“Arnoff.” Again, she turned a haunted gaze on him. “He...” Her chin trembled. Fresh tears coated her cheeks.
“Okay. Shh, it’s okay.” He helped her to the bathroom. “Sit down, honey.” He pointed to the ledge of the bathtub, the only seat available other than the toilet. “I’m going to clean you up while you tell me what happened.”
Man, he’d only been away for a day and a half. What could’ve gone wrong in such a short time?
He brushed her tangled hair from her face. “Everything’s going to be all right, baby.”
Taking her hands in his he felt them shake uncontrollably in his firm grasp. He scanned the dirt and scratches on her body with clinical precision. If he let himself register the injuries marring her flawless skin he’d fly into a rage and tear the place apart looking for the person responsible.
That’s the last thing Ellie needed right now. “Sit tight, honey.” Opening the cupboards under the sink he found a first-aid kit and pulled it out. Grabbing a washcloth he dunked hydrogen peroxide on it and dabbed the angry red scratches on her neck and arms. “Talk to me,” he encouraged.
She hissed when the liquid sizzled in the open wound on her chin.
He said in soft tones, “I know it stings a little. It’ll hurt less if you talk while I do this.”
“Arnoff, he...” The words caught in her throat. She took a quivering breath and started again. “I thought he was fine. Weird, awkward, but I never thought he was capable of violence.”
Jaw clenched, Carter murmured, “Keep going.”
“We had dinner last night. Went out on his yacht today. I learned what a sleazebag he is. You wouldn’t believe how he runs his casino operations, Carter. It’s disgusting.”
If this is any indication . “What makes you say that?”
“I was shocked.” She spread her palms. “The women who work in his casinos? He takes them off the street—literally. They’re hookers. He doesn’t make them pay anything to him and they think they’ve got it good. They trade his safety he provides in exchange for sexual favors.”
His lip curled. “That’s revolting.”
He rinsed the washcloth watching dirt and trickles of blood cloud the sink’s basin. She needed a shower as much as medical attention, but after seeing enough late-night episodes of CSI: Las Vegas on Spike TV , he wondered if they may need evidence of the assault.
“Isn’t that horrible? I couldn’t believe it when he told me.”
Carter could guess where this was going and it tore him to shreds. Getting a fresh washcloth, he drenched it with peroxide and held it against the wounds on her knees. “Ouch!”
“I know,” he soothed, “but I want you safe and healthy, no infections. Okay? It’s almost over.”
She breathed a sigh. The sentiment of trust that came with the sound squeezed his chest.
“Keep talking, sweetheart. I need to know what happened. Every detail.” She was still shaking. He wanted her to tell him everything before her adrenaline diminished, taking with it her most acute memories.
“I thought it was you.” She touched his face with tenderness that made his heart ache. “I was so happy you’d come back and I went down to the cellar to see you. But it wasn’t you.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” He focused on tending to her wounds, and not clutching her against his chest, promising that he’d keep her safe, that he’d protect her from the bastard—from everyone and everything that tried to hurt her.
Ellie went on to relay the violent events. It took every ounce of strength not to leave her, not to hunt down Arnoff Applestone and rip his head off.
After she finished, her face crumpled with tears. He wiped the wet trails from her cheeks. He clasped her cold hands between his and kissed her fingertips. “We need to get you to the hospital.”
“No!” Her eyes flashed wildly. “It’s just a few scratches and bruises. I’ll be okay.”
“I want to make sure.”
She shook her head. “I told Uncle Russert not to call the police.” She gulped. “If there’s an investigation here there’s no hope of an auction.”
“Don’t worry about that right now. I’ve got it covered.”
“But the hotel will be foreclosed on by five o’clock tomorrow. And I know the police chief. He’d use this and turn the attack against me. ” Fresh tears welled in her eyes.
He sank to his knees before her. “I know you’re scared, but we can do this. Together. You have to let the hospital do a rape kit.”