My phone stops vibrating for a whole two seconds, then starts up again. Drew doesn’t call more than once unless it’s important, so I hit pause on the game and begrudgingly pick up my phone, swiping to answer as I raise it to my ear.
“This had better be good, you’re interrupting my killing spree.”
There’s a pause on the other end. “Can’t tell if you’re joking, but I don’t think I wanna know,” Drew replies dryly.
I flop back against the couch cushions with a sigh. “You’ve got two seconds to tell me why you’re calling.”
“Just wanted to let you know you’re a piece of shit.”
I frown, pinning my phone between my ear and shoulder. “What’s your damage, Drew?”
“Have you misplaced one of your little toys?” he sneers.
I squeeze my eyes shut, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
“I just saw Ava at the Dollhouse.”
I jolt upright so fast I get a headrush, lowering the phone from my ear and hitting the speaker button so the guys can hear. “Say that again.”
“Ava’s at the Dollhouse,” Drew repeats, prompting both Raf and Wes to sit up just as quickly, their attention locked in on my phone. I’m gripping it so tightly it’s a miracle the thing doesn’t shatter, my pulse roaring in my ears.
“I thought I might be hallucinating, but I never forget a face. So I pulled up her file to confirm,” my brother continues. “She’s the hottest thing on the auction block. I know you’re a bunch ofruthless assholes, but selling her tothem? That’s fucked up, even for you.”
“We didn’t,” Wes snaps, cutting Raf an accusatory glare.
Raf shakes his head, looking just as bewildered by the news. And as the three of us exchange glances, it suddenly clicks.
“Gideon,” Raf snarls, his hands curling into fists atop his thighs.
“Wha…?” Wes starts to ask, trailing off as the pieces slot into place in his brain.
Sothat’show Raf’s old man suddenly came up with the debt he owed– he sold Ava to the Dollhouse. The influx of funds he received was completely untraceable, which makes perfect sense since it came from a place that doesn’t exist on paper.
“Are you seriously telling me you didn’t know?” Drew questions dubiously.
“We didn’t,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
My brother heaves a sigh. “Well, if it wasn’t you guys, then you should be able to get her back easily enough. If she’s been initiated as your Doll, then–”
“She hasn’t,” I snap, glaring daggers at Raf.
This is his fault. He flat out refused Ava’s official initiation into the Invictus, and now we’ve got zero recourse for our Doll being stolen out from underneath us.
Drew curses under his breath, which pretty much sums up exactly how fucked this situation is.
“I’ll call you back,” I grumble before abruptly ending the call. I fight the urge to throw my phone across the fucking room as Raf pulls out his own, dialing his old man and placing the call on speaker.
It rings for almost a full minute before the asshole finally picks up with a gruff, “Son.”
“Gideon,” Raf greets with all due disrespect, his voice eerily calm. “Why am I hearing that Ava’s at the Dollhouse?”
There’s a long pause on the other end of the line, the silence speaking volumes. Then, “Who told you that?”
Raf’s nostrils flare, but his tone stays flat. “Doesn’t matter. Is it true?”
“Yes.”
That single word sucks all the oxygen out of the room. The three of us exchange looks, at a loss for words.
