Knowing his uncle would send someone to find him if he didn’t get moving, Jozef gently pulled his arm from beneath his slumbering woman and slowly crawled over top of her.
She rolled onto her back and let out a soft snore before flinging an arm over her face and falling into a deeper sleep.
Jozef had noticed that about Shaun. She slept soundly no matter where she was or how cramped the sleeping conditions were. He supposed it was her experience as a doctor, working long hours on her feet, that allowed her to sleep so soundly. Jozef was a light sleeper, always had been and likely always would be. That particular character trait could one day save his life.
He pulled on his clothes and then searched through her pockets until he found the burner phone. Stuffing it in his pocket, he made his way quietly out of the suite, locking it behind him. He should be wearing a suit for meeting his uncle, but he didn’t want to take the time to change. Krystoff wouldn’t care, but Jozef had trained their men to respect the family patriarch at all times, which meant dressing appropriately and using the correct language and grammar.
Krystoff’s office was on the first floor, opposite the formal dining room. Jozef knocked briefly, waited for the summons and opened the door. Krystoff was standing next to the floor to ceiling windows, which opened to a spectacular view of Prague in the distance. The older man was drinking cognac from a crystal highball glass. He turned when Jozef entered the room and lifted his glass with a raised brow.
Jozef shook his head, his mind flashing to the woman snoring on his couch. He wanted round two when he was finished his meeting and he suspected she wouldn’t want him coming to her bed smelling of alcohol. He didn’t think she was a prude, but the look on her face when he’d taken that line of cocaine in the club haunted him, reminding him they were from two different worlds. He was used to a life filled with vices. He knew how to moderate himself, but that didn’t mean he had to flaunt his lifestyle while wooing a woman who meant something to him.
“Sit, Jozef.” Krystoff waved his hand toward a pair of immaculate leather chairs in front of the fireplace. There was no fire yet as it was warm outside, but Krystoff tended to prefer the leather chairs when he was meeting with Jozef or another member of the family. If the meeting was of a more professional nature, or if there was a darker purpose, he would seat his guest opposite him, the oak desk between them.
Jozef dipped his head in acknowledgment and took a seat, accepting a glass of water from his uncle. Though he’d refused an alcoholic beverage, Krystoff would never allow a guest to go without a drink.
“How are things, my boy?” Krystoff asked jovially, dropping into the chair opposite Jozef and crossing his ankle over his knee.
I’m doing well, Jozef signed. Are you fully recovered from your ordeal?
“Indeed. That week off was almost a vacation,” Krystoff said with a half-smile, holding up his hand with its missing finger. “Your girl did an excellent job of patching me up.”
Rather than prolong the meeting, Jozef asked bluntly, what’s the job?
Krystoff looked taken aback. Krystoff led the meetings, not Jozef. He talked business when he was ready to talk business. However, Jozef was impatient to get back to Shaun and unwilling to engage in light banter.
“I want you to go to Poland,” Krystoff said, switching gears. “Get what you can out of Vasiliy, take care of him and come home. Make sure there is no evidence of your existence. Our Polish allies have made it clear: we do not conduct business in their territory without their permission and we don’t have permission for this particular operation.”
Jozef dipped his head in a nod. He’d been right about why Krystoff summoned him. Terek, Jozef’s ‘hunter,’ had traced every move Vasiliy had made over the past few years and discovered the man owned a small rustic cabin in Poland. They’d sent someone to check and sure enough, Vasiliy had holed up, disappearing from the mafia radar. He’d probably chosen Poland specifically because the Kobas couldn’t move as easily through the territory. Vasiliy was about to find out otherwise.
When do we move? Jozef asked.
“Tonight.” Krystoff’s voice held a hard edge to it, as though daring Jozef to argue. “You’ll have to be back in time for the engagement party.”
Fuck. Krystoff was cutting it close. It would take a minimum of twelve hours to travel to Poland, dispose of Vasiliy and travel home. The party was scheduled for the next evening. Jozef was going to be coming in right under the wire, and he was more afraid of what his aunt would do to him if he missed the party than what Krystoff would do to him. Why weren’t they waiting until after the party? A few extra days would allow Jozef to come up with an adequate plan that would ensure the safety of him and his team, as well as give him the opportunity to prepare Shaun for his absence.
Jozef didn’t want to leave Shaun in Prague while he travelled to Poland. It would only take a day, but that was still a day too long to be away from her. Of course, bringing a woman on such a dangerous mission wasn’t an option. Krystoff would never allow it. Though often progressive in his thinking, when it came to the women of his family, Krystoff still held old-fashioned values. The women stayed home and, for the most part, stayed out of the family business. They helped run the home, went shopping, supported charities and met up with socially acceptable friends.
As if reading Jozef’s mind, Krystoff said, “I ran into Shaun in the rose garden this morning. She seemed upset.”
Jozef frowned. Shaun hadn’t said anything about meeting up with Krystoff.
Krystoff studied his nephew with a keen eye. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. She won’t settle easily into this life, son.”
Jozef nodded his head in agreement. There was no point in arguing the obvious. She won’t have a choice.
“How do you intend to control her?” Krystoff leaned back in his seat, his sharp eyes on his nephew.
Jozef didn’t like what his uncle was implying. As if Shaun was some kind of dog that needed to be leashed and controlled. She was a kind and intelligent woman with a quick brain and a compassionate nature.
This is not your concern, Jozef signed, trying to shut down the topic.
A frown deepened the grooves between Krystoff’s thick grey eyebrows. “I disagree. Her actions will have an effect on this family. I had hoped the lures of our lifestyle would have helped her settle down, but the conversation she and I had this morning has left me concerned. She won’t be happy here.”
Jozef wanted to growl at his uncle to stay the fuck out of his business. Jozef was an independent man. He stayed in the family home at the request of his aunt, but he owned a building in downtown Prague, the same building the club was in. Many of his men stayed on the middle floors above the club when they were in between jobs. It was times like this, when his family became overly involved in his life, that Jozef wanted to move away from the family estate.
“She called her mother earlier today,” Krystoff said quietly, his sharp gaze on Jozef’s face, as though trying to decide if Jozef knew.
How do you know? Jozef demanded.
Krystoff’s gaze softened. “My apologies, son, but I fear I did something you won’t approve of.” It was unusual for Krystoff to apologize for anything, but then, he didn’t often involve himself in Jozef’s personal life. “I made sure she would have access to a phone.”