Sin of Silence (Sinner's Empire #1) - Nikita Slater Page 0,19

touched by anyone, let alone his coolly professional uncle. Sometimes his Aunt Dasha would hug him, and even rarer, his two female cousins. He got the feeling that, though the family cared about him, they didn’t know how to act around their vztekl´y pes, the rabid dog of the Koba family.

Jozef stepped away from his uncle and indicated he should precede Jozef out the door. Jozef and Nikolay made their way swiftly back up the stairs and out of the cellar with Krystoff sandwiched between them, Jozef’s hand on his shoulder in case he needed to shove the older man to the ground and cover him. Krystoff didn’t balk at the precautions; he knew to trust Jozef’s team with his safety.

Their exit was as swift and silent as their entrance, with no more casualties. They bundled the head of the Koba family into the back of their van and drove away from the area at a leisurely pace, not wanting to bring more attention to themselves than they needed to. Not until they cleared the area controlled by Vasiliy did everyone in the van sigh in relief. Havel clapped Krystoff on the back, and the old man gave him a tired smile and nodded his gratitude across the back of the van to Jozef.

Thank you, my son, he signed, his hands barely visible in the dim lighting.

Chapter Eight

Shaun was cold, shivering in the dark on a bare mattress in a bare room. She was hungry and she had to urinate. She hadn’t gotten the sense from her captors that they intended for her to be miserable. It was more likely that they were too busy to think about her. Still, she was starting to worry that if they forgot for much longer, she would have to start shouting.

She’d been attempting to sleep, the sun having long since gone down and the only light now a dim streetlight down the road from where her room was facing. She’d tried the window, but it was bolted shut. She wondered if this room was actually meant for prisoners, given how solid the door and lock were, and her inability to open the window. She closed her eyes, drifting in and out of consciousness. She had no way to tell time, but she suspected she wasn’t sleeping for more than a few minutes at a time.

It was during one of these brief periods when she was snatching a few minutes of sleep that her door banged open. She opened her eyes and sat up on the mattress, pushing hair off her forehead. She’d taken her hair out of its tight bun and it was now a wild mass of tight curls in a halo around her head. Normally she’d work them into braids for easy maintenance while she was working, but even that basic hair care had fallen to the wayside during her long shifts in the Luhansk hospital. The mass was nearly shoulder length, although when she had it chemically relaxed it would go halfway down her back.

She blinked into the gloom and then squinted her displeasure as the overhead light was flicked on. After a moment of blindness, she was able to focus on the intruder.

Jozef.

Her heart picked up and fear began pumping through her veins as she recognized him. Despite his words that he didn’t plan on killing her anymore, she couldn’t help but see the gun and feel the press of the steel muzzle against her temple every time she looked at him.

He jerked his head toward the door, indicating she should come with him.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” she said quickly, scooting to the edge of the bed. When he frowned, she added, “Please, Jozef. I’ve been in here for hours with no relief.” She hoped adding his name would help humanize her in his eyes, make it harder for him to deprive her of basic needs.

He jerked his head in a nod and once more indicated she should follow him. She stood and approached the door cautiously. He backed up so she could pass and waved his hand out the door. She walked into the hallway, holding her breath as she brushed past him. He walked closely behind her. About halfway down the hall he grabbed her arm to stop her. Shaun jumped at his touch and glanced at him.

He dropped his hand and pointed at a door. Shaun approached slowly, peaking inside and then saw the outline of a tub, sink and toilet. She sighed