High Stakes Read online

  “I’d bet that you were fighting exhaustion before you took that little nap. I doubt if it did you any good.” He tilted his head. “But you’re not going to admit it, and you’ll resent it if I suggest you stop worrying and relax. You’d probably suspect my wicked motives and be all the more on edge.” He got to his feet. “You never did get that coffee I promised you. I imagine you’ll accept, because the caffeine will keep you alert enough to detect any of my foul plans.” He smiled. “So I’ll make certain that the coffee is very black and strong, and I’ll send it back with Mallory to avoid you having to contend with me for a while.” He was moving down the aisle toward the cockpit. “You’ll have a lot in common with Mallory. He spends a good deal of his time giving me a hard time, too…”

  * * *

  “Has she calmed down?” Mallory turned in the copilot’s seat and gazed at Tanner as he opened the door. “Nash said her mother was pretty cool after he convinced her that nothing bad was going to happen to Lara. She was principally just confused.”

  Tanner nodded at Jordan who was flying the plane before he turned back to Mallory. “Calm?” he repeated thoughtfully. “I don’t think she knows the meaning of the word. She’s like a beautifully balanced dagger ready to strike at the first hint of an attack. And I don’t think it’s because she’s feeling threatened by the situation. I have an idea she’s like that all the time.”

  “One can hardly blame her,” Mallory said, “considering how she grew up. The attack must have always been right around the corner.” He snapped his fingers. “But that’s right, you were too busy to read that file Kaskov left for you. That’s okay, you’d probably have found it boring anyway. But it might help you to control her since we have to get her settled.”

  “Really? I hardly think so. She has a particular dislike of being controlled.”

  “And you have a passion for being in control,” Mallory said. “My, my. What a conundrum. What are we going to do?”

  “I don’t have to do anything.” Tanner grinned. “I can leave it up to you. You read the file. Deal with her. Reassure her, so that she won’t choose the parachute option.” He jerked his thumb toward the door. “But take a pot of strong coffee with you and watch your back.”

  “What a challenge.” Mallory got to his feet. “But I will persevere. I’m always better with people than you are. You’re far too impatient.”

  “Are we back to those dealers again?”

  “Why should I let you forget them? You caused me a full two hours of smoothing their egos and then coaxing them to stay.” He passed Tanner and opened the door. “If you need something to do while you’re sitting up here as I do your job, her file is in my bag beside the chair.”

  “So?”

  “Just thought I’d tell you. You’re fighting it, but you’re curious as hell. You’re always like that when you have a hand you don’t quite know how to play. Shall I give you a teaser?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “The bastards called them the Trials. They’d get together and choose a task to give Lara to accomplish in a certain amount of time, usually six months or less. Usually something dangerous, almost always illegal. Nothing easy, nothing familiar. Then Volkov would bet a certain amount against her, and her father would choose if he wanted to accept it. He always did. Then her father would give her as much tutoring as he thought she’d need and then she’d have to do the Trial. She did the first one when she came back from Moscow after the competition. I think she was about eleven. She lost that Trial and ended up in the hospital with a broken leg and a concussion. Is that intriguing enough for you?”

  He left the cockpit before Tanner could answer.

  Crafty bastard, Tanner thought. He knew damn well he’d be intrigued and pissed off at that “teaser.” Yet the last thing he wanted was to feel pity or protectiveness toward Lara Balkon. Mallory was right, he did know how to handle people better than Tanner—except when he applied himself. He’d always been tough when necessary, but he genuinely liked most people and was interested in what made them tick. It had taken Tanner a long time before he’d learned to accept Mallory’s intrusion into his own privacy. He might never have done it if they hadn’t been in the service together. He was too guarded to let anyone that close.

