Hot Protector(40)
Chase glanced at her, his hands tightening on the wheel. “He buys and sells women, Sophie. Poor women from Russia and China who believe they’re going to a better life in the US. They end up in the sex trade mostly.”
Sophie put her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God. But Grigori isn’t part of that, right?”
He didn’t say anything, and the horror spread within her heart. My God.
“I had no idea,” she whispered. “Really.”
She’d trusted Grigori. If she’d been someone else, someone poor and alone and unfortunate… God, it didn’t bear thinking about. How could he? How could anyone?
She shuddered, tears pricking her eyes, and Chase reached over to squeeze her hand. “It’s not the kind of thing he’d mention, I’m sure. And he’s hidden his tracks well, because this is the first Hawk or I have heard of it. Not to say that it wasn’t known higher up the chain, but it’s apparently not common knowledge.”
Fury clogged her throat at the sheer evilness of what Chase was saying. “How could I not have known what a vile man Grigori is? How could I have ever thought he was decent?”
“Because he presented himself that way. It’s not your fault.”
“And yet there’s the maid.” She’d heard the story and dismissed it when Grigori told her it was a lie. Because he was rich and the maid was poor, and it made sense that she’d want to sue him and possibly gain more money than she ever would as a maid.
“He gave you good reason to think it was a setup from someone wanting money.”
Sophie snorted as she looked over at him. Traffic whizzed past, but she barely registered it. “You’re defending me now? I thought you believed I was an idiot for getting involved with Grigori in the first place.”
“I did think that… but that’s before I spent time with you. You’ve got a good heart, Sophie. You aren’t judgmental and you’re trusting. Those are admirable traits.”
She would have laughed if the subject weren’t so serious. “I may just fall out on the floor from all this praise. And then I want to know where Chase is, because I don’t know this alien who stole his body.”
“No aliens. I just realized you were easily duped.”
“And there he is after all—stupid is what you meant to say. You called me that when I was in your apartment.”
He sighed. “There’s a difference between being willfully stupid and being manipulated by a master liar. I could wish you’d been more suspicious, but you weren’t. Now we deal with the aftermath.”
Sophie yawned and shook her head. Maybe he was tired too and that’s what was causing all this niceness. “I just want to go to sleep for a few hours.”
“Usually I’d say that was a bad idea, but since we aren’t really tourists and we’re only staying as long as it takes to get that file, I don’t think it matters whether or not your body acclimates to Paris time.”
Sophie closed her eyes as they sped along the autoroute. And then she opened them again and speared him with a look. “You’re trying to get rid of me. You intend to stash me away, let me sleep, and go looking for the package.” She yawned so hard her jaw cracked. “No way, no how, buddy.”
“You aren’t going with me to Tyler’s apartment. You’re staying in the rental until I return. Besides, it’s not due to be delivered for another day. I’ll go tomorrow—and you’ll stay put while I do.”
“You won’t be able to get into the building.”
“Do you honestly believe that after the past few days? I have the address. I have a lockpick. I know how this is done.”
Panic blossomed in her belly at the idea. “Grigori’s men will be watching.”
“Which is why you aren’t going.”
Sophie bit her lip. “Madame Renard collects any mail that comes for Tyler. The postman delivers it to her box when he’s not in residence. You need me to go with you. She won’t give it to you.”
Chase gripped the wheel harder and swore. “You could have told me that a couple of days ago, Sophie. What was the point in hiding that information?”
He was furious, and rightly so. But she hadn’t told him originally because she thought he might not think the situation so dire. That he might not help her. If all she needed to do was call Madame Renard and ask her to forward the package, why go to Paris at all?
And yet the longer the package was out there, the more fearful she became. She didn’t need to wait days for it to arrive—she needed it now. She needed to know if there was anything on that flash drive that could stop Grigori from hurting anyone else. From hurting her.