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Chapter 53
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2022-10-19 14:19:34Related chapters
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 54
Shaun spent the rest of the flight in silent misery, guilt eating her up every time she thought of her mother. Maybe she shouldn't have called. But then, the call hadn't been for Shaun, it had been for her mother. Fatima knew her daughter was alive, which was the only thing that mattered. If Shaun had to feel shame and guilt so her mother could rest easy, then so be it. She couldn't explain why she was in love with a man who was more monster than human, and the tailspin of emotion was eating her up. The darkness that had shaped most of Jozef's life had also shaped their relationship. For him, kidnapping, beating people, killing them, it was all part of his job. For her, it was unthinkable. How on earth did he think they could be compatible together? She would be utterly miserable if she were forced to accept the type of life he lived. She would become a shadow of herself. All her convictions, values, her life's work, would mean nothing. She would be trading it all in for
Last Updated : 2022-10-19Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 55
Shaun was so deeply asleep, that when she finally woke up it took her several minutes to figure out where she was, let alone what the sound was that had woken her up. She squinted at the unholy bright sunlight streaming in through the windows. She was starting to see a distinct drawback to the floor-to-ceiling type of windows. While they provided spectacular views at night, they were eye-searing devils during the harsh light of day. Bang, bang, bang. Shaun jumped and looked around, still disoriented, tangled in a pile of blankets and wondering where Jozef was. The sound came again, and she realized that someone was knocking on the apartment door. Kicking the blankets away, Shaun climbed off the bed and stood, swaying on the spot. She'd slept so hard she hadn't woken up once, apparently not even when Jozef left. She was a little annoyed at his disappearance. He went straight from prison to an airport, flew to Canada to collect Shaun and flew all the way ba
Last Updated : 2022-10-19Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 56
Good work, Jozef signed to Havel as they toured the new operations center that had been set up on the third floor, above the club. He'd asked Havel from inside the prison to direct the removal of Jozef's belongings and his team from the Koba estate. He'd also asked Havel to create an operations center that would rival what the men were used to when doing jobs for Krystoff. Havel had exceeded expectations. The space was designed to look like a high-end office with board rooms, cubicles and desks. The entire floor had been opened up, the removal of walls creating an open concept. One end of the floor was dedicated to their tech equipment and the two men who operated from the office while the teams were in the field. There, the similarities to an office ended. A locked and coded cage contained their weapons. His men carried personal weapons at all times, but the heavy stuff was kept in the cage. Next to the cage was a sparring area covered with rubber matting. Alon
Last Updated : 2022-10-19Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 57
Shaun spent the day alone, growing progressively more frustrated. She paced, she went through the kitchen, helping herself to a lunch of glazed chicken over rice. It was delicious and she wondered again where it had come from. Did Jozef have a cook, or a housekeeper? There had been a ton of staff at the Koba mansion, but here, she hadn't seen anyone in the building except security. She explored the apartment and came to the conclusion it hadn't been used yet. Except for the bed they slept in, most of the furniture and electronics were pristine. The TV remote control still had plastic over it. She peeled it off and turned the TV on, discovering a variety of streaming services and local channels. Glancing over the pots and pans, she realized they were brand new as well. So, the food must have been brought in by some kind of catering service. A thorough search told her there was no house phone. Instead, she found a walk-in closet full of women's clothes, shoes and
Last Updated : 2022-10-19Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 58
When Jozef still hadn't come back by 10:00 PM, Shaun went to bed without him. It felt strange being with him in Prague once more. It was the same as it had been a year before, but also not. Something was different this time; something besides the apartment and their year apart. As she lay in bed, staring out the floor-to-ceiling window at the sprawling cityscape, it hit her. The balance of power had shifted in their relationship. While she was still Jozef's captive, she wasn't afraid of him. Not like she'd been when he'd kidnapped her from Ukraine and held her at the Koba estate. She'd been terrified of him back then. She's seen him kill two men and she couldn't have said with certainty that Jozef wouldn't kill her. Now, things were different. He'd gone straight from prison to an airplane, which took him straight to Shaun. He didn't stop to visit his family and he didn't inspect his new apartment. He flew straight to her because he didn't think he could live without her
Last Updated : 2022-10-19Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 59
