High stakes, p.29
High Stakes, page 29
“Really?” Tanner’s voice was impassive, but his grip tightened on the phone. “I don’t remember Sandrino cheating. But I promise you won’t have that problem with me.” He asked, “Is it a deal? Do you want me to call my banker and order the transfer?”
Volkov was silent, and then he said slowly, “Call him.”
“How soon can you set up the game? Is it going to be a problem?”
“No, I know a place. Tomorrow night.”
But it had to be the right place. “It has to be very private, Volkov.”
“I know what I’m doing, Tanner,” he said, annoyed. “It’s not even in town. I’ll call you and give you directions after I check with the Caymans to make sure about the transfer.”
“You do that.”
“And bring Lara to the game, I want to take her with me the minute I win. Any problem?”
Tanner gazed at Lara across the room. “I’m certain she’ll be eager to see you.” He pressed the disconnect.
“So there we are,” he said as he put his phone on the end table. “Will you be eager to see him, Lara?”
“Yes.” She smiled wryly. “I’ll be glad to see the end of him. I believe it went fairly smoothly, don’t you?”
“As well as it could.” He smiled bitterly. “Considering I was selling you down the river.”
“But you did such a wonderful job of it.”
“Not amusing. I was praying he wouldn’t demand it.”
She shook her head. “There wasn’t even a chance. You heard him; it wasn’t going to work unless he had everything his own way. I could have told you that. And you gave him what he wanted.”
“The hell I did. I felt like a pimp.”
“Don’t be an idiot. This was my call, and I made it.”
“Tell that to Maria.”
She sighed. “She cornered you?”
“Twice. I did everything I could. But how can I blame her?”
“You can’t. She’s feeling helpless.”
“And you’re not?”
She shook her head. “I think we’re going to be fine, Tanner. We’ve gone over everything. You know what you’re going to do, and you keep telling me what a fantastic gambler you are.”
He grimaced. “You don’t even know what that means.”
She smiled. “You’ll show me tomorrow night.”
He shook his head. “You’re impossible.”
“I trust you,” she said simply. “It’s what you wanted, don’t knock it.”
“Far be it from me.” He got to his feet and crossed to where she was sitting. “I won’t knock it; I’ll just thank my lucky stars.” He brushed his hand along her cheekbone. “Go to bed. It will probably be a rough day tomorrow. And you might not be as serene as you are now.”
“We’ll get through it.” She let him pull her to her feet and started toward the door. “And it’s not exactly serenity; I just feel that it’s our turn, Tanner. All the terrible things have to end sometime, and then there will be the music and the dazzle. And even if it’s not quite our turn, we can make it that way. Because we deserve it. All we have to do is take it.” She smiled, lifted her hand in a half farewell, and then closed the door behind her.
* * *
Lara took a deep breath, hesitated, and then quietly opened Tanner’s bedroom door. It was dark in the room, but she knew exactly where he was. She could hear him breathing and saw him sitting in the chair by the balcony doors. She took another deep breath and then started to glide toward him “You knew I was coming. I thought you might. That one-step-ahead thing again? Were you waiting for me?”
“I was trying not to. I saw how emotional you were yesterday. Hell, you were positively aching with sympathy for me. I should have locked the door to keep you out.”
“But I’m so good with locks. You wouldn’t have stood a chance. Besides, you want this.” She chuckled. “You even warned me the other evening. I didn’t quite understand it at first, but then I put it together. I may not be your idea of exactly what you want in a woman, but you do want me. And all that other crap about not taking anything from me because I was some kind of victim was pretty lame. I went into that in detail later, but I think some of it still lingered.” She took off her sleep shirt and tossed it on the floor. “I may not be good at this yet, but I learn very fast and you’ll be surprised how quickly I’ll pick it up.”
“Are we talking about Maria again?”
“No.” She climbed on his lap, unbuttoned his shirt, and pressed her naked breasts against him. He inhaled sharply. “We’re talking about how I have trouble trusting, but I trust you. And how I like to touch you, and wish you’d stop pushing me away. It makes it difficult for me.” She tucked her head in the curve of his neck and whispered, “And we’re talking about how I’ve never felt anything like this for anyone else before and I keep getting confused. But it still feels right…”
“So damn right,” he said hoarsely as his arms tightened around her.
She stayed there for an instant longer and then got off his lap. “But maybe I’m wrong and I shouldn’t push myself on you. So I’m going to go lie in your bed over there, and I’d like it very much if you’d hold me all through the night. You don’t have to do anything else. But I think we might discover something good if you did. What do you think?”
“I think you’re killing me.” He watched her climb into the bed and push the covers down. Then he was on his feet and taking off the rest of his clothes. “And I think that you’ve started off right and that’s the way we’ll keep on for a while. I want to hold you. There’s no hurry, we’ll take it slow…” He was in bed now and drawing her against his body. “You feel so good. We’ll have the music and then the dazzle and then we’ll see what else is waiting for us out there…”
* * *
“It was all extraordinary.” Lara sat up straight in bed and then turned eagerly to face him. “At first, I thought the music was best. It was like Grieg or Debussy, all clear and gentle and beautiful. But then you brought in the dazzle and that was different and exciting. I could hardly breathe, but I didn’t want to breathe. I was on fire.” She bent down and kissed him exuberantly. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you.” He chuckled as he kissed her again. “You were a little absorbed in the process and you might not have noticed that I was fully engaged at all times.”
