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

They got off the elevator and it was like stepping into another world. Shaun thought her mouth probably fell open, but she didn’t care. There were big and muscular men everywhere, packing bags, checking weapons, laughing, talking, joking. It looked like an all-male gym, but with desks.

A hush fell over the men as Jozef led Shaun through the throng.

Havel stepped into their path, his gaze on Shaun, and for once his expression was welcoming. She was almost relieved to see him. A familiar face in a sea of testosterone.

“Welcome to Guard Dog Securities,” Havel said jovially, reaching out to take Jozef’s bag.

“Guard Dog Securities?” Shaun asked, looking around.

Havel grinned at her. “We do have some legitimate business interests.”

She laughed. “Such as?”

“We provide security details to businessmen, politicians, royalty. We provide security for our club as well as others. Bank security. You name it, we’re in on it.”

Shaun chewed on her lip, but finally said what was on her mind. “You aren’t casing the banks are you? For future heists?”

Havel laughed, along with a few others. He shook his big head. “No, Doc, we don’t rob our own clients. Sets a bad precedent. We save our robberies for the fuckers who deserve it.”

Jozef growled a warning, his arm tightening on Shaun’s waist, but Shaun was enjoying herself. The security floor, Jozef’s job, everything, it seemed… different from what she’d been expecting. Far less shady.

She supposed she was expecting a torture chamber on the third floor. Not a classy looking office, with desks, glass partitions and an entire section dedicated to technology. She drifted toward the tech department, Jozef tight against her side.

“Is that laser tech?” she asked excitedly as one of Jozef’s men was packing a laptop in a bag.

The guy nodded. “We use it to pinpoint locations, map the terrain and log it into the database. We don’t do jobs blind anymore. It’s made our lives much easier.”

“Hmm, similar to the tech I use to pinpoint a tumour and remove it from the brain.”

“Exactly.” The guy looked at her closer. “You’re the doctor, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” She held her hand out to him. “Dr. Shaun Patterson. I’m a surgeon.”

“My name is Ali.” He shook her hand with more enthusiasm than she was expecting. “I read some of your work after…” he glanced guiltily at Jozef, then focused on Shaun again. “Your experimentation with laser technology in the human brain will be revolutionary for both medicine and weapons systems. In fact, I’m attempting to use some of your techniques to better our guidance systems.”

“What?” Shaun asked, looking sharply at Jozef who stared steadily back, a shutter falling over his expression, telling her he knew she was going to be angry when she found out. “You guys are already weaponizing my stuff?”

The guy cleared his throat as though just realizing he was about to put his foot in his mouth.

Havel stepped forward to diffuse the situation. “Not sure I’d want someone digging around my brain with a laser.”

“You would if there was a tumour sitting on your brainstem and you had a week to live.” Shaun turned her focus on Jozef. “Weapons? Were you going to tell me? Is this why you were reading my stuff? To create better weapons? You didn’t say anything when we were talking about it.”

Jozef shook his head, took her arm and pulled her away from the group of men. Karl trailed behind at a respectful distance. When Jozef and Shaun were once more standing near the elevator, Jozef dropped his hand so he could sign.

I read your papers so I could feel close to you while I was in prison. I didn’t lie to you.

She shook her head and glared at him. “But you did use my knowledge and my technology to better your own weapons. You’re too smart and resourceful not to.” She glanced at the tech corner and added, “Probably your surveillance too.”

Jozef sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. Finally, he looked at her. Yes, of course I did. Your work with laser technology is brilliant. The only reason no one else has used it is because your work is buried in medical journals that are nearly indecipherable. No one outside of the medical profession would read them.

She scowled at him, her blood beginning to boil with self-righteous anger. Not only was he stealing her life’s work and using it to make weapons, but now he was calling the papers she wrote boring and impenetrable.

She straightened her back and glared at him, signing so she wouldn’t be overheard by any of his people. Did you think about how I would feel when I found out about this?

You weren’t supposed to find out.

I’m not blind or stupid. I would’ve noticed eventually.

He sighed and reached for her, but she stepped out of his reach and jabbed the elevator button angrily before signing, every time we establish some semblance of trust between us, you destroy it. How am I supposed to live like this? Every corner I turn there’s something new and terrible that I have to learn to live with. Eventually I’m going to find something I can’t live with, Jozef.

Lower your expectations, he signed.

“What?” she said out loud.

The elevator door opened behind her.

Maybe if you stop expecting me to be someone I’m not, you’ll learn to live with me.

She stepped into the elevator, her happy mood evaporating. “Maybe if we keep arguing about this, you’ll be the one wanting to escape me.”

He stepped into the elevator and wrapped an arm around her waist. He dragged her against his chest and kissed her, his lips taking hers with harsh intent. He was imprinting himself on her, his tongue lashing the inside of her mouth in a one-way dance.

As the elevator started to close, he flung an arm out, hitting the metal doors. They opened again. Karl slipped inside the elevator and did his best to look like an uninterested bystander.

Jozef stepped back, his striking deep blue eyes on Shaun’s