“Generous of you,” Krystoff couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice.
I don’t wish to go to war.
“Then don’t,” Krystoff growled. “Don’t splinter everything we’ve worked for.”
Jozef wanted to point out that most of what the Kobas had came from the work of Jozef and his team. Instead, he said, I will have to maintain a few legitimate businesses in Prague for appearances. Other than those, you can keep Prague.
“You can’t walk away from us, Jozef,” Krystoff growled, frustrated with Jozef’s refusal to compromise. “We’re family. You don’t leave family for a piece of ass.”
Jozef tensed, the breath freezing in his lungs. He forced every muscle in his body to lock so he wouldn’t end his uncle’s life in a fit of rage. He was closer to the edge than he’d ever been. Jozef was the picture of control in every situation, but when it came to Shaun, he was on the razor’s edge of slaughtering every single person in between him and her.
He turned to face his uncle.
You don’t speak of her again, understand? His blazing eyes must’ve alerted Krystoff that the feral dog was about to go offleash. A threat to her is a threat to me.
Krystoff nodded and reassured Jozef, “I care about the girl too, son. She helped my grandson when he was injured and was kind to every member of our family while residing with us. This isn’t about her, it’s about your position in my organization. You can’t give it up.”
Jozef didn’t bother speaking. His silent why echoed through the room louder than a clap of thunder.
“You’ll lose everything.” Krystoff spoke quickly, desperately. “Not just the family, but the money, the prestige, the power.”
Jozef laughed, the sound cool and unpleasant. His face quickly straightened. The difference between us, is that I never cared about the prestige and power. I only cared about my family. I would have given my life for any member of the Koba family, but you tried to take someone I love more than any amount of money.
“So that’s it,” Krystoff demanded. “You go your own way now, to hell with the people who took you in and raised you?”
Jozef stalked back to the table, pointing at his uncle, then at his throat, touching his finger to the scar marring his flesh. Whoever did this was trying to steal my voice without killing me. Who would want to do such a thing, Uncle? Who would want to kill the parents and leave the child, voiceless but alive? I can think of only one person.
Krystoff drew his eyebrows downward in a thunderous frown. “Now you go too far. I grieved for my brother, for both of your parents. I took you into my home and raised you as my own.”
Despite Krystoff’s protests, Jozef noticed his uncle didn’t deny the charge.
Then tell me what happened the night my parents died. You’ve only ever told me an enemy killed them and somehow you managed to rescue me before I could be killed too, but not before I was disfigured. What happened?
“I’ve told you what happened. An enemy of your father’s killed your parents and tried to kill you too.” Krystoff shook his head. “I don’t know why you’re rehashing history. This has nothing to do with us. We took you in, we raised you into the man you’ve become, a strong and powerful enforcer. Don’t throw it all away, son.”
Jozef thought over what he was doing, what he was giving up. As the Koba’s enforcer he had unlimited resources and power. What his uncle didn’t know was that, while still loyal to the Kobas, Jozef had been quietly building his own empire. He’d never been quite sure why but had chalked up his desire to become financially and emotionally independent after the loss of his parents. Now he wondered if it had more to do with a subconscious mistrust of the family who had taken him in.
I’m sorry, uncle. I’m not ungrateful for the sacrifices you’ve made for me over the years. My love for you, my aunt, and my cousins remains intact. If you wish to invite me to your home strictly as family, then I will come. But we are no longer business associates.
Krystoff’s shoulders slumped and he nodded. “So be it. I’ll cut you loose, as you wish. But if you ever need an ally, you must come to us. We will always have your back, son.”
Perhaps he was being too harsh. These were the people who’d raised him. They nurtured and loved him, learned sign language for him and backed his ambitions. Perhaps he should reconsider his position.
Shaun’s face filled his imagination. He could remember every detail, from the flawless ebony skin to the arched eyebrows, expressive golden eyes and quick-to-smile lips. Even in the worst of circumstances, she’d been able to find happiness. They’d been happy together… sometimes.
Jozef hadn’t known happiness until Shaun. He would do anything to hold on to that feeling. Including cutting his family off.
Without looking at his uncle, Jozef banged on the door and left.
Chapter Two
“Move the light about an inch to my left and tilt 45 degrees.” Shaun lifted her shoulder to catch a bead of sweat pooling against her neck, then rolled her shoulders to ease the strain.
Shaun and her team had been in surgery for three hours working to remove a glioblastoma from a 62-year-old female patient. There was an estimated three more hours left in the surgery. They would take a ten-minute break to drink something and walk off the muscular tension before returning to surgery. The surgery itself wasn’t complex for someone of Shaun’s experience, but she had to be incredibly careful not to do any damage while removing the mass from her patient’s brain.
Doctor Olivia King, one of the resident surgeons moved the light as requested, then glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Fifteen minutes until
