“Aiden Romanov,” Jude booms walking over to me with his hand outstretched.
I don’t want to touch him. It’s best I don’t, but I know I must to play the game.
“Jude Kuzmin, to what do I owe the pleasure?” I say, doing my best to keep the strain out of my voice. “I’m told you’re here as a matter of urgency.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Sorry to hear that. Please sit.”
He does and his men stay by the door, guarding it. I don’t like anyone acting like they have authority over me in my own company.
Not even the D’Agostinos or the bosses in Chicago behave that way, yet here Jude is acting like he owns me.
“What’s happened?” I ask as if I don’t know.
I can just imagine how terrified Olivia would be if she knew he was here, and talking to me. I keep hearing her beg me not to let him hurt her.
I won’t.
“My fiancée , or rather soon to be fiancée has been taken, kidnapped. Her name is Olivia Markov.”
“Fuck, how did that happen?” I’m such a good actor.
“I think it must have been somebody watching me, waiting for the chance. She came here for a wedding show, and I foolishly send two guards. They were two of my best though so I thought it was enough. They were found dead in their hotel suite. The cameras were wiped. I think whoever took her was powerful and skilled,” Jude adds.
That’s right and probably why he’s here, because he thinks it’s me.
He knows I’m both. Powerful and skilled.
After I dismissed the idea Jude sent Olivia to kill me, I knew the fucker would still come my way as there’s only a few men in L.A. with balls enough to kidnap his fiancée. Now his eye is turned to me.
“When did this happen?”
“Last week. I’m here to ask for your assistance, and if you might have heard anything. I once worked with your father many years ago and for a very long time. While things might not have ended well between us, I respect your family and your accomplishments.”
He almost sounds like an honorable man. But he’s full of bullshit and he’s an idiot if he thinks I’m falling for it.
“I appreciate that. I haven’t heard anything but of course I’ll offer my assistance. What does she look like?”
He pulls a picture of Olivia from his wallet and slides it over to me.
Despite the radiance of her beauty, in this picture Olivia has the same unfocused look like she doesn’t know the picture is being taken. It’s obviously from one of his stash and I feel dirty touching it. It’s quite a thing when someone as evil as me can say that.
Maybe I’m not that bad after all if I want to shun something that feels dirty.
“Pretty girl,” I comment.
“Exactly, obviously I want her back.”
That sounds more like a warning. His tone gives him away, that he suspects me. He’s just not sure.
“Obviously.”
“She’s quite previous to me.” that’s the obsession in him talking and if I couldn’t read people as well as I can I’d miss the flicker of rage I see flash through his eyes.
What he’s wearing is a mask of calm and he has a beast inside him too that wants to come out.
I try to figure out what might have tipped him off that I have Olivia and I realize it’s perfectly obvious given my war with the Order. If he’s guessed I know he’s working with them, then he probably thinks this is something I’m doing because of that.