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

to her mother’s house, but more often Fatima would come to her. The few times Shaun left her house to go to the store or an appointment, she rushed back home as if a demon was chasing her.

Jozef wondered if he was her bogeyman.

The prison guard left Jozef after escorting him through the final gate. As expected, Havel was parked on the road next to the prison. He stood leaning against his SUV, a cigarette clenched between his teeth. Though half his face was obscured by aviator sunglasses, Jozef could tell Havel was happy to see him.

Havel rounded the vehicle and grabbed Jozef by the shoulders, pulling him in for bear hug.

Jozef was surprised, having never gotten a hug from Havel before. It took a moment, but eventually he relaxed and hesitantly wrapped his arms around the bigger man, squeezing.

You look good, old man, Jozef signed, stepping back.

“You don’t seem too bad off for a stint in this place. You’re coming out a much richer man than you went in.” Havel waved his hand at the prison, a huge concrete and metal monstrosity. Then he turned his gaze back to Jozef. “I see you got some new ink.”

Jozef touched the side of his neck and nodded. A Kizlyar blade had been seamlessly inked in among his other tattoos. It was the knife favoured by Russian Spetsnaz for its lightweight durability. Jozef had inherited one from his father, who had once worked for the Russian special forces.

Jozef had used the blade, which had been illicitly mailed to him by Havel while guards looked the other way, to dispatch each of the three Vory he’d taken out in prison. Each man was represented by a drop of blood tattooed beneath the tip of the blade.

Jozef reached for the passenger door and slid inside the car, sighing as his ass hit the plush leather seat. It would be a while before he took his life of privilege for granted again. He might be one of the toughest motherfuckers in that part of the world, but his ass liked a good cushiony seat.

Havel didn’t have to ask where Jozef wanted to be taken. They were going to Ostrava airport, the nearest international airport to the prison.

Jozef had been planning his and Shaun’s reunion since the moment he went in. There was a private jet waiting for them at the airport. They would leave once Jozef was on board. In less than twelve hours he would be landing in the city where his woman resided.

He’d thought about leaving her alone, letting her heal so she could get on with her life, but he couldn’t do it. His obsession was too compelling. It was unhealthy, it made no sense, but he knew that living without her would be like living without his own heart. He had transferred his loyalty from the family who had raised him but had also treated him like the family guard dog. He was raised to become their first line of defense against the dark and deadly underworld.

No more. Now he lived for Shaun.

Perhaps if there had been some proof that she was happy in Montréal without him, he would consider tearing out his own heart and living without her. The daily reports on her movements were consistent. She rarely smiled and walked with her head down and shoulders slumped. She was pale and jumpy, and she only left her house for work. She talked to her counsellor about feelings of hopelessness and depression.

Jozef would take her back. He would take care of her and help her find joy again. He would make sure the sacrifice of her career and family were well compensated. She would want for nothing for the rest of her life, he would make sure of it.

As though reading his thoughts, Havel verbalized the thing that Jozef couldn’t. “She’s going to hate you for this, man.”

Chapter Four

Shaun was exhausted in every conceivable way: mentally, physically, even her aura was dragging behind her on the floor. It had been a long surgery, but so far, her patient was recovering well. Tomorrow, Shaun would check in on her and determine if the tumour and subsequent surgery had caused any permanent damage. Though the surgery itself was fairly routine for Shaun, the placement of the tumour was not. It had been difficult to reach and had grown into normal brain tissue, making the resection more difficult.

“Have a good night, Doctor.” One of the RN’s who had assisted in surgery picked up her lunch kit and coat and headed for the exit.

“Same to you,” Shaun said warmly. “Good job in there today, Sam.”

Shaun gathered her belongings, wrapping a thick jacket around her thin frame. She’d lost weight after returning from Europe even though her mother made all kinds of tempting dishes to perk up Shaun’s appetite. Despite her lack of appetite, Shaun loved going home to a warm home-cooked meal. It made her think she should eventually find a house husband who was content to stay home to cook and clean.

A picture of Jozef in an apron teased her imagination and she laughed out loud, her first spontaneous laugh in almost a year. She stopped, pressing her fingers to her lips as the smile faded. The image of the hardened gangster wearing an apron was funny, but the fact that he was the first person who jumped into her brain when she thought about marriage was upsetting. She needed to let him go.

Not him… his ghost. It had been haunting her for long enough. She needed to learn to live again, without the spectre of Jozef following her everywhere she went.

Shaun was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn’t see a man step in front of her until she walked straight into him. He gripped her arms, steadying her. The scent of leather filled her head, and she tipped her head back, expectation filling her heart.

The disappointment of seeing her colleague, Dr. Simon Lee, was so intense it stole