“I wanted to get her away from that circus so that I could take care of her. It took over six months for her to trust me enough to want to be with me, too. But one of the things I’d promised her was that if she agreed to come with me, I’d find a way to buy her horses and give them to her. I knew she’d never leave them behind. The problem was that I worked for the CIA, and there wasn’t a chance in hell of my being able to afford to buy them. Not only were they highly trained, pedigreed thoroughbreds, but when I approached Zeppo, he jacked up the price to almost double because he knew he might lose Sasha. I had to think of a way to get the money without resorting to robbing a bank.”

“And what did you do?”

“I robbed a bank.” She shook her head as he started to chuckle. “Well, it was really the banks of a few casinos. I taught myself to count cards, and I visited three casinos in Macao and managed to get the amount I needed in one night. But they didn’t appreciate it and sent a few of their men after me to retrieve it.”

“I believe my amusement in your story is beginning to fade. How close did you come to getting your throat cut?”

“Not too bad. I’d already arranged an exit strategy. I was careful to disguise my features to avoid the video cameras. People seem to remember my face.”

“I can see how that would happen,” he said grimly. “So you got Sasha’s horses?”

She nodded. “All four of them. Though I had to apply a little pressure on Zeppo. He got greedy and wanted to keep upping the price. But I wasn’t about to hit those casinos again.”

“Excellent decision.” He finished his coffee with one swallow. “But if you run into the need for a bank again, come to me. I won’t ask questions, and I’ll give you terms you won’t be able to beat. One will be a guarantee I won’t try to cut your throat.”

She shrugged. “It was a risk worth taking. I was able to give Sasha her horses, a life at St. Eldon’s where she could keep them, and a fine education along with it. I could visit her, take her on trips. She was happy.” Her lips twisted bitterly. “I had no idea that Masenak would pick that school to raid.”

“How could you?”

“I should have found a way to keep her safe. Next time I’ll do it.” She looked at him. “But I can’t even make sure I can keep her safe now, can I? You’ve listened and probed and you know Sasha now. You’ve found out all the answers you need, haven’t you?” She smiled crookedly. “Tell me. Who is Sasha?”