A Silent Reckoning: Sinner's Empire Read online

  Jozef shoved the door to the stairwell open and pushed Shaun inside. She yanked on her arm and when he refused to release her, she gripped the door handle before he could haul her down the stairs.

  “No!” she yelled. “We’re not doing this again.”

  Jozef let her arm go and swung around to face her. She flinched and cowered against the door as his gun hand came up. He might care about her still, but that didn’t make him predictable. Jozef was called vztekl´y pes, feral dog, for a reason. He was vicious and unpredictable, ready to strike at any moment.

  Jozef followed her gaze to the gun and quickly shoved it into the holster under his jacket before holding his hands up to show they were empty. He hadn’t forgotten his promise. He wouldn’t turn the gun on her.

  Shaun collapsed, her legs folding underneath her. She reached for the wall as she fell but missed. Jozef’s warm grasp wrapped around her instead as he controlled her fall, crouching next to her. She was panicking; she couldn’t breathe. The harder she tried to pull air in, the worse it felt.

  Tears gathered in her eyes as she struggled to pull in the oxygen she desperately needed.

  Shaun pressed her forehead to her knees, squeezing her body into as tight a space as she could. It had taken months of counselling, once a week, but she’d finally managed to put the panic attacks behind her.

  They’d started shortly after arriving in Canada. The first one had been triggered by her first visit to a place outside of her home. She’d decided to go for a walk and had slipped into a Starbucks for a coffee. The crowd, the sounds, everything amplified in her head until she was positive she would die if she didn’t leave. She’d run home, gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face. She’d managed to calm herself eventually, but the incident had prompted her to seek a therapist. She couldn’t risk having an attack while her hands were in a patient’s brain.

  Luckily, the attacks rarely came when she was in the hospital. They mostly happened when she felt vulnerable, or if something reminded her of the violence she’d experienced. Once, when her mother dropped a book and it hit the floor with a bang, Shaun had such a bad panic attack Fatima had called the Healthline for advice.

  Now, here she was, sitting on the cold concrete floor in the stairwell of the hospital, the author of her waking nightmare crouched in front of her. Every feeling of terror surfaced, mixing with the longing she felt each and every night as she went to bed and dreamed of him. His hard sexy body, his beautiful eyes, his elegant and brutal hands as he touched her.

  Jozef took her head in his hands and forced her to look up at him. She had to blink several times before his face stopped swimming in her vision. Slowly he dropped his hands, making sure she followed them with her eyes.

  You need to breathe.

  She wanted to laugh bitterly, but no sound came out. No shit she needed to breathe. What did he think she was trying to do? Die of spontaneous asphyxiation so he couldn’t terrorize her anymore?

  “How….?” It was all she could manage, but he seemed to understand.

  I was released from prison yesterday. I came straight here.

  His admission ignited a spark of heat in her chest, like a glowing fireball that had resided inside her since they were last together but had gone dormant during their time apart. Now it was coming to life. For him.

  He’d come for her. Once, he’d told her he would come for her if she ever tried to leave him. Now he was here, in her city. He was risking his life and his freedom.

  It’s time to go, S-H-A-U-N. He signed each letter of her name, not something he often did. Jozef was spare with his words, probably years of trying to make the most of people’s attention when he had it. By spelling her name, he was making this personal. He was here for her and he wasn’t going to let her go.

  Chapter Five

  Breathe, breathe, breathe.

  Shaun’s eyes followed Jozef’s hands as he told her to keep breathing. Shaun wanted to warn him that he needed to get out of there before hospital security arrived, then she remembered he would be far deadlier than any security who showed up. She should urge him to leave before he hurt someone else.

  Instead, he sat with her in the stairwell as though he had all the time in the world.

  Jozef touched her face, cupping her head and holding her. He breathed with her, one long breath in and a longer breath out. She fell into the deep pools of his velvet blue eyes, unable to concentrate on anything but his touch, his face and the energy he was pushing into her.

