It’d be a ride of a lifetime.
…
Izzy cozied up to his chest. Hmm. She could get used to this. He ran his fingers through her hair, and she stroked his cheek in the dark. She looked at the alarm clock. Two a.m. He often woke her up to make love, and who was she to deny him?
“Izzy,” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“We need to go. I received a text from John. He’s arrived with Obasi and he’s keeping him in the security room.”
Obasi. Immediately, she sat upright and rubbed her eyes, then opened them. He jumped out of the bed, and, covering a yawn, she did the same. Within minutes, they’d dressed and walked in the direction of his office to speak with the man responsible for Mary’s death.
When she arrived, she saw Obasi sitting on a chair. Hands and feet handcuffed, he resembled the pictures Mary had shown her. Only skinnier and with dark circles under his eyes, his hair disheveled.
Heart pounding in her ears, Izzy launched at him and slapped his face, the sound cutting the thick air. She was about to slap him again, adrenaline pumping in her veins, when Nassor grabbed her from behind, pulling her a few feet from Obasi.
“That’s enough, Izzy. Let’s question him.”
John, a tall blond man with a blank stare, nodded, agreeing.
She took a deep breath, rubbing her forehead. He’d been responsible for the death of the only person remaining in her life who had given a damn about her. Why should she give him a break? Mary hadn’t gotten one. “Why did you kill her, you son of a bitch?”
Obasi stared at her square in the eye, his face softening. A mix of sadness and regret touched his eyes. “I’m very sorry for your loss. Mary loved you. She always talked about you.”
“Why did you kill Mary?” She stepped forward, but Nassor put his hand on her shoulder. Was it support or concern she’d launch at Obasi again? Was he worried about her safety or the ripple effect this situation could cause to his name? “She was everything I had, and you took her from me.”
“I didn’t kill her, I swear. I’ll admit to my faults. I’ll confess,” he said. A tear fell down his face. “After my divorce, I struggled to make money. Someone told me about bringing willing women to high-class customers. They called me the liaison. I accepted, but when I did, I never imagined some of those women didn’t want to sell their bodies.”
John let out a sigh.
Nassor squeezed her shoulder, then let go of her and stretched to his full height. “Why Mary?”
“I was assigned to bring a white woman here. I started a conversation with her, and I fell for her. She was easy to talk to, and had the best sense of humor. When she arrived, I tried to keep her from my client. I lied to him and said she’d never shown up, but he easily confirmed that wasn’t true with the airline. Then I checked her out of the bed-and-breakfast and planned on escaping with her, without her ever discovering what my plan had been.”
“You’re fucking twisted,” she said under her breath.
“Who did you work for?” Nassor asked.
“I can write down a list with four names—they’re the men who called me on a regular basis. They kept me busy.”
“Who?”
He recited names, and none of them rang a bell. She kept on looking at him, wishing he’d disappear from the face of the Earth. She didn’t believe his lies for a second—how could a creep like him be capable of love? Did he think she was some kind of idiot to believe his spiel?
Nassor rubbed his forehead, the contours of his face hardening. “I’ll need to contact my legal team to move forward, but you’ll have to testify against them.”
“I will. I don’t have much left,” Obasi said, glancing down at the floor.
“Which one of these men ordered her to be brought from the United States?” she asked.
“Taavi Cisse.”
Nassor ran his hand down his face. “He’s one of my new advisers. I had no idea.”
“He didn’t ask for Mary. He requested an older white female. I went online looking for women in the UK actually, but when I came across Mary’s profile—”
“You just couldn’t wait to have her come here to be abused and fed to the wolves,” she said, and slapped him again. This time, Nassor didn’t hold her back. John lifted his chin, observing her, but didn’t make a motion to stop her either.
