Page 104 of Warlord’s Empire

“Not her,” Radik corrected. “She has never been anything but loyal to your organization.”

“She left without permission to take our wives on a trek through the DRC,” Havel pointed out, his tone suggesting he held a grudge.

“To retrieve Saskia, which I believe was the objective of your operation in Pretoria.”

“Because you kidnapped–!” Havel’s exclamation was cut off by Jozef’s fist slamming into his desk.

They both looked at him, startled. Jozef tossed his phone at Havel, who caught it. While he looked at it, Jozef pulled his gun from the holster under his arm and checked the chamber.

“What’s happening?” Radik demanded of Havel.

“Saskia’s on her way here. She’s being pursued by two vehicles.” He looked up, his brows drawn into a fierce frown. “Her apartment was attacked.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Radik stood abruptly. “Saskia?”

“She’s okay,” Havel said. “Halil says we need Shaun on standby. The baby is coming.”

“It’s too early.” Panic rose in Radik as he rushed to the door, Jozef and Havel on his heels. “Why was she attacked?” His thoughts were spinning. Was it his fault? Was he followed to Prague by one of his enemies?

“Do you have a weapon?” Havel asked grimly.

“No.”

Havel surprised him but pulling a gun from his underarm holster and handing it to Radik. Catching Radik’s expression, he said, “If there’s one thing we don’t doubt, it’s your drive to protect Saskia.”

Nodding, he checked the chamber.

“I’m here!” They turned as Shaun ran toward them, one hand on her growing belly, the other clutching a medical kit. “What happened?”

“Saskia was attacked in her apartment,” Havel said grimly. “She’s gone into labor.”

Shaun’s gaze moved to Radik. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she remained professional. “We’ll need an ambulance too. The baby is coming early.”

“We can’t bring an ambulance into a firefight,” Havel said, then added, “I’ll make the call, have them wait outside the gates until we’ve secured the area.”

They were going to bring emergency services into a potential mafia war, if that’s what this was. There could be dead bodies they wouldn’t have time to get rid of. This was going to be bad for the Kobas, but all of them cared about Saskia’s well-being, which told Radik he was correct in coming here, in appealing to her family.

As they opened the front doors to the mansion a shout echoed across the property, “They’re coming!”

Jozef was signing furiously at his wife. Stay inside until I say it’s safe. You do not step foot outside these doors. Understand? We’ll secure the car and bring Saskia inside.

Shaun nodded. I’ll get the staff to prepare a bed. She turned, speaking rapidly to a nearby servant.

Havel was still looking at Jozef’s phone as the three men stepped outside the front doors of the estate. “Use the pots for cover,” Havel said to Radik, pointing at the gigantic concrete flowerpots dotting the sweeping front steps of the estate. “That’s what they’re there for.”

Radik rushed down the steps, taking position at the bottom, behind the flowerpot closest to the driveway, intent on getting to Saskia as soon as the car stopped.

Radik cursed himself for going without security for this visit to the Koba estate. He’d wanted to come in humble, prepared for negotiation on Jozef’s terms, but now he was alone, forced to trust Jozef and his people to protect his future wife.

“Brother!”

He whipped his head around to see Ayaan take position behind a pot further up the steps. She had an AR15 in her hands. He’d never been so happy to see her face before. She would have his back while he concentrated on Saskia.

He caught sight of a grey sedan screaming up the driveway toward them, rocking onto two tires as it hit a curb, blowing out a tire.

Brakes squealed in protest as it came to a sliding halt directly in front of Radik. He barely registered two more vehicles stopping behind it, metal pinging off metal as bullets rained onto the car.