Chapter 5 - THE WINTER COAT
Sloane dropped the heavy wool coat onto the marble floor.
It was dark navy, stained with dried mud and something darker, rust-colored, near the hem.
"Marcus didn't leave empty-handed," Sloane said, her voice shaking. The arrogant heiress was gone, replaced by a terrified woman realizing she had played a dangerous game with monsters. "He told me if things went wrong tonight, he had leverage."
Nico crossed the room in two strides, grabbing the coat from the floor. He stared at the inner lining. Embroidered in gold thread were the initials C.F.
"Where did he have this?" Nico demanded, his voice a low growl.
"In the trunk of his SUV," Sloane cried. "I saw him put a duffel bag in there this morning. He said it was his insurance policy."
I looked at the coat. If Clara had been alive this whole time, held captive by her own sister and Marcus, the sheer horror of it was unimaginable.
"Why did you stay, Sloane?" I asked, stepping forward. "Marcus left you behind. You could have run."
Sloane looked at me, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Run where? Marcus froze my bank accounts this afternoon. The trust fund money? He didn't share it with me. He used me to get the safe combination so he could steal the bearer bonds Nico kept hidden."
She looked at Nico. "He set me up to take the fall for everything. The bullying, the dress, the theft. He knew you'd kick me out tonight."
Nico didn't care about her excuses. He tossed the coat aside and pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing rapidly.
"Lock down the estate," Nico barked into the phone. "Nobody gets through the front gates. Find Marcus's SUV."
He hung up and looked at Ella. "Go upstairs with Jenna. Lock your bedroom door."
"I'm not leaving you," Ella cried.
Before Nico could argue, his phone buzzed. It was a text message.
Nico opened it, his face turning an ashen gray. He slowly turned the phone around so I could see the screen.
It was a live video feed from a dark, cramped space. A woman with Clara's face was gagged and tied to a chair, trembling violently.
May you like
And resting on her lap, ticking softly, was a heavy block of C4 explosive.
The caption below the video read: Open the gates, Nico. Or the insurance policy expires.
