Page 72 of Victorious Vice

Then the smaller ticket items.

I simply stand and sip my Orange Crush while Jared watches me.

I’m thrilled at all the huge high bids we got. We’ve made a ton of money for?—

“Raven Bellamy, congratulations!”

I jerk as Emily calls my name.

I didn’t bid on anything.

“Congratulations, Raven,” someone says to me, walking by.

“Yeah. Thank you.”

We decided earlier not to prohibit our board members from bidding. If they wanted to bid and give extra to the organization, we were happy to have their support.

But I didn’t bid on anything.

Someone must’ve bid in my name.

I walk through the crowd to find Robin, who is equipped with an iPad that shows all the bidders and winners.

“Robbie,” I say. “I didn’t bid on anything.”

“Strange. It says here that you did. In fact, you’re the only bid.”

“That’s so strange. I didn’t even sign up to bid.”

“It says right here, Ray. You won the gold pendant.” She walks to the table and holds up a black velvet box. “Here it is.”

The gold pendant? I don’t remember that being on our list of items for the silent auction. Then again, I was organizing this whole event remotely. It could have easily slipped my mind.

But who could have bought this for me? Dad, probably. He’s really proud of how all of this turned out.

I take the box from her and open it. I gasp. “It’s gorgeous!” It’s a pendant in the shape of a bird covered in black crystals with a small sapphire for its eye. It’s large, about two inches in diameter, and suspended from a link chain. I turn the pendant over?—

And I gulp, nearly losing my footing.

It’s engraved on the back.

Even the raven can’t fly forever. Sooner or later, it comes home to die.

24

VINNIE

He’s here.

I feel his presence.

I just have to ferret him out.

Someone is here for Raven. Is her life in danger? I doubt it. But her freedom is.

If she’s dead, she can’t be used as a chip to bargain with. And someone here wants to bargain with me.

Or with Mario.

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