Goodnight, Sinners (Sinner's Empire Book 3) Read online

  Goodnight, Sinners

  Sinner’s Empire Book 3

  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.

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  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

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Coming Soon…

  Nikita’s Newsletter!

  Excerpt: Loving Vincent

  Excerpt: Driven by Desire

  Also by Nikita Slater

  Stay connected with Nikita!

  About the Author

  Author’s Note

  Dear readers,

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

  Goodnight, Sinners immediately follows the events of A Silent Reckoning. This book will continue the pattern of the first two bookss, 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 Goodnight, Sinners, the third book in my Sinner’s Empire Series.

  Thank you,

  Nikita Slater

  Chapter One

  An explosion shook the building.

  Though they’d fought their own personal battle, the war still raged on the floors below them.

  Shaun tried to blink the dust away, then realized it was catching in her eyelashes. Drywall, plaster and pulverized stone were floating in the air, coating everything around them.

  “Jozef,” she croaked, rubbing her eyes. “We have to go.”

  He was sitting next to his uncle’s body, a look of shell-shocked despair on his face.

  He looked at her, and for a moment she doubted he recognized her.

  “We have to go,” she urged again.

  He shook his head and a cloud of dust lifted from his hair. His expression hardened as he gave a quick, decisive nod. He pushed to his feet and signed at her as he strode to her side.

  She blinked again, trying to clear her vision enough to see what he was saying.

  “No,” she said, moving away from his reaching hands. “I’m not going back into the safe room again.”

  He growled and moved toward her, his intent clear.

  “I’m going with you,” she said stubbornly. “I’ve worked in battle zones. You have to trust that I can do this. I know how to stay out of the way and let the soldiers work. I just want to help.”

  When he still looked indecisive, she snapped, “My mother could be bleeding out on the floor somewhere in this building. You’re taking me with you.”

  He gave a curt nod and signed, you stay behind me and listen to every word I say.

  “Yes, I will.”

  Jozef grabbed a bulletproof vest from a hidden cubby behind the TV and thrust it over Shaun’s head, securing the straps against her sides. It felt strangely heavy, but it also gave her a feeling of security.

  When he released her, Shaun rushed to grab the First Aid kit they kept in the washroom. It was fully equipped with everything a field medic might need. It would be good enough until they could transfer the injured to a hospital.

  She threw on a sweater, zipping it up the front and wincing as the wound on her wrist gave a jolt of pain. It was strange to think that Dasha had attacked her a few hours earlier. Considering everything that had happened, it felt like days or weeks.

  She strode back into the living room in time to see Jozef strap a truly astonishing amount of weaponry to his body.

  “Is that a rocket launcher?” she asked when he slung a huge pipe-looking object across his back.

  He nodded grimly and reached for her hand, dragging her forward.

  You stay behind me and if I tell you to run, you run. You find the nearest safe room and lock yourself inside, understand?

  Nodding, her serious gaze met his.

  She read agony there, but he was doing his best to bury it. Touching his cheek, she tipped her face up to press her lips against his.

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and dragged her in for an earth-shattering kiss that lasted only seconds.

  “I love you,” she whispered, before he set her away from him.

  He nodded in return, pulling his gun and holding it low at his side.

  They’d barely cleared the apartment door when they found their first victim, the guard Jozef had stationed outside the door. At a glance Shaun knew he was dead. His bullet wounds had stopped bleeding and his eyes were open and glassy.

  Still, she dropped to her knee beside him and checked his pulse. She shook her head, stood and took Jozef’s proffered hand. They took off down the hall again, jogging while Jozef covered them.

  She knew Jozef should have both hands free in case they were attacked, but the warm reassuring squeeze of his hand against hers kept her sane as they searched the building. They came across two more bodies before they made their way to her mother’s apartment.

  Shaun stood back, tears in her eyes and heart in her throat as Jozef went ahead of her and did a first
sweep. He glanced back to where she was standing in the doorway and jerked his head toward the bedroom.

