Stephan

by S F Draven

  “I suppose so. Well, I have to run a few errands before tonight. Please, keep the guest list to a minimum, I can’t have word getting back to my father,” I said.

  “Of course,” she said, and I was glad to be out of there for a little while.

  It didn’t matter that she was holed up in my room waiting for nightfall to approach so she could woo some guy she’d just met. From what she had told me, he seemed to be exactly the kind of guy our parents have begged us not to get involved with, but there was no one that could ever tell Natalia what to do. She prided herself on being free of any constraints brought about by her birthright, and the line of criminals she descended from. I was trying to do the same thing in a much different way. I didn’t know enough about any of it to understand whether I wanted out or not, but I knew that my dreams were simple. The riches didn’t interest me, but when they were attached to art, it’s like it all suddenly started to make sense.

  My family and I had been on so many trips touring many parts of Europe securing pieces that have been in my family's collection for years, and I’d always been so fascinated by how much history could be in a single painting. I studied it long enough to know that’s where my heart was, and it was why I started seeking out a place to open a gallery in the first place.

  My father had graciously helped out in the process, but he always told me that he’d be needing my eye for incredible work soon enough. I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but he gave me the final push and recommendation I needed to get the place I desperately wanted. It was like things were finally falling into place for me, and the only time my father took it upon himself not to criticize me, it was when we were discussing art.

  I always had a rather sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I thought about why he’d been so considerate in making the process of guaranteeing the property so much easier like he was holding out to collect on his favor at a later date.

  The most he’d ever asked me for in the past had been to be nice to his dinner guests, and pretend that I didn’t know about his extracurricular activities. I’d seen him come home with his dress shirt soaked in blood, appearing like he was wounded from battle. I started putting the pieces together when I heard my parents fighting about it when I was a little girl, and ever since then I had a feeling that the time would come for me to step up to the plate, assuming my position to uphold the Novikov name.

  It was at times like that that I wanted to get away from it all, the thought of the terrible things my father must’ve done to get where he is today, and how much of it my mother must’ve seen when they first started seeing each other. I never thought I’d ever be able to handle something like that, even if it was what was expected of me. Sometimes, I felt like my father was right and I had let too much of my life slip through my fingers, spending all of my time studying to get my Master’s degree.

  He was the kind of man that believed practical knowledge always outweighed anything I could learn from a book, but that was only because he grew up gunning people down to take away their hard-earned money to later fund his now thriving business. I didn’t want to be that kind of person, and I tried to distance myself from it until I knew enough to make a firm decision about how I wanted the rest of my life to play out.

  My father had always warned my mother and I that with a business like that, there could always be consequences that we may not be ready to face. I was well aware that my father had enemies, but I still didn’t know anything about them, or what they could possibly do if they ever wanted to take action against him. Those were the kinds of things I never liked to think about because it made my life seem much more complicated than it already was.

  You’ve gone twenty-nine years of your life without so much as a break-in. There’s nothing you need to be worried about now. You have to trust them when they tell you that you’re going to be safe.

  The walk to the empty rental space had been calming, but the air still felt heavy after last night’s storm. The skies were still rather gloomy, thick with grey clouds, and I could’ve sworn I felt a raindrop fall onto my cheek just as I opened the door to the little old building. It smelled of fresh paint and cleaning solution when I walked in and I was greeted by the realtor who was carrying a file in her hand, trying to quit the urge to bite down on her pen while I thought over securing the place one last time.

  “Is this the one?” she asked, persistently.

  “Yes, I definitely think it is. I knew I’d be sure once I saw it again, and I do believe that it has the potential to become a lovely gallery,” I said, glancing around the big open space, trying to envision where everything would go once I finally received the keys.

  “I can’t wait to see what you do with the place,” she said, grinning, practically shoving the last bit of paperwork into my hands, waiting for my final signatures. I took them from her, opening up the file and signing on the dotted line before I handed them back, taking in a deep breath.

  “The place is all yours, Ms. Novikova. I can drop off the keys this evening on my way home from the office, if that’s alright?” she asked.

  “Yes, of course,” I said, and she rushed out of the door like she had been late to her next showing, and I had completely forgotten to tell her that I’d be having a little gathering that evening.

  It’ll be fine. She will only be there for a moment, and besides, I told Nat to keep the guest list short. Hopefully, she listens to me this time.

  I sent a text message to Natalia telling her that I was going to pick up a few things for the party before heading home, running to find an appropriate outfit. I was rushing down the street with a few shopping bags in my hands when I noticed the overcast sky, and it wasn’t long before the rain was pouring down over me, soaking me entirely.

  This is what I get for walking, I thought, rushing into the nearest building to dry off and waiting for the weather to let up a bit before I headed home. I glanced down at my wristwatch to see that I only had about two hours to get ready before people would start arriving, but I knew Natalia would hold down the fort if I was late.