  After another minute, the constriction in her chest eased and she was able to draw in a deep breath without feeling choked. She blinked the tears back and gave Jozef a tight smile. He seemed to realize she was better. He slid an arm around her back and eased her to her feet. She let out a strangled yelp when he lifted her off the ground, holding her in his arms.

  “Jozef…” Her voice trailed off hoarsely as he began descending the stairs at a dizzying pace. He didn’t look down at her but kept running.

  “Jozef.” She forced some strength into her voice and this time when he glanced down at her she was able to say what she needed to say. “I know what you’re doing and I won’t go along with it. Put me down and leave. Please.”

  Her heart tore as she spoke. She didn’t want him to leave without her, but she couldn’t go with him. If he forced her to leave then she would resent him for taking away her free will. She would never be able to forgive him for once more taking her away from her mother and her career. There were extenuating circumstances the first time he kidnapped her; he’d done it for his uncle. This was different. He was taking Shaun because he wanted her.

  When he ignored her and continued running, Shaun began to struggle, pushing against his chest and trying to get him to let her down. Again, he didn’t pay any attention to her struggles, but held her tighter. She wanted to scream for help, but if she did, it would attract unwanted attention and someone might get hurt.

  If Shaun wanted to avoid another kidnapping, she was going to have to do something and do it quick. She twisted violently in his arms and flailed her arms, striking him in the head. He tried to hang on to her, but he couldn’t keep his grip when she started thrashing in earnest.

  It became clear that he was trying to avoid hurting her, which Shaun appreciated. She didn’t want to hurt him either, but she was going to have to do something extreme to get out of the situation. If she had to use his desire not to hurt her against him then she would.

  As she started to tumble to the ground, Shaun punched him in the leg, directly over his femoral artery. It wouldn’t cripple him, but it would cause a fair amount of discomfort and the leg would go dead for a few precious seconds. Jozef was forced to release her as his leg collapsed. Shaun blindly reached out, trying to catch herself, but hit the concrete steps hard and rolled down to the next landing.

  Pain radiated through her body, but she didn’t have time to take stock of her bruises. She didn’t think anything was broken. She shoved herself to her feet and, without a backward glance at Jozef, who was recovering from her strike, she launched herself down the stairs, running as fast as she could.

  She’d learned in that clearing in the woods outside of Luhansk that Jozef could run fast. Faster than she could. She pushed herself harder than she’d ever done before, hoping the head start she had and the fear pushing adrenalin through her body would give her enough of a boost to escape him. She had no idea what she would do after that. Turn him in to the authorities? Go into hiding until he lost interest? She would have to figure it out later. At the moment, she needed to concentrate on escape.

  She didn’t dare turn to see if Jozef was behind her, and she couldn’t hear anything over the thundering of her own heart. She knew Jozef though; he would be close behind. She’d cleared the last two flights of stairs to the main floor and was heading for the door leading to the parking garage when the dark shape of a man stepped through. She opened her mouth to scream at him to get out of the way, flashbacks of Jozef shooting at pe
ople in the Luhansk hospital filling her mind. The guy looked up and she realized she was running toward Havel.

  Shaun stopped abruptly, thinking to turn around and head back to the first-floor door. She was too late though. Before she could whirl around and run in the other direction, arms closed around her and she was lifted off her feet.

  “No – ” Her scream was abruptly cut off as Jozef’s hand landed over her mouth.

  The smell of leather and aftershave filled her head. His arms, hard but yielding, were familiar. She struggled, kicking out at him, her running shoes making contact with his shins as he hauled her off the floor and carried her toward Havel.

  “Told you she wasn’t going to be happy.” Havel gave Shaun a grim smile as Jozef carried her past him. “Good to see you again, Doc.”