“Oh, I noticed.” She was rubbing her cheek catlike on his chest. “That’s what made it so extraordinary. I believe you must be quite wonderful at this. Or it could be that the way I feel about you makes the difference.” She looked up, her eyes twinkling. “Though it might be that I don’t have enough experience to tell yet. I remember you said something like that.”
“It’s unkind of you to throw it back in my face.” He kissed her again. “When I was trying to be one of the good guys.”
“You are one of the good guys,” she whispered as she nestled closer. “I can tell. I don’t need much experience to know that. And I might not be as good as you at this, but you just wait until Maria finishes with me. I’ll be fantastic.”
“You are fantastic.” He lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “You’re perfect in every way. You’ll always be that way because you’re constantly reaching out and changing. You don’t need Maria.”
He meant it. She blinked back tears. “Then I must be extraordinary, too. It’s good to know.” She swallowed hard and then said lightly, “But you’re wrong, I’ll still need Maria. What if you become more extraordinary than I am? I’d have to keep up.”
He gave a mock groan. “Impossible. Pressure. Pressure.” He suddenly turned her over on her back and smiled down at her. “So I’ll just have to go back to the basics. Which were not totally completed.”
“Of course they were,” she said flatly. “Nothing could have been more complete.”
“I beg to disagree.” His tongue was on her breast. “You mentioned dazzle, which was very close to reaching that point. But I admit I purposely rather shortchanged the music.” He bit down teasingly on her other nipple. “I’m not really into Grieg and Debussy, but I wanted it for you. Now I think we should go for the fireworks.”
“Fireworks?” She was trying to work out what he meant, but it was difficult when his hands were now between her legs and she could only feel. “What do you—” She gasped!
“What do you think I mean?” he asked softly. “Tell me.”
Then it came to her. Of course, what else could it be? And what else could be happening to her body.
Fireworks!
“Tchaikovsky!”
* * *
Taj Safe House
6:05 P.M., Next Day
Lara braced herself and then opened Maria’s door.
Maria was working on her computer and didn’t look up as Lara came into the room. It wasn’t like Maria to be this cold, dammit. “Are you still upset with me?”
“I’m not upset.” Maria looked up and then drew a deep breath as she saw what Lara was wearing. “The white gown. The one Tanner sent me a picture of. You look…beautiful.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t think it suits me at all. The only reason I’m wearing it is that it might be a distraction. Tanner said that distractions are always good during a game. Volkov isn’t used to seeing me in stuff like this.”
“Neither am I. I don’t agree. I kind of like it.” Her lips tightened. “But I don’t like him seeing you in it. I don’t want you there at all.” She held up her hand as Lara opened her lips. “I’ve given up trying to dissuade you. You shouldn’t be going. Mallory came by and told me that Tanner had assigned him to take care of me this evening and that I shouldn’t worry. That means Rennell will be at that casino to back up any play Tanner makes. He doesn’t need you.”
“He needs me,” she said quietly. “Because nothing will happen if I’m not there.”
“And that doesn’t sound bad to me, either.”
Lara sat down on the bed. “I trust him. He’s not going to let anything happen to me, Maria.”
“If he does, I’ll cut his heart out,” Maria said.
“That will keep him in line,” Lara said dryly.
“I hope so.” Then Maria pulled Lara close. “Take care,” she said huskily. “Don’t let that son of a bitch Volkov do anything to you. I’d have to go after him myself.” Then she pushed her away. “Get out of here. I have to get back to my computer.”
“I’m going. I’ll see you after the game.” She forced herself not to look back as she went out the door and down the staircase.
“Beautiful.” Tanner was standing at the foot of the staircase dressed in his tuxedo. He reached out and touched her damp cheek as she reached him. “Am I supposed to ignore this?”
“Yes, it’s nothing. Maria was upset.”
“But not you?” He answered himself. “Of course not, this is just another Trial to you. Piece of cake.” He paused. “You could skip it. I could wing it.”
“No, you couldn’t. You’re not nearly as distracting as I am.” She grimaced. “I’ve held the bastard in thrall since I was eleven years old.” She forced a smile. “But you’d better make sure there’s a poker handy.”
“There will be. Not the kind you used on him before.” He took a deck of cards from his jacket pocket. “But it might do just as much damage…”
Chapter
15
The Mountain Casino was located on a road off the interstate deep in the mountains. The casino itself was a large building but totally unimpressive, even shabby. Still, the mountainous landscape on which it rested was rugged and powerful. Rough, rocky slopes led up to a high ridge that towered over the boulders below. The area was isolated, and even the rocky parking lot looked a little deserted. Tanner made no attempt to enter the lot but parked across the road some distance away.
“It doesn’t look like a happening place to spend an evening, does it?” she asked lightly. “I can see why any tourist would miss it entirely.”