Shaun was nervous. Jozef had informed her that morning, before leaving to work with his men for the rest of the day, that they would be spending their evening at the Koba estate. Shaun had tried to ask questions, to find out if they would be safe in the mansion, but Jozef had brushed her off, his demeanour distracted, and had left the apartment. Shaun had spent her day pacing and worrying, wishing she had a phone so she could call Saskia. The younger woman would have no problem giving Shaun the low-down on what to expect. Did the Kobas hate her for ultimately doing what they'd feared she would do; tear their family apart? It didn't matter that it had never been her intention, or that she'd been dragged into the family against her will. She looked at Jozef out of the corner of her eye. He was driving, his brow wrinkled in concentration. She didn't think he was engrossed in the drive but was thinking of whatever he'd done during the day when they were apart. She'd
Last Updated : 2022-10-19Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 60
After they finished eating, Krystoff suggested he and Jozef retire to the study for a drink. Jozef was hesitant. He didn't want to leave Shaun alone. Throughout dinner she'd been tense and jumpy. She was thinking about the poisoning and likely wondering if her would-be murderer was sitting across the table from her. Perhaps it had been too soon to bring her back to the Koba estate, but Jozef was still family. Though his position had shifted, this had been his home for thirty years. His aunt had acted as mother to him, his uncle a father figure. Despite their rift, the Kobas were still the most powerful organization in the Czech Republic. Jozef would have to work with them if he wanted his own budding organization to succeed. He'd far rather be on Krystoff's good side than his bad. Though Jozef had been his enforcer for two decades, growing in both intelligence and brutality, he was under no illusion that his uncle didn't still have a few tricks up his sleeve. If Jozef d
Last Updated : 2022-10-19Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 61
Leeza's heels tapped against the garden stones in a hushed patter as she made her way back to the cottage, her home on the Koba estates. She wasn't in a hurry to get back; not after the look Adam had given her. He hadn't wanted to come to the mansion for supper, but Krystoff had made the invitation mandatory. Adam hated the power Krystoff wielded over the family. Adam was often overridden as the head of his and Leeza's house. Krystoff took a personal hand in the lives of his daughter and grandson. Unfortunately, Krystoff didn't bother to look close enough to see the horrors that went on inside the cottage, which was tucked away on the eastern edge of the estate. After her humiliating marriage to the Koba accountant, Leeza hadn't bothered to educate Krystoff. Not because she didn't think he would care. He would. If he knew what crimes Adam committed against the oldest daughter of the Koba empire, Adam would have become food for the rose garden years ago. No, the
Last Updated : 2022-10-19
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Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 149
Jozef sat in the window of his hut, looking out at the incredible cerulean blue of the ocean beyond. When Shaun had found out that Jozef had never spent time near the ocean, except briefly when he was on mission, she'd insisted they choose an oceanside setting for their honeymoon. It had been four months since Jozef had murdered his aunt, and he still thought about that moment. Her confessions, her reaction to his being there. He felt intense anger when he thought of her killing his parents and her attacks on Shaun, but time had given him a better perspective. She'd grown up in the mafia. She'd been highly intelligent and motivated. Like Jozef, like his uncle, like the best in the business. Perhaps if she'd been born a man, given her own organization to play god with, she might have channeled her abilities into better use. Her death made him think long and hard about himself. He wasn't much different. He killed too. She used death and destruction to manipulate w
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 148
Saskia loved everything about school. She loved the books, she loved her laptop, she loved taking notes, she even loved exams. When Jozef deemed it safe enough for her to return to the University, she'd immediately registered for her winter classes. It took some cajoling to get into a few of them, given her late attendance, but she managed a full course load. Saskia loved university and opted to spend more time on campus than off. She ate in the cafeteria, she studied all over the place, wherever she could find a sunny nook. She spent time in the library almost every day, soaking in the atmosphere. It was the university that made her return to Prague bearable. The shining goal of finishing her linguistics degree. As a child she had grown up with tutors, only attending classes with other students in her two years of boarding school. That had been different from the university. The students were similar age and background, and class sizes were limited to a handful
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 147
Dasha woke with a start, the clicking of heels on the tiles of the hospital floor reminding her of muffled gunshots. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart. Slowly, painfully, she sat up, reaching for the water on her nightstand. The process was made awkward by her other hand being cuffed to the bed. She'd been transferred the day before. She'd waited as long as she could manage before finally giving away her condition. She'd been in so much pain, the poison twisting her guts; the fever raging through her that she'd raved with hallucinations. Screamed obscenities at the prison staff as they strapped her to a gurney and moved her. She took long sips of water, pulling it through the paper straw. It felt like heaven against a throat raw from days of vomiting. Her hand shook as she set the water down. Collapsing against the pillows, she forced herself to stay awake, to keep alert. She was here for a reason. Someone had poisoned her. Not some
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 146
