of their job was keeping Krystoff safe at all times. While Krystoff was head of the family, he made no real decisions without Jozef’s backing, since Jozef would provide the skill and muscle.
“I think it’s bullshit,” Havel announced, taking another sip of his Scotch and leaving a wet ring on the glass table. He never used the coasters, despite Jozef having plenty to go around. “Vasiliy hasn’t shown his face. It’s as though he wants to stay hidden while his men do the work. I would almost say it was his son acting in his name, rather than the old man pulling the strings, but the lad is a complete incompetent. He couldn’t plan his way out of the bottom of a pint glass. And now Vasiliy wants a meeting? I’m tempted to agree to one just so we can finally get him in a room. I want to ask him what the fuck he was thinking. Clearly whatever he was attempting to do when he took Krystoff didn’t pan out, as there were no demands.”
We still don’t know what he wanted with my uncle? Jozef asked, knowing the answer.
“No, we never figured out a motive. It’s like he came out of thin air to poke your family. There’s a lot of history though… with your mother.” Havel paused to see if Jozef would add anything, but he remained silent. Havel continued, “Over the past several years, Vasiliy has lain low and avoided your uncle. It seems strange that he would come out of nowhere to kidnap Krystoff, cut off his finger then allow him to be taken back without resistance.”
Jozef nodded. Everything Havel was saying jived with his impressions of the situation, right down to the ease in which they’d rescued Krystoff. There had been very little security on the property and Jozef would have been surprised if Vasiliy himself was at the house. He’d likely been tucked safely away at one of his vacation estates.
You think they knew we were coming?
Havel nodded. “They had to. Either that, or they’re by far the most incompetent kidnappers I’ve heard of. They let us walk right in unmolested and leave with the only leverage they had. It works with our theory that someone inside our circle was involved. We had Krystoff locked down tight; he should never have been taken while he was visiting Kiev.”
They fell silent for a few minutes as they contemplated the strange and bungled kidnapping. Finally, Jozef signed, I think I take the trophy for worst kidnapper. My victim hates me, is refusing to marry me and is now likely plotting her escape from the rose garden.
Havel looked somewhat taken aback at Jozef’s admission. They didn’t usually talk about their personal lives. Then, they didn’t exactly have personal lives, beyond the most recent piece of tail one of them was sampling. Shaun was different, she hovered between personal and business.
“Hate to say it, buddy,” Havel started, “But you should’ve – ”
Jozef held up a hand, stopping the other man from continuing. Don’t say it. I don’t want to make an enemy of my best friend.
Havel nodded slowly, digesting the implications of what Jozef was saying. He was telling his second-in-command that Shaun was more to him than just his kidnapping victim, or another piece of tail. She was his future wife. She was someone he was rapidly coming to care for.
“Then I won’t say what I think. Instead, I will say this.” He looked at Jozef seriously. “Classy bitches, like the one you have, are high fucking maintenance. And yours is worse than the usual. She has ethics. Prepare to spend your life grovelling, my friend, because every time you fuck up, she’ll expect you on your knees. And I have no doubt you’re going to fuck up a lot.”
Jozef reached over to slap Havel in the side of the head, but Havel dodged him, picking up his glass and downing the rest of his scotch.
When Havel was looking at him again, Jozef signed, one day you’ll find a woman who fucks with your head and I will take pleasure in your misery.
Instead of laughing and giving a snappy comeback, Havel’s face fell into serious lines and his thoughts wandered to somewhere else. He pushed himself off the couch and made his way to the door, only speaking as he was about to leave.
“If you love her, make sure you do everything in your power to keep her. Don’t fuck it up.” He left, closing the door