Page 2 of Falcon's Prey

It was tempting. So tempting.

You’ll be free.

I bit my lip, because I had no idea how that felt. I was about to put in the information, and all my problems would be solved, but at the last minute, I had a change of heart.

Thank you, but your services won’t be needed anymore.

I felt like a dumbass typing that, since whoever was on the other end of the screen wouldn’t care. I was about to log off, but words started to appear, as did a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach full of dread.

If you say so.

There’s a reason you came.

A reason why you were ready to get dirty and lie in blood.

My palms started to get sweaty, and my breathing got shallow. I was about to close the laptop, but they wrote more.

Until we meet again.

I turned off my laptop quickly, my heart racing faster than when I was getting fucked a couple of minutes ago. My life was already a fucking mess; I didn’t need to add blood on my hands.

The asphalt crunchedunder my Giuseppe Zanotti heels as I made my way through the parking lot of the club. The line was long, which was expected because this was the hottest club in town. When people spotted me, they started pointing at me like I was some sort of zoo animal.

Hello? I was a fucking person. Just because my life was publicized, it didn’t mean they had to act like I was less than human.

I was taught from a young age to be unbreakable like a diamond. To withstand the pressure that came with my last name. Uncut and rough, but still shiny. I was used to the glitz, glamour, cameras, flashlights, and whispers. The taste of lies for breakfast and deceit for dinner was something I’d learned to acquire. I didn’t really trust anyone.

People were good at two things: fucking you and fucking you over. It was better to have fun in the meantime.

Once I made it to the front of the line, I flashed a smile to the bouncer. That was all it took for him to let me in, bypassing everyone who had been waiting for hours.

“That’s not fair!” some girl whined. “We’ve been here for an hour.”

I turned around, grinning at the girl while she glared at me. To drive the point home, I opened my Alexander Wang clutch and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I lit my death stick, took a puff, and turned to her, blowing the smoke in her direction.

“It’s the way of the world, kid. Life. Is. Not. Fair.”

I walked in while the bouncer shook his head. I heard the girls call me a bitch, and without turning around, I stuck my middle finger out. Once inside the club, I made my way to the VIP section. I didn’t come here to make friends. I didn’t have any—life at the top was rather lonely. Perhaps stupid, but honestly, I didn’t care.

“What a surprise,” David said.

He’d been a bartender here for a while, and since I was a regular, he knew me pretty well. And by saying David knew me, I meant that he knew my moods and what kind of drink I preferred. He knew when I was wired, high, or just plain pissed at the world.

“Oh, cheer up, Davie. You know you’d miss me if I didn’t come.”

“Where’s your goon?” He smirked at me.

I grabbed some cashews from the tray nearby and threw a few in my mouth. “I ditched him.”

David made a face. “Is that wise?”

“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” I smiled at him. “Now, give me a tequila sunrise.”

As David went to work on my drink, I turned my head with the nagging feeling that I was being watched. It had been happening since that day I’d almost made the biggest mistake of my life, but I was sure I was just being paranoid. When I scanned the club and didn’t notice anything, I turned back to the bar. Of course people were looking at me; it came down to my name.

* * *

The next morning,I woke up feeling like I had a little person in my head doing renovations. I groaned and sat up. Fuck me. I’d forgotten to take my aspirin and water last night.

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