  “It’s crazy out there, huh? The weather’s been on and off all week,” I heard a voice from behind me. I was trying to wring my hair out on the porch of what I realized was a little coffee shop, and I turned and smiled back at the stranger.

  “I should’ve brought an umbrella,” I said, and I could feel my smudged makeup begin to dry, but I didn’t care much until I got a good look at the handsome stranger. His dark hair fell effortlessly in front of his eyes, and his smile was absolutely captivating. I found myself growing rather self-conscious, that I probably looked like a mess, but he didn’t seem to mind. He’s probably just trying to be polite.

  “There was no telling it was going to rain again after last night. Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me while we wait for the weather to clear?” he asked, and as much as I wanted to take him up on that offer, I knew that if I did, Natalia was going to kill me.

  “I’d love to, but I really have to call a cab and get out of here. All of this last-minute shopping was for a party, and my best friend is going to kill me if I don’t show up on time,” I said, with a nervous chuckle.

  “Of course. It was nice meeting you, uh?”

  “Annika. My name is Annika,” I said, feeling my heart beat loudly in my chest, and I couldn’t remember the last time I was that anxious around a man.

  “That’s a beautiful name. Well, Annika. I better let you go because you do look like you’re in a hurry,” he said, and I thanked him kindly. He left before I got the chance to ask him what his name was, but he was so lovely, he left me blushing.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I had an encounter like that, and it lightened my mood, especially because I had no idea what the rest of the night had in store. I called a cab, heading back home with about forty-five minutes to get ready. I could already hear Natalia yelling my name from upstairs, and I rushed up to meet her.

  “Well, it’s about time!” />
  “I’m sorry, I got a little held up,” I said, trying to hold back my smile.

  “Held up, huh? You’re blushing! Did someone run into a handsome stranger?” she asked, and it was like she could read my mind.

  “Something like that. We’ll talk about it later when Lara gets here. I have to get ready and hope that the rain didn’t ruin the new dress I bought. I hope that you have everything in order because if anyone tries to turn this house upside down, I’m the one that’s going to have to answer to my father,” I said, warning her.

  “Everyone will be on their best behavior, I promise. We just need to let loose like the old times, have a night where we don’t have to worry about anything, and hopefully get laid,” said Natalia.

  “I still have yet to meet this guy that you’ve been seeing, and if I know you well enough, he’s probably trouble.”

  “What makes you say that?” she asked, with a giggle.

  “You have a type, Nat. How many times have I pulled you out of bars before you went home with someone that was probably going to kidnap you?”

  “It’s different this time, Annika. He seems sweet, and I don’t think he has any idea what kind of danger we’re used to seeing. We may not be readily involved in what our families get up to, but we aren’t stupid,” she said.

  “Sometimes, I think that they believe we have no idea what they’re really up to, but I leave it at that. The less we know the better, and I have a feeling that once the time is right, they’re going to try to involve us whether we like it or not.”

  “That is a problem for another day.”

  “Yes it is, now let the night begin.”

  I didn’t know what I was in for, or if I was even going to have any fun knowing that I was hiding yet another secret from my parents while they were out of town. It was hard enough for me to still be living at home, and on nights like this I couldn’t help but feel like a teenager, but my father had strict rules about having people in the house due to his criminal activity. He was always afraid that we were going to invite the wrong people in, and that we’d find ourselves in too much trouble, but I didn’t see the harm in having a few friends over. I was feeling rather stressed, and I could only hope that this would finally be the night I get to take my mind off of things and just relax.

  No drama tonight, Annika. Let it go, and enjoy it for once.

  Chapter Three: Stephan

  Who is she? I thought, sipping on my espresso, watching the rainfall turn to a drizzle before I made my way out. I couldn’t remember the last time I ran into a stranger that piqued my interest the way that Annika did, and we barely said two words to each other. I wondered if it was maybe due to how incredibly beautiful she was, and I wished I had a bit more of her time because now I had no way of seeing her again.

  She nearly made me forget what I’m doing here in the first place. I can’t believe I let Adrian talk me into running this mediocre job before we go to some party tonight because he met a girl he can’t seem to stop thinking about. I told him time and time again that we couldn’t afford to be making connections when we were constantly on the run, but I was starting to see where he’s coming from. If I had another minute with Annika, I probably would’ve wanted to go wherever she was headed. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something different about that girl.

  “Hey, you ready to go?” Adrian asked. I nodded and we all got onto our motorcycles and set off down the alleyway behind a small bank. We were in need of a bit of extra cash, and I wasn’t going to wait until another contract came in to get it. I felt quite guilty because I was starting to line up work without Adrian, Eduard, and Feliks, but they had to know that we’d all start to go our separate ways eventually.

  Outside the bank, I gave one last briefing. “We’re going to move in fast, get what we need, and get out of there before the cops show up,” I said. “If you want to make this party tonight to woo your girl, Adrian, we don’t have time to fuck things up, okay?” They all nodded in unison.

