West could sense Tanner looking at Rider and then motioning his head toward West. He sensed his friend doing it too many times for it to be normal.

His darting look went over his cards and at Tanner, his lips curling with fury.

"What is it?" his friend asked, blinking his light brown eyes with feigned innocence.

"You are bloody mocking me, Tanner," he snarled.

"Ignore him," Rider said, throwing the remainder of his cards on the table, ending the game.

Tanner threw his with a groan. Leaning against his seat, he stared at West. "Where have you been?"

"With Sasha," he nonchalantly replied, laying his cards down to join the others on the table. "Why?" he asked the same time Tanner asked his.

"Ignore him," Rider repeated, eyes on the door. Then he frowned.

Seeing Rider's expression, Tanner and West turned to see what caught his attention.

"Who is that?" Tanner asked, straightening in his seat with interest.

West frowned. He did not recognize the woman. And perhaps no one in the room did as well.

"West? Do you know her?" Tanner asked as the red-haired woman scanned the room.

"I do not know all Belles, Tanner," he said through his teeth. Then he stiffened as the woman's green eyes fixed on him.

"You definitely know her."

"I said, I do not."

"Then why is she coming toward you?" Tanner inquired.

"West Blackwood," the woman greeted, standing before West. Her eyes did a quick scan of the table before she fixed it back on him, cold and authoritative. She was a Belle, he concluded. They were the only women courageous enough to address him without a title. "Come with me at once, please."

"Why should he?" Rider demanded before West could open his mouth. His friend's tone was nowhere near amiable as his icy stare was. "You are interrupting our game, madam."

Without taking her eyes off West, the woman said, "You have won the game, have you not?"

Tanner's eyes widened as he snapped his head at Rider's direction.

"I assume your game is over." She stepped back, face as expressionless. To West, she repeated, "Come with me at once, please." The other gentlemen in the room had paused their game to listen to or ogle with interest. While it was not uncommon to find a woman in the gaming room, it was unheard to find one who was ordering a duke to stand up and follow her.

"The duke is staying here, madam," Rider icily replied. Tanner, on the other hand, could have already reached the ballroom if his shifting in his seat be counted as steps. "Whatever business you have with him shall have to wait."

"My business with this gentleman," the woman's grating voice answered, tearing her eyes from West to Rider, leaving a trace of icy trail at their wake, "is one that does not concern you, sir."

West saw Rider's hand clench into a fist while Tanner gasped with amazement, eyes veering wide to Rider.

West let out an exhale of annoyance, staring up at the Belle. "Has something happened?" he asked.

Her green eyes returned to his. "Do you wish me to answer that here?"

"Yes."

"Then, yes, something happened."

It might be the flash of consternation that crossed the woman's green eyes, or it could be her insistence on haste, that alarm kicked in and jostled West from his seat.

"West—" he heard Rider call out before the door closed behind him.

"Where is she?" His heels dug unto the carpeted floor.

"I will not tell you until you answer me first," the woman said behind him.

West whirled around, eyes ablaze. "Where is she?"

"Where have you been in the last twenty minutes?"

An incredulous frown crumpled his face. "You know where I've been the last twenty minutes, woman. You found me there. Now, tell me—where is she?"

The woman's eyes darted around them, thoughtful. Her jaw clenched. "The bloody bastard."

"You may think being ambiguous is saving you at the moment, lady, but I am this close to forcing the bloody answer out of your mouth. Where is she?"

She stopped to look at him up and down. "You are not even asking what happened."

"Unlike you, I know my priorities. That can be answered later. Now, I will ask one last time—where is she?" West could swear that his growl could be heard right down to the end of the hall, but the woman did not flinch.

She simply walked past him, her movement fast and stealthy. Bloody hell, who was this woman? His mind asked as he followed, matching her pace.

After walking past the ballroom and an empty garden, they entered a series of corridors that led to a set of stairs and to the west wing. Two more turns and they stopped outside a door.

He chased the woman for the handle, turned it open and burst inside.

Breathless, West scanned the room, eyes wide, panting with... what? Fear? Concern? He could not tell anymore.

He found her curled in the middle of the bed and went straight to her only to be blocked by Aaron Stanway who was far from looking pleased. "Why did you leave her alone?" the Earl of Emsworth demanded.

