“Thank you,” Shaun said, meaning it. She reached out to take Elisa’s hand and, when the other woman gave it to her, squeezed it with feeling. “You saved my life.”
Elisa nodded, her eyes serious. “When you were taken from Luhansk, it rocked all of us. Any of us could have been you. I’ve had friends and colleagues transfer to Ukraine to relieve the hospitals and clinics on the front lines.”
The two women stared at each other for a moment, silently sharing in the hazards of their mutual profession. Though their jobs weren’t inherently dangerous, every day they dealt with loss, life-altering decisions, unpredictable patients, grieving families.
“What brings you here today?” Shaun finally asked, her gaze dropping to the file clutched in Elisa’s hands.
Elisa glanced down. “A patient,” she admitted. “I want a second opinion on treatment. The tumour is complex, and you’re well known for unorthodox methods that can increase survivability.”
“You don’t have any colleagues in neuro to bounce ideas off?” Shaun asked, intrigued. She desperately wanted to see the images in the file, to delve into a case once again. But surgeons were notoriously competitive.
“Sadly, no,” Elisa admitted. “I have several excellent surgical nurses on my staff and a general surgeon who is only beginning to specialize in neurology. When I need another opinion, I often connect with colleagues in Moscow and Warsaw.”
“And they weren’t available today?” Shaun asked with a raised brow.
Elisa’s lips thinned as Shaun forced her to explain herself. Finally, she shrugged, “You’re one of the best in the world. Your theories and essays have elevated neurosurgery, and you’ve barely started your career. It’s a rare opportunity to have you in my city, at my fingertips. I won’t waste such an opportunity on an over-inflated ego. Better to make friends and learn from you.”
Shaun stared at the other woman shrewdly, suspecting there was more to her story, but Shaun decided she’d pushed enough.
She held out a hand. “Let me see.”
Elisa gave her the file and sat silently while Shaun looked over the images and read the patient's history. She picked out the glioblastoma right away. It took her less than a minute to understand what Elisa was doing in her sitting room.
“This is inoperable,” Shaun said, handing the file back.
Elisa sighed heavily and took the file. “I know.”
“Then why are you operating?”
Elisa looked down at her clasped hands and seemed to gather her thoughts before speaking. “The patient is high status. He knows that the tumour is inoperable, but he’s insisting on surgery anyway. The hospital director is backing the surgery.” She opened the file and pulled out an image, turning it toward Shaun, who leaned forward in her seat. She pointed at the shadow, then drew her finger to the left of the skull. “I will enter here, using laser tech, and manoeuvre around this section here.” She tapped the photo again. “I will cut here and here, then pull the sections through. I figure the patient has a ten percent chance of survival.”
“Five,” Shaun said, studying the image. “Which is why we call them inoperable. He’ll have another six months to a year if you leave it.”
“He knows, and he still wants the surgery.”
“Who is he?” Shaun asked, still studying the image. She was feeling the pull of a surgery. Even if it wasn’t hers, she could live vicariously through Elisa for a few moments.
“Can’t say. It’s classified.”
Shaun nodded. She’d had those patients before. Either celebrities or politicians. She guessed the patient was high up in the government since the hospital director was stepping in with an order for his staff, despite their clear opposition to the surgery.
Shaun kept her expression neutral as Elisa carefully watched her. Shaun knew exactly how Elisa was feeling, because she felt the same thing when presented with a challenging surgery.
“His chances would be closer to fifteen percent if you took lead on this surgery,” Elisa said bluntly.
Shaun had suspected that this was the reason Elisa had shown up on her doorstep, on the Koba doorstep, despite her better instincts. She needed a skilled surgeon with a reputation for operating on the inoperable, and one had dropped into her lap.
“Twenty,” Shaun admitted, snatching the file from Elisa and settling back into her chair to look it over more thoroughly.
“Is that a yes?” Elisa said, trying to suppress the excitement in her voice.
“No,” Shaun said without looking up.
“Oh.” Elisa was disappointed. “Well, I would appreciate any advice you can give me.”
“It wasn’t a no either.”
The two women talked over the images for the better part of an hour, neither noticing when the maid slipped into the room to leave a tea service tray.
Finally, Shaun handed the file back to her guest and stared thoughtfully into nothing, murmuring, “When is the surgery?”
“Next week.”
One week to convince Jozef.
Shaun stood and waited for Elisa to realize she was being dismissed. Elisa smiled wryly and reached for her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. “Thank you for your time, Dr. Patterson.” She reached into the outside pocket of her purse and retrieved a card. “Please call.”
Shaun nodded. “I’ll let you know my decision in a few days.”
“Thank you.”
Shaun stood on the doorstep, watching as Dr. Elisa Černý drove her Prius up the winding driveway and out of sight. The moment the doctor had left the property, Shaun let out a whoop of joy.
A surgery!
Grinning, she slipped past a startled Atlas and ran up the stairs to her room to prepare her argument for Jozef. He was going to let her do the surgery. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Chapter Fourteen
Shaun didn’t see Jozef again until late that evening. He’d skipped supper and sent a servant to tell Shaun not to wait up for him. She’d been disappointed. Even though the mansion was huge, it wasn’t so big that Jozef couldn’t come find her and tell her himself when he was going to miss a meal.
