Reardon was silent, his gaze narrowed. “Nightshade is faster than she was last year. Why should I be afraid of racing her against a horse no one has ever heard about? You’re sounding ridiculously cocky. I’m just wondering if your latest disaster has you in such financial straits that you’re getting desperate to recoup.” He paused. “You do know that if you lose this bet, I’ll send my most efficient and lethal men to retrieve my money?”

“I’d expect nothing else of you. You agree to double it?”

“Oh, yes. I can afford it, even if you can’t.” He glanced at Sasha. “As long as you throw in the mystery horse and the jockey. Is she as young as she looks?”

“Fifteen. Not as young as you like them, but you’d find her entertaining. It’s like you to try to screw me in all ways possible. But if you’ll agree to give me Nightshade when I win, I’ll agree. It’s a deal?”

“It’s a deal. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.” Reardon cut the connection.

“I’ve got him.” Masenak’s eyes were almost shimmering with excitement in his pale face. “All these years he’s been lording it over me and telling me what to do as if I wasn’t his equal. I’m going to take the arrogant son of a bitch to the cleaners.”

“Providing she can make Chaos do what you need him to do,” Davidow said. “You’ll forgive me if I’m still skeptical.”

“She’ll do what I tell her. I know our Sasha. It will only take a few adjustments to make her come to heel.”

Alisa. He threatened to call on Alisa to make those adjustments was Sasha’s first thought. “You’d have to discuss those adjustments with Chaos. I keep telling you that it’s not up to me.”

“I don’t have the time to argue with you at the moment,” he said harshly. “Neither do you. I’ll find a more permanent fix after the race, but in the meantime you’re going to spend every waking moment for the next two weeks with Chaos. You’ll train him, you’ll gentle him; when you say run, he’ll fly like Pegasus. If I don’t see progress, I’ll find ways to encourage you. You have other horses in my stables that I don’t value as much as Chaos. You seemed fond of Zeus…” He was reading her expression. “That frightened you. Don’t you want to rush and start working with Chaos right away? Yes, I can see you do.”

No choice. Not now. She turned to Davidow. “If Masenak wants me to train him, I don’t want you or any of the stable help to get near him. That obviously wasn’t a success. I’ll take care of him.”