She pulled on a gorgeous lacy shorts and tank top sleeping set that she found in her new luggage and crawled beneath the cool sheets of the bed. She propped her head up on a fluffy pillow and watched the moon and surrounding stars until she fell asleep.
She didn’t how long she'd been sleeping, but she was groggy when the banging of a door woke her.
Sitting up, she reached for the lamp, her heart pounding in fear until she caught sight of Jozef clinging to one of the marble columns.
He looked confused, like he’d stopped to use the column for balance while he figured out where he was going.
“Are you drunk?” she asked in consternation.
For as long as she’d known him, Jozef rarely drank, and he’d never gotten drunk.
She flung the covers back and slid off the bed, rushing to help him. Unfortunately, he launched himself at her when he caught sight of her, gripping her around the shoulders and trying to kiss her as they both went crashing backwards.
Luckily, Jozef’s reflections were excellent, even while he was inebriated. He twisted as they fell so he ended up taking the brunt of the hard fall and she landed on top of him.
He grinned at her and a wave of vodka breath hit her in the face
“Oh god, Jozef!” she exclaimed, rolling off him.
As she tried to climb back onto the bed, he gripped her around the waist and hauled her back down to the floor. She clung to the blankets, dragging them off the bed. She laughed wildly as he rolled her underneath him.
It was so weird to see Jozef drunk that she didn’t quite know what to do except laugh. She touched his face, which was warm. She checked his pulse. It was rapid, but nothing out of the ordinary.
He pushed her hands away from his face and buried his nose against her neck, making a growling sound. He began sloppily kissing her while his hands roamed down her body.
“Not a chance.” She shoved at his shoulders, but it was like trying to move a boulder. “Get off me!”
He ignored her, clumsily exploring her body. She sighed, then reached up to pull his ear hard enough to gain his attention.
He swung his head around to glare at her, which allowed her to sternly say, “Get off me right now, Jozef Koba.”
He rolled off her and sat up against the side of the bed. He rubbed his hands over his head, then looked up at her and grinned. It took her breath away. The man had dimples and she hadn’t even known. He smiled rarely and when he did it was always tight, controlled and quick. This was a wholehearted, boyish grin and she adored it. She cupped his face and leaned over to kiss him.
“I love you,” she murmured against his lips.
He brought his hands up to sign and smacked her in the chin.
She laughed and pushed off the floor, standing over him. She held her hand out. “Come on, I’ll help you up.”
He took her hand and nearly pulled her back down to the floor. She had to brace herself to help him up. As he stood, he swayed so wildly that she thought he was going to fall over again.
She slid her arm under his and pushed him toward the bed.
He landed on his back; his arms flung over his head.
She thought about trying to get him out of his clothes, then decided against it. He was heavy and she didn’t want him thinking they were going to have sex. As much as her body responded to him, even in this state, she wouldn’t do something that intimate while he was inebriated.
Shaun climbed over Jozef’s sprawled body and tucked herself into his side. She was about to close her eyes when she realized he was signing… or trying too.
She propped herself up and watched until she finally caught what he was saying.
She smiled down at him and whispered, “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, too.”
She reached out to shut the lamp off, tucked herself back in and fell asleep to the sound of Jozef’s drunken snores.
Chapter Forty-One
Shaun slipped from the bed, pulling on a fluffy bathrobe provided by their hosts as she hurried to the door. She didn’t want the knocking to wake Jozef, though he was sleeping heavily, snoring loud enough to wake the recently departed.
With a hand at the top of her robe, she opened the door.
“Yes?” she asked sleepily.
“Your morning repast, Mrs. Koba.” A servant spoke in halting English, waving toward a cart with covered trays.
Shaun stepped back so he could wheel the cart inside.
He placed the covered trays, a pot of coffee, cream and sugar on the small table next to windows with panoramic views of the rear mansion park. Shaun could definitely get used to this kind of service.
“This is for you, ma’am.” The servant held a card out to Shaun.
Shaun sat at the table, opening the envelope, her curiosity peaked.
It was an invitation, quite fancy, considering the contents. It was written in English, in sprawling calligraphy.
Mrs. Koba,
Please allow me the pleasure of hosting you for tea in my private suite at 11:00 AM. You will be treated with the utmost respect. Kindly send your response with Philip.
Your friend,
Ivan Siberia
The invitation was clear that only Shaun was being invited to meet with the highest man in the Bratva organization. She glanced at the bedroom, wondering what she should do. She’d promised Jozef she wouldn’t keep any more secrets from him, but she didn’t think the invitation was one she should decline. She wished she could talk to Jozef before deciding.
Shaun looked at the servant. “Philip?”
At his nod, she handed him the invitation. “Please tell Mr. Siberia that I would be delighted to meet with him.”