“I think that’s why it attracted Volkov,” Tanner said. “You said he liked to be the center of attention, but I’d bet he also liked to have his own space. It’s all in what you do with the space.”
Lara shivered as she remembered Volkov’s use of the space at his mountain home. “No bet.”
He nodded. “I told you I wondered why he built that house in the middle of nowhere. Sandrino liked his privacy, too, but there wasn’t anything dark about him.”
But this conversation was becoming dark. She quickly changed the subject. “It’s still almost deserted. Are we early? Or is there some reason you wanted to get here before anyone else?”
“Yes, we’re early. And I did want to get here a bit before you had to face the rest of the world so that I could talk to you.” He paused. “Things might get a little wild tonight, and I don’t want you to feel lost or that you’re not able to keep up. Sometimes I go full speed ahead and don’t stop to let anyone catch up.”
“I’ve noticed.” She chuckled. “And I feel I keep up very well. If I didn’t, I’d just rein you in and put you in a corner until you stopped thinking and started explaining. You can be maddening at times, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
He grinned. “I knew that. But you’re going to have to face Volkov tonight. I wanted everything clear for you. No matter what I have to say or do.”
“Everything is clear between us.” She smiled as she shook her head. “And I’m not afraid of Volkov, or anything he tries to do to hurt me. Been there, done that. My fight, too, Tanner. Now will you stop fretting?”
“Fretting?” He made a face. “You make me sound like your grandmother.”
“I don’t know if I have a living grandmother. Maria made no effort to contact her parents after everything that happened to her. They wouldn’t have understood. She thought it would only hurt them.”
“It might be time to take another look,” he said gently. “I think they’d be proud of both of you.”
“That will be up to Maria.” She took his hand. “We’re proud of each other, and I’m proud of you. So that may be enough.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “But a grandmother might be nice…” She chuckled. “If she didn’t fret.” Then she sat up straight. “But now if you’re through with that nonsense, you can fill me in on what’s going to happen tonight. I know you’ve had Rennell and Mallory both out here. I know there will be a poker game, but no real details.”
“It’s better that way, much more entertaining. Much more dazzle. We’ll just play everything by ear.”
She looked at him suspiciously. “But you won’t do that.”
“Maybe a few things. It’s more fun for me if I set a few traps along the way.” He tilted his head. “But what should you know? That this mountain is full of deceptions of one kind or the other. Both Volkov’s and Rennell’s. That beyond that ridge is a canyon where they’ve hidden the helicopter in which Anton brought his thugs from Russia. That Volkov had a considerable force here before he yanked them out to keep his word to me. He lied, of course. There are probably some of them out there in those rocks watching us now.”
“Comforting.”
“It doesn’t matter. Unless you want to do something with me that you don’t want them to see. In which case I’ll have to go up there in the rocks and forcibly remove them. It would be entirely worth it.”
She started to laugh. “Tanner.”
“No? Just a thought.” He was rubbing the back of her neck. “Relax. We have a little time before we have to go face the dragons. Close your eyes and think of Maria and fretting grandmothers and Tchaikovsky.”
“What a mixture.” She’d rather think of Tanner and she thought he knew it. She was feeling all the tension and sadness of her disagreement with Maria flowing away from her. He had wanted that to happen. The edginess and uncertainty were vanishing, too. That was probably why he’d brought her here, so that she could have this time to gather herself together before the storm. She drew closer to him. “I adore the idea of fretting grandmothers, and Maria, and Tchaikovsky.” She kissed him. “And there’s an excellent chance that I might positively love you, Logan Tanner. Thank you for coming into my life.” She kissed him again. “Now we’ll stay like this for another few minutes and then we’ll go face those dragons. If that’s all right?”
He didn’t answer. He just drew her even closer.
And that was fine. That was more than enough.
* * *
Taj Safe House
7:05 P.M.
Rennell was backing the Land Rover out of the garage.
No more time to wait. In a minute he’d be gone.
Maria stepped out into the driveway and blocked his way.
Rennell put on the brakes and got out of the car. “You’re having trouble? I don’t have time for you right now. Go find Mallory.”
She made a face. “That would be awkward since I just sent him to the music room to adjust Lara’s keyboard. It would only confuse him. I won’t keep you long if you’ll be reasonable.”
“You won’t keep me long, period. I have a job to do. Get out of the driveway.”
She shook her head. “I’m going with you. You’re not going to get rid of me. You shouldn’t even try. I’ll help you.”
“Bullshit. You don’t know what you’re talking about. If I’d wanted help, I could have drafted someone who knew what they were doing. You’d just get in my way.”
“No, I won’t. I’m only here to protect, and to even some scores. And you didn’t really want anyone who might think they knew how the job should be run and might question you. You don’t want a partner. You need someone who will do exactly what you say. That’s me, Rennell. I believe you know what you’re doing. If you want to kill anyone out there, I won’t blink. I’m strong, and I’ll never say no.” She paused. “Unless you tell me to do something that might hurt my daughter. That’s out of the question. But that’s not on the agenda tonight, so I don’t have to worry about it. You’re going after the bad guys, and I’m going to help you.” She looked him in the eye. “Aren’t I, Rennell?”
