𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐑 ▸ Rose and Lissa have been best friends since kindergarten. Their friendship has grown and changed but they still have each other's backs - even as Queen and Head of the Queen's Guardians. Rose has always said she do '...
"I'm not sure you can help me, but maybe I can help you?" Abe replied.
"And how do you think you can do that?" Hans asked neutrally. He didn't want to offend the man universally known as Zmey – but he wasn't stupid enough to become indebted to him either.
"I trade in many things, Croft. Not the least of which is information..."
"Let me stop you there, Mr. Mazur. If you're ringing to tell me what I think you are, I already know."
"Is that so?" Abe asked, his voice instantly glacial. If Hans had known all along and was complicit in Lissa setting Rose up, Abe was going to end him. Rose had elicited a promise that he'd not go after Lissa; he was under no such limitation when it came to Croft.
"If we're talking about the same thing, it's information I've only just become aware of in the last couple of days," Hans quickly stated.
The men paused, neither wanting to be the one to spill the beans.
"Have you spoken with your daughter recently?" Hans finally asked as a way to move the discussion forward.
"I have. Rose, Belikov, and their little girl are doing well."
"I'm pleased to hear that. I only saw the baby a couple of times. A cute little thing – not that she looked much like Rose..." It was as far as Hans was willing to go.
"No. Her eyes are green, and Rose tells me her hair is getting fairer by the day..."
Nothing more needed to be said – they were on the same page.
"They're happy and living their lives. I'll be extremely disappointed if anything happens to disturb the life they're making together with that little girl," Abe warned. "I might be so disappointed I'd be forced to act, and I doubt anyone would like that. They've both served loyally and sacrificed so much. They don't deserve to be messed around..."
"I understand and agree. Completely. Neither of them deserves that." Now he knew the truth, Hans was ashamed at how completely he'd been played, and how he'd unwittingly been duped into being part of what had happened to Hathaway.
"As long as you remember that, you and I won't have a problem," Abe declared hanging up.
"And hopefully all the statues at Court will remain intact," Hans muttered, rubbing his forehead with one hand and replacing the handset with the other as he thought about the last time Abe had decided to 'step in' to protect his daughter.
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"She is," Dimitri said simply, after flipping his phone onto speaker, calmly answering the question he'd known Christian would eventually ask.
"How long have you known?" Christian asked, his voice tight. He could barely spit the words out he felt so betrayed.
