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A sob twisted into a cough in her throat and Vicky shrank away from his barked words. Angry, vicious words.
He had no place yelling at her. Not when she’d just been terrified so.
He coughed, trying to clear the rage from his throat, and reset his voice. “I didn’t mean to yell, Vicky. I’m just horrified to find you like this—none of this is your fault.” He ripped open the last thread of rope and freed her wrists. His hand on her back, he sat her up and then moved to the rope about her ankle at the foot of the bed.
He glanced up at her from the knots.
Stupefied and shaking, tears streamed down her cheeks. She’d been terrorized beyond comprehension.
But he needed answers from her. “Vicky, I know you’re scared, but you need to find a way to talk to me right now. Fight through the tears to tell me what happened. Sob, cry, whatever it takes to get the words out, I need them. Tell me who did this to you.”
A stuttered wail, and then words formed on Vicky’s tongue. “She—she told him to tie me up like this.”
Reiner’s fingers stilled. His body froze as the blood in his veins turned to ice.
It took him several seconds to lift his gaze to his niece.
His words a tortured whisper, his look found her tear-stained face. “Who told who to tie you up? This is important, Vicky.”
“Sl—Sloane did.”
All air left his body, his heart stilling.
He didn’t hear her right. He couldn’t have.
“Sloane did what?”
She gasped a solid breath and words tumbled out of her lips, her tongue not fast enough to keep pace with the rush. “She told him to tie me to the bed before they left. He had come in here after I was done watching the dancing. He followed me and told me not to scream or he’d choke me. And I believed him. And he tied me up—my arms and then shoved that rag in my mouth and tied it around my head and it hurt—it hurt so much, Uncle Reiner.” Her face crumpled, tears flowing again.
Reiner let loose the last knot on her ankle and reached out, wrapping his arms around her, bringing her to his chest. She came willingly, happily—a safe haven in the middle of the maelstrom about her.
“Wait.” He tugged slightly away from Vicky so he could look down at her face. “He had already tied your arms together before Sloane was in here?”
“He did. He had tied me up and was going to take me, but then Sloane came in the door.”
“Did he say why he tied you up?”
Her head shook and then collapsed against his chest, her fingers tight on the lapels of his tailcoat. “No. Just that I better walk with him and better not scream or try to get away.”
“Do you know his name?”
“Sloane called him Bockton.”
He gasped, raging breath filling his lungs. “So he was planning on taking you out of here when Sloane came in?”
“Yes. And she said awful things again—awful, awful things. She said I wasn’t worth as much—that you wouldn’t care if he took me. That he should take her because it would destroy you if she left and I was nothing to you.”
“So he decided to leave you here?”
“Sloane said I wasn’t worth the trouble. That I wasn’t worth anything.” Her words cut out with a sob. “Then she left with him.”
“Did he tie her up?”
Vicky shook her head. “No. She said you would either follow her and then meet with an unfortunate accident or if you saved her she could come back and ruin you as she had planned. She said either way she would win. She means that she wins when you die, Uncle Reiner, and I don’t want you to die.”
“I’m not going to die, Vicky.” His hand clasped to the back of her head, smoothing her hair. “But I am going after Sloane.”
“No.” Her head jerked away from him. “You can’t. She wants you dead and I’m scared and I don’t want you to go. Why is she like this? I thought…I thought she loved us and now she wants you hurt or dead.”
