The Red Ribbon {Kaz Brekker X Reader}

Risky Business

~Kaz pov~

The heist for tonight is going to go as follows:

1. At 9 bells, we head to the Mercher's mansion.
2. We part ways with Jesper, who will be the distraction as the DeKappel is being taken.
3. I unlock the back door of the mansion.
4. Y/N and I go upstairs while the mercher is distracted by Jesper's "charms". Inej keeps an eye on the Mercher's location in the house.
5. Y/N and I secure the DeKappel and head out the back door at exactly half past 9 bells. Inej will follow suit. Jesper will meet us on the way back.

A simple heist, really. Y/N should easily be able to handle it. She looks so familiar but for the life of me I can't figure out why. It doesn't matter, I have a heist to prepare for and she seems trustworthy. Inej got information yesterday about the guard shifts at the mansion, so we will easily go in and out without unwanted interruption.

I stand from my desk and I pull my gloves out of my pocket, before I leave my room to go the Crow Club. The red ribbon falls out and drops to the floor. I abruptly pick it up and shove it back into my pocket. A constant reminder of my ultimate goal. Get enough Kruge, bathe in it, take down Pekka Rollins, and take down 'Saskia'. In that order.

~ Y/N pov ~

I have my first heist with the Dregs today. But I cannot get my mind off of the ominous note that was left for me last night. I have many reasons to believe that Inej wrote it, but I need confirmation. Kaz just left his office to go to wreak havoc on the Barrel or whatever he does during the day, so if anything written by Inej exists, it's gonna be in there.

I grab the note from my bedside table and make my way across the hall right into Kaz's room. His desk is overflowing with documents and maps. Where do I even start? I look at the paper on the center of the desk, but it's just a blueprint of the Mercher's mansion we are breaking into tonight. So, I look at the surrounding stacks of paper, and see Pekka's name come up quite often. Lots of plans against him. Hm. He really must've messed up Kaz's life, like he did mine. Glad to know we have a very common goal.

I find no papers that match the handwriting of the note. I guess I'll have to just signal to Inej that I got her message and then go from there. I shove the note in my pocket and turn from Kaz's desk to see a figure standing in the doorframe. I feel my soul leave my body for a solid second as I think Kaz has caught me snooping. But no, it's just Jesper looking smug as usual.

"If you are looking for Kaz, he is at the Crow Club doing business." He says, taking a look around Kaz's room himself.

"What kind of business?" I ask, trying to deflect the conversation off of me completely.

"Oh, you know. Dealing cards, catching cheaters, fooling pigeons..." He replies, slowly starting to daydream about the casino.

"What do you mean by 'pigeons'?" I ask.

Jesper gestures for me to follow him and explains, "Pigeons are the equivalent of free Kruge in the Barrel. They provide us with a lot of money, for one simple reason. They are too stupid to realize that they suck at card games and are being scammed."

I get taken back to Jakob Hertzoon and how I was scammed out of my money too. Then I think about Jesper, who seems to love card games but is somehow in debt to Kaz.

"Are you a pigeon, Jesper?" I ask with a smirk.

"No comment," he says with a smirk of his own, "are you?"