Page 50 of Sin of Silence

Kristoph twisted around to glare up at her.My arm isn’t fate, mama. You should never say bad things like that.

Shaun and Leeza shared a private glance while Leeza tried to soothe his ruffled feathers.

“I don’t want to alarm you,” Shaun said to Leeza. “But he does need to go to a clinic. They need to ex-ray this arm and possibly put it in a cast. I suspect he’s suffering from a greenstick fracture.” Leeza blanched and Shaun rushed to reassure her. “It’s very common among children. Their bones are still growing so there is some elasticity to them. Which means when they fall, instead of splintering, the bones will get tiny cracks called hairline fractures. They aren’t nearly as bad as other types of fractures.”

Leeza looked marginally better, but was quick to stand up clutching Kristoph’s good hand. “Thank you, Shaun. You must excuse us though; I must get him to our doctor right away.”

Without waiting for a response, Leeza rushed from the room, her voice ringing in the hallway as she shouted. The sound of her voice echoing back into the ballroom was reminiscent of Dasha. Perhaps that apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Shaun glanced at the serving table, shrugged and decided to leave the decision of its placement to Dasha. Instead, she went back to Jozef’s apartment where she could have a few minutes alone, making a detour into the kitchen to grab a snack. Munching on a handful of nuts and raisins, she nodded at the man guarding Jozef’s door. He unlocked and opened it for her.

She wasn’t thrilled with the presence of security on the door, but she’d kept her discontent to herself. She wasn’t sure if security had been stationed there before her arrival or if it was special for her. She didn’t particularly care. She’d decided that escaping from the mansion directly would be impossible anyway. She’d have to wait until she was in the city and an opportunity presented itself.

She was surprised to find Jozef standing in their bedroom with his back to her as she entered. She stopped, feeling awkward. Though they slept in the same bed and made wild passionate love to each other, she couldn’t seem to look him in the eye in the light of day without blushing. When he turned to look at her, the awkwardness melted away. It was impossible not to feel wanted when his eyes glowed with sexual tension and possessiveness. His expression took her breath away.

Jozef lifted his hand and crooked a finger at her, telling her to come to him. Shaun hesitated, knowing she should resist the insane lure of their combined chemistry. She was helpless though. Jozef was everything she should despise. He was a criminal, a killer, a kidnapper, and the list could easily go on, but he was also everything she wanted. He was tough, sexy, and intelligent. His desire for her was an aphrodisiac she couldn’t ignore.

Before she could make up her mind, Jozef crossed the room to her, his gaze intent. She watched him, her eyes widening as he reached for her. He dragged her against his chest and kissed her. Not a kiss of greeting, but one of passion, one of possession. He was staking his claim.

It took only seconds before Shaun was lost to the pressure of his lips on hers, the aggressive thrust of his tongue and the sweep of his hands over her back, holding her and feeling her at the same time. She held him, pressing her body against his, inhaling his incredible masculine scent. It sent every thought fleeing from her brain until all she wanted to do was keep her lips pressed to his and spend the day smelling him.

Finally, Jozef broke the kiss, but continued to hold Shaun, pushing her back only far enough to lift his hands between them.

I want to take you out into the city, he signed.Will you come with me?

Was he asking? So far, asking her permission for anything hadn’t been a strong point in their budding relationship.

“Okay,” she said carefully.

He shook his head and grabbed hold of her wrists, holding them aloft and wiggling them. Shaun laughed and nodded her understanding. She signed,what are we going to do in the city?

His deep blue eyes held hers in thrall and she had to force herself to drop her gaze so she could concentrate on his hands.I want us to start over. I want you to get to know me…. He paused, as if thinking about what he wanted to say. Finally, he decided to go with blunt.I want you to forget the Luhansk hospital, forget what I did to you, forget the guns. Get to know me, I think you’ll learn to like me.

That’s what Shaun was afraid of, because it was happening already. The more she got to know Jozef, the more she liked him, and the more she was willing to compromise her values for just a few more hours and days with him. She knew deep down that eventually she would have to extricate herself, go home and pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Sadly, it wasn’t the trauma of her kidnapping and subsequent events that would occupy her thoughts for years to come, it was the loss of Jozef. An enigmatic man, determined to marry his witness, thus saving her life.

Yes, let’s go into the city, she signed.I could use a night away from party planning.

Jozef flashed her a look of simple pleasure. He was pleased that she agreed to his plan without a fight.

Do I need to change?she asked.

He looked her over and shook his head.You’re perfect the way you are.

Chapter Thirty

Security hovered around the couple as they made their way through Prague. Jozef took Shaun to wander down by the beautiful Vltava river and visit nearby tourist sites. He touched her as often as he could, his caresses gentle and solicitous, never crossing the line into darker territory. When he wasn’t touching her, he was signing rapidly, giving her information about the sites they were visiting, telling her anecdotes of his youth and guiding her through a city steeped in history.

It was an exciting opportunity for a person from Canada, a relatively young country where history could only go back so far. Jozef showed her St. George’s Basilica at Prague castle. Built in 920 it was one of the oldest churches in the Czech Republic. As they walked the castle grounds, Jozef pointed at a huge golden chapel, St. Vitus Cathedral, its grand architecture breathtaking as the sun lit up its gold turrets. Shaun watched his hands as he explained,my aunt and uncle were married in this church. It was one of the last weddings performed here. Now it is a tourist attraction, though there is still the occasional service.

Shaun asked,were you born yet when they married?

He nodded.I was a child, too young for the event, but my parents attended.

She wanted to ask about his parents but didn’t know how to broach the subject. Based on some of the gossip she’d heard around the mansion and knowing that Jozef was raised by his aunt and uncle, she guessed that there was a story behind their deaths.

Next, Jozef took her to a restaurant. At first, Shaun was hesitant, as it was clearly a high-end restaurant, probably more extravagant than any restaurant Shaun had ever been in, and she was wearing a pair of jeans, a light pink blouse and a patterned scarf. Jozef didn’t seem to care about a dress code though. He walked confidently up to the host with his hand firmly wrapped around Shaun’s.

“Ah, Mr. Koba, we have your table ready. Please follow me.”

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