She’d expected him to be angry. She wasn’t disappointed. She could tell he was just barely holding on. She opened the passenger door. “I asked her not to let you know. I wanted to have a chance to explain it to you myself. I know I was a little too brief.”

“Oh, she didn’t need any help from you on that score,” he said as he went around and got in the driver’s seat. “She was very clear and completely concise. She gave me my instructions in no uncertain terms. I was to take care of you and not let anything happen to you or she’d be coming after me.” His voice was tiger-soft. “I have problems with orders, Lara. Even from someone as charming as Maria.”

She reached out and stopped him from starting the car. “Wait. Don’t blame her. It was my fault. I was the one she was upset with.” She moistened her lips. “I told her that she wasn’t going to be able to talk me out of going with you to see Kaskov. That would have been okay with her. But she didn’t like it that I didn’t want her to go with us. You were right about it being safer here for her. I had to be sure everything was safe. There was no reason for both of us to go.”

“Or for either one of you to leave here,” he added caustically. “You both trust Mallory and you even agreed that this place was the height of security. Why couldn’t you just leave Kaskov up to me?” He smiled bitterly. “Why do I even ask? We both know the answer.”

“Yes, we do.” She added wearily, “It was just another risk, Tanner. I’ve trained myself to overcome most of the risks Volkov and Anton have thrown at me. That’s okay, it’s just my part in helping Maria and me to survive. But I don’t have the right to run even the slightest risk involving Maria if I can help it. She’s sacrificed too much for me.” She turned to look him in the eye. “I think I can trust you to help us. I’ll help you any way I can to get info from Kaskov about Sandrino. But I have to be sure that whatever he’s planning is safe for Maria. I’m the one who has to judge.”

He was scowling. “I don’t like this. I could throw you out of the car, you know. What would you do then?”

“Wait until you were gone and then go over the wall, climb the trees to avoid the thornbushes, and make my way to the main road. From there I’d hitchhike. I had Maria look up the address for Indian Hills in her computer. It would be difficult, but I could find it.”

Tanner swore. “And you’d do it.”