"Step aside, Emsworth," he said through his teeth, his eyes on Sasha's curled form in the middle of the bed. At the other foot of the bed stood her scowling maid and at the side, holding Sasha's hand was a crying Ruby.

"Or was it you? Did you do it, Eaton?" Aaron stonily said, blocking his path.

"I said, Emsworth," he said, pushing the man's chest, "step aside!" He rushed to Sasha's side and to Ruby he asked, "What happened?"

Ruby was choking and crying, unable to provide an answer so West gently squeezed himself beside the woman to reach out for Sasha's hand. Her chin was buried deep into her chest, her shoulders shaking. She was murmuring something, but he could not hear her.

"Sasha," he gently said, taking her hands from Ruby's. Aaron took Ruby and held her in his arms at the side of the bed. "Sasha?" West asked, peering closer. His eyes restlessly roamed over her. The left sleeve of her dress was torn. A small scratch on her arm made his jaw go tight, but there was nothing else visible he could see. He looked over his shoulder and demanded, "What the bloody hell happened?" When Aaron refused to answer, he turned his eyes at the scowling maid. The woman just continued to scowl so he turned to the red-haired woman standing at the other side of the bed.

"I found her being attacked in the garden."

As if he was standing on a frozen lake, West felt the ground beneath him crack open, dropping him down an endless pool of ice. "Attacked? By whom?"

"You tell us, Eaton. You were the last person we know she was with," Aaron scathingly said.

"She left me to join you in that bloody room, Emsworth," he roared over his shoulder, his hand tightening around Sasha's hands when she flinched. "It was the last I saw of her." He turned to the red-haired woman. "Did you see his face?"

"No."

Considering they were accusing him, he concluded that they knew only as much as he did. Bending close to Sasha, his left hand gently found her chin. "Sasha, look at me."

She rolled her head to the side.

"Sasha, who did this?"

"Be a good girl..." she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"What? What did you say? Sasha?"

"She has been muttering the same words over and over," choked Ruby. "It must be him."

"Who?" West asked.

"Who, Ruby?" the red-haired woman repeated when Ruby just buried her face in Aaron's chest. "Ruby, who?"

West stiffened. "Willoghby. The bastard is here."

He straightened, rage fueling him to go and find the man himself, but Sasha caught his hand in a strong grip. "No. Don't."

He frowned. "Why?" he growled.

She closed her eyes, more tears rolling down her cheeks. He hated seeing her lying there so helpless. The last time they spoke, she was blazing with ferocity, announcing that their game was over. And now, here she was, gripping his hand as if it was saving her from falling off a roof. "No."

"Are you telling us it was not Willoghby?"

Her shoulders shook, her hands letting go of his, and she rolled deeper into the bed, curling to her side once more.

"Damnation, Sasha, who did it!" he demanded, causing the maid, Aaron and the red-haired woman to scowl at him.

"No one... no one did it," was her frail attempt.

West scoffed in disbelief. Placing his hands on his hips, he looked around at everyone. "Leave us."

"That is not happening—"

"Leave! Now!" he roared at the red-haired woman. He looked at Aaron, leveling his gaze with equal measure. Finally, Aaron's shoulders dropped, and he said, "Ten minutes, Eaton."

He guided Ruby out the door.

The maid, still scowling, said, "Ten minutes," voice filled with warning.

The redhead refused to move.

West turned to her. "I will not repeat my order."

"I am not following it," she said, walking to the door. "Five minutes."

Now alone with her, West climbed the bed and gathered Sasha in his arms, forcing her to sit and face him. "Sasha, who did this to you?"

Eyes still closed, she murmured again, "Be a good girl... He told me... he told me to be a good girl... I can't... he told me..."

His jaw tightened. Voice shaking with fury, he asked, "Sasha, look at me." He shook her until she opened her eyes. Bluish gray globes swimming in tears. "Who did this—" he paused and sighed. "Are you hurt? Where are you hurting? Tell me. Do you feel any pain?"

She shook her head, a whimper escaping her lips. "I'm tired." She twisted away from his hold and slumped back into the cushion.

He could feel himself starting to shake. "Is it your other gentleman?"

"No!" she cried. "No, not him. Please, West, I... I'm tired. I'll be fine tomorrow," she murmured. "Go. Leave me. Please."

He knew she was mustering what was left of her strength and rational thought.

