Sin of Silence (Sinner's Empire Book 1)

by Nikita Slater

  In fact, it was finally beginning to sink in just how much money the Kobas probably had. She'd been so caught up in her own situation, the fear and tension, that she hadn't really given her place of captivity much thought. But the fact was, she was living in a mansion now. She could go on shopping sprees with unlimited funds. She could come to clubs that she didn't have a hope in hell of being accepted to before meeting Jozef Koba. The whole thing was both awesome and unsettling.

  Shaun was not one to be distracted by money. Sure, she made a decent salary at the hospital, but that didn't matter. If she cared about wealth, then she wouldn't have taken a volunteer position with Doctors Without Borders. She cared about people, and she needed to remember that. As long as she was under the thumb of a crime family, she would never be free to continue her life's work. She would be languishing in the home of the very types of people who were often responsible for the horrors she saw in the world. They shaped lives and politics, culture and history.

  Shaun jumped as Jozef reached out to touch her, tapping her cheek with his finger. She turned her head to look at him and realized he'd been trying to get her attention. He immediately began signing.

  Tell me your thoughts.

  Shaun dropped her eyes to the table and thought about what to tell him. Jozef was blunt when he communicated, but she supposed that was only natural. Having to get his messages across without using verbal language had probably trained him to become succinct. He spoke only when he had something to impart, rarely for idle chitchat. Which meant he actually cared about her answer.

  She hesitated and then told him the truth. "I was thinking about my job, how much I miss it and how much it’ll hurt if I never get to practice medicine again."

  Jozef’s fingers lingered on her cheek, rubbing gently, as though he was testing the texture. Then he signed, I am sorry.

  She stared at him. "Sorry for what?"

  Sorry for taking you away from the life that you loved.

  She hated that he used the word ‘loved’ in past tense. It meant that he had no intention of ever letting her go back to that life. She blinked away tears and concentrated on his face. "You can't be too sorry since it's clear you have no intention of letting me go."

  His response was immediate. I am sorry that you are hurting, but I’m not sorry that I have you with me.

  It felt like the club was closing in on her until it was just the two of them in the booth together. No glittery people, no opulent room, nothing but them.

  "But you kidnapped me," she whispered, pain evident in her voice. "You took me from my job, took me from my family and my country. How can you think I will forgive you for these things?"

  He thought about it for a few seconds, then signed, I don’t expect forgiveness.

  She shook her head at him. "How can you want to be with a woman who only wants to get away from you?”

  He reached out so suddenly that she flinched, thinking that he was going to hurt her. Instead, he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tipped her face up to his. His lips were several inches from hers; she couldn't tear her eyes from them. Hard, but so damn sexy they made her heart skip a beat. The scar across his lips only enhanced his appeal.

  He stared down at her intently, his blue gaze searching her dark one. Then he dropped his hands and said, time will reconcile you to this life.

  "I don't believe that," she whispered.

  Nonetheless, this is how it must be.

  "You're wrong. There are other options that don't include staying with you forever."

  His frown was so sudden and so fierce that she stiffened and wiggled in the booth in an attempt to move away from him a few inches.

  There are no other options, he signed rapidly, his movements jerky. You will stay with me. You will not leave and you will learn to adapt.

  "No," she said clearly. “I won’t.”

  He reached out and gripped her by the back of the neck, dragging her against him. Her heart hammered as he held her against his chest, staring down at her with an intensity that sent a chill skittering through her body. He spoke with his eyes instead of his hands and his message was clear. You will never leave.

  Before they could say anything else though, they were interrupted.

  "I see someone let the dog out of his cage."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A tense silence fell on the table. Shaun's wide gaze moved from Jozef to the man standing next to the table with two bodyguards behind him. She was relieved to see Havel off to the side of the VIP area, his hard gaze on the uninvited guests. She never thought she’d be happy to see Havel, but he was a familiar face who she knew was on Jozef’s side should anything happen.

