"They're fine." I button my suit jacket. "It's not about any of them. I have to go back to Manhattan to meet someone. This is more important than the interview so reschedule."
"They might not agree to that." There's a subtle warning in her tone. "If you keep canceling shit like this, it's going to impact you in the long run."
"You'll smooth it over. I pay you to do that."
"It's Sophia, isn't it?" Her brow quirks. "Did you have a lover's quarrel and now you have to rush back to the city so you can kiss and make up?"
She can't possibly know how much I wish that were it. "Mind your own business, Cheyenne and don't drink me into poverty. I'll put a limit on that credit card I gave you if you spend too much tonight."
"You'd never do that to me." She leans forward. "I'm a call away if you need anything, Nick. I hope you know that."
"I do." I'm tempted to embrace her but I don't. "I'll talk to you tomorrow so don't inundate me with calls and texts. Handle this on your own."
"You've got it boss and sayhito Sophia for me."
I will if I find her.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Nicholas
"Tellme how the fuck this happened?" I grab the front of Crew's suit jacket. "I want to know who messed up."
He's calm. I see it immediately in his eyes. "I can't tell you how but I'll tell you what I know, Nick. I need you to sit and take a breath. You're not doing Sophia any favors by losing it."
I sit in a chair across from him. We're in his office. It's after two a.m. It took me three hours to get a seat on a flight back to New York.
During the time I sat in the terminal waiting to board my concern for Sophia went from mild to intense. At first, I thought she was ignoring my calls and texts because she was pissed that I didn't take the time to explain my connection with Del to her. When Crew called me to say that her phone had been found in an alley outside of Foster Enterprises, my world instantly went dark.
"He's not in Florida." Crew picks up a printed copy of Franco Abano's mug shot. "He didn't fly out. There's no record of him ona bus or train. The best we can figure is that he rented a car and drove here."
"He's here?" I stand again. "That fucker is in New York?"
"I called Gabriel Foster an hour ago. He had his security team pull footage from the cameras outside the Foster Enterprises building. Franco was there. He kept his distance, but he was outside mid-afternoon."
"He has her." My voice cracks. "That prick took her. Someone must have seen it."
"The police are on it, Nick. I called Sebastian while you were in the air. He contacted someone in missing persons, and I just got off the phone with them. They'll be at Foster bright and early to review that security footage and to interview anyone who went in or out of the building around the time Sophia left."
"Where would he take her?" I pinch the bridge of my nose trying to think. "He must have rented a room. Are you checking that out?"
"As we speak. We have someone at her place too. If he tries to take her back there, we'll be on him immediately. I need you to remember something, Nick. Listen to me."
I look across the desk at where he's standing in front of the windows of his office. "What?"
"He's in love with her." He exhales harshly. "He doesn't want to hurt her. He won't hurt her. I believe that. I need you to believe that too."
"She's scared as fuck right now." I clench my fists at my side. "You know that she is."
"I know she's strong. Sophia is the most resourceful woman I know." He cups his jaw in his hand. "If anyone can talk their way out of this, it's her."
"What if there's no way out?"
"I refuse to believe that." He points at his phone. "I called Cadence. She's going to fill Sophia's folks in. I've arranged a private jet to bring them here."
It's all shit I should have handled myself but I'm damn grateful he's done it.
"I hurt her before I left New York today." I look him straight in the eye. "She saw me with Del and wanted an explanation."