"I am not leaving, Sasha," he said, settling beside her, back against the head of the bed. He gathered her hand in his and sighed.

He squeezed when she started crying, burying her face in the pillow, muffling the sounds.

Throughout the night, in her sleep, she would repeat the words, "Be a good girl... be a good girl... He told me to be a good girl..."

West spent the rest of the evening trying to stop himself from scouring the estate for Willoghby.

The bastard would have his day.

*****

The next morning, barely out of bed, Sasha was facing a group of people who wanted answers.

Yes, she was fine.

She was, truly.

She was simply shocked.

"You fainted!" Ruby cried. "You were unconscious when Gabrielle found you."

"I carried you in my arms when we found you after Gabrielle alerted us," Aaron said. "You were unconscious, Sasha. You cannot not tell us who attacked you."

She blinked, gaze fleeting to every corner but West who was silently sitting beside the bed, his eyes dark, his entire feature grim.

She moistened her lips.

"Is he a gentleman of Belcourt?" Aaron demanded.

She blinked. "Please, I will... I will personally settle this matter. I will go straight to Belcourt and make the report—"

"It's that bloody bastard," West said, suddenly on his feet.

"West, no. I said I will settle the matter myself!" Sasha cried out when he went for the door.

He whirled around. "He should be brought in, Sasha."

"Belcourt will handle him," she retorted with indignation. "No one but Belcourt. Do you understand?"

"Why!" he boomed. "Because that is how Belcourt wants it done?"

"Because Belcourt's punishments are more brutal!" she shouted back. Her chest heaved as she met his furious gaze, hers equally angry. She wanted to have her hands on Willoghby herself, but that would not be possible. She had to do this right. "Because Belcourt will not let him go unscathed." West scoffed in disbelief. Sasha closed her eyes. "I wish to be alone, please."

She was still in the same dress she was in last night. Iyana had loosened her corset, but she needed to change. She needed to breathe.

Ruby looked at Aaron and the two of them exited the room. Iyana stood with Briana in one corner, both ladies motionless as stone. Sasha sighed, opened and her eyes and begged. "Please, Iyana, Bree, I need a moment."

Iyana and Briana hesitantly made their way out the door.

Sasha veered her eyes to West who returned to his seat beside her bed. "West, please."

He continued to scowl at her.

"It is the morning and I do not wish to spoil it. I need a moment to prepare for the rest of the day."

She saw his jaw clench.

"I want to be alone," she coldly told him.

He stood up without a word and left, slamming the door behind him.

"I need you to stay, Gabrielle, please," Sasha said to Gabrielle was on her way to the door.

Gabrielle turned and approached the bed. "You wish to know what happened."

Her jaw clenched. "Yes."

Gabrielle nodded. "I heard your scream."

Sasha frowned. "I do not remember screaming. I only remember him saying... I remember him whisper something to me. I do not recall screaming."

"I heard you scream, Sasha. And so I ran to the direction of the garden where I found him atop you. You were already unconscious. He saw me and ran away."

Sasha began to shake and she fought it. To not know how far Willoghby had gone was the worst of all.

"I assure you that he was not able to do anything more, Sasha. When I was certain you were fine, I ran after him. I encountered Ruby and Aaron on their way back to the ballroom and asked for them to go to you. By then, Willoghby was gone. I tried to find him, but he was fast. This estate is filled to the brim and he took that to his advantage. But I need to know, Sasha. Are you certain it was him?"

"As certain as I am that you have been following the entire evening, yes."

Gabrielle's lips pressed firmly together. "I knew you had a conversation with West Blackwood. I needed to know what about."

"Understandable, of course, but the conversation was fruitless. I am working on that, fret not," Sasha said with a sigh, looking around the bedchamber. "Thank you. For last night." The woman may be hiding secrets, but the fact remained that she saved her.

Sasha stared at Gabrielle. There was no trace of deceit.

The woman was a Soldier, after all.

But who was she a soldier for?

Sasha was trapped.

She was left with no one but herself.

She was plucked out from her quiet life in the Court of Libraries and thrown into this game, and now everyone was using her for their own secret game.

She must be ready, she thought, for there was only one ending to this.

All players in this game had roles to play, Sasha included.

She was the pawn, but if she was wise enough, a pawn could take down the queen.