The Game

  Pulling up to his house now, he was excited to see her. Although in the Dorset countryside, the house was only a couple of hours from London. Blandford was a market town, and once you drove outside the town center, there was nothing but rolling hills and fields.

  The house was down a country lane, set back from the main road. It had once been a working farmhouse, but while the exterior maintained that country style, the inside had been completed renovated. The original beams in the ceiling and the exposed stonework had been retained, but everything else had been modernized.

  The combination of old and new was striking, and worked extremely well. The house featured six bedrooms, an indoor pool and even an indoor cinema. No expense had been spared to give Anna everything she could possibly want. There were even stables and a paddock on the grounds so that she could indulge her love of riding.

  He was surprised as he walked up to the front door that Anna hadn’t come running out to meet him.

  “Hello?” he called out as he headed into the kitchen.

  “Mr. Sergei, welcome home.”

  He acknowledged Monika with a nod. “Where’s Anna?”

  Monika sighed. “She’s in her room. Hardly comes out these days, spends all her time listening to her music and chatting to her friends online.”

  Sergei frowned. He didn’t like the sound of that. Taking the stairs two at a time, he headed up to her room.

  “Anna?” he said, knocking on the closed door. He could hear the thump thump of what they loosely called music these days coming from behind the closed door. Knocking harder, he raised his voice “Anna? It’s your father!” He heard the music stop and the door opened.

  Standing there looking at him was a very sullen teenager. “Don’t I get a hello?” Sergei asked.

  “Whatever. Hi.” She shrugged, then turned and walked back into her room. Sergei followed her in.

  “How are you? How’s school? You haven’t called me for a couple of weeks.” He sat down on her bed. He knew he spoiled her, and looking round her room he saw clear evidence of that. She had the biggest room in the house, which had its own bathroom and all the furniture and furnishings were custom made. On the wall hung a huge, forty-inch 3D TV, and underneath were stacked all the latest games consoles. He denied her nothing.

  “S’okay,” she shrugged.

  She was getting more and more distant from him as she got older. He’d spoken to Monika about it and she’d hinted at the fact that she barely knew who he was. She wouldn’t dare tell him he’d been a bad father outright, but Sergei was no fool, he knew damn well what she was trying to say.

  In his eyes, though, he had been a good father. She had everything she could want, always had, and Monika had been there to look after her since the day she was born. Okay, he knew that he hadn’t spent as much time with her as maybe he should have, but she should count herself lucky that she had him.

  No matter, it wouldn’t be long until she was old enough for him to introduce her to his world. He intended that she would take over from him one day. For now, though, she had no need to know what he did to be able to provide her with such a good life.

  She clearly didn’t want to talk to him and, not having the patience to deal with a surly teenager, Sergei left her room and went back downstairs.

  Thirty-Three

  Kyle slept deeply, and when he woke and remembered their fight, he was ashamed. She’d only been trying to help, but she couldn’t understand this need he had inside him, this need to see this it all end. He promised himself that when it was over, he would make it up to her. There would be nothing to stand in the way of their happiness then.

  After a quick, hot shower, he got dressed, again putting on his holster. Opening the bedroom door, he was surprised to find the apartment in darkness. Turning on the lights, he went into the kitchen and found a note propped up on the counter. It was obviously from Tara and he opened it, a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. With relief, he saw that she was telling him not to worry, she had gone to visit a friend. Okay, she hadn’t left him, but what friend? He didn’t know she had any friends in L.A.

  Pushing it to the back of his mind, he told himself he would ask her about it later. Right now, he had to focus. It was dark outside and he needed to get himself set up outside the club. JJ had given him a really good description, so he knew that he would know him when he saw him. What he didn’t want to do was go into a crowded club looking for him. No, much better he was outside when he arrived. He had no plan, had no idea what he was going to do when he confronted him, but he knew that he was not being driven by sense but by emotion. If he’d stopped to think about it, he would have known it was the wrong thing to do, but he was letting his feelings take the lead.

  ***

  Tara was conflicted. She didn’t know what to do for the best. The pull of her daughter was incredible and she really needed to talk to Kyle about it, but that was truly not an option at the moment. He had completely shut her out and she felt more alone now than she ever had working for Sergei. Then, she’d had no illusions, no expectations. Now, she’d allowed herself to believe. She understood what he was doing, but Lori was gone. She was here. It was as if he had been taken over by something, something that would allow no room for her.

  After the fight, when Kyle had fallen asleep, she’d left the apartment and had wandered around for hours with no destination in mind. She’d ended up sitting at Venice Beach, almost in the exact spot where they’d spent that wonderful day that seemed like eons ago but was, in fact, only a few short months. Her mind had drifted over the trauma of her past, the pain of losing her child and then, finally, the joy of meeting Kyle.

  He could never understand what it meant to someone like her that she had found him and that he had loved her completely despite her past life. She’d thought she’d had it all and, for a brief moment in time, in Geneva, she had. But then Sergei had intruded and, though they had agreed that for now at least they would move on, she had never been able to.