She was tempted to go find him, assuming he was closeted in the study, but decided against a confrontation. They could work on his manners any time, but complex, exciting surgeries definitely did not happen every day. She needed him in a good mood if she was going to convince him to let her do the surgery.
In preparation, she pulled out the notes Jozef had copied while he was in prison. It still boggled her mind that he’d read everything she ever wrote. He was insane. But also very romantic, which she couldn’t fault. She was getting used to his intensity.
When he finally entered their suite of rooms, it was clear he was expecting her to be in bed. He walked right past her, heading for the bedroom.
“Hello,” she said softly from the couch.
To his credit, he didn’t immediately reach for his gun, which was a common move when someone startled him. He was always so vigilant, it was rare that she startled him anyway. But in his own suite he wasn’t expecting to be attacked.
Shaun was sitting in the shadows, still thinking about the surgery, planning her strategy and looking forward to working with Elisa. She knew she was getting ahead of herself, that Jozef would likely nix the surgery. She also knew that she wouldn’t let him.
She felt for Jozef. He was rebuilding his uncle’s mafia organization, restructuring and reorganizing. It was a big job. Havel had told her that the Bratva were breathing down Jozef’s neck when he’d confronted her after their trip to Poland, insisting she never lure Jozef into doing that again. She had assured Havel that she would do and say what she pleased with Jozef. Then she’d told him that Poland hadn’t been her idea. Hell, she was ashamed to admit, she hadn’t even known Poland was a neighbouring country. Shaun had since pulled up Google Maps on her laptop and studied the part of the world she was now living in.
The gist of Havel’s argument was that Jozef was busy and
important, and she needed to give him breathing room. Havel had pointed out that Shaun was a distraction to Jozef. One that could get him killed. Shaun had taken his point, though she hated the way Havel delivered it. They’d known each other for a year and a half. Wasn’t it time for Jozef’s second-in-command to warm up to her?
She thought he’d softened after she patched up his wound and watched over him until he recovered enough to protect both of them. What more could she do to prove her loyalty? She was starting to believe he was unpleasant to everyone, not just her.
Regardless, she would do as Havel suggested and make sure she wasn’t an added stressor in Jozef’s life while he was managing a massive takeover. Her resolve lasted two days.
Because she was about to draw her line in the sand.
She couldn’t allow Jozef to dictate her entire life. She had to tell him how her future would take shape, rather than allow him to shape it for her.
Or these were the things she told herself as she prepared her argument to convince Jozef to let her do the surgery.
“Can we talk?” she asked.
Jozef stepped into the lamplight surrounding the couch.
N-O, he signed.
Shaun frowned. “No, we can’t talk.”
He shook his head and looked pointedly at her hands, before signing, we can talk any time you want. I was saying N-O to the surgery your guest proposed today.
Shaun gaped at him, then shook her head. “I’m firing Atlas at the first opportunity.”
No, you’re not. He has 20 years of experience with the FSB and has worked with European intelligence. He stays.
At her blank look, he added, Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.
I’m doing the surgery, she signed back.
He walked slowly toward her, his signs careful and measured. It’s too dangerous.
Shaun pushed herself out of her chair and stood, holding his gaze. I’m not a reckless person. I can take care of myself.
You don’t understand how easy it would be to get to you in a hospital.
She narrowed her eyes at him. Maybe you don’t understand how hard it is to get onto a surgical ward in a hospital.
He shook his head in exasperation. Like the one I took you from in M-O-N-T-R-E-A-L?
Shaun crossed her arms over her chest. “You can’t keep me locked up forever.”
Jozef took the last step separating them and brushed his finger down her cheek. A shiver ran down her spine, though she tried to suppress it. She was taking a stand, not melting over her gorgeous fiancé.
I can keep you locked up forever, he signed, but before she could argue, he added, I won’t. I know it will hurt you and I refuse to do anything that will cause you harm, mental or physical.
She softened and almost capitulated, but she really wanted to do the surgery. She lived for the knife and this surgery, after taking such a long break, felt like a toy in front of a toddler, just out of reach.
“I know you won’t hurt me,” she whispered. “You never really have, not deliberately.”
He took her hand and placed it against his heart before signing over top of her arm, I would rather die.
She smiled. “Dramatic, but also romantic.”
He leaned over and gently took her lips in a kiss so sweet Shaun’s heart ached and her head swam. His love for her was an aphrodisiac. It was everything every woman wanted. It should be enough for her.
But it wasn’t.
She needed more in her life than love. She needed purpose, she needed a challenge, and she needed to help people. It was her calling, had been for a long time, and she wasn’t willing to give it up.
Since coming to Prague for the second time, she’d done nothing but compromise. It was time to take a stand and tell Jozef that she could love him, keep herself safe and do the work that she loved.
“I’m doing the surgery,” she said the moment he released her lips.
He growled, probably at her stubborn tenacity, and swooped in for a kiss much fiercer than the last. He stole her breath as he plunged his tongue into her mouth, forcing her own back. Gripping her head with his long fingers, he slid them into her hair and anchored her for his passionate kiss.
