Page 89 of A Silent Reckoning

He went down on one knee next to the couch and looked at her face. There was an ugly bandage taped across half her face, beneath her left eye. He touched the warm skin of her other cheek.

Her eyes opened and she looked at him with a surprisingly clear expression. “Jozef,” she whispered and tried to smile.

Then, as the pain of her injuries hit, she seemed to remember what had happened. Tears filled her eyes and she stared up at him with a pleading look as if asking him to take it all away. The pain, the anguish, the horror.

Jozef’s gut twisted. His fault.

We have to go, he signed.

Her eyes flicked down and he repeated himself until understanding flashed in her eyes.

We have to go quickly. I need my gun hand available so you’ll have to walk. Are you able to do that?

She gasped and reached out to grip the back of the couch, pulling herself up. “Why do you need your gun hand?”

He shook his head, not wanting to take the time to explain but knowing she would resist if he didn’t.

My uncle will be attacking us very soon. We have to get someplace safe before he does.

“But why?” she cried out, the tears that had brightened her eyes starting to spill over. “Is he angry because I hurt Dasha? Maybe I can talk to him and explain what happened.”

Jozef growled his frustration, took her shoulders and shook her. She clamped her mouth shut and stared at him. He didn’t want to hurt her, but they had to go. If she couldn’t understand how serious the situation was, she might get herself killed.

My uncle is coming here to kill both of us. He has no choice. His wife attacked you, which is an attack on me. He believes I have no choice but to retaliate, so he will strike first in an attempt to take us down while we’re unprepared.Jozef didn’t tell her that his uncle was right. If Jozef could, he would wipe out the entire organization that night.

Jozef wrapped his arm around her middle and pulled her to her feet. Shaun moaned, then bit her lip, trying to keep the pain inside. She took a few deep breaths, then nodded, holding her bandaged arm against her chest.

“I’m okay,” she whispered. “Let’s go.”

Jozef pulled her tight against his left side and pulled his gun from the holster. He looked into the hallway and nodded at the guard sent to replace Karl. He couldn’t sign to the man with his arms full, so he jerked his head down the hall to indicate he should take the lead.

His man understood and they made their way toward the stairwell. Jozef had locked out the elevators, ensuring anyone coming into the building would be bottlenecked. Unfortunately, that also meant Jozef could get caught in the stairwell too.

They made it down to the third floor when the first explosion detonated. He dropped to his knees, forcing Shaun down too and covering her body with his. She cried out and wrapped her arms around her head.

The explosion was small enough that Jozef knew it wasn’t a bomb. Probably a smoke grenade or a flashbang. He’d used both in his operations. They were an effective means of confusing the enemy.

The building had been penetrated.

Jozef lurched to his feet, dragging Shaun up too. He pushed her against the wall, covering her with his body. He could hear shouts in the stairwell below them and another detonation.

Smoke billowed up from below. Gunfire sounded in the lower levels of the building. If he hadn’t been on the opposite side, he’d be impressed with Krystoff’s new team. He hadn’t thought his uncle had pulled a team together who had the skills and efficiency to strike this quickly.

Jozef freed his hands, pressing Shaun against the wall so she wouldn’t collapse. He turned to his man and signed,cover us.

The other man nodded and took position on the landing as Jozef turned to grab Shaun who was coughing from the smoke. He suppressed the urge to cough, needing his ears to hear if the enemy had made it onto their floor.

He took Shaun’s good arm and dragged her back to the top floor, swinging her into the hallway. As he walked, he holstered his gun, dragged her into his arms and picked her up. He had to move faster.

He ran down the hall. Once he was back inside the apartment, he set Shaun down and locked the door. He moved swiftly into the bedroom and into Shaun’s closet, entering the code to the panic room.

“Jozef…” she said as he turned back to her.

He gripped her face and kissed her hard.

“No, no,” she moaned. “You’re coming with me.”

He couldn’t and she knew it. She clung to him, trying to drag him with her as he pushed her into the room.

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