Page 83 of Sapphire
I buck against him. “Fuck you,” I spit, which makes him chuckle.
“You will, my love, you will.” He finally gets off me, but his hands still hold my wrists behind my back. “Do I need to cuff you, or will you behave?” His warm breath skates across my neck. “Because this time, Sapphire, I have something that will make you more manageable.” He turns me around as I watch Dmitri carrying Gracie’s unconscious body into the plane. “She’s your kryptonite.”
He knows it, and I know it. There is nothing I can do, he has me beat.
My head slumps and the fight leaves my body.
“That’s a good girl.” Nikolai chuckles and pushes me into the soft leather seats of the private plane. “Sit back and relax, you are going to need all your strength for where we’re going.”
I look out the window of the small plane and tears trickle down my cheeks as I think about Mateo and Tomas.
I know I will never see them again.
27
MATEO
Ilook down at my phone, willing it to give me the answers. Zoe’s mobile keeps ringing out, and so does the home phone.Don’t panic.She might be in the pool with Gracie and that’s probably why she hasn’t heard the phone.I decide to call Tomas and see if he has heard from her this morning.
“Hey,” he answers the phone.
“Have you heard from Zoe this morning?”
“No, why? Is she not answering her phone?”
I’m silent for a moment. “I have a bad feeling, Tomas. Something’s not right. She would have called us by now—she checks in as soon as she is awake.”
“Cariño, don’t panic, I’m sure there is an explanation.” Tomas tries to soothe my anxiety. “I’ll give security a call, okay?”
Of course, security, good idea. Tomas hangs up, and I patiently wait. The minutes go by ever so slowly. Finally, the phone rings.
“Tell me she’s okay?”
“There’s no answer.”
My blood turns cold. “We need to go, Tomas. Something’s wrong, I can feel it.” Grabbing my stuff, I whisper, “Family emergency,” to my agent and he nods, letting me go.
Tomas is still on the line. “I know. I’ll get the jet organized.”
“If something has happened to her, Tomas …” I let the words hang between us.
“I know, cariño, I know.” Then he hangs up.
I throw my arm out to hail a taxi and head to the airport as quickly as I can.Zoe, we’re coming for you.
I keep calling Zoe all the way to the airport, but there’s still no answer.
When I finally make it to the private airport, I see Tomas pacing back and forth, running his hand through his hair. Then I see his face, and it’s pale as a ghost.
Shit!
I rush to him, and he wraps his arms around me, forgetting we are in public. His whole body sags against mine.
“What’s happened?”
Tomas is silent. He won’t look at me as he stays wrapped in my arms.
“Look at me.”