  Maybe she should have been honest with him, told him exactly how she was feeling. This was new territory for her, though. She’d never had anyone to share her feelings with, if she ever allowed herself to feel them. She had become so used to compartmentalizing them, burying them deep, that talking about them, sharing them, was completely alien to her. She’d been in no doubt, though, that when she finally did tell him, he would be by her side supporting her through it. She was still sure of it.

  But what she hadn’t seen coming was that he would shut her out from his life, as if there was his life, and their life together, the two things remaining separate. That hurt more than any blow she had received, any violation she had suffered. It had been getting dark by the time she shook the sand out of her shoes and left the beach, having made a decision, her mind clearer. Knowing that he may well not forgive her, but knowing she had no choice, she made her way to see the one person she knew who could help her.

  ***

  Kat was still at her desk when the call came through that there was someone at the front counter to see her. Wondering who it might be, she was surprised when she walked through the door to find Tara standing there. Taking in her appearance, she realized she looked like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

  “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon. What can I do for you?” she asked gently.

  “Is there somewhere we can talk?” Tara said quietly.

  Kat nodded. “Of course, follow me.” Leading her through the locked access door, Kat let her to one of the interview rooms. “I’m sorry about the décor but most of our visitors are just above pond scum on the evolutionary scale.” She pulled out a chair for Tara and sat herself down across the table from her. “Is everything okay?”

  Tara shook her head. “No. I’m worried about Kyle.”

  “Why, what’s happened?” She could see that this was difficult for her, so she waited patiently for a reply.

  “I think he’s gone after Lori’s killer.”
br />   Kat leaned forward and put her arms on the table. “What? Are you sure?”

  Tara nodded, and went on to explain about his absences and the argument.

  Kat let out a long breath. “Shit! Have you got any idea where he is now?”

  “He was still at the apartment when I left, but I’m sure he’s gone by now. He said he had to go and take care of something tonight.”

  Kat’s mind was racing now. This was bad. “And you’re sure he never said where?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Okay, you did the right thing coming to me.” She stood up.

  “One more thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “He’s armed.”

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was really bad. She knew Kyle, knew what he was capable of when he lost control, and there was no doubt in her mind what his intentions were. How had he managed to track him down?

  There was only one possibility, as far as she could tell. He’d worked for Luccio, knew all his contacts. He must have spoken to one of them. Luccio was still being held at the county jail. It was late, but under the circumstances, she had no choice. She had to go and see him.

  Telling Tara to follow her, she grabbed her coat and they left the building together.

  “Go straight home. If he’s there, or if you hear from him, you call me right away, okay? Here’s my cell.”

  Taking the number, Tara agreed and turned and left. Kat stood for a moment, watching her leave. That she cared a great deal for Kyle was obvious and it had taken balls to come to her. God, that man was a fool sometimes. He got so wrapped up in the moment, he let himself get blinded to the effect his actions had on those around him.

  She didn’t have time to worry about that now. She needed to get to Luccio, and fast. It wasn’t that she was worried about what Kyle would do to Deshaun, but she was terrified of what would happen to Kyle if she didn’t stop him.

  Kat was still cursing him twenty minutes later as she pulled up outside the jail. What was he thinking? If he did something stupid, he could end up here himself. She had no idea if Luccio had a softer side, doubted it very much, but somehow she had to get him to talk.

  ***

  Tara hadn’t expected him to be there when she got back, so she wasn’t surprised when her suspicions were confirmed. The apartment now seemed hollow, somehow. It was as if all the hope and love she had found here had already left, and it was now no more than an empty shell. She knew what she had to do, had made the decision on the beach. Part of her had died then, but she knew she had no choice.

  She’d done the right thing by going to Kat. Kyle needed to be stopped, for his own good, and he wasn’t prepared to listen to her. That hurt. That and the realization that she was not as important to him as his revenge. She had thought they were so strong, destined to be together, but she was wrong.

  She had also realized that she could not live without her daughter, without trying at least. She’d been kidding herself if she thought that she could just carry on knowing she was out there someone and not do everything in her power to be with her.

  Sitting down on the bed, with her heart like a stone in her chest, she dialed the number.

  ***

  Sergei had just sat down for breakfast when his phone rang. Looking at the number, he realized instantly who it was and, with a smug smile, excused himself from the table. In the privacy of his office, he answered the call.

  “Hello, Tara. I’ve been expecting your call.” He smiled to himself. He had known she’d call. It had just been a matter of time.

  “I want to see her.”

  “I thought you might, but it’s not as simple as that.” He heard her take a deep breath at the other end of the line.

  “Why are you doing this to me? How could you be so cruel?”

  “You let me down, Tara, after everything I did for you.”

  “Well, I’m ready to come back. I have to see her.”

  “What about your cowboy? How does he feel about this?”

  “That’s none of your business. I’ll deal with him. When can I see her?”

  He could hear the yearning in her voice and knew, without a doubt, that she would do anything now. He had her. “There will be a ticket in your name at the British Airways desk for the first flight in the morning. Don’t miss it.” He put the phone down without waiting for a reply. He didn’t need one. He knew she would come.

