Fern Michaels - High stakes

Books by Fern Michaels

Fancy Dancer
No Safe Secret
Wishes for Christmas
About Face
Perfect Match
A Family Affair
Forget Me Not
The Blossom Sisters
Balancing Act
Tuesdays Child
Betrayal
Southern Comfort
To Taste the Wine
Sins of the Flesh
Sins of Omission
Return to Sender
Mr. and Miss Anonymous
Up Close and Personal
Fool Me Once
Picture Perfect
The Future Scrolls
Kentucky Sunrise
Kentucky Heat
Kentucky Rich
Plain Jane
Charming Lily
What You Wish For
The Guest List
Listen to Your Heart
Celebration
Yesterday
Finders Keepers
Annies Rainbow
Saras Song
Vegas Sunrise
Vegas Heat
Vegas Rich
Whitefire
Wish List
Dear Emily
Christmas at Timberwoods

The Sisterhood Novels
Crash and Burn
Point Blank
In Plain Sight
Eyes Only
Kiss and Tell
Blindsided
Gotcha!
Home Free
Dj Vu
Cross Roads
Game Over
Deadly Deals
Vanishing Act
Razor Sharp
Under the Radar
Final Justice
Collateral Damage
Fast Track
Hokus Pokus
Hide and Seek
Free Fall
Lethal Justice
Sweet Revenge
The Jury
Vendetta
Payback
Weekend Warriors

The Men of the
Sisterhood Novels
High Stakes
Fast and Loose
Double Down

The Godmothers Series
Getaway (E-Novella Exclusive)
Spirited Away (E-Novella
Exclusive) Hideaway (E-Novella Exclusive)
Classified
Breaking News
Deadline
Late Edition
Exclusive
The Scoop

E-Book Exclusives
Desperate Measures
Seasons of Her Life
To Have and to Hold
Serendipity
Captive Innocence
Captive Embraces
Captive Passions
Captive Secrets
Captive Splendors
Cinders to Satin
For All Their Lives
Texas Heat
Texas Rich
Texas Fury
Texas Sunrise

Anthologies
The Most Wonderful Time
When the Snow Falls
Secret Santa
A Winter Wonderland
Ill Be Home for Christmas
Making Spirits Bright
Holiday Magic
Snow Angels
Silver Bells
Comfort and Joy
Sugar and Spice
Let It Snow
A Gift of Joy
Five Golden Rings
Deck the Halls
Jingle All the Way

Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

FERN MICHAELS

HIGH STAKES

ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

Table of Contents

ZEBRA BOOKS are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2017 by Fern Michaels

Fern Michaels is a registered trademark of KAP 5, Inc.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

ISBN: 978-1-4201-4067-5

eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-4068-2
eISBN-10: 1-4201-4068-X

Id like to dedicate this book to three wonderful, amazing, fearless women. To Julianna Triplett, who left us way too soon. Rest in peace, darling girl. To Juliannas mother, Suzanne Triplett, who truly is fearless, and to my dearest friend Claudeen Doll, who invented the word fearless . Thank you for being in my life.

Fern

Prologue

D ennis West thought it was going to be a beautiful spring day, even though it wasnt quite six oclock in the morning. The dark night had turned the new day into a dizzying shade of pink and lavender. Plus, hed gotten up at four thirty, which had to mean he needed to get started on what was sure to be a special day. Dennis believed in things like that. He took them as omens. Everything happened for a reason. Everything.

Now all he had to do was sit back and wait for whatever was going to happen to actually happen.

Carrying his morning coffee in one hand and the early edition of the Post in the other hand, Dennis made his way out to the postage stampsized courtyard of the Bagel Emporium to drink his first cup of coffee of the day. He was lucky this morning; one little bistro table was still available. He immediately laid claim to it, spread out the paper, and removed the lid from his coffee cup. He then settled his backpack under the minuscule table, rolled his shoulders, and stretched his neck. It was the same ritual that he practiced every morning. Now he was ready to drink his coffee. He took a healthy gulp, burning his tongue in the process. He ignored the temporary pain and scanned the headlines and everything above the fold. Nothing earth-shattering there. Nothing earth-shattering below the fold, either. He leaned back on the flimsy chair and settled in for some serious people watching. It was his absolutely favorite thing to do in the whole world. He loved, loved, loved coming up with little scenarios as people moved past him, some making eye contact, others so zoned out, they were like zombies. Sometimes he even gave the strangers names. Yes sirree, this hour was his favorite hour of the day.

Dennis was so intent on his people watching that he didnt hear his name being called. He did, however, whirl around when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He looked up to see a tall, lanky guy around his age, with straggly hair, unshaven jaw and cheeks, and bloodshot eyes staring down at him.

Dennis! Well, damn, this is a surprise! Never expected to see you here! Man, this is early! Great to see you!

Dennis tried to see past the stubble, the red eyes, the straggly hair, and the dirty clothes. His eyes popped wide. Toby! What the hell!

Thats the best you can come up with? What the hell! I know its been a bunch of years, but, damn, Dennis, am I that forgettable?

Jeez, no, Toby. I was doing what my mother used to call woolgathering. Watching people. Its kind of what I do. What brings you here to the nations capital? When I saw you at our last reunion, you were working in New York, at some secret think tank, and making bookoo bucks. You slumming or something? Dennis asked curiously.

Its a long, sad story, pal, Toby said, sitting down on the spindly chair opposite Dennis.

Tobias Mason. Smart as a whip, highest IQ on the planet. The guy could discuss quantum theory but couldnt balance a checkbook. Not one ounce of street smarts. Not even half an ounce. Theyd been study buddies back in the day. Two geeky nerds who never quite fit in. As close as theyd been, they had somehow drifted apart after graduation, Toby in demand for every think tank in the land and Dennis to find his way doing what he loved, gathering news to share with the world. As far as he knew, theyd both succeeded, he with a Pulitzer to his name and Toby doing all that top secret stuff no one would ever see or hear about.