Security hovered around the couple as they made their way through Prague. Jozef took Shaun to wander down by the beautiful Vltava river and visit nearby tourist sites. He touched her as often as he could, his caresses gentle and solicitous, never crossing the line into darker territory. When he wasn't touching her, he was signing rapidly, giving her information about the sites they were visiting, telling her anecdotes of his youth and guiding her through a city steeped in history. It was an exciting opportunity for a person from Canada, a relatively young country where history could only go back so far. Jozef showed her St. George's Basilica at Prague castle. Built in 920 it was one of the oldest churches in the Czech Republic. As they walked the castle grounds, Jozef pointed at a huge golden chapel, St. Vitus Cathedral, its grand architecture breathtaking as the sun lit up its gold turrets. Shaun watched his hands as he explained, my aunt and uncle were married in this church.

Their truce lasted less than a day. Shaun had spent a good part of their evening together telling Jozef all about her upbringing and her love for her family. He'd nodded in all the right places, his face softening as he listened to her. He even pulled her in for a hug when she told him of the devastating loss of her father. During their conversation, Jozef looked much less like a gangster and more like a man she would actually date. So it came as a shock to her when he refused to listen to reason when she requested a phone call to her mother. He stood firm, his face a granite carving as she'd pleaded with him. He was unmoving though. "But if she knows I'm alive, she's much more likely to stop looking for me. I can't know for sure, but if I know my mom, she's pulling in every connection she and my dad had to try and find me. If even a single person in that hospital recognized you, she'll be able to find me. Plus, you aren't exactly low profile, going to clubs and flaunti

Shaun spent most of the afternoon avoiding Jozef, which wasn't a difficult feat considering the size of the Koba mansion and the level of activity going on inside. The engagement party was in two days. Flowers were being brought in and placed in a special refrigerator to keep them fresh. The extra staff Dasha hired for the event were arriving in droves to join the fray. Shaun was amazed at their ability to immediately pick up their tasks and carry on like they'd been there for years. They looked as though they belonged far more than Shaun did. Shaun trailed after Dasha for a while, who generously tossed a few party planning tidbits Shaun's way. Dasha already had her mind made up about everything so Shaun's opinion was often overridden or ignored entirely. It wasn't out of maliciousness. Dasha knew what she was doing, and she was in her glory doing it. She was like a military general with armies of servants and boatloads of money at her disposal. "Silver or gold for napk

Jozef was in their suite when Shaun quietly opened the door and let herself inside. At first, he didn't see her. He was sitting on the sofa, the TV blaring a music video. The lyrics for Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" filling the apartment as Jozef tapped on his phone, texting someone. Shaun was surprised he enjoyed retro music. Based on the club, she would've pegged him as more of a DJ kind of guy. Shaun wasn't ready for a confrontation with her intense captor, so she quietly closed the door and moved noiselessly toward the bedroom. It was a mistake. Something must've alerted Jozef to her presence because he was on his feet instantly with his gun in hand pointing it at her. Shaun made a terrified squeak and jumped away, bringing her arms up to protect herself, as if they could stop bullets. Once Jozef recognized her he put his gun back in the holster strapped to his chest. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were here, he signed, remorse bright in his eyes. I prom

Jozef wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the evening holding Shaun in his arms while she slept, but he had a meeting to attend. Krystoff wanted to talk to him about some information Jozef's team had dug up. They'd finally managed to discover the whereabouts of Vasiliy Stanovich, the mastermind behind Krystoff's kidnapping. Unfortunately for them, Vasiliy was holed up in the neighboring country of Poland. Jozef suspected his uncle was going to send him on an out-of-country job, not something Jozef wanted to do while he was still unsure of where he stood with his fiance. Would she try to leave him the moment he was out of the country? Would her heart grow cooler with distance? He didn't want to risk their budding relationship on a job, but his uncle's word was law, and if Krystoff ordered Jozef and his team to go on a job, they didn't have a choice but to go. It was the way they had always done things. Krystoff was head of the organization, Jozef was his loyal d