Page 23 of Goodnight, Sinners
You can have her,Jozef signed.
Havel stared at him in disbelief. “Come again?”
I will give her to you in marriage, if you want her.
Jozef observed his friend, watching his face for signs of rejection. Rather than immediately shutting down Jozef’s idea, he nodded his head slowly.
“Yes, I’ll take her.”
Jozef felt immense relief at Havel’s acceptance. He hadn’t wanted to put his cousin down. He’d grown up with her, protected her, even played with her when she was small. It had gutted him to order her death a few weeks earlier. This moment felt like redemption for that decision. He didn’t have to kill a beautiful, intelligent, and resourceful woman. He would put a leash on her and hand her over to his best friend.
Ensure her widowhood before you take her in marriage.
“Not a problem,” Havel said easily, a gleam in his eyes as he thought about taking out Leeza’s abusive husband.
Closeted in the office, they discussed every aspect of their new enterprise, taking on the Koba organization. It wasn’t something Jozef had wanted or prepared for. He’d been happy making a success of Guard Dog Securities, and now the ground beneath his feet had shifted again. He was happy to have a staunch ally and friend in Havel, who understood everything Jozef was dealing with and supported him.
The two men agreed that Guard Dog Securities would run as is, though Havel would replace Jozef as lead on the missions. Jozef was needed at home. He would organize their people in the city and throughout the Czech Republic, then make moves to take Ukraine, since Vasiliy had left a leadership vacuum that had yet to be filled by a powerful organization.
It was while they were discussing Jozef’s upcoming responsibilities that Havel finally spoke his mind.
“It’s time to take your head out of your ass and look around,” Havel said in his usual blunt manner. “Appear strong if you wish to keep everything that has fallen to you. You cannot question yourself, or your place, or the Bratva will step in.”
Jozef narrowed his eyes at his second-in-command but didn’t shut him down. This was why Jozef was an effective leader. He listened to what his men had to say, particularly Havel, whether they were imparting good information or bad information. As long as they had something valid to say, he would listen.
When Havel was confident he could speak freely, he continued, “The Bratva are watching your every move. If for a second they think you’ve blinked, they will strip you of everything, kill everyone loyal to you and absorb your holdings.”
Jozef nodded slowly.The trip to P-O-L-A-N-D was stupid.
“Very,” Havel agreed.
Jozef didn’t bother to justify his actions. Though the trip had been a bad idea from a business perspective, he didn’t regret it.
Shaun had been happy. For a few days, she’d relaxed, smiled, laughed and shared herself. Jozef would lay the world at her feet for a few smiles. He’d known he needed to stay at the mansion, while also knowing she needed to get away. He’d made her the priority. He always would. And he would never justify that decision to Havel or anyone else.
When Havel finished saying his piece, Jozef held a hand up to get his attention.I will not allow our Russian brothers to take what is rightfully mine. If they try, I will bring them down. They will underestimate me to their detriment.
Havel flashed him a grin. “That’s what I want to hear.”
Jozef grunted.Don’t bring this up again. My decisions are my own. While I understand they will affect you and the others, know that any decisions I make will be with the weight of the organization on my shoulders. I will not fail you or anyone else.
Havel dipped his head in a nod, his eyes dancing with excitement. He was looking forward to rebuilding the Koba organization, modelled after Jozef’s philosophies and work ethic. This was a new dawn on an old family.
While Jozef had been born and raised as mafia royalty, Havel had grown up in the trenches. They’d formed a close bond, but their outlooks were different. While Jozef saw his climb to the top as a responsibility, and sometimes a burden, Havel relished every step of the way. He was the true mobster of the two of them.
Before they wrapped up their meeting, Jozef tasked Havel with one more thing, on top of his already enormous workload.
I want you to fill the empty position in our team with a new member.Jozef tossed a file at Havel.
Havel raised an eyebrow and picked up the file, flipping it open. It was unusual for Jozef to fill their empty positions himself. Havel was used to being the voice of the business, while Jozef stayed behind the scenes orchestrating their missions. The two men and their entire team worked as a well-oiled machine, but they were down men.
Then there was Jozef. While he intended to continue running missions with his men, he wouldn’t always be available. If there was a scheduling conflict, his place was as boss of the Koba organization, not lead on an elite mercenary unit. He would need an alternate.
Flipping through the file, Havel started laughing. “You can’t be serious.”
Jozef stared at him without speaking.
Havel sobered quickly. “A woman.”
