Page 54 of Goodnight, Sinners

Jozef shook his head.It doesn’t matter how much training you’ve had. You must fit seamlessly in with my men. You must have the right attitude and you must understand the way we work. First, you will work closely with H-A-V-E-L, then you will train with the entire team. If you pass inspection, then you will be given a job.

She glanced frowningly over her shoulder at Havel, who was leaning against the fireplace with his arms crossed, then back at Jozef. “I’d rather work with you.”

N-O, I don’t work with new recruits,he signed sharply, nodding toward Havel.He will be your teacher and mentor. He is not an easy man to work with, so I know anyone coming out of his training program will be tough enough to take the rigorous parts of our job.

“I’m tough enough,” she said defensively.

N-O, you aren’t.Jozef was blunt, but he needed her to understand how difficult the coming months would be.You will be beaten repeatedly, with no concession to your size or gender.Ayaan wasn’t a large person at around 5’4”, fine-boned and graceful.You will be forced to sleep in deplorable conditions. You will be woken in the middle of the night and repeatedly put through drills that will make the Russian special forces look weak. You will be sleep deprived, food-deprived and you will reach your breaking point. It is then that we will see if you have what it takes to work with my people.

She stared at him, her face unreadable. She was a chameleon with her expressions. She carefully orchestrated each one depending on the situation and when she didn’t want anyone to know what she was thinking, she hid her feelings. Another asset.

“No,” she finally said.

Jozef raised his eyebrows.No, you don’t want to be part of the team? You want us to take you back to N-I-C-E?

“No,” she said again, rolling her eyes. “You are mistaken. I won’t be the one taking a beating.” She looked at Havel, an irrepressible grin shaping her mouth. “He will. If you prefer your second-in-command unharmed, then let me know the parameters of the beating I am to give him. Should I pull back or break some bones?”

Jozef glanced at Havel who was staring at Ayaan like she was some kind of an alien creature. Then his expression gradually changed to one that told Jozef Ayaan was in for the beating of a lifetime. Jozef wondered if maybe it would be the other way around. He didn’t sense false confidence in the young woman. She fully appreciated her combat skills.

Despite his admiration for her, Jozef needed Ayaan to understand how things worked.You will listen to your mentor and do what he says without question. Hesitation can get you killed. I suspect you were allowed to question your brother. That won’t happen here. This isn’t a democracy.

“I understand.” She stared at Jozef steadily, allowing him to see her eagerness. “I can listen to orders.” She looked at Havel again. “Even if I don’t agree with them.”

If you are allowed to sign onto my team, then what you think will no longer matter. You will become a cog in the machine. You understand? Now is the time to leave if you wish to leave. Once your training begins, the only way out is death.

“I’m ready,” she said without hesitation.

Then your training begins immediately.

Havel straightened. “Come with me, recruit.”

Ayaan stood and turned to leave, then hesitated. “What about my brother? He won’t be happy that you took me from Nice, and he’s going to be even less pleased when he finds out where I am and what I’m doing.”

Jozef flashed her a feral grin.I will take care of your brother; you concentrate on your training.

She looked at him suspiciously before leaving.

She was right to be suspicious. Jozef hated being cooped up, forced to read through paperwork and restructure an entire organization. He was ready to get back into the field, to lead his men into battle. Though he truly believed Ayaan would make a decent asset to his team, he wasn’t sorry he was poking her brother. If he couldn’t go out and find a fight, then he would bring one to him.

Jozef stood and stretched, working out the kinks in his neck and shoulders. Too much time spent sitting. He could use a good training session. He was almost jealous that Havel would be the one to work with Ayaan. He could use a good sparring match. Perhaps he would engage Havel for a fight later.

Before Jozef could leave his office, a sharp knock sounded and Cooper let himself in without waiting for permission. Jozef frowned at the other man. He was always in a rush, sometimes forgetting to observe house rules.

“Sorry, boss,” Cooper said, catching Jozef’s look. “We have a situation down at the shed.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Shaun was annoyed with her bodyguard. He’d insisted on bringing Adam to the shed, rather than allowing her to take him to either the hospital, or at the very least, the infirmary up at the house.

She hated the shed. It brought back memories of her first few days with Jozef, which were fraught with fear and anxiety. When she’d been convinced he’d eventually kill her. He’d forced her to spend the night in one of the cells after she tried to escape. The only thing that stopped that memory from being completely traumatic was Jozef coming in during the night and sleeping with her. That was the first moment she believed he truly cared for her. The next morning he’d been cold and unapproachable again.

Adam was laid out on a wooden pallet with his shirt stripped off. He moaned in pain while Shaun treated his wound. He’d been shot, he was lucky; the bullet had grazed him, going in his side and right back out, without hitting anything important. It was a flesh wound, but it would still need sutures and he would have to take antibiotics to stave off infection.

Surrounding Shaun were four guards and Saskia who was staring down at her brother-in-law with a cold calculating expression. Shaun thought it was overkill, considering Adam’s condition. And she didn’t just mean his wound. He wasn’t in peak physical shape. She’d long suspected he struggled with untreated diabetes.

His face was ashen and he was shaking. His skin had a grey tone that shouldn’t be present in a healthy person.

“I need my medical kit.” Shaun turned to look pointedly at the guards. No one moved. “Now please.”

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