  But Mallory was right about Tanner’s curiosity. It sometimes overcame his instinct to keep the world at a distance. He was definitely curious about Lara Balkon. Probably natural enough considering how they’d come together. He’d been feeling a wild mixture of feelings toward her since she’d turned and attacked him in the forest: wariness, respect, impatience, and, yes, even attraction. She was beautiful and fiery and so complex he couldn’t deny he’d had to smother moments of intense arousal.

  Or it might be the music. He was having trouble looking at her without remembering the sound of that Rachmaninoff concerto she’d been playing on the disk that night Kaskov had pulled him into this. That was weird in itself. It was all strange and complicated, and the only thing he was sure about was that he didn’t like this responsibility that Kaskov had wished on him.

  So give in to the curiosity. Read the notes. The fascination would disappear once there was no longer mystery.

  He went forward and reached for Mallory’s bag, then sat down in the copilot’s seat as he took out the file.

  Chapter

  3

  Hello, I’m Mallory. I’m supposed to provide you with coffee and reassurance.”

  Lara looked up to see a tall, good-looking, sandy-haired man coming down the aisle toward her. He was carrying a tray with a pot of coffee and cups, and his smile lit his face with warmth. She warily braced herself. “I’ll take the coffee. I don’t need your reassurance. Why should I trust anything you say? I don’t know either you or Tanner.”

  He shrugged. “Because it’s easier and anyone can see what a magnificent human being I am?” He was pouring coffee in a cup. “But I don’t imagine that would go very far with you, considering your background. Particularly since your first encounter was with Tanner. He has many phenomenal qualities, but sometimes he doesn’t play well with others. He’s often too quiet, and he’s always watching and trying to see beyond what you want him to see. You have to accept that, along with the knowledge that he’s brilliant and will usually be several steps ahead of you, which can be very frustrating.” He handed her the cup. “But it’s balanced by the fact that once he accepts you, he’ll never desert you and you couldn’t be safer.”

  “Did he tell you to say that?” she asked cynically.

  “No, that’s personal experience.” He grinned as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “I thought I’d throw it in for good measure. Since your meeting was fraught with violence, I knew you’d need a more neutral view of him.”

  “You’re hardly neutral. It’s clear you’re good friends.”

  “Yes, but I pride myself on never letting that cloud my judgment. You have to do that with friends.” He sat down beside her. “I suppose you’ve found that, too?”

  “No, I’ve never had that many friends. Just my mother and Maxim.” She took a sip of coffee. “And I’d think that it would be terrible to have to judge your friends.”

  “That’s not what I said. The whole point is not to judge them, but to keep them from dominating your life.” He looked down at his coffee. “Maxim?”

  “Maxim Petrov. He lived in the village near the compound. He taught me to play the piano.” She frowned. “Though I guess you couldn’t call him a friend. He yelled at me a lot in the beginning, and once he slapped me. But that didn’t matter. He was right, I wasn’t playing it the way it should be played. It was important that I didn’t make mistakes. I had to serve the music.”

  “No, I wouldn’t say that fits the description of a friend. Did he make you unhappy?”

  “Of course not. Are you a fool? He was wonderful. He…filled me with melody.” Her face was suddenly luminous. “And he taught me to listen for the music and then how to let it flow out of me. Much better than any friend.”

>   “I can see that.” His gaze was narrowed on her face. “How long did he teach you?”

  “Maria started to take me to his house in the village when I was three. My last lesson was after I came back from Moscow after the competition. They’d delivered the piano they’d given me as a prize, and he came to tune it. He told me I had to be worthy of such a fine instrument or he would no longer be proud of me. He went away the next day. Maria told me he’d left the village.” She added quietly, “But I thought it might happen someday, and I was ready. I knew that I just had to keep doing everything that Maxim had taught me, and the music would still be there for me.”

  Mallory cleared his throat. “Very good thinking. And you still had your mother.”