  Just as the tension grew so thick that Shaun wondered if somehow an enemy had managed to make his way to their table, Jozef’s face split into a wide grin and he slapped the table with the palms of his hands, standing to greet the man. He reached out and they shook hands, then clasped shoulders.

  The man's eyes strayed to Shaun, his gaze lingering speculatively before swinging back to Jozef. "I heard that you have new sweetheart." The man had a thick accent, maybe Russian.

  Jozef tugged Shaun against his side and nodded at her. She took that as her cue to introduce herself to the stranger.

  Shaun took the proffered hand and murmured, “Dr. Shaun Patterson.”

  His speculative look sharpened and for a moment Shaun was positive he knew exactly who she was. Was there news coverage of her disappearance? She wouldn’t be surprised. Though the Ukrainian border with Russia had become largely lawless, and it wasn’t unheard of for people to go missing, a woman of her stature, working with Doctors Without Borders, would draw attention. Along with the dramatic hospital exit, Shaun was fairly certain her disappearance was a hot topic. The man didn’t mention the kidnapping though.

  "I am Klaus, good friend of both the Koba family and this scoundrel here." He looked at Jozef with a wide grin. "I heard you were back in town. Do you mind if I sit?"

  Jozef waved him into the booth and pulled Shaun even closer against his side, his hand at the back of her neck sending pleasurable skitters of awareness down her spine. Apparently Jozef had no qualms about public displays of affection. The guards hovered nearby until Jozef waved them away.

  "Do you require translation this evening, sir?" Karl asked before leaving.

  Jozef hesitated then glanced at Shaun and shook his head. As she watched, Jozef signed, my fiancé will translate for us.

  Shaun raised her eyebrow. It was clear that Klaus was an important contact, possibly a business associate. It was a dangerous game getting someone like Shaun to translate. She suspected that Jozef didn't want his bodyguards nearby because he wanted to retain some of the intimacy they’d shared before they were interrupted.

  "You're looking good, my friend," Klaus said as the waitress came back to drop drinks off. She placed Shaun’s glass of red wine in front of her, another drink in front of Jozef and another in front of Klaus.

  The club was very good if the waitress already knew that this man would be sharing their table and what his drink preference was.

  "Then again, it is hard to be ugly with a woman of such rare beauty at your side." Klaus glanced at Shaun, but his eyes slid away quickly.

  Jozef signed, indeed, she is very beautiful. Jozef’s eyes lingered on Shaun and she could feel her face heating under his scrutiny. He continued, what brings you to my club? Were you looking for me?

  Shaun translated for Jozef, relieved that it came easily to her. She just had to make sure that she watched his hands carefully and that her attention didn't drift.

  "Indeed, I was," Klaus admitted, sipping from his drink. “There are rumours that the head of the Koba clan was captured, but he’s now safely home. This incident could make your family appear less in control than they should be. Others might think there is opportunity to bring the Kobas low. You need to be careful, my friend.”

  Shaun translated, but her curiosity was piqued.
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  I sent a strong and public message to Vasiliy. Hopefully it will discourage others from taking advantage of our situation.

  Klaus shook his head. “It was nasty, what you did to Vasiliy’s men."

  Jozef’s brows drew downward into a frown. What I did was necessary. The mutilation of Krystoff Koba required a strong response.

  Klaus laughed loudly and downed the rest of his drink before replying. "There was nothing subtle about your message. One dead body and seven fingers definitely sends a message."

  Shaun froze as she realized what the two men were talking about. Jozef had killed and tortured someone. Suddenly the club felt less warm, less welcoming. The opulent surroundings now felt garish as they housed the brutality of the people within.

  Jozef’s hands moved, but Shaun wasn't paying attention.

  Klaus continued, chortling as he spoke. "I heard you did the deed on this very table and then sent his men's fingers back to him in a doggy bag. You have a sense of humour, my friend, even if it’s a grim one."

