Anatoly hit the table with his fist, making the captured pieces shake. He wanted nothing more then to leap over the table and throttle Freddie senseless, but he knew how much of a bad idea it would be. He had to rein his temper in, he had to be the better man. He had to succeed this time.

"That game in Bangkok was hardly a true game and you know it. It was all politics. Molokov and de Courcey didn't truly give a damn who won, as long as they got what they wanted."

He took a deep breath, trying and failing to calm down. "But then, I loved her. More than you ever did, if you would tell me you wouldn't throw a game for her sake."