  Feeling very pleased with himself, he went back to his breakfast. Anna had finally gotten out of bed and was now at the table. “Good morning, darling. Sleep well?”

  She barely acknowledged him.

  “What have you got planned today? I thought we might spend the day together,” he said to her now.

  Her expression was almost one of horror at the idea of spending a whole day with him. “Steph is coming over.”

  “Who is Steph? A friend of yours from school?” She looked at him as if he was interrogating her.

  Sighing, she said “Yeah, she’s a couple of years ahead of me, but we take violin together.”

  That was new. He’d had no idea she was taking violin lessons. Not that he cared. “Okay, well I’m heading back to London tonight after dinner and I want us to eat together, so make sure she’s gone by then.”

  Anna rolled her eyes at him.

  “Answer me, child,” he barked.

  Anna jumped. “Yes, Dad.”

  Sergei nodded with satisfaction. That was more like it.

  ***

  Heading back to his office after he’d eaten, his mind was already on other things. He had to make arrangements for Tara’s flight to be met at the airport. He didn’t know what he was going to do with her yet, but one way or another she was going to be made an example of. He chuckled to himself. Did she really think for an instant that he was going to let her anywhere near Anna? He hadn’t kept her away from her all these years just to backtrack now. No, Anna would never find out that her mother was a whore.

  There was no risk of her finding out, either. He kept both parts of his life very much apart, and there were few in his organization who even knew Anna existed. He picked up the phone. Time to get things organized. Calling Joey, he gave him the details of Tara’s flight and told him to meet her at the airport. She was to be taken back to her London apartment which Sergei had kept vacant, confident he would get her back. His orders were that she was not to be left alone.

  He was looking forward to seeing her again.

  Thirty-Four

  Kyle was getting twitchy. He had been sitting in his car across from the club on Acacia Street since just after dark. It was now eleven p.m., and still there was no sign of him. If JJ had lied to him, he would go back and this time, he wouldn’t be as gentle with him.

  He went to check his phone and then remembered he had turned it off. He didn’t want to be distracted by anyone tonight. It felt like he was approaching a conclusion of some sort and he wanted to be totally focused.

  He saw someone approach on foot from the left and, as he walked under a streetlamp, he realized he matched the description JJ had given him perfectly. This was it, it was time. Stepping out of his car, he crossed the street and fell into step behind him.

  “Hey, dude,” Kyle said.

  Deshaun stopped and turned. “Yeah, whatcha want?”

  Kyle played the part of the junkie quite well from his days on the LAPD, and now he adopted the hunched and nervous demeanor of someone needing a fix. “You help me out? You got any?”

  He watched as Deshaun hesitated. It was a calculated move. He didn’t know him, but he wasn’t about to turn down a sale. With a quick glance around, Deshaun gestured with his head to a dark alley that ran down the side of the building they were standing in front of.

  “Not out here, man,” Deshaun said, turning up his collar.

  Turning his back on Kyle, he walked into the darkness. Bad move. Before he knew what had hit him, Kyle had the dealer pinned with his face pressed up against the wall.

  “I’ve waited
a long time for this,” he hissed in his ear.

  “What the fuck’s going on? Who the fuck are you?” Deshaun was struggling against him, but Kyle held him firm. Had he not been an addict, he may not have managed it as Deshaun was a big man, nearly six feet and wide, with the build of a weight lifter. But the drugs had taken their toll and had started eating away at him. What once would have been hard muscle was now wasting away, and he was no longer as strong as he once would have been.

  “Do you remember a woman, a pregnant woman, that you shot in the parking lot of a Walmart?”

  Kyle felt him momentarily still.

  “Huh? No idea what you’re talking about, man. You got the wrong dude. Now get the fuck off me!”

  He tried to push against Kyle, but it was like trying to move an immovable object. Kyle had his arm twisted up between his shoulder blades, and at this he pushed the arm higher, causing him to cry out in pain.

  “You may as well admit it. Your friend JJ already filled me in.”

  “What’s it to you, anyway? So I offed the bitch. Big deal.”

  Kyle didn’t know how he had expected to feel but this admission, after all this time, left him feeling weak with relief. Kyle must have eased his hold on Deshaun slightly, because in an instant he had pushed himself away from the wall, turned and landed a punch to the right side of Kyle’s head. He went crashing down to the ground, stunned. Holding his hand to the side of his head, he looked up, straight into the barrel of a gun. Rookie mistake! He’d forgotten to check him for weapons.

  “Not so cocky now, are you? Now, who the fuck are you?”

  Kyle answered, while trying to figure a way out of the mess he was in. “She was my wife.”

  “Ah, now I get it. You’re the dude that went to work for Luccio.”

  He laughed then and the sound set something off inside of Kyle. The weakness was gone and the rage was building until with a burst of speed he jumped to his feet and ran at him. Surprised, Deshaun fired his gun and Kyle felt himself get hit, the force of the bullet spinning him around, sending him to his knees.