distance from his family while he was in prison; he’d had no choice. Now that he was out, everything had changed. He no longer lived in the home where he’d grown up. He was dissociating from the organization he’d helped build. His aunt and cousins were wary around him. He had Shaun back, but that victory felt hollow in light of her anger and resistance.

A part of Jozef longed for everything to go back to the way it was, but he knew that was impossible. Change was inevitable and this one had been coming for a while. Even before Shaun, Jozef had