Blood and Betrayal
"And tonight, the world will see it."
"They'll see exactly what you want them to see, Laredo," I said, my voice as steady as the tide.
He turned me around, his thumb grazing the signet ring. He didn't recognize it. To him, it was just a piece of jewelry I’d picked out. He didn't know I was wearing our shared blood like a noose.
"Let’s go down," he said, offering his arm. "Your mother is waiting to begin the performance."
The grand foyer was a sea of black ties and designer silk. The air was thick with the scent of lilies and expensive gin. As we descended the sweeping marble staircase—the very marble my mother had traded my soul for—the room fell silent.