  Shaun jerked back from the table, her eyes glued to a mark she saw on the opposite edge, one clearly made by a knife. Her heart sped up in her chest and her palms grew damp. How could she possibly forget for one single second who Jozef was?

  Shaun jumped in her seat as she felt Jozef’s fingers at her neck. She swung her gaze to him. He was looking at her with concern, his fingers gently kneading the back of her neck as if trying to calm her.

  "I can't do this," she whispered for his ears alone.

  They stared at each other, both knowing exactly what she meant. She couldn’t handle that moment; she couldn’t handle Prague or Jozef. She couldn’t handle being forced to become part of a crime family.

  Klaus’s voice boomed out again. "You two are so fucking cute together it gives me cavities. Come, let’s have some fun and not be so serious."

  He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small silver box. He opened the box, revealing a small bag of white powder.

  Shaun stiffened in her seat, her gaze on the drug. She suspected it was cocaine but couldn't be sure as she didn't have any experience with drugs other than the aftereffects of drug overdose in the hospital. Jozef sensed her discomfort and ran his hand down her back, resting it on her waist. His touch did help to calm her, but she was deeply uncomfortable when he reached out and took the bag from Klaus.

  Shaun watched in horrified fascination as Jozef took a pinch of the powder and spread it out on the table, tidying it into three short lines. Everything she'd ever learned about the toxic effects of drugs on the brain rushed through Shaun’s mind. Jozef leaned over the table, pressing his finger against the side of his nose and inhaled the powder through his other nostril. He did it so smoothly, like it was nothing.

  He bent to take the next line, but Shaun gripped his wrist, stopping him. He looked down at her with a raised brow. “Please don't," she said quietly.

  It wasn't Jozef who answered, but Klaus. "Come, loosen up and relax. Jozef has done this many times. It helps him focus, helps him do his job. He is far more fun and social this way."

  Shaun swung her glare toward Klaus. "He’s fun the way he is.” She ignored Jozef’s chuckle at her lie and continued, “I'm a medical doctor and there is no chance that I’ll condone him or anyone else in here doing this." She waved her hand toward the line on the table, her expression reflecting distaste. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

  Shaun pushed her way past Jozef, not giving him a choice but to let her stand or end up with an elbow to the gut. Before she could stalk away from the booth, he caught her wrist, turned her on the spot and tugged her back until she was forced to face him again.

  He let her hand go and signed, keep your bodyguards close and don't be gone long.

  Shaun didn't respond but turned away and hurried from the VIP area, disgusted. She glanced around in frustration, looking for a doorway that might lead to a restroom. She spotted a shadowy hallway off to her left with a sign above it that she couldn't read. Assuming that she'd found the right place, she made her way through the throngs of people toward the hallway.

  Before she made it though, a hand came down on her shoulder and stopped her. Shaun whirled around, bringing her hands up protectively. A woman stood behind her, beautiful, angry and ready to tear a strip off Shaun, which Shaun just didn’t have enough energy to face. She stepped out of the grip at the same time as Karl showed up, his massive bulk dwarfing the woman who’d touched Shaun. The woman lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender and stepped back.

  "I just wanted to say hello to Jozef’s new woman." Her angry gaze assessed Shaun in a glance, her frown saying clearly that she found Shaun lacking.

  The woman was stunning in what Shaun suspected was an extremely expensive red dress that clung lovingly to every one of her ample curves. Her throat, wrists, and ears were dripping in diamonds. She had long icy blond hair that waved artistically down her back, highlighting the honeyed tone to her flawless skin. As beautiful as she was, Shaun sensed a malicious underbelly to the woman. From her work in the hospital, Shaun was used to assessing people and situations quickly so that she could make snap decisions. This woman was not going to be worth her time.

  Instead of responding, Shaun looked up at her bodyguard. "I just need a few minutes to myself. Which way is the rest room?"

