Page 9 of Falcon's Prey

I wiped the water off with my hand and glared at him. I grabbed my stuff and made my way to my room. I was bored, angry, and restless. It was Friday and I knew just where to go party. I went into my walk-in closet and picked an outfit for the day.

I grabbed a ruby-red silk tank top that looked more like a sleeping undergarment and paired it with a black corduroy skirt and black high-heeled booties. My father had sent our new collection of diamonds a couple of days ago, so I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and showcase them as well.

I was Daddy’s walking billboard, something I had made peace with a long time ago.

There was a pendant, some rings, bracelets, bands, and a necklace, but like always, I went for my diamond choker. It used to be my mother’s, one of a kind. My father hated that I wore it, but I didn’t give a fuck. I had no mom; the least I could have was her necklace. Maybe my dad didn’t want me to wear it since I was the one who killed her.

Once ready, I went straight to the control room. I knocked and waited for an answer.

“Marcus,” I said when I saw the man who opened the door.

“Ember.” He gave me a sad smile.

Marcus had been my security guard when I was nineteen. He was nice. Back then, he was twenty-four and wanted a job in law enforcement, but that didn’t happen. Instead, he came to work for us. Safe to say, I used him.

Right after I fucked him and he professed his love to me, I kicked him out of my life. I felt terrible thinking he would lose his job, so I’d made sure he kept it, but since then, he never wanted to be near me. Not that I could blame him.

“Is Ren here?” I asked.

“He got called into headquarters. That’s why I’m here.”

“Cool,” I said, trying not to grin.

“Ember.” There was a warning to Marcus’s voice.

“Hmmm?” I played innocent.

“You are not to go anywhere without him.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ll be on the terrace. You’re more than welcome to keep me company.”

Marcus made a horrified expression, and then he shut the door in my face. Walking back to the living room, I saw Karen, who shook her head at me.

“Two-minute window is all I ask for,” she said.

It wasuseless to try to go back to sleep when I was feeling wired. Instead, I went to the control room. From there, I made sure everything was in order, then focused the bigger monitor on the living room. Ember was high off her ass, sitting on the couch, just staring at the wall.

This girl had everything at her fingertips, yet she treated her life like it was nothing. I grew up a charity case, bouncing between foster homes because my mother was a junkie whore, and my father was a drunk con man. They only got their shit together enough to get custody back and cash a few checks. From a young age, I had to fend for myself. Learn how to survive on the streets because it was either I became street smart or ended up dead.

Drugs? I didn’t touch them. There was already enough shit that could kill me. I didn’t need to add a useless habit to the list.

Around five in the morning, Ember’s phone lit up. I wondered who would text her at this hour, especially since she stared at her screen for a few minutes. Her face was devoid of all emotion. Throwing her phone aside, she walked out of the living room back outside. I quickly grabbed my phone and turned off the alarm. I wasn’t sure if she was aware of it or not, but her personal bodyguard got a notification after the doors were locked for the night.

I was prepared to get up again and tell her to come back inside when she walked back in carrying her bong box. I seriously thought I’d seen the stupidity humanity had to offer, but then I’d sat across from the diamond princess taking a hit from a bong that probably cost more money than I would see in my life. I sat back down, preparing myself to watch her take another hit, but instead, she grabbed a vial of white powder.

The image was almost too familiar as I watched her cut the lines and inhale them. I remember watching my father do the same. Ember lay on the couch turned the television on, then fell asleep. I went to the living room to do one more thing while she was passed out, then went to my room and slept.

It felt like I had barely gone back to bed when my phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Falcon,” the authoritative voice spoke, and I immediately got up at the sound of Sam’s voice.

“Sir.”

“I need you to come to headquarters,” he stated.

“Sir, I can’t leave the girl alone.”