  She nodded. “Maria was always there.” She suddenly frowned. “But you took me away from my piano. If it’s as fine an instrument as Maxim said, it might be too expensive for me to replace. Though that doesn’t really matter, it’s still part of me.” So much a part, she thought. She’d started and ended every day at that piano. Just the thought of being without it was throwing her into a panic. “You said Tanner is brilliant. Do you think that he can find a way to get me my piano?”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised, or one that’s comparable. But that’s not important. First, we have to get you settled.”

  “It is important. If he can’t get it for me, I’ll have to find a way to do it myself. And I’ll get myself settled after I make sure Maria is safe. Just getting me free is probably all that Kaskov wanted from you.”

  “That wasn’t the deal,” Mallory said. “And Tanner always keeps his word. I’m afraid he’ll insist that we keep to the original arrangement.”

  She shook her head. “No. What difference does it make to you if I want to be on my own? Just because I’ve lived in a small town in Russia all my life doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself. I’ve had to go places and do things that would surprise you. I won’t be stupid enough to get killed and mess up Tanner’s deal.”

  “I’m very aware you can take care of yourself,” he said gently. “Kaskov didn’t let us go into this blind. But why not accept a little help?”

  “I’m safer on my own.” Then when Mallory didn’t speak, she said stiltedly, “Look, Volkov is going to be coming after me as soon as he figures out that I’m on the run. What if Kaskov changes his mind and makes a deal with him to turn me over to him? Or what if Tanner decides to make a deal with Volkov? I’ll be better off if I don’t depend on anyone but myself. You can tell that to Tanner.”

  “You’d do better to tell him yourself.” He was refilling her cup. “He doesn’t take bad news at all well, and I try to keep him in a good humor as much as possible. Except when I manage to strike on a subject that’s just too enjoyable to miss the fireworks.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” she said curtly. “I just thought you—”

  “Were more approachable,” he finished. “Yes, I am. Which is why he sent me to you. That reassurance thing…” He grinned. “See, you’ve already told me about Maxim and the piano and the fact that you’re going to run out on us at the soonest possible moment.”

  Yes, she had done that, she realized. She was usually more wary, but there was something about Mallory that was appealing and unassuming. Perhaps because he had not tried to hide anything about himself or Tanner. Even now he was being open and frank. “Nothing I told you was important. Nothing I would have tried to hide. You just didn’t matter.”

  “Oh, that hurt.” He flinched. “Cut to the quick.”

  She found herself smiling reluctantly. “I don’t think so.”

  “Maybe not. You’ve obviously begun to see right through me.” He got to his feet. “But you might not want to chat with me anymore at the moment since I’ve made you a little wary. So I’ll leave you to rest, and I’ll go find Tanner and do what you ordered me to do and see if he can think of a way to get your piano to wing its way to you. However, pianos are a bit bulky to do that.” He picked up the blanket from the chair where she’d been lying when she woke and draped it across her shoulders. “I’ll be sure to report back to you.”

  “I don’t want to rest. And I certainly don’t need this blanket.” But she was a little chilly and the blanket felt good. “I’m not wary of you. I believe you’re harmless.”

  “Another blow.” He was walking up the aisle. “But I’m definitely harmless to you, Lara. Remember that.”

  She didn’t answer. She was tired and in spite of those two cups of coffee she was a little drowsy and didn’t want to be on guard right now. Mallory was probably more dangerous than she thought. When she was around any of Volkov’s men, she was aware of exactly who and what they were; absolutely she was wary. But neither Mallory nor Tanner gave off those ugly vibes. She felt almost comfortable with Mallory, though there was no question Tanner was one of the most dangerous men she’d ever run across. There was a sleek-panther aura about him, a watchfulness that was mesmerizing. Yet she hadn’t felt threatened—more excitement and a kind of eagerness. So she’d give herself this moment to catch her breath and try to relax before she started to think of the challenge that lay before her. She mustn’t be afraid. She must think of this as another Trial. She had to handle this opportunity and these new people who had come into her life very carefully.

  Or she might not get another chance.

  * * *

  Tanner was sitting just outside the cockpit as he watched Mallory stride toward him down the aisle. “Mission accomplished?”

