Page 59 of Goodnight, Sinners

He was right. If she was going to pass judgment on Jozef’s actions, she had to admit, she would be a lot more upset if he’d resorted to torture.

“He wasn’t freaking out about his own blood when I tended to him,” Shaun mused as she thought about the man’s reaction to being shot. She’d been so concentrated on tending him that she hadn’t really paid attention. “Actually… come to think of it, I don’t think he looked down at all. He either kept his eyes shut or averted. He was shaking and looked like he was going to throw up, but I attributed his symptoms to being shot. I bet he was reacting to the blood too.”

Jozef shrugged, uncaring of how Adam’s fear manifested.

“Did you hold back because of me? Is that why you didn’t hurt him?” she asked, unsure she wanted to know the answer. Adam wasn’t going to be the last time they ran into this issue. Eventually, Jozef would have to do something to someone that Shaun hated. She wasn’t sure how she would deal with it, if she would try to justify his actions or if she would decide she couldn’t stomach being with him.

If she was being honest with herself, she would admit that it wouldn’t be the latter. It would never be the latter. She was with Jozef now.

Yes, it was for you that A-D-A-M wasn’t beaten. I didn’t want you to think of me that way. I was the guard dog for this family for many years, but you have shown me I can be more.

Jozef’s admission hung in the air between them.

Shaun touched his face and smiled sadly. “You were always more than the guard dog. You just needed to see yourself differently.”

They stared at each other, wrapped in the moment. She loved everything about him, even the brutal parts. It was strange… loving a man in a wholly encompassing way, yet still hating some things he did.

She was learning just how messy love could be.

Jozef stood and signed,come with me, I want to show you something.

He held a hand out to her and Shaun took it, allowing him to pull her off the sofa.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he grabbed her coat from the closet by the door and tossed it to her.

The gun range,he signed.

She gaped at him. “I hope you don’t think you’re going to get me to shoot a gun.”

You will shoot a gun,he signed,you already have. This will be much easier than the last time.

“The last time I was trying to save you from being shot in the back!” Her voice grew in volume as he grabbed her hand, pulling her out of their apartment.

Cooper, who was leaning against the wall opposite looking at his phone, straightened.

“I don’t intend to ever hold a gun again, Jozef. That was a one-time deal. I hate the sight of them.” He nodded at Cooper, who fell into step behind them, following them down the hall.

Jozef didn’t answer her, though he was holding her hand in a firm grip so he couldn’t communicate.

“Jozef, no!” Shaun dug her feet into the steps as they continued down to the main floor of the mansion.

He kept walking, which caused Shaun to catapult forward, hitting him in the back. He didn’t loosen his grip and he didn’t stop walking.

Cooper came up alongside her. “You need to know how to protect yourself. It’s Jozef’s responsibility to make sure you’re safe, and the first step in that process is to teach you how to defend yourself.”

Jozef finally stopped walking, but when he turned, his glare was for Cooper instead of Shaun. In one eloquent look, he told the other man without words that he didn’t need Cooper speaking for him.

Cooper held up his hands in his typical, ‘sorry boss’ pose. It was almost funny, the dynamic growing between the two. Cooper was a good man with a lot of annoying qualities that seemed to be growing on both Jozef and Shaun.

A chill ran through Shaun as she remembered what had happened to her last bodyguard. He’d been shot in the head while trying to protect her. Maybe she shouldn’t develop a friendship with Cooper.

She looked over at him as they continued out the front door where Jozef helped her into the front seat of his Bugatti. Cooper strode to the SUV behind them and climbed inside. She didn’t think it would be possible to not be friends with the man. He was always with her, he was talkative and opinionated and he made of point of being a sympathetic ear.

Shaun glanced at Jozef as he navigated the driveway.

“I don’t want Cooper to die.”

He hit the brakes so hard Shaun had to brace herself against the dashboard.

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