But I will.
I head into my office to triple check I have everything I need to catch Bishop. Not having Mia here frees me up to go after Bishop myself, but I need the info Sophia’s holding onto if I ever plan on finding him.
Sure, Bishop has his circle of friends in New York. Sure, Bishop hangs out at the same places when he comes into the country. So, while yes, he should be easy to snuff out, I’m thinking he’ll be a lot smarter than he normally is. He’s brilliant, actually. It would be better to just know what Sophia knows.
Information means power, and I need to gather as much as I can from her.
Once seated behind my desk, I’m thankful for the reprieve from Sophia. I just can’t think when she’s around. What am I going to do about her? I know she’s planning on asking that old guy at the marina if he’ll take her off the island. I’m not an idiot. I’m also not one to let her leave.
I wish I had a fucking phone. I need one… now…
I have no idea what’s going on with my team and the other four daughters.
Has Mia surfaced? Has Bishop gotten to any of them?
I slam a fist on the desk and pull my phone out of my pocket. No bars. No service. Nothing. I leave my office and head back into the kitchen just as the crew of men I’ve hired has finished replacing the window.
Ines enters with a smile that can light any room. She’s always so happy and cheery. “Hello, sir,” she says in that motherly way she has.
“Ines, what are you doing here?”
“I came by to check on you, sir.”
“You should be home with your family. How did you guys handle the storm? Everything ok?”
She waves off my question with an even bigger smile. “Yes, we’re fine.”
I don’t believe her. “Javier, can you head over to Ines’ and assess the damage and let me know what she needs?”
Javier nods.
However, Ines waves off my concern. “No, sir. We’re ok.”
Ines has five children to feed with a husband who works down at the docks. If her house sustained any damage, I want to fix it for her. “Ines, they’re just going to make sure. Some damage isn’t even visible. You could have a leak that gets into your wiring that can cause a fire. Just let Javier take a look.”
She nods. “Thank you. Do you need anything?”
I glance around, wondering if there’s anything at the moment I might need. I’d love someone to babysit Sophia, so she can’t leave, but I don’t tell her that. “No, go home. We’re all set here.”
She smiles. “Thank you, senhor.” She glances out the window. “Oh, dear. What’s that?” She points to the driveway.
I spin to look and watch Sophia drive away in my Mercedes.
Fucking shit.
“Ines, have a great day,” I say as I rush off to the garage.
My BMW bike sits in the corner and I hop onto it, speeding after the SUV. I don’t see it ahead of me.
I can’t let Sophia leave this island. It’s a good thing I know where she’s headed. What is she thinking? She has to know I’d chase her. That I’d figure it out that she’s going to the dock to ask the man in the red hat about taking her off this island.
She must think I’m an idiot. Ha. I laugh to myself. I’m no idiot, and Sophia Rossi, you have finally met your match.
There’s no way I’m letting you leave this island until I have the information you know about Bishop. And if I have to chain you in the basement, so be it.
Before long I’m at the marina, and race toward the boat the man with the red hat stood next to earlier. I park the bike and hop off.
“Where’s the girl?” I’m already rushing up to the old man as he works on his boat.
I don’t see my car parked in the lot. Maybe she came a different way?
“What girl?” The man in the red hat looks confused, and then recognition dawns on his heavily wrinkled face. “Oh, you were down here earlier, right?” he asks real slowly.
“Yes,” I say, waving my hand to hurry him along with the answers.
“With that pretty little thing.”
I nod, my lips pressed tightly together. “Yes. Yes. Where is she?” Come on.
The man shrugs. “Haven’t seen her since you both left here earlier.”
Then it hits me. “Your buddy, where’d he go?” I’m frantically searching around. I remember Sophia talking to the man in Portuguese for a mere second, but who knows, maybe she asked him for help. Or something to aid in her escape.
“He left to head to the airport. He had something going on there.”
“He’s a pilot?”
The man in the red hat nods, but before he can even answer, I’m already rushing back to my bike.