High Stakes, page 20
“How could I notice?” She shrugged. “The only time I saw him was when he dropped by to hear me play. And then he spoke mainly to Maria, barely to me.”
“Then perhaps he wants to get to know you. He was most insistent. I thought it wouldn’t hurt. The discussion might get a little tense later.”
“Then he’ll have to get to know me in my usual slacks and shirt,” she said bluntly. “That’s all I brought with me. Hell, that’s all I have. I’m not like him. I don’t know anything about the good life.”
“The good life is generally what you make it. But it wouldn’t hurt to expose you to what Kaskov considers to be his version. I dropped by one of the hotel shops before I went after you and told them to send up an outfit for you.” He punched the elevator button. “I have a few things to attend to. I’ll see you later. Dinner is in an hour.”
“Wait. How would they know my sizes?”
“I did okay before. I’ve got a good eye.” He smiled as he turned away. “And I’m very good with numbers.”
* * *
The gown was simple, cream-colored, with a neck that was square and deeply cut. When she slipped it on, it reminded Lara of a picture she’d seen of a Renaissance noblewoman in a history book. She looked…nice. But not like herself at all. And there was nothing she could do with her hair, so she gave it a good brushing and let it flow loose down her back.
She didn’t have time for anything else because Tanner was knocking on the door. She swung it open to see him dressed in a tuxedo and looking very elegant. “I did the best I could. But I don’t look like myself. It isn’t important anyway. Why should I care how I look for Kaskov?”
He looked her up and down. “Very nice. Exceptional, really. Everything fit?”
She nodded. “Even the shoes. You do have a good eye. I’m glad they’re flats.” She turned toward the door. “I’m not sure I could handle heels.”
“You can handle anything.” He put out his hand and stopped her. “Stand still for just a minute.” He took his phone out of his pocket. “I want to take your photo.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Stop frowning. You don’t have to smile, but don’t look as if I’m beating you.”
“What?”
He took the photo. “That was almost a smile. Now I’ll just send this…”
“Where are you sending it?”
He opened the door. “To Maria. Considering the life the two of you have led, I thought there was a good chance she’d never seen you looking like a princess. I thought she’d like it. I’ve heard mothers get soppy over stuff like that.”
I’ve wanted to do things for you, and with you, like a normal mother. Maria’s words suddenly came back to her.
And this must be exactly what Maria had meant when she’d told her that. How had Tanner realized that about Maria?
“I’ve heard that, too,” she said huskily. “Thank you for thinking of her.”
“Necessary. I had to show her that I was obeying her instructions. That appears to be my role in life tonight.” He was whisking her out the door. “Now let’s go and get this dinner over with so that we can get down to business.”
* * *
The first thing Lara heard as they crossed foyer toward the open doors of the formal dining room was the sound of a piano, soft, melodious, playing the strains of “Impossible Dream.”
Then they were through the doors and being bombarded by sensory overload of gleaming tile floors, chattering guests, and black-clad waiters moving swiftly among the tables. The dining room was as faultlessly elegant as the rest of the hotel, and the tables were packed with equally elegantly dressed patrons. She saw the young man who was playing show tunes on a beautiful Yamaha piano at the opposite end of the long room.
Kaskov smiled as he rose to his feet when they came toward the table. He inclined his head as he took her hand. “I’m delighted to see you, Lara. You look quite lovely. And these surroundings suit you much better than Anton’s place. But then I always knew they would.”
“Hello, Mr. Kaskov.” She pulled her hand away. “I hope I’m going to be happy to see you. Right now I’m a little confused.”
“And very frank.” His smile deepened. “I find it refreshing. You hardly said a word to me when I visited you at Anton’s.”
“You weren’t interested in anything I had to say. I had only one use for you. So why should I have talked to you?”
He chuckled. “All quite true. So I’ll excuse your bluntness.” He turned to Tanner. “This is a nice enough restaurant, but that pianist leaves something to be desired. I would have thought you’d be more selective.”
