“Because it has a good deal to do with you,” he said quietly. “Sandrino disappeared eighteen months ago on one of his trips overseas, and I’ve been trying to track him down ever since. I got as far as St. Petersburg, Russia, before the trail ran out.” He smiled wryly. “But last week Kaskov paid me a visit and told me he’d use all his connections to find him for me if I’d do him a small favor.”

“Me?”

He nodded. “Not so small, as it turned out. But I needed that information about Sandrino. I was at a dead end.”

“And that was why you agreed to get Maria and me out of Russia?” she asked slowly. “He could have been lying to you.”

“I didn’t think he was. I was willing to take a chance.” He made a face. “Though not with any degree of eagerness. I didn’t like the idea of doing Kaskov’s errands.” He looked her in the eye. “But I didn’t think this one was meant to hurt you. One of the last things he did to convince me to take the job was to hand me a DVD of you playing Rachmaninoff. He said I should see what they were trying to kill. It was a good move on his part.”

“Together with the Sandrino info,” she said quietly.

He nodded. “He had me.” He added, “But I made you a promise about protecting you from Volkov and your father—and if you remember, that also included Kaskov. I intend to keep that promise. That hasn’t changed.”

“Except that they’re coming closer now than I thought they’d be.” Then she made an impatient gesture. “And I know that’s my fault, but it scared me. And when I realized this place would be as hard to get out of as a prison, it just made it worse.”

“It’s not your fault. I told you I always run any job I take on.” He smiled faintly. “But I agree this place can be a prison until it becomes a haven. It was both to me. Along with being a school and sometimes a therapy workshop. Sandrino grew up on the streets, and life was as rough for him as it was for me. Once he’d made it big time, one of the first things he built was this place, where he could always be safe in case life crashed down around him.”

“He certainly did that,” she said dryly. “Those thorns are a huge deterrent.”

“Not one you can’t conquer. Rennell was impressed.” He added, “Which is another reason we’re having this talk. Since I had to let him know that you’re important for me getting information about Sandrino, he’s a little nervous about you deciding you might want to leave us. Could you please not hang out on the top of that wall again?”