  He pointed her in the right direction, which indeed was down the hallway she'd been headed. His hand hovered protectively over the small of her back without touching. Shaun broke away from the two and quickly made her way toward the back of the club. Even though there were several stalls in the washroom, Shaun flipped the lock on the main door so she could have a few minutes of privacy. If another woman had to use the washroom she was just going to have to wait.

  Shaun stared at her reflection in the mirror over the sinks. Far from the lovely confident woman she'd been when entering the club, she now looked like a shaken frightened lost girl. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't know what she was doing. Jozef had narrowed her choices down to none, yet the single choice he was giving her was impossible. How could she possibly marry a murderous mobster who was at that very moment snorting lines of cocaine in a club Shaun would never have stepped foot in on her own?

  A sob tore from her throat and she covered her face with her hands. She wanted to hate him, but she couldn't. Every moment she spent with him sucked her in more. Yet every moment she spent with him, she learned something new and terrible about him. This was no way to live.

  She had to leave.

  Shaun had always been one of those people who scoffed at the ideal of death over oppression. In her opinion, if a person’s life were at stake, they should seize it with both hands, no matter what was going on around them. She’d watched too many people fight for their lives after having tumors cut from their brains to take that sacrifice lightly. Yet, here she was, facing an impossible situation where death could be the very real result of another bid for freedom, and she was considering running, despite the risk.

  Shaun cleaned her face with a wipe from her purse and then went to unlock the bathroom door. Before she could leave, the woman in the red dress came barreling through, shoving the door so hard Shaun had to jump back. Shaun sighed heavily when she saw who was accosting her.

  "Excuse me," Shaun said coolly, attempting to slip past.

  The woman grabbed Shaun again, her long, lacquered fingernails digging into Shaun's arm. Before Shaun could demand the woman let her go, she hissed in Shaun’s face, "I don't know who you think you are, but I can tell you right now, you are nothing. Whatever this supposed engagement to Jozef Koba is, you can forget about it. I put my name on that years ago and I'm not letting go."

  Shaun laughed; the sound weak and incredulous to her ears. She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. She really didn't want to cry in front of the hostile potentially psychotic woman, but her emotions were getting the better of her.

  "You can have him if you want him. I’m sure
you two will make a great couple,” Shaun said as dismissively as she could manage. “I didn't ask for any of this and now I'm leaving." Shaun tried to sidestep the woman, but she dug her nails in until they cut, causing Shaun to cry out.

  The woman spoke as though she hadn't heard Shaun. "He is the only eligible bachelor in that entire family and he's mine. He’s only fascinated by you because you know sign language.” She eyed Shaun up and down. “And you’re exotic.”

  Shaun rolled her eyes, suspecting ‘exotic’ meant black, but didn't say anything. There was no point. This woman was determined to be a viperous bitch and Shaun was determined to get the hell out of that bathroom before she was forced to slap the shit out of a complete stranger, breaking her sacred oath to do no harm.

  Rather than asking the woman to move again, Shaun jerked her arm out of the other woman’s grip, crying out in pain as her nails dragged down Shaun’s arm, digging deep grooves in the skin. Shaun cradled her arm against her chest and moved to open the door, but once more was flung back as Jozef and his bodyguards filed in.

  Jozef took stock of the situation, his eyes lingering on Shaun’s injured arm. He shoved her behind him, causing Shaun to stumble. Havel grabbed her arm to steady her, his malevolent gaze on the other woman.

  “Jozef, my love…” the other woman started to say but was cut off when Jozef grabbed her by the throat.

  Shaun gasped in shock as Jozef picked up the woman off the ground and slammed her back into the tiled wall. Shaun let out a shriek and grabbed him by the arm, trying to drag him away from the woman.

  Jozef ignored Shaun, but Havel didn't. He jerked Shaun back by her good arm just in time to miss the hand that swung back. A loud crack filled the washroom as Jozef slapped the woman, then slapped her again. Shaun cried out, begging him to stop, but he continued to ignore Shaun’s pleas. Karl came up behind Shaun and placed his hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her away from the group before she got hit by a flailing arm.