Page 1 of Paper Doll

PROLOGUE

“Easy,Raf. Make it good for her.”

Pain splinters through my body as my stepbrother surges between my thighs, the brutal sting easing with each harsh punch of his hips and slowly giving way to a sick pleasure curling deep in my core.

“Look at her, she fuckinglovesit,” Ford murmurs, stroking his hard length as he circles me like a vulture, greedy eyes transfixed on where mine and Raf’s bodies join. “Don’t you, Ava baby?”

I can only moan in response, my back arching, legs trembling.

Raf continues rutting into me savagely as Ford prowls up beside my head, tapping his palm against my cheek in command. “Open up, pretty girl.”

His huge dick bobs above my face, the piercing at the base of the head glinting in the light. I relax my jaw as he drives it between my lips, choking me with the force of his deep thrust into my throat.

“Smile for the camera, Ava,” Wes coaxes, stepping closer to shove his phone in my face.

Tears gather at the corners of my eyes as I stare vacantly into the lens.

This is what it has come to.

For months, my stepbrother and his friends have made my life a living nightmare, and now I’m willingly allowing them to defile me with their filthy words, rough hands, and hard cocks.

As I succumb to the overwhelming rush of sensation, my mind slips into a dreamlike state, and all I can think is…

How the hell did we get here?

CHAPTER 1

AVA

“I don’t understandwhy I can’t come with you,” I mutter as I watch my mom cram more of my belongings into the large black suitcase spread out atop my bed.

“I can’t explain right now, sweetie,” she huffs, shoving everything to one side of the bag to make room for more. “Like I said, it’s only for a little while.”

“If it’s only for a little while, then why can’t I just stay here on my own?”

“Ava!” she snaps, jerking her head up. Her expression softens when she meets my wide eyes, her voice gentler when she speaks again. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

I chew on the inside of my cheek, studying the tense set of her jaw, the agitated purse of her lips. “What aren’t you telling me, Mom?” I press.

She just shakes her head sadly and turns away, striding over to my closet and disappearing inside. My eyes glaze over as I stare down into the suitcase numbly, at a complete loss for how to pry the truth out of her before she shoves me out the door.

All of this is happening way too fast.

Certain aspects of our lives have always been draped in secrecy, but even so, my mom and I haven’t ever kept secretsfrom one another. Or at least Ithoughtwe didn’t. A lot has changed since Gideon Romero put that six-carat diamond on her finger two months ago and promoted her from being his long-time mistress to his legal wife. He moved us into his pretentious mansion to play happy family, but this abrupt departure definitely doesn’t fit that narrative.

Something’s up.

I suppose it’s possible that the two of them are just sick of me hanging around, infringing on their newlywed bliss. Or maybe they’re finally getting around to taking that honeymoon they’ve been talking about. But if that were the case, why wouldn’t she justtellme?

Nothing about this makes sense.

Anxiety sinks its claws in deep as I push off from the bed and pace over to the closet, intercepting my mom as she emerges with a bunch of hangers in her grasp. So many questions are on the tip of my tongue, but the distressed look on her face and the slight tremble in her hands has me swallowing them all back, setting my own feelings aside in favor of smoothing things over between us.

“Here, let me,” I sigh, reaching out to take the clothes from her and carrying them over to the waiting suitcase. Separating the first garment from the others, I hold it out in front of me, brows lifting as my gaze combs over the sparkly floor-length designer gown. “Well, I doubt I’ll be needing something this fancy,” I snort, tossing it down on the bed.

Mom shrugs a shoulder, eyeing the dress. “You never know,” she mumbles as she slowly lifts her head, blue eyes shiny with unshed tears when they meet mine.

My chest constricts.