The urge to scream builds, pressing against my vocal cords as I whip back around and return to the bedroom.
There’s a door on the far end. Not the kind with a knob, just a flush slab in the wall with a discreet electronic panel beside it. I cross the room, pressing my ear against the seam of the door, but all I’m met with is silence. I try to push against it, even going so far as to slam my shoulder into the panel, but the edges don’t even rattle. I’m locked in tight.
My throat tightens with a fresh, high wave of panic as the reality of my situation settles in. I try to regulate my breathing, pressing a hand to my chest and tipping my head back, and that’s when I spot the miniscule camera lens embedded just above the doorframe. A red light winks at me like an accusation.
“Hey!” I call, waving my arms in a desperate bid to get the attention of whoever’s watching on the other side.
No response.
My stomach sinks like a stone. Scanning the room again, I desperately search for something I might’ve missed the first time. I pace a tight circle around the bed, return to the door and pound on it with my fists. I even re-examine the fake window, checking the edges for a seam or panel that might peel away. The glass is warm to the touch, the field in the picture so lifelike that I can almost hear the birds chirping and the rustle of the wind through grass, but it’s all just a cruel illusion.
A wave of hopelessness washes over me, sudden and suffocating. For the first time since I woke, I let myself wonder how I wound up here and what they want from me. Whether the Kings had a hand in putting me here. Considering they’ve been responsible for every misery in my life over the past month, it’d track. I wonder if this is the universe’s idea of a sick joke, because as much as I wanted to escape them, I never meant to end up in a place like this.
Breathe, Ava.
If they wanted me dead, I’d be long buried, not waking up in a fresh new hell.
The minutes crawl by as I wander around the room in search of some way out, each one lengthening the space between my last memory of freedom and whatever this is now.
I thought I was finally safe, returning home to my mom, but where is she? Did Gideon do something to her?
A sharp, mechanical chirp suddenly rips through the oppressive quiet.The door.
I scuttle backwards, landing on my ass on the bed and instinctively grabbing for the glass of water as a potential weapon, ready to chuck it at whoever’s about to come through.
The door slides open with a soft whirr, the woman in the white suit stepping in.
I’d recognize those ice-blue eyes and blood-red lips anywhere. That terrifying moment before I lost consciousness seared her features into my memory like a brand.
She flashes a tight, professional smile as the door hisses shut behind her, starting toward me. “Welcome, Miss Morrow,” she greets, my name sounding like a death sentence in her mouth.
This woman is even more terrifying up close. Her pale blonde hair is razor straight, cut to a perfect line just below her chin to accentuate the sharp angles of her face. She’s holding a slim digital tablet in one perfectly manicured hand, coming to a stop in front of me and waiting expectantly.
When I don’t respond, she sets her tablet down on the nightstand and crosses her arms. “I understand this is a bit of a shock,” she says calmly. “But I promise, this transition will go much more smoothly with your cooperation.”
I snort a sarcastic laugh, jutting my chin up defiantly. “If you’re here to murder me, can we just get it over with? Because I’ve been through enough mind games recently to last a lifetime.”
She clucks her tongue, shaking her head. “We’re not going to harm you, Ava.”
“Then what the hell do you want, lady?” I snap.
“You may call me Natalia,” she replies, lips turning down in a frown. “And that attitude will get you nowhere in here.”
“Where ishere, exactly?”
“The Dollhouse is an asset management facility. You’re our newest asset. And as I said before, you’ll find your stay here more comfortable if you cooperate and remain calm.” She glances down at my ankle. “The cuff you’re wearing has a biometric monitoring chip and remote activation. If you attemptto harm yourself or anyone else, the device will immobilize you until staff can intervene. Do you understand?”
I blink back at her in horror.
“Good,” she chirps, swiping up her tablet from the nightstand and pivoting on a heel. “Come with me. We have much to discuss.”
Her heels click against the tile as she steps toward the door, swiping at the screen of her tablet. That same shrill, mechanical beep sounds and it slides open.
I can’t move. Can’t think. Hell, I can hardly evenbreathe.
She pauses in the doorway to glance back at me. “Now, Ms. Morrow,” she barks. “I can and will get security involved to escort you, but it will be much more dignified if you walk.”
My hands curl into fists atop my lap, fingernails biting into my palms. For a fleeting second, I consider rushing Natalia, knocking her off those heels, and making a run for it… but I have no idea what lies beyond this room. Even if Icouldget the jump on her, I doubt I’d make it far running blind. So, I begrudgingly climb off the bed, glaring daggers at the bitch in the white suit as I cross the room to her.
