Evan huffs, bends down, and picks up her limp body before he carries her out of frame.
Bill begins to pace the narrow hallway before turning to Isabella. “You can’t do this.”
“I can do whatever I want.”
“Goddammit,” Bill shouts. “Aimee would kill you for this.”
She purses her lips, glancing away before she says, “Aimee knew the risks when she decided she wanted to be initiated.”
“She would not have done this to your daughter. To Annabelle. For fuck’s sake, Isabella, she was your best friend.”
Isabella softly laughs. “Yes, she would have.” Stepping into him, she lowers her voice. “I’m a woman in a man’s world. I have to take what I want.”
“Eve is innocent.” Bill fists his hands.
“Maybe.” She shrugs. “But you know the rules. She must serve the Lords. One way or another.” Isabella gives him her back to walk away.
But his words stop her. “If Evan kills Eve, I will burn this place down. With you in it.” She turns back to face him. “I will not give up on her.”
Isabella smiles at him before turning once more and leaving him standing in the hallway alone.
The video ends, and I lean forward with my elbows on my knees and place my phone to my ear.
“Hello?” Bill answers.
“What the fuck was that?” I bark. “You told us you didn’t know where Dollhouse was, but you’ve been there?”
“No. I told you I was waiting for confirmation that Haidyn was there. I couldn’t show up with Charlotte until Isabella told me it was okay to bring her. I had been there several times.”
“Why don’t I believe anything you say?” I growl.
He sighs. “I understand this is difficult…”
“Difficult?” I shout, standing. “If you knew where Dollhouse was, you could have taken them down years ago.” Adam’s boss—the detective on Bill’s private jet—told us that they had been looking for their location. Bill knew all along and could have helped them. The boss probably has no idea that Bill was holding out on him.
“No one was going to take her down,” he snaps. “There were too many Lords helping Isabella keep that place running. What did you want me to do? Call the cops?” He snorts. “I needed help. I needed…more.”
“You needed us,” I growl. “You used me, Saint, and the others. You let Haidyn sit in there and be tortured in order to get what you wanted.”
“It was to save your brother,” he shouts. “I had to save not only Haidyn, but Charlotte. Hell, I had already failed Eve.” Bill lowers his voice. “I may be a Lord, but sometimes that isn’t enough.”
EVERETT
Nineteen years old
I blink, trying to clear my vision, but it does no good. Wherever I am, it’s dark and cold.
I’m also starving.
My knees are shoved to my chest, and my back is up against what I can only guess is a wall. I’m in a cell.
I spend most of my time here.
I’ve been sentenced to a life in prison. One that treats the innocent like criminals.
I can hear voices—screaming—in the distance. Cries of pain and shouts of desperation.
It never ends. All hours of the day and night.