  Shoving clothes aside, they reached for the back of the closet. Jozef punched the code into the safe room door panel. When the door opened, Shaun let out a cry of relief and launched herself past Jozef, wrapping her arms around her mother’s neck before Fatima fully knew what was happening.

  “Oh, my baby!” she exclaimed, gripping Shaun tightly. “Thank god, you’re okay. I’ve been going crazy in here wondering what’s been happening. I can’t hear a damn thing.”

  Shaun swiped at tears and glanced back at Jozef, who jerked his head toward the door, showing he was impatient to leave. She understood. He would want to check on his men and the club, round up any last attackers.

  “Mom, we have to go,” Shaun said gently, unwinding her mother’s arms.

  “No, you absolutely do not have to go,” Fatima snapped, standing to her full not-so-impressive height. “Or if you insist, then I’ll be going with you.”

  “No, mom,” Shaun protested, trying not to sound impatient.

  Jozef stepped between them and gently took Fatima’s face in his hands, then leaned down to kiss her cheek. When he let go, he made sure she was watching when he signed, you must stay here and stay safe.

  “But my daughter,” she protested, waving her hand at Shaun.

  She has battle experience. She knows how to provide medical care in combat situations. We’re looking for survivors. I promise, I won’t let anything happen to her.

  She stared at him hard before finally nodding. “You better keep that promise.”

  They left the room, Shaun’s parting words as they closed the door, “We’ll be back for you soon.”

  Jozef locked the door, gripped Shaun’s hand and pulled her from the apartment, scouting the hallway before waving her forward. She cringed as she heard gunfire coming from the floor below them.

  They checked each apartment, Jozef kicking in two of the doors that were locked. They were all empty except for one.

  “Oh my god!” Shaun exclaimed, hand over her mouth.

  The door was partially blocked, and they discovered why when Jozef gave the door an extra hard shove.

  A dead woman lay face-down on the floor. The back of her head was such a mess of blood and bone that Shaun didn’t bother to check for a pulse.

  Jozef rolled her over, and another shock revealed the woman as Giselle, a frequent customer of the club below and the woman who had pined after Jozef. Shaun felt a wave of pity for the woman, erasing any negative feelings she’d had toward Giselle’s jealous, petty nature. She’d been too young, too vivacious to die this horribly on the floor of an apartment.

  Jozef frowned down at her and glanced around, as if trying to figure out what’d happened. He strode toward the back of the apartment, seconds later making a sound of alarm that had Shaun hurtling toward him.

  “Halil,” she said softly as she looked around the side of the kitchen island.

  The young man was laying sprawled out on the floor, still as death, his eyes closed. There was a small, almost perfect hole in the middle of his forehead, as though his attacker had the opportunity to take aim. His skin was pink, which had Shaun dropping to her knees beside him and checking for a pulse. It was thready, nearly gone.

  She looked up at Jozef, a wealth of concern in her eyes. “He’s still alive, but he’ll die soon if he doesn’t get help.”

  Jozef looked torn, then frustrated. Finally, he jerked his head in a shake. No, he signed, we have to leave him. We have to secure the building.

  “I’ll stay with him,” she said quickly.

  You stay with me. A dead man can’t keep you safe.

  “But he’s not dead!”

  He reached down, took her arm and jerked her to her feet. He pulled her over Halil’s body and toward the door. Shaun glanced back, tears forming in her eyes. He wouldn’t live long, maybe a few more minutes. It was gut-wrenching to leave the young man behind to die alone on the floor after he’d survived a gun battle.

  When they reached the stairwell, they took the stairs two at a time, Jozef flying down, his gun raised to eye level and his shoulders hunched. She supposed he was making himself a smaller target and protecting his core as he moved quickly. Shaun ran after him, gripping the railing so she wouldn’t fall as she tried to keep up with him.

  It wasn’t until they reached Jozef’s offices that they ran into resistance. One of Krystoff’s men was pinned by the elevator, taking fire from an unknown opponent. He was firing back, but it was clear he wasn’t hitting anything. The man didn’t see them as they came out of the stairwell.

  Jozef strode up to the man and just as he turned to see who was behind him, Jozef put a bullet in his head.