  Jozef grunted as the heel of Shaun’s foot got him in the knee. His arms tightened in warning, but she only fought harder. A dark SUV loomed in front of them, the rear passenger door open. Hands reached for her as Jozef lifted her into the vehicle.

  Shaun braced her feet on either side of the door, pushing back hard enough to make Jozef stumble. He didn’t drop her though and Havel reached out to grab her legs so she couldn’t brace and thrust back again.

  The hands reached for her again once she was in the vehicle, pulling her further into the interior so Jozef could climb in behind her. The moment Havel slid into the driver’s seat and the doors slammed shut they were moving. Shaun threw an elbow into the man holding her and he let her go with a grunt.

  Jozef reached for her and she went into his arms with a sob. She’d fought as hard as she could, now she needed the comfort only he could provide. It was screwed up, needing comfort from the very person who was terrorizing her, but Shaun was beyond questioning how she felt. Her therapist had spent a year trying to help her screw her head back on straight and now here she was, right back in the same situation that had landed her in therapy.

  Shaun cried into Jozef’s neck while he held her, running his hand over her short curls and down her back. She cried for her lost independence, for the fear her mother and colleagues would experience, and she cried for her lost year. She’d missed Jozef with every fiber of her being. She’d worried over the prison conditions where he was being kept; worried that he would be hurt or killed.

  As the tears subsided, she was finally able to look around and assess her situation. She was in the back seat of an SUV with tinted windows, sitting on Jozef’s lap. Neither of them was buckled in. One of Jozef’s men, Halil, nodded at her from the other seat. He’d been the one to pull her into the vehicle.

  The drive to the airport was uneventful compared to their violent meeting in the hospital. Shaun kept twisting in her seat and staring out the back window of the SUV, searching for the police who should be following them, but there was no one.

  Jozef must’ve grabbed her fast enough that the hospital was still scrambling. Or Simon hadn’t woken up yet to tell everyone she’d been taken.

  Oh god. She was being kidnapped again. It felt surreal, but here she was in the back of a vehicle with Jozef and two members of his security team. They were concentrated but relaxed. The lack of tension in the vehicle felt wrong considering they were kidnapping her.

  She turned on Jozef’s lap to face him and spoke in a low voice, meant for only him to hear, but of course everyone could hear her. “Don’t do this, Jozef. Just pull over and let me out.”

  His eyes lifted to hers and, ignoring her words, he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand and ran his thumb over her skin. He used the back of his fingers to brush the last traces of her tears away.

  She sighed and tilted her head into his hand. The feel of him combined with his scent was too much for her to ignore. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and enjoyed the touch of the man she thought she would never see again.

  She breathed in deeply and allowed the first moment of peace she’d felt in more than a year wash over her. When she opened her eyes again, he was staring back at her, his gaze mirroring hers.

  Shaun had never believed in fate or soul mates before. Yet, she couldn’t explain the feeling she had when she was with Jozef, other than to say her soul called out to his.

  One year ago, during an impossible situation, they’d found each other. But they’d been on borrowed time. Now it seemed Jozef was determined to steal more time for them.

  Shaun shook her head and whispered. “We can’t.”

  Jozef’s gaze changed, becoming closed off. He pushed her back into the seat next to him and ignored her pleas as they closed in on the airport. When the tower came into focus, Shaun’s panic ratcheted up again. They were really doing this. They were planning on taking a Canadian citizen off Canadian soil.

  Shaun stared in desperation as they drove past the airport around to the private section. Her heart pounded frantically as they approached the security gate.

  What should she do? She had to try to get someone’s attention, but she didn’t want to be the reason Jozef was arrested again. She wasn’t sure how he got out of prison after being handed two life sentences, but she suspected if he were arrested in Canada, he would have a much more difficult time securing his release.

  She was happy to see him, her heart sang with joy at knowing he was alive and well, but her responsibility lay elsewhere. She had an obligation to herself, her mother and her profession to fight tooth and nail against whatever Jozef was planning. She’d committed her life to fighting the evils in the world. Yet wouldn’t she become the evil she despised if she quietly went with Jozef simply because her heart wanted him?