  “It’s now or never boys,” I said, and we all checked our weapons, pulled our ski masks over our faces, and we burst in through the front doors shooting off the first few shots to see everyone start to duck and scream.

  “On the ground everyone, this won’t take long,” I said, pointing at the ones who looked like they wanted to run, and I headed up to tellers who had a familiar sense of fear in their eyes.

  “Hi, darling. I’m going to need you to get me into the vault, now. If you don’t, I’m going to blow your head off, okay?” I said, and she nodded at me. I followed her to the back, watching her shaky hands open up the vault, and the guys and I started to fill our duffles with as much cash as we could fit in.

  I could hear the sirens high in the air outside the bank and we only had about two minutes before the cops would burst in to take us all out. I noticed that in the very back of the vault, there was something in there that I didn’t expect to see. It was in a cylindrical cardboard cover, but in my efforts to rush out of there, I grabbed it and ran, and we escaped without having to gun anybody down.

  We rode off, trying to lose the police that were hot on our tail, until we managed to disappear down a few choice alleyways that we had planned ahead of the raid, to where the sedan was parked. Here, we dumped the bikes and torched them before jumping into the sedan and setting off in another direction.

  “Job well done, boys. I say we deserve to enjoy a night off after that one. We’ll split like usual,” I said.

  “What about that thing?” asked Eduard, noticing the cylinder that stood upright in the passenger seat.

  “I have no idea what it is, but there’s no cash in there, It’s too damn light. I’ll take care of it,” I said. I had no idea what it was or what was inside it, though something was drawing me to it, so I played it down, and they let it go.

  The sun had begun to set, and we had to head somewhere to get cleaned up. Home was out of the question just in case there were still any police left on our trail, and once the coast was clear, I had a feeling we’d all be coming home with women on our arms. I could already see that Adrian had that giddy look on his face like he was back in his younger years, getting ready to see a girl for the first time.

  We pulled over at a gas station, and the guys got out and headed towards the bathrooms. I lingered in the driver’s seat, waiting for them all to get inside before I took the cylindrical cardboard between my fingers, opening it up to see what could’ve possibly been inside. When I pulled out the fragile painting and had a few moments to study it, I realized why it was hiding in the back of that vault.

  A Malevich painting? What the hell is something with this kind of value doing in a bank vault? I carefully placed it back inside the tube and put it in the trunk before the guys came back.

  I didn’t bother cleaning up because I didn’t want to leave any of them alone knowing that there was a painting in the trunk of my car that was worth more than I’d ever made in my entire life. It wasn’t the kind of information I wanted to share, and I had a feeling that it was going to be my ticket out of these smaller jobs so I could finally start earning more and making a living on my own. The older I got, the greedier I became, and I didn’t want to share everything I made with them even though I’d known them my entire life.

  This may be the opportunity I’ve been looking for, but I’m going to have to find someone willing to take a look at this piece and price it before I know what to do with it. Something tells me that I’m going to have to be careful with who I trust around this. It is a Malevich painting after all.

  The night was young when we finally made the drive up to the lavish mansion with the wrought-iron gates and perfectly landscaped garden. It was a much bigger property than the one we lived in and it took half of the money we’d ever made to even get that. I was in awe at the long stone pillars and cascading stairs up to the front double doors.

  What kind of girl are you really seeing, Adrian?

  I rang the doorbell, and it slowly
opened to reveal a beautiful woman who I assumed was the one Adrian had been after, seeing as how his face lit up the moment he laid eyes on her.

  “Welcome. I see you brought your friends,” she said, and I could tell from the crowd behind her that she wasn’t quite used to men like us. We stood out instantly amongst the rich businessmen, the housewives, and anyone else that managed to weasel their way in here.

  “I hope that’s alright, Natalia. I don’t really go many places without them,” Adrian said, and she smiled, opening the door up wider for us to enter.

  “Have a lovely time, boys. Drinks are through there,” she said, pointing towards the French doors across from the living room.

  “Have fun, Adrian. Try not to get yourself into too much trouble,” I said, patting him on the shoulder, and he shot me a smile before taking off with Natalia.

  I broke away from the pack as soon as I could because I genuinely needed a moment alone to think about what I was going to do about the painting I stumbled upon.

  If I could find something like that on a whim, what could I find if I was actually looking for it?

  Gazing around the elegant living room, I noticed that the entire home was covered in expensive artwork.

  I didn’t think I would’ve even noticed it had I not found that painting today because even though I knew a thing or two about art, I wasn’t absolutely consumed by it the way the owner of this house must be. There must be millions of dollars in this room alone.

  I thought about sacrificing it all and stealing one of them, but there would be no way for me to do that without alerting someone to my activity. I decided I had to find out who was the collector around here, so I could ask a few questions about the painting in my possession without letting them know that I had it.

  I made my way through the French doors into the bar, where I poured myself a drink in one of the crystal glasses that were laid out for the guests. I took a deep breath, enjoying the silence for a moment before I heard footsteps approach me.