High Stakes

Iris Johansen

Contents ( 3)

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

Grand Central Publishing

Hachette Book Group

1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104

grandcentralpublishing.com

twitter.com/grandcentralpub

First Edition: September 2021

Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Grand Central Publishing name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

The Hachette Speakers Bureau provides a wide range of authors for speaking events. To find out more, go to www.hachettespeakersbureau.com or call (866) 376-6591.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021939215

ISBNs: 978-1-5387-1310-5 (hardcover), 978-1-5387-0703-6 (large print), 978-1-5387-2199-5 (Canadian), 978-1-5387-1309-9 (ebook)

E3-20210722-DA-NF-ORI

Explore book giveaways, sneak peeks, deals, and more.

Tap here to learn more.

Chapter
1

Acara, Russia

It’s time, Lara,” Maria said gently from the doorway behind her. “They’ll be picking you up in thirty minutes.”

Lara didn’t look up from the piano keys. “Screw them. I’ll be done here soon.” She finished the concerto in a final glorious flourish. Then she drew a deep breath and sat there letting the music soothe her, letting its beauty take away the ugliness to come.

“How are you?” Maria walked across the room to stand beside her. “Rachmaninoff’s Third. Quite a challenge. But you did it well. Would you like to tell me why you chose it today?”

It was the last thing she wanted to do, Lara thought. There was no use bringing her mother into the situation when she would not be able to do anything but worry. Maria always did anything she could to help her, and she often suffered for it. “I believe it’s the most difficult concerto. It demands every technical skill. I wanted to conquer it. I had to conquer it. As you say, I wanted to challenge myself.” She got to her feet and brushed a kiss on Maria’s cheek. Maria’s skin was silky soft, her dark hair shining in the firelight. Lara had always thought her mother beautiful, and she was just as lovely in maturity as she’d been when Lara was a little girl growing up. “I’m glad you think I did it well. Now I have to go pick up my gear and wait on the steps for them.” Her lips twisted. “I know you don’t want to invite my kind, loving father into your house.”