“It’s music to accompany dinner, Kaskov. He’s good enough.” Tanner was seating Lara as he spoke. “Most patrons don’t require concert-quality entertainment to get through a meal. It might even interfere with digestion. Are we going to order dinner?”
“Of course.” Kaskov picked up the menu as Tanner lifted his hand for the waiter. He glanced at Lara. “What do you think about the pianist?”
“I feel sorry for him,” she said simply.
“Really?” He tilted his head. “Why?”
“He doesn’t realize everything he’s missing. All he’d have to do is reach deeper, and he doesn’t know it.”
“Interesting.”
“Are you ready to order?” Tanner asked.
He nodded. “Though it doesn’t really matter. I’m certain everything on the menu is excellent. You wouldn’t make two such glaring mistakes.”
That was a direct barb and Tanner was ignoring it, Lara noticed. Which only showed how eager he was to get this dinner over. No more than she was, she thought bitterly. She had the impression that Kaskov was playing cat and mouse and enjoying it enormously.
Thank heavens the service was quick and the dinner delicious so that Kaskov had nothing to complain about. She barely tasted it. She wanted this dinner over. She was vaguely aware that Tanner was no longer allowing Kaskov to have the conversation all his own way. But she was only glad that she was not involved except for answering Kaskov’s occasional question.
Then it was over.
Kaskov tilted his head. “Dessert?” He smiled teasingly at her. “No, I don’t believe you want dessert.”
“No, thank you,” she said through set teeth. “Can we go up to Tanner’s suite and talk now?”
“Yes, we can.” Tanner was already signing the check. “Let’s go, Kaskov.”
“I’d think that would be a perfect ending for the evening,” Kaskov said. Then he sighed and shook his head. “But I’m still not quite satisfied. I need one more thing. That mediocre pianist has almost spoiled my dinner. I need to be soothed.” He turned to Lara. “And no one could do that better than you. Would you be so kind?”
“No!” Tanner said sharply. “You don’t have to do that, Lara.”
“Of course not,” Kaskov said. “Only if she wishes to please me.”
That catlike smile again. She had probably annoyed him before, and he was not going to allow her to get away with it. “I don’t want to please you, but I want answers. I’ll give you what you want.” She got to her feet and started to cross to the piano.
Tanner was right beside her. “You don’t have to do it.”
“And I didn’t have to insist on coming with you.” She was looking straight ahead. “But I did it. And I didn’t bow down to him like I suppose he wanted. But now if he wants his pound of flesh, I’ll give it to him.” Her lips tightened. “No, I’ll give him more than that. Because it’s the only way I can win. Because no matter what he thinks he’s taking from me, it’s nothing to what I’m getting.”
Tanner was swearing as he tapped the pianist on the shoulder and nodded for him to leave.
Then Lara was slipping onto the stool and flexing her hands. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the music start to flow through her. Tchaikovsky. Kaskov always requested Tchaikovsky.
Make it sing.
Not for him.
For the beauty and the wonder and the genius of the composer who had created it.
Show Kaskov that he was nothing and the music was everything.
Show him…
She started to play.
And then she was lost…
“Lara.” Tanner’s hand was on her shoulder. “Enough,” he said gently. It was never enough, she thought dazedly. Didn’t he realize that?
His hand tightened. “Kaskov.”
She shook her head to clear it. Then she took a deep breath. “How long was I playing? Was it really enough?”
“About forty minutes.” He helped her to her feet. “And judging by Kaskov’s expression it was more than enough. But I thought you needed to get paid for that performance.” He added quietly, “It was magnificent, Lara.”
“The music is always magnificent. But it doesn’t belong to anyone unless it’s given. He was trying to take it.” She walked straight toward Kaskov and stopped before him. “Did you get what you wanted?”