Shaun was helpless against his onslaught, but so caught up in the moment she didn’t care. Heat flooded through her, sending her heart soaring as the butterflies in her belly went crazy.
He broke the kiss long enough to sweep her up into his arms. She squeaked in protest, but he was already striding toward their bedroom. She kissed his neck, sliding her arms around his shoulders and clutching him.
They hadn’t had sex since before the night Dasha had attacked Shaun. She’d needed time to recover from her injuries, which still sometimes ached. Jozef had needed time to process the destruction of his family and the new world now laid at his feet.
Despite the distractions around them, the heat was always present. Shaun’s heart pattered like crazy whenever Jozef was near, and she could see the near-constant erection he tried to hide when his men were around. It was heady knowing he reacted to her so strongly.
She felt the same.
He dropped them both onto the soft covers of their bed, his mouth finding hers and searing her with such heat that she moaned out loud. He swallowed the sound and thrust his tongue past her teeth, his kiss as aggressive as the rest of him.
When he broke the kiss, he took her wrist, the one that’d been injured, gently in his hand and brought it to his lips for a heartbreakingly light kiss. He looked at her, his bottomless blue eyes speaking eloquently.
She nodded and whispered, “I’m okay. I want this.”
He didn’t need more consent than that. He was on his feet and tearing her leggings away in seconds. Shaun laughed as he flipped her over onto her belly, gripped her panties and dragged everything down, including her socks.
This was Jozef, and this was why she loved him. He was intense, dangerous and serious, but he was also fun and funny. She loved that she could both predict what he would do, but also never knew what was happening. It was like living in a dream, floating from one moment to the next. She never could have imagined two years ago that this would be where her life would lead. Into the arms of a gangster who could kill as easily as he made love.
It was a terrifying thought, but not one that would stop her from enjoying the love she found in his arms.
He flipped her onto her back, straddled her and reached for the hem of her shirt. He dragged it up her body but stopped when it caught on her face. She couldn’t see him, but suddenly she felt his lips on hers, wetting the soft cotton of the T-shirt as he devoured her.
It should have been a silly moment, probably looked silly, but it was so hot it sent streaks of pleasure zinging straight through her, from her head and neck, down to her puckered nipples and into her now very wet pussy.
Her arms were over her head, also trapped in the T-shirt. She was helpless in his grip but trusted him completely. She thrust her hips up against him. Rather than stopping to undress, he reached between them. She heard the zing of a zipper lowering and her heart hammered in response, her mouth watering as she pictured his thick, veined cock.
She gasped when he rocked himself against her hips, forcing her legs wider, before thrusting inside. Her head flooded with the sensation and she felt dizzy, breathless.
He didn’t give her a chance to catch her breath but began pumping into her, his thick cock filling her to the hilt while he leaned over to kiss her through the shirt. She was helpless, at his mercy, and loving every second.
She didn’t understand how they could have the chemistry they did, except that her pheromones were hard-wired to recognize his and zero in on them when there was so much as a whiff in the air. As a doctor, she tried to logic out their connection, but she kept coming back to the same thing; their souls recognized each other, even when they weren’t on the same page.
Her lack of sight and inability to take a deep breath drove her higher and higher. Shaun was a se
xual woman and enjoyed meeting her partners halfway, if not more than halfway. She’d always been one to climb on top and take herself to orgasm. But with Jozef it was different. He controlled her, moved her, treated her like a precious doll as he fucked her senseless.
The few times he allowed her to take control, he never let her take over completely. She always had an awareness that her moment of power could and would end.
He was physically stronger and could overpower her easily, but he chose his moments carefully. It was a strange thing to love, but she did. She loved how easily he wielded his strength. Loved that he was careful and measured, despite knowing he could have the upper hand.
He could easily tie her down and force her to stay home. Keep her locked up in their suite, but he wouldn’t. And that was how she knew she would do the surgery. He wouldn’t stop her because he couldn’t bring himself to.
Did it make her a terrible person that she would use his desire for her to get what she wanted? Maybe. But no more terrible than a man who wielded control over entire countries through terror and brute force.
As he surged into her, she felt herself flying over the edge. Her orgasm was both intense and beautiful. It was sweet and painful. It was everything that was Shaun and Jozef.
He tore the shirt from her head as she screamed, the orgasm tearing through her in a rampage of flowing blood, hormones and racing pulse. She tried to gasp for air, but then his mouth was on hers and he was stealing her breath once more, sending her orgasm higher as she fought to breathe.
His cock grew inside her and his hips jerked against hers, before he bottomed out, filling her completely, then flooding her. When he lifted his head, spots swam in her vision. She blinked them away and stared up at him.
His expression was both triumphant and resigned. He was going to let her do the surgery.
Chapter Fifteen
Jozef’s capitulation wasn’t as easy as Shaun thought it would be. She should have known better. There was a reason Jozef was master of his slice of the underworld. He was an expert chess player and negotiator.
Goodnight, Sinners (Sinner's Empire Book 3) Page 9
