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“There’s no other way for you?” Back turned to me, she can’t see the hilarity of such a possibility written all over my face.
“Do you honestly think I’d be stealing this thing, a doll, if there was? I’ve wracked my brain trying to figure out how to fix this.”
“There might be another way. The question is, how much would you be willing to sacrifice to save your mother’s life?”
“What?”
She turns around, and the resolution etched in her expression is almost more terrifying than the look of shock from before. “What would you sacrifice to save your mother and aunt? Pain? Your dignity?”
“I just stole a freakin’ doll. I’d say dignity is out the window at this point. What are you getting at?”
A sharp exhale, and she presses her lips together, casting her gaze to the side. “There is a group. It’s how I got out of my situation. They help people. Lucian is a member of it.”
“What group?”
“I don’t know what they call themselves, but--”
A hard knock at the door startles my muscles, and I almost drop the doll again. “Oh, no.”
Looking around the room, I zero in on the dresser and shove the doll inside, beneath my underwear. At the other end of the drawer, I slide out my pocket knife from where I stored it to keep the maids from finding it under my pillow. Tucking it tight to my body so Giulia can’t see, I drop it into the pocket of my military jacket. I don’t know how this place handles thieves.
On my way to the door, Giulia grabs my arm. “Ask him about it,” she whispers. “Lucian. He’ll know what you mean.”
“I don’t think that’s going to help me now.” I twist my arm out of hers. “I’ve no doubt they’ve seen what I’ve done.”
With heavy steps, I clutch my stomach and stride toward the door, throwing it back on where Rand stands in the hallway. Chin lifted in the air, he stares down his nose at me, his brows stern with disappointment.
“Miss Qui