“Yes.” He got to his feet. “I got exactly what I wanted. We can leave now.” There was no hint of the sly catlike expression that had been there previously. He was all cool business. “I not only thoroughly enjoyed myself, but I gave Nikolai the time he needed to check out Tanner’s suite and the grounds.”
“I told you the security was good,” Tanner said impatiently.
Kaskov shrugged. “Nikolai had been insisting lately that we be extra careful.”
“And you had Lara perform just so that you could have that extra time,” Tanner said with dangerous softness. “You son of a bitch.”
“I thought it necessary. And since you’re the one who’s been pushing me for answers, I’d say the ball was in my court.”
“It is,” Lara said. “What difference does it make, Tanner? He’s going to give us what we want. Let’s get out of here.” She was striding toward the door. “Now, dammit!”
Chapter
11
The first person Lara saw when she got off the elevator was Rennell. He was leaning casually against the stone of the fireplace in the large living room. He nodded at her. “I hear Maria isn’t here with you. She must not like that.”
“She doesn’t. Hello, Rennell. I’m jealous that you managed to dodge dinner. Tanner said it wasn’t your style. It wasn’t mine, either.” She glanced at Kaskov. “Have you met Rennell?”
“No, but Tanner told me about him.” He nodded coolly at Rennell. “But I’m most interested in what you did with my friend Nikolai. Where is he? I gave orders that he be here…alone.”
“In the kitchen making coffee. I offered to help, but he said that with him it was an art form.”
“Quite true. But he never changes schedules without letting me know.”
“But I’m such a harmless soul.” Rennell smiled wryly. “I introduced myself to him. I gave him a chance to check me out. Then I spent the evening helping him check out your hotel, Tanner.”
“And that was enough?” Tanner asked. He snapped his fingers. “Of course it was. Kindred spirits.”
“Not really. But we have a basic understanding and respect for each other. That’s enough.”
“It may not be enough for me,” Kaskov said grimly. “He broke a rule.”
“Yes, I did,” Nikolai said as he wheeled in the coffee tray. “It was a judgment call, sir. You gave me permission to recruit and I decided Rennell would do very well. He has all the qualifications I need, and he will not be volatile like Tanner. He will just do the job and keep on going until there’s no one left.”
Kaskov turned to Rennell. “Is that true?”
Rennell’s gaze was ice-cold as he met Kaskov’s. “Absolutely. No one left at all. If I choose to do it. And I’ll be glad to help out occasionally if Nikolai decides he needs me. But that’s not why I’m here, as Tanner must have told you.”
“Pity.”
“You might not say that when it’s over.” He began to help Nikolai serve the coffee. “It will depend on your point of view, and that’s what I’m here to find out.”
“And you will,” Kaskov said as he turned to Lara, who had dropped into a chair in front of the fire. “But I believe I’d better deal with Lara first. She’s on edge and Tanner is becoming very protective. Not that I object—that’s one of the reasons why I involved him.” He dropped down in the chair next to her. “But I admit I haven’t given you the courtesy you deserve, so let me rectify that.”
“I don’t give a damn about courtesy. I want information about why you decided to hire Tanner to move Maria and me around like pieces in a chess set.” She paused. “And I want to know what you intend to do about us going forward.”
“I imagine that you’re more interested in the future than the past,” he said. “However, I still feel bound to explain why I put you through that very boring dinner tonight. I knew you were eager to cut to the chase.” He smiled. “But I’d been looking forward to having my own way in this, and I was selfish enough to ignore what you wanted.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” Tanner asked caustically.
“It shouldn’t,” Kaskov said. “I never pretend to be anything but what I am.” He turned back to Lara. “I wanted to see you how you should be seen. I wasn’t going to give that up after all the trouble I’d gone through to arrange it. You walked into that room tonight in that gown and it was almost enough. But not quite. So I pushed it a little more and made you play.” He smiled. “And that was perfect. I could see you at a concert hall playing with all that fire and passion. It really annoyed me when I’d drop in at Anton’s and see you sitting there in jeans pounding on that piano.”
