“Then change your meeting place,” Lara said. “It’s about time I talked to Kaskov myself about what’s going to happen to us. It’s our lives that are at stake. All I know is that for years he’d drop in and use me like some windup music box before he suddenly decided to hire you to do this. I have to know why, and I have to know what he plans to do next.” She glared at him. “And I don’t want to hear it secondhand from you, because I know damn well it might be tempered by how desperate you are to know everything there is to know about Sandrino.”

“You’re not being reasonable,” he said through set teeth. “I won’t bring Kaskov here. This was Sandrino’s private place and I won’t violate it by bringing a mafia boss here. And there was a reason why Kaskov chose Indian Hills. A crime boss like him can be a major target, and he realizes I’d have ample security at any of my properties.”

“Good. Then you’d have no trouble arranging protection for us there.” She added, “When do we leave?”

“I leave in two hours. You’re both staying here.” He looked at Maria. “Talk sense into her. I only want what’s best for you.”

“There’s a problem…” Maria shrugged. “Lara is accustomed to making her own decisions, and she does it very well most of the time. But I promise we’ll discuss it.”

“Do that.” He strode out of the kitchen, and the next moment they heard the front door slam behind him.

Maria murmured, “He’s having a bad day. I believe you succeeded in irritating him more than I did.”

“He deserved it,” Lara said jerkily. “He was entirely wrong. You know I was right. We should be involved. I will be involved. It’s dangerous for me not to be.”

Maria straightened, her expression suddenly intent. “I believe you’re using the singular entirely too much,” she said slowly. “I don’t think I like that. By all means, let’s have a discussion.”

Lara drew a deep breath and sat back down on the stool. “Perhaps we’d better. Because maybe Tanner wasn’t entirely wrong…”

Chapter 10

Chapter
10

11:57 P.M.

Tanner was leaning against the door of the Land Rover with arms folded across his chest as he watched Lara walk down the path toward the coach house. “Get in the car,” he said curtly. “I need to get on the road.”

She stopped short. “You were expecting me. Maria?”

He nodded. “Though I was hoping against hope that you wouldn’t show before I got her call.”