  Shaun tried to swallow her shocked scream, but a garbled shout slipped from her lips.

  Jozef swung an icy gaze toward her, his expression impatient. He wouldn’t stand for her judgment when she’d insisted on coming with him.

  “I’m fine,” she said, rushing to his side. She avoided looking down at the man. There wasn’t any point in checking him for a pulse. Jozef was an excellent shot.

  Shaun went to step past Jozef, but he blocked her, pushing her back. He reached out and knocked loudly on the wall leading to the main part of the offices. His fist hit the wall in a booming pattern. Morse code, she suspected.

  “’Bout fucking time you got here,” came an answering shout.

  Shaun recognized Havel’s deep voice and when her gaze met Jozef’s he nodded. They carefully made their way through the maze of desks until they found Jozef’s second-in-command.

  “Shit,” Shaun breathed out, clutching her med kit.

  Havel’s big body was leaned back against the door to a cage with one arm propped in his lap and a gun clutched in his other. Blood poured from a wound on his shoulder, thick and steady. The pulse point in his throat was beating a rapid tattoo.

  Shaun dropped next to him and immediately set about unzipping her medical kit.

  “Good thing we kept you alive, eh doc?”

  Shaun’s head snapped up as she looked at him in disbelief but catching the humour in his eyes realized he was joking with her.

  She took a handful of gauze and pressed it against the wound hard enough to make him flinch. “You might not think so by the time I’m done with you.”

  He barked his laughter, then coughed. She didn’t like the gurgling sound he made.

  Jozef kept one eye on the hallway as he signed, I thought you were wearing a vest.

  “Asshole got a lucky shot,” Havel grunted. “It went in under my arm. Think it’s lodged against a rib somewhere.”

  I have to secure the club.

  “Go.” Havel waved his gun. “I’ll be fine.”

  Jozef reached for Shaun, but she lurched back and stared up at Jozef.

  He pressed his lips together and shook his head. You promised you would stay with me. You promised you would listen to every word I say. I’m telling you to move your ass now.

  She signed back, if I leave, he could die. He doesn’t have the strength to keep enough pressure on the bandage.

  “I’m plenty strong, doc,” Havel argued, proving his point by flipping his gun into the air, sending it end-over-end before catching it and pointing it.

  Shaun couldn’t help herself, she laughed, shaking her head. She quickly sobered. “Please go without me. I’ll be safer here than in the club anyway.”

  Jozef looked torn until Havel said, “I’ll take care of her, bro. You know I will.”

  Finally, Jozef nodded and without a backward glance, ran down the hall.

  Havel swiveled his head toward her, his eyes taking on a terrifying glassy sheen. “Now tell me what you wouldn’t tell him.”

  Shaun stood and removed her sweater, exposing her bulletproof vest. She glanced around and, spotting a desk lamp, flipped the ‘on’ switch and dragged it over to Havel, propping it up beside him so the light shone down at the carpet. Reac
hing into the medical kit, she pulled out a bottle of disinfectant, and used it to wash her hands and arms, then pulled on a pair of gloves.

  “We have to remove your shirt and vest and lay you down,” she said briskly, reaching for him.

  He grabbed her fingers. “Tell me.”

  She looked him in the eye and said, “The bullet nicked an artery. You only have a few minutes before you lose consciousness and maybe five more before you die. I have to stop the bleeding.”

  “Fuck me.” He sounded dazed.

  “Shirt, now,” she snapped, pulling her fingers from his.

  She grabbed the scissors from the medical kit and began cutting his shirt away. He grunted in pain but twisted his body to help her, his hand firmly over the wound, keeping pressure on it. It wasn’t enough, she could already see blood seeping through the gauze.

  She hooked her fingers in the heavy bulletproof vest, releasing the sides and then dragging it over his head.

  She helped him lay down, positioning the lamp so it shone directly on the wound.

  His eyes rolled up to meet hers as she used the disinfectant on the blade and clamps she’d dug out of the med kit. “If I pass out, you take this gun,” he waved it in the air between them, “And you fucking kill anyone who comes down that hall. You understand.”