Shaun took her time showering, dressing and snacking off the tray Philip had left for her. There were plates of fresh fruit, whipping cream, and chocolate pudding.
After she finished eating and grooming, she curled up in the chair by the window with a stack of files she’d snuck in her purse. Jozef had told her she wasn’t allowed to work, that she must consider their time in Russia to be a vacation.
Jozef was starting to understand that if given the opportunity, she would always choose work. She found perusing images of brain tumours relaxing. Her quick mind immediately set to work trying to figure out how to extract the mass.
One at a time she went through the files until she hit upon the one she would take as her next surgical candidate. She read through it thoroughly and then reached for her cell phone to text Elisa with confirmation. Then she remembered her phone had been taken.
Damn it, they were going to be in Russia for four more days. Could she go that long without her phone? She was already getting withdrawal from a lack of spider solitaire. She wondered if she would be shot by the big Russian guards who she’d seen patrolling the estate if she tried to break her phone out of wherever it was being held hostage. Maybe she should negotiate with Ivan Siberia for her phone. She was willing to do a lot to get her hands on the device.
Speaking of Mr. Ivan Siberia… she glanced at the ornate clock on the wall. Assuming it was correct, she was expected in his suite in five minutes.
Shaun walked gingerly into the bedroom where Jozef was still sprawled out on the bed. The blanket had slipped off and he was gloriously naked. Her eyes immediately went to his still-impressive-while-flaccid cock. She glanced down at the pile of clothes next to the bed. He must’ve woken up enough at some point to take them off.
“Jozef,” she whispered, approaching the bed. She chewed her lip.
To wake him up or not, that was the question. She loved the way he looked while he slept. Boyish, innocent, the implacable lines that played about his eyes and mouth gone.
When he didn’t stir, she got a little closer, tracing her fingers across the rippling muscles of his stomach. Still no response.
“I’m going to have tea with the man you told me is responsible for the entire Bratva. I’m really hoping he won’t try to kill me. You did say it was unlikely they’d mur
der us in this lovely palace.” Still no movement. She strode into the washroom, filled a glass with cold water and set it on his bedside table. She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Wish me luck.”
Philip was waiting in the corridor for her, his frowning gaze fixed to the smart watch on his wrist.
“Nice watch,” she said with an innocent smile. “We should probably hurry. I would guess Mr. Siberia doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Philip’s gaze became even chillier. “No.”
He turned on his heel and marched ahead of Shaun. She would have loved to take out her newly discovered badass mafia wife persona and knock this guy down a few pegs, but she wasn’t entirely sure where he stood in the Bratva regard. She should probably hold off on pissing off the servants until she had more information.
Philip showed her into a suite with a surprisingly warm atmosphere. The pomp and lavishness of her suite was discarded in favour of a cluttered, bright and comfortable group of rooms.
Shaun was surprised, the place looked lived in. Like really lived in. She thought the palace was for weekend getaways and hosting. Or at least, that was the impression that Jozef had given her. But Ivan’s suite was more like an elderly retiree’s home.
A walker sat next to a well-worn armchair, a TV opposite, and a stack of books was laying haphazardly across a table on the other side of the chair. She watched in amazement as a man, using a cane, walked painfully into the room, moving slowly and with some difficulty.
Shaun immediately broke into a cold sweat. It didn’t matter that this man wasn’t personally capable of swatting a fly, he could have someone swat her if she became a nuisance to him.
“Please, sit down, Mrs. Koba.” Ivan’s voice was strong as he turned around and carefully sat in the armchair.
Shaun hesitantly approached the couch adjacent to Ivan’s chair. It was covered in newspapers, magazines, cat toys and a cat bed. She glanced around for the cat but didn’t see one. Moving a few items out of the way, she sat on the couch.
Philip wheeled in a tray seemingly from nowhere, set the tea service on the coffee table in front of Shaun, then left the room.
“Would you mind pouring?” Ivan asked, hooking his cane on the walker next to his chair.
“Of course.” Shaun leaned forward and poured a rich dark liquid into the two teacups. “Cream or sugar?”
“Both, spasibo.”
His English was so flawless, his Russian ‘thank you’ almost took her by surprise.
She handed him his cup, which he set on the table next to him.
Shaun settled into her chair and held her cup, watching him carefully. She wouldn’t take a sip until he drank from his cup. As if noticing her discomfort, he picked up his cup and took a long sip, his dark brown eyes on her face.
She smiled her relief and sipped her own tea.
“How are you settling in, Mrs. Koba?” he asked, pushing his chair into a reclining position.
It felt strange to be in the presence of such a top Vor, but without the formal accoutrements that seemed to surround his fellow Bratva.
“The palace is lovely,” she said, unsure if that was what he meant.