She frowned. “Clothes don’t make a difference.”
“But a waste of talent does, and once I’d made a decision, I thought that the entire package should be perfect.”
“What decision?” she asked.
“To save you from Volkov and Anton, free all that beauty stored inside you, and get you out of Russia. Of course to do that, I had to adjust my plans to include it on another transaction I was working on.”
“You’re saying you did it out of the goodness of your heart?”
“Partly. But nothing with me is ever that uncomplicated.” He added, “Once I’ve finished completing my business with Tanner, though, I can assure you that you’ll be happy with my arrangements. I do want you to keep playing. That’s surprisingly important to me. I’ve even arranged to send you to an excellent music school to get a little extra polish. But once you’re settled, you’ll no longer have to deal with me. I’d be an albatross, and I want you and Maria to have decent lives.”
“Free from Anton and Volkov?”
He smiled again. “Definitely free from them. Satisfied?”
“I’m not sure. It seems very generous. It’s too good to be true.” Her gaze was searching his face. “And you don’t have the reputation of being particularly noble.”
“Yet every word I’ve said is true. I’ve just not elaborated.”
She was going over everything he’d said. “You said after you’d finished your business with Tanner, I’d be happy with the arrangements. Isn’t he finished now? What does he have to do with it?”
“Yes, that’s a good question,” Tanner said softly. “What do I have to do with it, Kaskov?”
“Well, as I said, I was working on another transaction when I became fascinated with the idea of getting Lara and Maria away from Russia.” Kaskov took a sip of his coffee. “So I decided to combine the two. I’d already done extensive research on my ‘project,’ and I only had to do a little more to make it all come together.”
“What kind of research?” Tanner asked. “From what we discussed, you were only involved in one area of research. Mine.”
Kaskov smiled. “It seems one thing led to another. Only I might not have been totally honest about the order in which they came. You see, I’ve been having a good deal of trouble with other mafia families who were a bit jealous of my power and influence and thought they could handle my affairs better than I could.” His glance shifted to Lara. “One of them is Volkov.”
She stiffened. “What?”
“He’s been getting closer and closer. That’s why I’ve been making trips to the south so frequently lately. I had to see if Anton was going to throw in his lot with Volkov if he made a move.” He shook his head. “Volkov doesn’t want to share the territory with anyone when he takes over. He regards Anton as disposable.”
“I could have told you that,” Lara said bitterly.
“No one needs to tell me anything about Volkov,” Kaskov said. “There’s no one who one knows him better than I do these days.”
“Why?” Tanner asked harshly. “Why are we talking about Volkov?”
“I think you know.” Kaskov’s gaze was narrowed on his face. “You’re putting it all together.”
“Why?” Tanner repeated.
“Sandrino,” Kaskov said. “You asked for a name. The name is Volkov.”
“Volkov killed him?” Tanner said hoarsely. “You’re sure?”
“What!” Rennell was suddenly across the room next to Tanner. “Is it true?”
“Back off. I’m trying to find out.” His gaze was on Kaskov. “How do you know?”
“I told you, I know everything about him. For instance, he has a passion for gambling. Everyone in Russia knows that, and he’s very good at it. Almost as good as your friend Sandrino. Anton was a small fry compared with Volkov; he often trailed behind him but never made the big games. I found out that Volkov was in a game with Sandrino the week he was in Ukraine and Sandrino beat him.” He shrugged. “Evidently a very humiliating defeat. Volkov tried to get him to play him again but he refused. The stakes weren’t big enough. So a few months later Volkov managed to set up a big game in Las Vegas with some very high stakes and invited Sandrino. He took the bait. The game was played the night he arrived in Las Vegas. Sandrino beat Volkov again. There was something of an uproar and he walked out of the game. Sandrino was due to leave that same night, but he disappeared.”
“Where in Las Vegas?” Tanner’s hands were knotted into fists. “I should have heard about it if there was a big game.”
