Vitki raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure they were all stories?”
Ivo laughed louder. “Of course they were. People don’t fly through the air or drink blood. That’s only in the movies.”
Of course, he had fully believed those outrageous tales when he was a child. He had been mesmerized by them, wanting more each time he heard one. Max had always made it sound as if he was the one flying through the air, not some creature of the night.
Ivo swallowed tightly, his throat swelling with emotion as he realized he would never hear another of those outlandish tales. The ache was right there in the center of his chest, heavy, lingering.
“I’m going to miss him.”
“You will see him again someday.”
Ivo wasn’t sure he had Vitki’s faith.
“I will show you places,” Vitki said, “places Max would have wanted to show you. I will show you the bridge towers of the Charles Bridge, St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle, the bridges over the River Vltava, Vyšehradfortress, the National Theatre.”
Ivo laughed as Vitki listed off places he had only heard about from Max. “I’m not sure I’ll be in Prague long enough to see all of those places.”
“We’ll see.”
Before he could reply, the plane set down with a jarringthud. Ivo snapped his eyes closed and gripped the armrests again. By the time the plane came to a stop and he heard the engines wind down, his fingers ached from holding on.
“We are here, Ivo.”
Ivo opened his eyes and glanced toward the small oval window next to him. Sure enough, they were at the airport. He unbuckled and stood, making sure he had his jacket and small bag with him.
“Now what?”
“We must go through customs, but they will meet us in the VIP lounge.”
Hmm. Ivo guessed money meant royal treatment. Still, it was odd when everyone he met as he stepped off the plane practically bowed to him. Well, the four men in dark suits and sunglasses waiting on the tarmac didn’t bow, but they barely moved except to survey the surrounding area.
Vitki snapped his fingers, and the four men moved closer. “These men are part of your security detail, Ivo. You are to go nowhere without one of us at your side at all times. Understood?”
Not really, but Ivo nodded anyway.
When they started walking, the four men closed in around them. “There are eight men on your security detail. Four of them will travel with you at all times. The other four are back at the estate, ensuring the area is secure. I will introduce them when we arrive. You are to trust no one else.”
This was all a bit scary.
The man who met them at the doorway to the VIP lounge was scary for a whole different reason. He almost vibrated with eagerness. “Mr. Koubek, it’s such an honor to meet you. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Ivo raised an eyebrow when Vitki growled. His jaw almost dropped when Vitki moved between him and the eager stranger. Who exactly was this guy?
“Mr. Koubek would like to get through customs as quickly as possible. We need to reach his country estate before nightfall.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” The sweaty little man wiped at his damp brow with a white cloth handkerchief. “If you will just come this way, I can see to it personally.”
Ivo smiled at the man to take some of the sting out of Vitki’s words. “Thank you. That would be very helpful.”
Ivo stayed close to Vitki as he followed after the clerk or whatever he was. He wasn’t scared exactly, but there was definitely something in the air that unnerved him. Having Vitki close to his side made him feel a bit more comfortable.
Getting through customs always seemed so daunting in the movies. Ivo was pretty sure the VIP treatment thing made the whole procedure go quickly and effortlessly. It might also have been Vitki’s deep glower.
“Thank you,” Ivo said as he shook the clerk’s hand. “You’ve been very helpful.”
“So glad I could be of service, Mr. Koubek. Is there anything else you need? Anything at all?” The man lifted one bushy eyebrow, a funny little smile coming to his thin lips. It looked almost as if he was trying to purse them but didn’t have enough lips to pull the look off. He rubbed his thumb over the top of Ivo’s hand.
Ivo was quite proud of himself. He didn’t recoil in horror. He smiled tightly and pulled his hand out of the other man’s grasp. “Thank you, but we really must be going. Maybe another time.”
