A Silent Reckoning: Sinner's Empire Read online

  A Silent Reckoning

  Sinner’s Empire Book 2

  Nikita Slater

  Copyright © 2021 Nikita Slater Writing Services Ltd.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  To my best friend and beta reader, Jennifer. Your infectious excitement for my books gives me life.

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  Koba Family Tree

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Coming Soon…

  Bonus: The Assassin’s Wife

  Bonus: Born a Queen

  Also by Nikita Slater

  Stay connected with Nikita!

  About the Author

  Author’s Note

  Dear readers,

  Thank you for purchasing A Silent Reckoning. This is the second book in the Sinner’s Empire trilogy, following Sin of Silence. If you haven’t read Sin of Silence, you will want to go back and start with the first book before continuing with A Silent Reckoning. Each book must be read in order for the full reading experience.

  A Silent Reckoning takes place one year after the events of Sin of Silence. This book will continue the pattern of the first book, with all sign language conversation taking place in italics. This book is a work of fiction and while some aspects will seem realistic, this book was written from the author’s imagination. I am not an expert in sign language, medicine, mercenary work, mafia, geography, or any other subject written into the book. I do research the subjects and themes within my books and try to write as realistically as possible, but this book should not be taken as an accurate representation on any of the above subjects. Having said that, it is important to me, as an author, to shed light on experiences that are not necessarily mainstream in romance writing. I hope that you enjoy my diverse characters and the situations I thrust them into.

  Please note, some of the scenes in this book contains elements of PTSD and panic attacks, which can be distressing for some readers. Please read with caution. I hope you enjoy A Silent Reckoning, the second book in my Sinner’s Empire Series.

  Thank you,

  Nikita Slater

  Koba Family Tree

  Prologue

  The People’s Republic of Luhansk - The first time Jozef saw Shaun

  Jozef watched his target leave the bookstore and walk north on Pavlivska Street. He followed the man as he headed toward the Optovyy Rynok market. It was mid-afternoon on a Wednesday. The streets weren’t deserted but they weren’t filled with people either. Jozef and his team could easily grab Gustav now, as he cut through a side street on his way to pick up groceries, but that wasn’t the plan.

  Jozef refused to do a job without the proper surveillance and equipment. It was something he and his team had become well known for throughout the mafia underworld. They were unparalleled when it came to completing operations to their client’s satisfaction. Though this particular mission was personal, Jozef wouldn’t fuck it up by snatching his target too early. He was in Luhansk for surveillance only.

  As he walked, he started to give Gustav more space, not wanting to spook the man. In the five days since Jozef’s uncle, Krystoff Koba, had been kidnapped, Jozef had come up with only one lead. Gustav. The man responsible for mailing a finger to Dasha Koba, Jozef’s aunt. The desire to cut the man’s throat, to avenge this insult to Jozef’s family was strong. His time would come. The courier was living on borrowed time.

  “Excuse me.”

  Jozef’s gaze snapped from Gustav’s back to a woman who’d stepped out of a small store and into Jozef’s path. He was about to grunt a response and move on, when his gaze landed on her face. He froze, stunned by the exotic beauty of the stranger as she passed him without lifting her eyes. She was looking down at the phone in her hand.

  Jozef turned to watch her walk away, his gaze taking in the gentle swell of her hips, the confidence in her walk and her unusual complexion. There were so few black women in that part of Ukraine that he had to blink a few times to be sure he was seeing her right. She stopped on the sidewalk next to a child and crouched down, smiling and holding out her hand. The boy hesitated and then took her proffered hand, giving it a shake.

  She said something to him, but he shook his head and pointed at his ears. She shifted so Jozef could see her face again. He was so drawn to her that he found himself taking a few steps toward the pair before forcing himself to stop. He watched her smile fade into a frown of concern as she carefully set her bag on the pavement and sat next to the boy on the curb.

  Jozef didn’t want to look away, he wanted to see every expression her mobile face made, every tiny movement of her graceful hands, but he wasn’t here for her. He was here for Gustav. Jozef glanced over his shoulder and saw Gustav heading toward a corner. Jozef would have to jog to catch up.

  Yet, he couldn’t seem to tear himself away from the woman. Finally, he let Gustav go, shaking his head in frustration. What was wrong with him? He was a duty first kind of guy. Women were interesting for sex only, but not beyond. Not a single one had yet tempted him toward marriage.

