Page 12 of Sinner's Fury

“Mother is the head of the Society! She always has been. Everything you have, everything you are, is because she made it happen. Did you honestly believe that as a first-time senator from Virginia, a fucking newly elected incumbent, you had enough clout to get the nomination for President of the United States all on your own? I know you’re good, Dad, but you’re not that good. Mother only married you to get control of everything. The Society rigged everything. No matter who runs against you, you will win. Mother has ensured it.”

My father’s face grew ashen with disgust as he read page after page in silence. With a sigh, he collapsed into a chair, his voice barely above a whisper when he spoke. “My God. What has she done?”

“She’s evil, Dad. We need to leave.”

My father, slowly shaking his head, looked up at me, his gaze conveying a mixture of disappointment and concern. “My career is over. My God, what the hell did she do?”

“Dad, the hell with your career,” I cried, kneeling before him. “Look at me. I need you to hear me. You can’t trust anyone anymore. I mean it. Everyone works for the Society. They all work for her. Something is coming. Something big. I don’t know what, but I feel it. We need to get the hell away from D.C., and fast.”

Rubbing his forehead, he muttered, “Everything I’ve worked for. It’s all gone. When the media learns what she has done, my political career is over. No one will ever trust me again. She’s ruined me.”

I took the file from him, laid it down on the floor, and then, turning back to him, I grasped his hands in mine. “Issac, please listen to me. I need you to hear me. We need to leave.”

“Oh, there you two are,” Mother happily said, waltzing into the room all smiles, as if everything were perfect in her world. And it was, because she made damn sure of it. “The car has arrived. Are you ready, Issac? Tonight is your big night. The entire world will be watching your every move.”

With a slow, deliberate movement, my dad raised his eyes to look at the woman he loved, but the love that had been shining in them just moments before suddenly extinguished, leaving behind a cold, hard stare. The hardening of his gaze sent a chill down my spine, and I rose to my feet in a panic, forcing a smile on my lips.

“Mother, you look beautiful.”

“I do, don’t I?” she said, studying herself in the mirror. “There is going to be a lot of important people here tonight, and I need to look my best. Perception is everything, Charlotte. Remember that. Never let them see the real you.”

“Yes, Mother.”

She spent a few moments perfecting her appearance, making sure her hair was just right and her lipstick was flawless, before finally turning toward the door. “Hurry up, you two. Tonight, everything changes.”

“Yes, Mother,” I automatically said, watching her sashay out of the room.

The second she was gone, I turned to my dad when he sneered, “I’m going to fucking kill her.”

“Get in line,” I muttered, getting his attention. “Listen to me, Dad. I know this is going to be hard, but you need to play the doting and loving husband tonight. When the dinner is over, we can pack for the summer home. Once there, we can get away.”

“And go where, Carly? I’m the Democratic presidential candidate. I can’t just fucking disappear.”

“Oh yes you can, and you will,” I firmly stated. “I have a plan.”

The viper den was teeming with people, forcing me to inch my way through the crowd with utmost care. Mother had gathered her ladies around her and the group was engaged in lively conversation, drawing the attention of many men who were eager to join their circle. She was in her element tonight. While the event was supposed to be all about my dad, somehow, before it even began, it was all about her.

Just the way she liked it.

As far back as I could recall, Mother had always been the most lively and entertaining person at any gathering. An overwhelming desire to be the most captivating, desirable, and powerful woman in the room completely eclipsed any rationalthought or common sense she possessed. It wasn’t simply a want, but a need, a deep-seated craving that promised her contentment and fulfillment, a compulsion that shecouldn’t ignore. She craved the spotlight, and if she wasn’t the center of attention, well, heaven help us all.

It was a relentless pursuit, a burning desire for more, a need to have it all, that propelled her to her current position.

It would also be the thing that killed her.

Raised in a prominent Southern family, with all the advantages that entailed, Mother experienced a life of luxury and comfort during her formative years. From her earliest days, Mother excelled in everything she did, amassing a collection of awards, achievements, and accolades that spoke to her exceptional abilities. As far as I knew, Mother had the perfect childhood. That was until her sophomore year of college, when she learned the truth of where she came from and met Angela Goldman. That meeting was a turning point in Mother’s life. From that point onward, a desire for more consumed her, forever changing her world.

I guess in a small way, we were alike.

For a short time, I hung on Mother’s every word. I wanted to be just like her. And like her, I learned the truth at my own pivotal moment, when I discovered she had my dearest friend, Jodi, killed in an automobile accident.

All because I wanted something different in life.

“You shouldn’t be here, Carly,” a deep, timbered voice murmured from behind me, from somewhere in the shadows. His voice, sending a chill of uncertainty coursing down my spine.

He wasn’t supposed to be here.

We promised to never speak in public.

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