  She had to do something.

  As they approached the security gates, a guard stepped out of the booth. The SUV slowed and Shaun frantically tried to plan what she would say, how she would get the guard’s attention.

  Jozef must’ve anticipated her intention because he grabbed her by the head and kissed her, a lightning fast, intense kiss that took her by surprise. As soon as his lips touched hers, sparks shot through her. Precious seconds passed.

  Dimly she heard Havel speaking to the guard, laughing and exchanging a joke. Shaun pushed against Jozef’s chest, trying to break contact so she could shout at the guard.

  Jozef twisted on the seat, using his broad leather-clad shoulders to block her view of the guard. He gripped her head, cupping her ears and holding her still.

  They stared at each other though Jozef continued to kiss her. His eyes spoke as eloquently as his lips. He wanted her and nothing was going to stop him from taking her. Passion clashed with anger as the sparks flew between them.

  Havel’s conversation with the guard ended and they were driving again. Once they’d cleared the barrier and Havel rolled up his window, Jozef released her.

  Without considering the consequences, Shaun slapped Jozef, her palm striking his cheek in a sharp crack. Her hand stung, which meant his face must’ve felt worse. She cringed as Jozef swung his gaze back to hers. She could see the beginnings of anger stirring in the lake-blue depths.

  Shaun was shocked. She’d never been a violent person, had never in her life hit another human being. She’d pushed Jozef, refused to do his bidding and kicked and fought when he grabbed her, but she’d never deliberately hit anyone. She hated the feeling and regretted it immediately. Yes, she was in an extreme circumstance, but it was no excuse to lash out. Especially in a way that wouldn’t improve her situation.

  I’m sorry, she mouthed.

  Jozef’s expression softened and he reached out, wrapping a big hand around her neck and dragging her into his chest, holding her as they drove across the tarmac toward the plane that would take her back to Eastern Europe and the new life she suspected Jozef was going to force her into.

  Chapter Six

  Shaun thought she might have another opportunity to call for help during the confusion of getting out of the vehicle and onto the airplane. She should have realized, with a man like Jozef and his well-trained team, there would be no confusion.

  As
soon as the car came to a halt, Jozef’s side facing the plane, his door opened and Shaun was pulled from the vehicle. She took in a lungful of air, ready to scream, but Jozef held her tight against his chest, dropping a hand over her mouth. He hoisted her off the ground and climbed the steps up to the plane, Havel covering their backs, his hand on the butt of his gun.

  Once they were on the airplane, Jozef dropped into a seat, Shaun’s squirming body on top of his. He didn’t remove his hand from her mouth until the door was closed and sealed.

  Jozef’s men took their seats and Jozef set Shaun on the seat next to his. He reached across her to buckle the belt.

  Shaun’s heart felt like it was bursting from her chest, her breaths were rushing in and out of her lungs and she felt on the verge of another anxiety attack.

  The airplane vibrated as the engines were started.

  Shaun looked around her in panic. None of Jozef’s men would look at her, their eyes on the floor, their faces grim. There was one flight attendant, who was speaking rapid Czech into a phone. The door to the cockpit was firmly shut, closing them off from the pilots.

  Shaun was trapped.

  She tipped forward, pressing her forehead to her knees and trying to force herself to breathe properly. She clutched her head as the plane taxied down the runway.

  She straightened and looked at Jozef.

  “If you do this, I will hate you.” She enunciated each word, hoping this was the one thing she could say to him to get through.

  It wasn’t.

  His gaze turned pitying and he shook his head. You won’t. You aren’t capable of hate.

  She laughed bitterly. “Of course I’m capable of hate. Any human being can be pushed to hate.” When he didn’t respond, she added, “You’re forcing me into an impossible situation. If you do this, I won’t be able to forgive you.”