  His gaze strayed back to the woman and what he saw next stunned him. He couldn’t blink, couldn’t breathe, could only watch as she used sign language to speak to the child. It became quickly obvious the child didn’t understand but she patiently showed the boy several signs that he was able to pick up easily, grinning his happiness as he showed her.

  Jozef knew exactly what they were saying.

  Hello.

  Boy.

  Food.

  Hospital.

  Doctor.

  Then she signed her name. S-H-A-U-N.

  Jozef stared as her beautiful fingers moved to create each shape, showing the child until he understood. Her patience and kindness astounded him. As far as Jozef could tell, she hadn’t known the child before sitting down with him, yet she was taking time out of her day to teach him an important skill. A skill Jozef knew too.

  Jozef rarely met people outside of his family who understood or used sign language. It was so rare, in fact, that he’d given up finding anyone who co
uld and started teaching the people around him, particularly his security team, how to sign.

  This woman was different. She was unique and beautiful.

  A powerful bolt of lust shot through his body. He hungered for her. A total stranger he hadn’t met.

  She showed the child the sign for goodbye and then she stood, stretching her back. She picked up her groceries, ruffled the boy’s hair and set off down the street.

  Jozef had to make a decision. Follow the mysterious woman or go find Gustav in the market and record the man’s routine. They would pick him up soon, take him to their borrowed house outside of the city and force the whereabouts of Jozef’s uncle from him.

  He watched her walk until she disappeared. She was not his mission and never would be. She would be better off if she never met Jozef. He was the harbinger of death. Jozef rarely spent time with anyone outside of his inner circle unless they were a target. Those that he did spend time with didn’t survive long.

  If he became involved with the woman, her mortality would become a question and he couldn’t bring himself to imagine anything happening to her. She was special.

  He turned away and headed toward the market. He would hold her image close to his heart until she faded. Her ghost would be his comfort during the lonely nights when he paced his rooms, his mind occupied with death, strategy and war.

  She would be his angel of mercy.

  The woman he would never know.

  Chapter One

  One year later.

  “Koba, you have a visitor.”

  Jozef’s muscles strained with effort as he dragged his body up to the ceiling, tilting his head to the side as he lifted himself and held the pose for 40 seconds while the guard stood behind him, waiting quietly. Jozef let go, dropping to the floor of his cell. He’d intended to do four sets of ten pull-ups and was only halfway through.

  Who is it? he signed, reaching for the towel on his bed and mopping the sweat off his face and chest.

  Two of the guards at Prison Karvina had learned sign language after Jozef had been transferred from Prague after his sentencing.

  Within a month of imprisonment, it became clear to the authorities that Jozef had too much support in the Pankrác Remand Prison outside of Prague. During his first week he’d stabbed his cellmate. It’d been a calculated move. Inmates and guards alike who hadn’t known of him and his reputation would have preyed on what they saw as a weakness; his inability to speak or scream for help. After the stabbing, he’d been moved to solitary until his trial, which suited him. It was a good way to avoid Krystoff and his lawyers while giving Jozef the uninterrupted time he needed to strategize his next moves.

  The prison officials hoped that by moving him closer to the Polish border he’d have fewer allies and serve his time quietly. They hadn’t counted on Jozef’s global mindset. He had men in prisons throughout Czechia and surrounding countries. If they transferred him to Siberia, he’d still have all the support he needed on the inside.

  Jozef effectively ran Prison Kavina. He’d always had a policy of treating his men well and caring for their families if they got picked up and jailed. His family-inclusive mentality had won him the undying loyalty of some of the most hardened men in Eastern Europe. All it took was checking in on their mamas while they were inside.

  He brought the guards alongside by padding their salaries and paying off the local authorities and politicians to look the other way as he rose through the ranks in prison. It hadn’t all been tea-time chats. A few of the more tenacious bosses hadn’t wanted to give up their positions to the enforcer of the Koba clan, but Jozef had convinced them otherwise. The prison guards simply looked the other way as Jozef cut a bloody path through the system, working his way up until he had enough power to ensure his every need was met both inside and out.

  “Krystoff Koba is here to see you.”

  Jozef dropped the towel and pulled on a T-shirt. He’d been waiting for this moment. His uncle had visited Pankrác before Jozef had gone into solitary, but the conversation hadn’t gone well and Jozef had declined any more visits. Krystoff refused to believe anyone in the family was responsible for Shaun’s poisoning.

  Jozef’s single-minded purpose while in prison, besides climbing his way to the top, was finding the person who’d nearly killed his fiancé, put Jozef in prison, and tore him from the woman he loved.

