The drive back to the apartment was silent. Out of necessity for Jozef whose hands had to be on the wheel, but Shaun could have spoken. Instead, she gazed out the passenger side window without saying a single word to him. Jozef was frustrated by the gulf separating them. The feelings were all still there, but the situation had changed. The power dynamic had shifted. Jozef could use physical force to keep her with him, but she didn't have to comply. She could resist his efforts to keep her in line and he wouldn't lift a finger against her. She was wrong about one thing though. The misery wouldn't last. In time she would settle into the life he wanted for her. She'd started to come around a year ago. The last thing she'd told him before being taken to the hospital was that she loved him. He knew from her counselling sessions that he'd been constantly on her mind during their separation. She wore his mother's ring during their time apart, only taking it off for surgery, and

Shaun stared out the window of the apartment, desperately wishing she could see what was happening on the sidewalk. It had been thirty minutes since she was whisked up the back stairs of the club and into Jozef's suite. She'd didn't have a chance to ask what was going on when the door was slammed shut and she was locked inside. That was when Shaun discovered she could be locked in the apartment with some kind of lock that only the person on the other side could access. Shaun decided she would be angry about it later once she determined that Jozef was safe. With a sigh she moved away from the window. She couldn't see anything from her vantage point. It drove her crazy that Jozef was doing something potentially dangerous while she was stuck upstairs. What if he was shot? Or what if he shot someone else? She should be down on the ground helping with any injuries. She walked into the bedroom, reaching back to unzip her dress. She let it fall to the floor and stepped

Saskia walked fast with her head down, her books clutched to her chest. Damn, it was getting cold. She was more of a warm weather girl. She preferred sun and beaches, crackling fireplaces and her bed. It was days like this that she regretted her decision to take university courses in the city. Her parents had tried to convince her to take her courses online at the mansion. She'd insisted that her education would be subpar if she wasn't allowed to take her classes in person. They'd relented and allowed her to go to the Charles University in Prague as long as she kept her guards nearby at all times. Her father had gone to the dean of the university and told him of their unique situation, with a sizable donation to soothe any ruffled feathers. Saskia hated that her family had gotten involved in the one thing she was attempting to do for herself. She'd bitten her tongue though and accepted her bodyguards. She allowed them to follow her, unwilling to risk her university care

I don't know, Jozef signed. Annoyance crossed Shaun's features. "You'll include me in a conversation like that?" she waved her arm around the table. "But you won't tell me the details." Jozef reached for her, dragging her onto his lap as he sank back into the booth. He wedged Shaun between him and the table, turning her so she was facing him, but his hands were free. I don't know the details of the package, Jozef clarified. According to Radik's original request, the contents of the package are to remain anonymous. If Radik's enemies were to find out what it's worth, they would stop at nothing to get hold of it. "Do you think it's dangerous, like a bomb or something?" Concern edged her voice. Jozef debated with himself. Tell her the truth or leave her in the dark where she was less likely to worry over him. He was elated by her genuine concern for his safety, but she would need to reconcile herself to his job. He didn't walk dogs for a living. Among

The days passed quickly and Shaun settled into an uneasy pattern. Even though she spent a good portion of her time alone keeping up to date with professional journals and medical advances, she often found herself restless. It helped to have her mother near-by. She spent a good portion of her days in Fatima's apartment, Fitzy twirling around her feet as she took the stairs to her mother's apartment. The cat seemed to look forward to their daily trips downstairs as much as Shaun did. Fatima always had a snack waiting for both of them. Fatima had settled into her new life much more easily than her daughter, spending Jozef's money as though she'd been born for online shopping. "Which one do you think I should buy?" she asked, turning the computer screen toward Shaun. "I rather like the Monet, but the Van Gogh is more expensive." Shaun choked on her laughter. "Since when do you like classic artwork?" "Since I visited the Koba mansion and realized my own collect