Your mother is here, Jozef signed, crouching next to the bed. Shaun looked at him, tears bright in her eyes. She hadn't stopped crying in almost two days. She tried to tell herself to snap out of it, to stop feeling sorry for herself. But she couldn't. Of everything that had happened to her in the past few years, this felt the worst. It was the final straw. She couldn't take anymore. "I don't want to see her." Jozef frowned, thunderclouds growing in his eyes. You turned her away yesterday, which we allowed since you need time to heal, but you will not turn her away today. You need your mother, and you will see her. He was the epitome of patience when it came to Shaun and her feelings, but he wasn't going to allow Shaun to push her mother away. She could already see it on his face. He thought she needed her mother, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. She pushed herself up on the bed, feeling dizzy and nauseous. She hadn't left the bed si
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 145
"Krystoff..." He moved closer to the bed. Dasha squinted against the harsh glaring light, but he still looked like nothing more than a shadow, frustratingly insubstantial. She knew it was him, though. She knew his shape, his scent, his touch... She'd poisoned him. More than once. She hadn't regretted it at the time, but she regretted it now. She worshipped him. She shouldn't have manipulated his love. Soon she would be with him again, and she would have to explain her actions and hope he could forgive her. Dasha had poisoned her first victim when she was five years old. Miss Anya. She'd hated her nursemaid. The woman was sour, dour, and no fun at all. She insisted Dasha wear dresses and always have her hair brushed. She was never allowed out if the weather was bad, and she was always made to complete her studies. If she didn't learn her letters, then she would get a sharp smack across the knuckles. Dasha had overheard her mot
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 144
Jozef didn't know what to do. It was a strange sensation for him. He always knew what to do, but this time he was out of his element. He crouched next to Shaun's chair, holding her hands in his as she sobbed. He hated every tear that crawled down her face. He was usually the one to cause her tears, but this time, it wasn't him. It was the doctor who'd disappeared discreetly from the room. They were in the fertility clinic where Shaun had gotten her referral. They'd been called to the clinic for the results of their first round of testing. Her tears dripped onto his hands where they were clasping hers. He bowed his own head, blinking back his own tears. Her heart was breaking, and he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't kill the thing without hurting the woman he loved more than anyone or anything in the world. He couldn't kill PCOS. Polycystic ovary syndrome. Shaun was infertile and the diagnosis was destroying her. He would have to take go
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 143
Nikolay had a bad feeling. He'd had it for months, but when no one accused him of betraying Jozef, he'd shoved the feeling aside. They didn't know. He was safe. Then why did he feel like the sword of Damocles was hanging over his head, awaiting the right moment to drop? "Saskia." He'd been standing in the shadows outside her suite, waiting for her to appear. She was coming down the hall toward him, her blue headphones wrapped around her neck, her wild brown hair a messy halo around her head. She wore tight ripped jeans, a black hoodie and running shoes. It hit him that she was really quite beautiful in her own way. He'd never found her particularly attractive when they'd dated. She was too wild and headstrong, and he preferred his women compliant. Submissive. Not words one could use in association with Saskia Koba. Yet, in this moment, with the light of the sun behind her, she looked ethereal. He felt a moment of loss, but quickly shook it away. His
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 142
Fatima giggled at Shaun's description of a drunk Jozef. "He must've been a bear the next morning," Fatima mused. "It seems so out of character for him to overindulge." Shaun laughed and sipped the rich burgundy liquid from her wine glass. "He was certainly growling like a bear. It took a lot of convincing before he would let me take care of him, but I finally got some painkillers and toast into him and he turned back into a human. Later, he told me he rarely drank that much and didn't plan on ever doing it again." "Famous last words." "Yes," Shaun agreed. "Though Jozef is usually pretty responsible. I think it was the excitement of meeting with the other Vor for the first time. I wonder if the other wives discovered drunk husbands in their rooms that night?" Shaun was filling her mother in on the details of her trip to Russia with Jozef. The five days spent at the palace were indeed the vacation Jozef had suggested they would be. Except for evening m
Sinner's Empire Series: Sin of Silence, A Silent Reckoning, Goodnight Sinners Chapter 141
Shaun sucked in a breath as images from that day slammed through her. She had worked with her counsellor on mitigating their impact, but when the head of the Vor told her she was meant to be dead, it was like a fresh wound being ripped open again. "So I've been told," she murmured, bringing her teacup to her lips with a shaking hand. "You survived." He didn't sound either approving or disapproving, and Shaun wondered where the direction of the conversation was going. "You were poisoned, and you survived. You were attacked, stabbed, and you survived. Your husband was attacked, many within the building fell, yet you still survived." A chill ran through Shaun and she felt nauseous. She desperately wished she'd told Jozef where she was going. Was Ivan angry over the deaths that seemed to follow Shaun? Did he blame her for what happened to Krystoff? She didn't know what to say to Ivan, but he'd paused, seeming to expect some kind of response. "Yes, I survived."