He shook his head and studied her. “Let’s speak plainly, Mrs. Koba. I don’t have a lot of time left and I dislike wasting minutes on pointless speech.”
There wasn’t a lot that Shaun could say to that, except, “Of course. Please say whatever you like to me.”
She didn’t entirely mean it. She sincerely hoped he wouldn’t tell her there was a pit of hungry alligators underneath his living room floor, ready to feast on her flesh.
“Two years ago, Jozef picked you up in a hospital in Luhansk, Ukraine. You were meant to die that day, but you didn’t.”
Chapter Forty-Two
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.”
“You are a survivor, Dr. Patterson, and you are a very skilled surgeon, which makes you an asset to my organization.”
It was the first time he’d acknowledged her profession.
Again, she didn’t know what to say, so she remained silent.
“I have had my people look into you.” His gaze was sharp, his words sharper, though his body appeared frail. It was such a strange juxtaposition that Shaun was forced to rethink the way she looked at the mafia being full of raw male machismo. She would bet her stethoscope this man had never made a hot-headed decision in his life. He’d coldly, calculatingly made his way to the top of the Bratva, shaping its future along the way.
“What did they find?” she asked coolly, setting her tea cup down on a side table and clasping her hands in her lap to stop the shaking. If he could sound strong but appear fragile, then so could she.
He leaned forward in his chair, pushing it down with his legs. “You are at the top of your field. Unparalleled in skill and intelligence. You are at the head of innovative technological medicine.”
Shaun sucked in a breath. “That’s flattering, but hardly true. I share the field with many skilled surgeons.”
“Humbleness has no place here,” he told her sharply. “This is a warning. You are among the wealthiest and deadliest people in the world. Do not misstep by trying to fade into the background. Make yourself indispensable to the Bratva and your position will remain secure.”
“It’s not now?” she couldn’t help the quiver in her voice.
“It is not,” he said bluntly. “Your husband has long been admired by the Bratva. If he hadn’t found his way to the top of the Koba food chain, we would have found a way to get him there.”
Shaun wondered how they would have gone about that, but then shoved the thought away. She didn’t need to know, and it was a hypothetical since Jozef had the position.
“You, however,” Ivan continued, “have become a concern. A witness who was allowed to live, now a wife who pursues a high-profile, highly competitive profession. We rarely allow our women to take positions of power. For good reason, they could become targets. If your existence is not known, or if you remain hidden, you will not be in danger.”
Shaun nodded, and unable to help herself, cut in, “Mr. Siberia, while I appreciate your concern, I have worked in war zones on multiple occasions. While I admit, being shot at isn’t my favourite past-time, I can handle myself.”
He stared at her, a chill in his gaze. “I am aware of your work history, Mrs. Koba.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled, feeling chastened. She wasn’t entirely sure why, or where their conversation was going, but she could shut up long enough to hear an old man out.
“As I said, I would like to consider you an asset.” He stared at her; his words heavy in the air between them. “I would like to know where you stand now, Mrs. Koba. Are you an asset or are you a victim?”
Shaun didn’t need to think about it. She lifted her chin. “I am an asset, of course.”
“Excellent.” His face smoothed into more pleasant lines as he waved her toward the coffee table again. “Please take the two files on the table. Read the first and tell me what you see.”
She picked up the first f
ile and flipped through, realizing right away it was medical records. There was no name attached, but a glance gave her the age, which left her with the assumption it must be Ivan Siberia’s medical history.
She relaxed into the couch as she read and looked at images. The file was surprisingly complete considering she’d only just met the man. He was being forthcoming with her so she would be forthcoming with him.
“You have colorectal cancer. You were diagnosed two years ago, went through five rounds of radiation therapy and one surgery to remove a section of your intestine. The cancer has returned and now…” she drifted off as she flipped through the images and notes, “Your doctor says you have less than six months.”
“Would you agree?” Ivan asked curiously, without a note of fear or censure in his voice.
She shook her head. “Given your age and current liver and kidney functions, I would revise that down to two to three months.”
He sucked in a breath, showing that he was rattled for the first time since they began their conversation.
“Thank you for your honesty.”
Shaun watched him, making sure he meant what he said and wasn’t threatening her.
“I’m always honest when it comes to medicine. What’s the point in telling a dying man he’ll live longer than he will? This way, you have the time to make arrangements and be with the people who matter most to you.”
He didn’t respond to her comment, but waved his hand at a second file sitting on the table. “Look at that one and tell me what you see.” Before she could reach for it, he asked, “You value confidentiality?”
“Of course,” she answered.
“Good. No one must know who this patient is…” he hesitated before continuing, “to me.”
“As both a doctor and a human being, you have my word that nothing we discuss will leave this room unless you want it to.” She paused and then added, “Except for Jozef.”
Goodnight, Sinners (Sinner's Empire Book 3) Page 27
