Page 49 of Falcon's Prey

Gio looked at me. “I’m in charge of the Ember.”

I extended my hand for him to drop the red diamond, which he did.

“Now get the fuck out of my face,” I commanded.

Ren chuckled as he finished unclasping the choker. I turned around to face him. Even in heels, I barely reached past his chest. I tilted my head up. His fingers came to the imprint the choker had left on my neck from the intricate design it had on the inside.

“Looks like stars,” he mused, his finger tracing over the three little dots, then going for the single one and the four that were aligned.

Before he could keep tracing, I pulled away. I started to walk away, putting my family’s jewel around my neck so it rested above my chest. All valuable things came at a price, and ours was dipped in blood and covered in betrayal, a fact no one liked to talk about.

“If you lose my mother’s choker, I will castrate you,” I said as I walked, not bothering to look at Ren.

He let out a dark chuckle.

“Give a girl some steel, and she thinks she’s a warrior.”

Before I could tell him to fuck off, we had made it to the top of the staircase. They curved down to the ballroom, so I wouldn’t be able to see anyone until the midway point. I looked down at my chest to where the Ember sat as a beacon of our wealth, and all I could see was the symbol of something I could never have nor achieve. This piece of jewelry was adored, studied, immortalized, and famous for just existing while I was infamous for the same thing.

“Are you okay?” Ren stepped next to me while he fixed the button on his wrist.

He looked at it like it was of utter importance, and I was glad he did because if I looked into those deep blue eyes, I might have blurted the truth.

“One thing to know,dog, is I’m always okay. No matter what.”

I took a deep breath, letting the stale air filled with hatred and arrogance give me the strength to put on a show. I descended the stairs with my bitch face on as I scanned the ballroom full of tables and people seated, all with their fine attires and fake smiles. At the bottom was Silas waiting for me, as the devil would welcome a new soul into hell. His eyes raked over every inch of me, and I looked everywhere else, pretending like I couldn’t feel his gaze burn and make me want to come out of my skin.

He stretched out his hand to me, and everyone smiled at how loving myunclewas. I turned to my right and looked at Ren, maybe with pleading, as I took Silas’s hand. He looked at where my hand and Silas’s joined, but he didn’t stop me; he just let me go.

“You look beautiful,” Silas whispered in my ear as he led me to our table.

All I could feel was the knife between my legs. It begged to be used, and I knew just where to place it.

Ignoring Silas, I smiled at the people who were seated at our table. Silas took his seat, and as I went to grab mine, I noticed Ren was there pulling my chair back. The people at our table couldn’t stop staring at my chest, and for once, it had nothing to do with my tits. I was wearing a piece of jewelry; all of them would never know how it felt rested upon their stupid little hands.

My eyes crossed with Mattias, and he had his same loathing look. I smirked at him as I played with the Ember and polished the stone with my middle finger.

“I’m sorry to hear about your father, Miss Remington.”

I smiled at the old man. Mr. Sheppard was old, came from old money, lived for a good gala, young pussy, and donating money to important things, and adored his three kids most of all.

“My father is a strong man, so I have hope.”

I didn’t need to add what everyone at the table knew. The longer my father stayed in a coma, the slimmer his chances were of ever waking up.

The food came and went, and I was dying for a smoke. Something to take away the edge I was feeling at the moment. The mindless chatter, the fakeness, it was all getting to me, and I wanted to scream.

Silas got up and walked to the center to kick this thing off. He was going to do what my father had always done.

“How is everyone tonight?” he asked and smiled at the crowd. He charmed them, and they ate it up.

“As you all know, my…my brother can’t be with us.” Silas paused and looked at the room. It was hard, but I abstained from rolling my eyes. “He loves this gala, and he loves all of you. Hell, I do too—you guys keep us in business.”

Some people laughed; others gave a light clap.

“Now, my brother wouldn’t want us to be here moping him. He would want us to hope that he will get better. And I have hope fate will give my brother what he needs. What we all need… You see, my brother…he’d shed blood for this family, so I promise to shed mine as well.”

As far as speeches went, that was pretty fucking stupid. He then went on talking about our year in business, new branches, and stuff that had me wanting to pull my hairs out.

---