  He’d spent every night for a year fantasizing about what he would do to the traitor when he got hold of them. Peel the skin from thier body one strip at a time, drain every drop of blood, dismember them while they were still alive. He didn’t care who it was, when he found the traitor, he was going to take his revenge in the worst possible way. Each family member took turns in his fantasies, swapping out depending on who he settled on as the would-be murderer. Sometimes Krystoff, sometimes Dasha, sometimes Leeza.

  The guard led him to a dank room one floor above Jozef’s cell. A metal table took up most of the small room, along with two metal chairs. The fluorescent lights cast a harsh glow. A barred window allowed a weak amount of sunlight to filter through a dirty windowpane.

  “Let me know if you need anything,” the guard said, motioning Jozef inside.

  Jozef dipped his head in a nod and stepped into the visitor’s room. The door slammed shut behind him, the click of the lock echoing in the small space.

  Krystoff looked the same as he remembered, except for a few more lines around his eyes. His beard obscured the lower half of his face, but his dark blue eyes, the same shade as Jozef’s, spoke eloquently. Jozef saw compassion and concern there, but he wasn’t convinced it was real.

  What do you want? Jozef asked, dragging the metal chair away from the table, scraping it across the concrete floor and dropping into it.

  It’s time to come home, son.

  Jozef narrowed his eyes. If his uncle was using Jozef’s method of communication, then he wanted something. They hadn’t parted on good terms and when Krystoff was annoyed, he wouldn’t sign. It put distance between him and his nephew. Jozef hated when people did that to him. Whether subconscious or not, it never sat well when he was unceremoniously cut off from his chosen language.

  What’s that supposed to mean? Jozef asked. Last I checked I have two life sentences to serve.

  I pulled some strings with the higher-ups. Krystoff leaned on the table, his face settling into earnest lines. The justice office agreed to look over your case two months ago and they found some inconsistencies.

  What inconsistencies? Jozef demanded. I killed the two men I was accused of taking out, I earned prison.

  “Fuck Jozef, what’s wrong with you?” Krystoff exploded, smacking his palm down on the table and switching to verbal in his agitation. “You can’t say shit like that. Our official position is not guilty.”

  Krystoff ran a hand through his steel grey hair and took a breath, calming himself. “The justice department wasn’t able to find more than circumstantial evidence linking you to the death of Danilo Melnychuk. The witnesses at the hospital were proven to be unreliable and the evidence found in the basement outside of Luhansk, while linking you to the scene, wasn’t enough to prove you killed Gustav. Without a body, they have nothing.”

  Yet, here I am, incarcerated. If the evidence doesn’t hold up, why was I convicted?

  Jozef had been stupid to leave evidence at the house. He’d been preoccupied by Shaun and hadn’t disposed of the bucket. He’d taken his gloves off for a few minutes while filling it with water, leaving his fingerprints on the side.

  They both knew the witnesses at the hospital were infallible. A nurse and a patient had described Jozef right down to his combat boots, leather jacket and the tattoos on his neck. If they’d been proven unreliable, it was likely due to coercion or a fabricated drug problem. Jozef knew the drill because he’d used the method himself. Discredit a witness by planting evidence to make it look like they were a drug abuser.

  “The justice department has decided otherwise; you get out on Saturday. The P
rime Minister doesn’t want to make a fuss, so you’ll be released quietly. No media, no questions. I’ll have a car sent for you.” He leaned over to emphasize his point. “You get out in two days and you’ll come back home where you belong.”

  Jozef felt numb. Not at the news that he was getting out. He’d been expecting that, but not from his uncle. Havel was close to reaching an agreement with the justice department as well. It would have been a matter of weeks before he was freed.

  He’d been numb for a year, since losing Shaun. Since taking the fall for Krystoff’s rescue and joining the ranks of the men who filled Czechia’s crowded prisons. Somehow, he knew he wouldn’t feel a damn thing again until he could touch her. Look at her face, feel the heat of her sunshine as she smiled at him.

  “You don’t seem pleased by my news.” Krystoff’s tone indicated disgruntlement. He expected gratitude from his nephew.

  His uncle could go to hell. There had to be trust before there could be gratitude. Jozef was short on both.

  He leveled a narrow-eyed glare at his uncle and clenched his fists beneath the table. Perhaps his uncle hadn’t directly tried to kill Shaun, but he was responsible for keeping his house in order and he’d failed. Someone had tried to kill Jozef’s woman under Krystoff’s roof, while she was under his protection.