“It’s no joke. Kaskov said that you wouldn’t be safe from Volkov while you were still in Russia. My deal was to get you out and then somewhere he wouldn’t find you.”

“Yes, I’ll be safer out of Russia.” It was difficult to believe. It was too good to be true. But she mustn’t get this excited. “But that doesn’t mean Volkov will stop searching for me. He never lets go of anything that he owns.”

“Owns?” Tanner repeated slowly. “I don’t believe I like the way that sounds.”

“I don’t care what you like. Volkov is what he is. He practically owns my father, so he owns me, too. It’s been like that since the games started.” She leaned forward, her gaze focused on his face. “But this could be a way out. If you’re not lying. If Kaskov isn’t playing some kind of game. He’s very…strange. I’ve never been sure about him.”

“I’m not lying, Lara,” he said quietly. “I can’t vouch for Kaskov, but he’s going to a lot of trouble and expense if this is a game to him.”

“That wouldn’t matter to him. Men don’t care about pain or money or trouble when it comes to their games. It’s worth it to them.”

“Is it?” His gaze was narrowed on her face. “I suppose there’s something in what you say, but not in this case. I fully intend to get you out of here.”

She met his eyes. “You really mean it,” she said in wonder. She drew a deep breath and then let it out. “But it’s not that easy. I can’t go with you. Not unless you find a way to take Maria with us.”

“Maria?” he repeated. “Your mother? I’d hardly leave her behind. Kaskov already told me that you wouldn’t go without her. I had two of my men pick her up before I went after you. She should be over Finland by now. She’ll be meeting us in Stockholm.”

“Finland.” He’d rattled off those words so casually. Why not? He had no idea what they meant to her. Or how often she’d dreamed of flying away anywhere to freedom. She’d almost done it once before, but she’d been caught…and punished.

“I hope that’s okay?” Tanner was staring at her quizzically.

“I don’t know if it is or not. It might be. If it’s the truth.”

“Would you like to talk to her?”

“Yes.” She moistened her lips. “Could I?”

“I don’t see why not.” He smiled as he took her cup from her. “You didn’t drink this. I’ll get you a fresh cup when I go get Nash’s phone number from Mallory. He took your mother’s phone away and got rid of it so that she couldn’t be traced. It’s standard operating procedure. I did the same with yours. We’ll replace them in Stockholm.”

“It seems like a smart idea,” she said absently. Then as he turned away, she suddenly called, “Tanner.”

He looked back at her.

“No one’s ever done anything like this for me,” she said awkwardly. “If it’s true. If it really works, I’ll always be grateful to you. There’s nothing I won’t do to pay you back.”