Page 75 of Nobody's Girl

And now she had willingly handed herself over to the man who would, in a few hours, make the rest of her life a living hell. Grant could barely wait. When the plane had taken off, and the flight attendant had pulled down the shades, people falling asleep, Grant released his seatbelt, and covered both he and Sofia in the blanket. Under it, he slid his hand under her short and stroked her belly, the soft and silky skin of her, imagining how it would split under his knife. Sofia murmured and Grant withdrew his hand with a smile.

There would be plenty of time to explore her body later. He hoped Tamara had kept up her end of the bargain and prepared the killing room for him. He would keep Sofia drugged until he reached the club, unless her altered state became an issue, or attracted attention. For now, he would have to be satisfied that she was on the plane and on her way back to where he wanted her. Slowly, slowly, his plan was coming to fruition and he couldn’t wait for the next part.

Ivo called Desiree, called everyone he knew Sofia was friends with in the city, but none of them had seen her. Desiree listened to everything Ivo told her and nodded. “I have a contact at the Direction générale de l'aviation civile. If she got on a plane, they can find out.”

Two hours later, she called Ivo back. “She got on a plane to New York this evening. They’ll be landing in about a half hour…Ivo? She boarded with a man named Grant Christo.”

Ivo felt his heart shudder. “What?”

“I’m sorry, Ivo. That’s what they told me. Witnesses said she seemed pretty out of it, and Grant was very ‘attentive’, whatever that means. Who is this guy?”

Ivo sighed. “His other name is Felix Hammond – he lives down the hall to you.”

“Grant Christo is Felix?” Desiree sounded astonished. “God, Ivo…”

Ivo was alarmed by her tone. “What is it?”

“Don’t freak out, but I don’t like that guy. I never have. I don’t know, call it instinct, but he reminds me of a guy I used to know, before I transitioned. A hustler. The more I think about him, the more I’m convinced he’s the same guy.”

Ivo’s blood was like ice. “Desiree…what aren’t you telling me?”

He heard the hesitation in Desiree’s voice. “He’s into…stuff. Kinky stuff, some of it more…avant-garde than the usual. Knife play, stuff like that.”

“What the actual fuck? Oh, god, Des…” Ivo felt his breathing get shallow and faster. “What if he…why would she go with him?”

“Like I said, he’s a hustler. Very convincing. Didn’t she say he stopped her father from abducting her that time.”

“Step-father,” Ivo said, almost unconsciously. “She said he was a friend…but wouldn’t a friend stop her from running, get her to come talk to me, talk things out?”

“Depends what kind of friend…”

“Sofia would never cheat on me,” Ivo said fiercely and Desiree sighed.

“I know that, but what’s to say he state of mind is? After that photo…what were you thinking, Ivo?”

“The Rutland bitch kissed me, obviously had set it up to be photographed. I did not cheat on my wife.”

“I know that too,” Desi said gently. “Calm down. We have to work this problem. Who does Sofia know in New York? Jonas and…?”

“Penn Black.” Suddenly Ivo felt a little better. “I call Penn, see if he can make it to the airport by the time they get through passport control.”

“You’re reaching but it’s worth a shot.”

Ivo said goodbye then grabbed his own passport, leaving the apartment to run down and fetch a cab. In the cab he called Penn, who eventually answered. He sounded drunk.

“Penn, dude, I need you to focus right now.”

“Can’t, man. Willa died because of, I should have…” Penn was barely coherent and Ivo felt a rush of anger, and despair.

“Penn! Listen to me…Sofia is gone.” Ivo made a decision. “She was taken.” He winced a little at the lie but he needed to get through to his friend – he was Ivo’s best hope. He would call Jonas too afterward, but Penn was closer and had the resources to get things done. “Penn, are you listening? Sofia is on her way to New York with a man called Grant Christo. We don’t think she’s with him voluntarily.”

There was a loaded pause on the end of the phone. “Ivo, did you say Grant Christo?”

“Yes. He’s a friend, or an acquaintance of Sofia’s. Listen, something happened, something with Sofia’s stepsister. At my mom’s funeral. She set me up and there was a photograph and Sofia saw it.”

“Man, you need to start at the beginning. You said Sofia was taken…and now you’re saying she’s with Christo? Grant Christo?”