  “You tell me.” He dropped down in the seat next to him. “How long have you been sitting there eavesdropping? Is there anything I can still fill you in on?”

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just wanted to get out of the cockpit.”

  “And away from her file while you had Jordan next to you seeing how it affected you. Not pleasant reading, was it? How angry did it make you?” He was scanning Tanner’s expression. “Ah, the great poker face. That much, huh?”

  “Stop trying to get a reaction,” he said coolly. “She’s a job that I have to do and I’ll do it. I have to know everything I might contend with. Kaskov probably gave me that file for a reason, and I won’t let him manipulate me. He used Sandrino to tip the balance, and I’m going to hold him to it no matter what else he throws at me.”

  “Of course you are,” Mallory said. “I don’t doubt that for a minute. But I’m glad you read the file. I don’t want to be the only one who feels the need to kill both those bastards.” He got to his feet. “Well, I’ll go back to the cockpit and keep Jordan company. I wouldn’t want him to feel insulted because we both deserted him.”

  “By all means,” Tanner said dryly. “You’re pushing it, Mallory.”

  “I feel like pushing it.” He glanced back to where Lara was sitting. “When you were eavesdropping, did you hear her talking about Maxim, her piano teacher?”

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping,” Tanner said. Then he met Mallory’s eyes. “Yes, I heard it.”

  “Good. Since I trust your acumen and ability to read both situations and odds better than anyone else on the planet, I have a question to ask you: What do you think happened to Maxim?”

  “I don’t have all the facts.”

  “What happened to Maxim?”

  Tanner shrugged. “Either her father or Volkov killed him after he left her that day. Her mother covered it to shelter Lara as much as she could.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Lara probably knows it happened, but she doesn’t want to admit it to herself. Sometimes you can take only so much pain.”

  “Damn,” Mallory said. “That’s not what I wanted you to say. I was trying to be an optimist.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have asked me. And you shouldn’t have given me that file to read.” He shrugged. “Serves you right.”

  “It was worth it. I didn’t want to be alone in this.” He made a face. “I didn’t want her to be alone. Now I’ve thrown it into your court and I feel much better about it.” He opened
the cockpit door. “Though I do feel bad about Maxim.”

  “Then make up your own story about him. Maybe I’m wrong.”

  Mallory sighed. “That hardly ever happens.”

  He closed the cockpit door.

  Tanner didn’t move for a few moments. Then he got to his feet and moved down the aisle. He should never have read that file. He needed to keep his distance from everything to do with this job of Kaskov’s. And he shouldn’t be going down this aisle and making contact with Lara at this moment. It was too soon after he’d been immersed in those years when she’d been fighting the world just to stay alive. Yet he was irresistibly drawn to see her as she was now, to make the connection between her and the child she had been. Stupid. Grossly sentimental. A mistake.

  Lara was leaning back in her seat, her eyes closed. Dozing?

  No. Her eyes were opening and she was suddenly alert and looking at him. She scrambled to an upright position. “What are you doing? Is something wrong?”

  He shook his head. “I just wanted to tell you that we’ll be in Stockholm in another couple of hours. We’re landing at a private airport, and Nash should be delivering your mother shortly before we get in. She’ll be waiting for you.”

  “She’s still okay?”

  “Nash would have told me if there was a problem. Is there anything else you want to know?”

  “No. Yes.” She hesitated. “Did Mallory ask you about my piano?”

  “I understood there was a discussion. We’ll have to work around it.”

  “So it’s no. You should have just said it. I’ll find a way to get it myself.”

  “I didn’t say no. Don’t put words in my mouth. And you’ll not think about getting it yourself until I say it’s not going to screw up my plans.” He drew a deep breath. “You’ll get your damn piano, but it will be on my terms.”

  She was just looking at him.

  He muttered a curse. “Never mind. I’ll send Mallory to talk to you. He seems to be on your wavelength.”