A Silent Reckoning: Sinner's Empire Nikita Slater (smart books to read .txt) 📖

You’re either a liar or you’re stupid, Jozef signed. If you have men watching me, then you knew my woman was in the car. If you tried to push me off the road without doing your homework on who was in the vehicle then you’re a fucking idiot. Either way, your mistake will not be forgotten.

The man stood frozen for a moment, as though trying to decide what to do. He’d been sent to intimidate Jozef, but it was happening the other way around. He was the one sweating bullets while Jozef was in full control of the situation. Before he could gather himself, Jozef clapped his hands in the other man’s face while Havel barked, “Talk!”

He cleared his throat and tried for a conciliatory tone. “It wasn’t our intent to frighten your woman. Once more, I apologize. I was sent here by a man who wishes to remain anonymous but would like to speak with you about a job.”

Jozef turned on his heel and headed to the club.

“Wait, hear me out.” The man hurried after Jozef, attempting to follow him into the club. The bouncers stood ready to block the door once Jozef passed through. “The opportunity will be lucrative. You should listen to what I have to say.”

Jozef let out an annoyed growl and turned to look at the man on the sidewalk. His signs were rapid, showing his impatience. Your patron is Prime Minister N-E-M-E-C. He believes that he can have me and my men at his disposal because he worked to get me out of prison. You are head of his security detail, D-I-E-T-R-I-C-K.

Havel translated.

Alan Dietrick blanched, taking a moment to recover. It was clear that this conversation had not gone how he’d planned. The Prime Minister hired for brawn rather than brains.

“Is he wrong in thinking that you owe him a favour?” Alan asked, attempting to infuse some strength into his voice while looking nervously at Jozef’s men who were surrounding him and his security detail.

I owe him nothing, Jozef signed. Jozef took the few steps separating them and pointed at Alan’s chest with his left hand while keeping his gun low at his side on the right. It was my uncle who convinced your boss to free me. I would have eventually found my way out.

“You don’t want to refuse the Prime Minister’s request,” Alan insisted, giving up the pretense that his patron was anonymous. “He won’t ask as nicely next time.”

Jozef grunted and nodded, thinking. Then he said, if you wish to play games with me, then I will play to win. Take my message to the Prime Minister.

Alan took a step back, as if sensing Jozef’s mood. Before he could get far, Jozef reached for him, gripping the other man by the bicep and digging his fingers into Alan’s arm over the artery, cutting off the blood supply and deadening the arm. Alan yelped as Jozef swung him around and slammed him into the brick wall at his back. Jozef brought his gun up and pressed it into the flesh beneath Alan’s shoulder blade. It would hurt like a bitch, but it wouldn’t take out the entire arm.

Jozef pulled the trigger.

A woman shrieked and rushed past, clutching the arm of a friend. Jozef and his team ignored them. They were noise, as was everything on the street. Jozef was sending a blatant message. He didn’t care who came knocking, didn’t care where the confrontation took place, he would not tolerate threats.

Jozef let him go, allowing Alan to slide to the ground, moaning and clutching his shoulder. Jozef crouched in front of him. He looked the man in the eyes and allowed him to see the devil inside, the gangster who thrived off violence and didn’t fear death.

Jozef stood, replaced his gun in its holster, brushed the dust from his leather jacket and walked back to the club entrance.

Havel spoke one last time before following Jozef inside, throwing Alan’s words back at him. “Next time he won’t say no so nice.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Are you sure that was a smart move?” Havel asked, catching up with Jozef. “It was satisfying to see that cockroach bleeding on the ground, but the Prime Minister has powerful allies. We don’t want to go to war with him.”

We aren’t going to war, my friend, we’re establishing battle lines. He knows that he can’t get away with threats and intimidation. Now he’ll try a softer approach. It will mean we can ask for more money.

Havel grinned, flashing his white teeth as they headed onto the club floor. “You know what you’re doing.”

I know what I’m doing, Jozef agreed. But if that idiot involves Shaun ever again, his boss will be fishing him out of the river.

“Agreed,” Havel said grimly.

They were headed toward the back of the club when they were waylaid by an agitated waitress. Her name was Yvetta and she’d been working at Zmatek for three years. Though Jozef didn’t hire the club staff, except for security, he had complete files on everyone who worked there. He needed to know who the people were that would work physically close to him. If they had unpaid debts, a questionable background or an arrest record.

“There’s a woman here to see you,” she told Jozef, glancing over her shoulder. “I put her in the VIP booth.”

Jozef frowned and signed, why would you allow anyone to sit at my table? It is to remain vacant except for family.

“I know,” she rushed to say. “But she insists that she’s family. She says she knows your girlfriend. If I’m wrong then I’m terribly sorry, but I didn’t know what to do. She was insistent and she wouldn’t leave. When security confronted her, she kept insisting she wouldn’t leave without seeing you and I thought it best to put her in VIP before she could cause a scene. I’m so sorry if I’ve done something wrong, Mr. Koba.”

Before he could question Yvetta further, she rushed away, a