Page 11 of Haunted (Blackwood Brothers #1)

MIRA

I stare at my phone, rereading the text I just sent to Cora.

Sorry, I can’t get you an invite. It’s complicated. Talk later?

Sliding my phone into my purse, I sling the strap over my shoulder.

Time to get out of Purgatory and process everything that’s happened. The weight of Xavier’s invitation and that damned NDA is already heavy enough without adding Cora’s disappointed texts to the mix.

I’m halfway to the exit when the main doors burst open. Cora strides in, determination etched across her face, designer heels clicking aggressively against the polished floor.

“What do you mean you can’t get me an invite?” She doesn’t bother with a greeting, eyes scanning the dimly lit club, as she strides to me, annoyed defiance dripping from each word.

My stomach drops. “Cora, what are you doing here? I literally just texted you.”

“And I was already on my way over since you hadn’t confirmed if you got me an invite, and the hunt is soon.” She tosses her hair back. “Where’s Xavier? If you can’t get him to agree, I’ll do it myself.”

“You can’t be serious.” I step in front of her. “This isn’t like asking for extra tickets to your dad’s charity gala.”

Her eyes narrow. “Where is he?”

“Back office, but it’s off-limits. Staff only, and even then?—”

“Perfect.” She sidesteps me and marches toward the hallway marked with a clear “Private” sign.

“Cora!” I try to grab her arm, but she’s too quick. “You don’t understand who you’re dealing with. Xavier isn’t someone you barge in on.”

She throws a smile over her shoulder. “I’m the mayor’s daughter. What’s he going to do?”

I rush after her. “That means nothing to him. Less than nothing.”

But she’s already pushing through the hallway, right past the security camera I know is streaming directly to Xavier’s monitors. I catch up as she reaches his office door and throws it open without even a courtesy knock.

“Mr. Blackwood,” she announces, “we need to discuss?—”

I lunge forward, grabbing her elbow. “Cora, stop!” My heart drops as Xavier looks up from his desk. His expression shifts from mild annoyance to something different when his gaze lands on me. The temperature in the room plummets.

“What is this?” Xavier’s voice is deceptively soft, but his eyes are cold and calculating as they flick between Cora and me.

Cora steps forward confidently. “I’m Cora Pike, Mayor Pike’s daughter.” She announces like it’s supposed to mean something to him. “I’m here about this Hunt event that everyone’s been whispering about.”

I try to pull her back. “Cora, please?—”

She shakes off my hand. “I want an invitation. It’s clearly the event of the season, and I refuse to be excluded.”

Xavier’s face remains impassive, but I notice his fingers tensing against the polished surface of his desk.

“And if I don’t receive one,” Cora continues, oblivious to the growing danger, “I’ll have my father’s office investigate this establishment. I’m sure they’d find plenty of reasons to shut Purgatory down permanently.”

The silence that follows is suffocating. Xavier rises slowly from his chair, moving around his desk with deliberate steps, and I see the shift in his demeanor—the businessman receding and the criminal I know is surfacing.

“Is that a threat, Ms. Pike?” Xavier’s voice drops to barely above a whisper as he approaches Cora. He doesn’t stop until he’s standing directly in front of her, towering over her slight frame, invading her personal space with calculated precision.

I’ve never seen Cora falter before, but she takes an involuntary step back. The confidence drains from her face as Xavier’s presence engulfs her. This close, nothing is charming about him—just pure, controlled menace radiating from every inch of his body.

I lunge forward, placing my hand on Xavier’s arm. The muscle beneath his suit jacket tenses instantly, and I fight every instinct screaming at me to pull away.

“Xavier, wait.” My voice is steadier than I feel. “Please.”

He looks down at where my fingers press against his sleeve, then back up to my face. His jaw is clenched tight, a muscle twitching beneath his skin.

“Give us a moment,” I say softly to Cora, who for once seems to have lost her voice.

When she steps back, I lean in closer to Xavier, dropping my voice. “I know she’s overstepped. She doesn’t understand what this is, what you are.” I swallow hard. “Make an exception. Just this once.”

“An exception.” His voice is flat, devoid of emotion. “Because the mayor’s daughter made a threat?”

“Because I’m asking you.” The words surprise even me. “Consider it... a favor. To me.”

Something flickers in his gaze—curiosity, perhaps. Or amusement at my audacity.

“A favor.” He repeats my words slowly, testing them. “And what would you offer in return, Ms. Sullivan? ”

The question hangs between us, loaded with implications I don’t dare examine too closely.

“Whatever it takes to ensure my friend doesn’t end up...” I trail off, not wanting to finish that thought.

Xavier stares at me blankly for what feels like an eternity, his expression unreadable. The silence stretches so long that I begin to think he’s simply waiting for me to break under it.

Finally, he shifts his attention to Cora. “Congratulations, Ms. Pike. You’ve become the first-ever sixth female competitor in the Hunt.”

Cora’s face brightens instantly, but Xavier isn’t finished.

“You will sign the same non-disclosure agreement as your friend here.” His tone makes it clear this isn’t negotiable. “Break it, and neither your father’s position nor your family name will protect you from the consequences.”

He steps back, breaking contact with my hand. “I suggest you both leave now. I have work to attend to.”

“Thank you,” I manage to say to Xavier, my voice barely above a whisper. His eyes remain cold, calculating, fixed on me with an intensity that makes my skin crawl. I grab Cora’s arm, my fingers digging in harder than necessary. “We’ll be going now.”

I practically drag her down the hallway, not daring to breathe properly until we’re back in the main club area. Even with the pulsing music and flashing lights, I can still feel Xavier’s presence behind us, like a shadow that refuses to fade .

“What the hell were you thinking?” I hiss once we’re a safe distance away, spinning to face her. “Do you have any idea who you just threatened?”

Cora adjusts her designer blouse, looking more annoyed than concerned. “Relax, Mira. It worked, didn’t it? I got my invitation.”

“No, I got your invitation and fuck knows what I’ll have to do to pay for it. You got lucky. Xavier Blackwood isn’t someone you threaten. He’s dangerous, Cora. More dangerous than you can possibly imagine.”

She rolls her eyes. “Please. Men like him are all the same—they respect power and confidence. I just showed him I have both.”

I grab her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “This isn’t a game. The Hunt isn’t some exclusive society party. It’s...” I lower my voice, glancing around. “It’s something else entirely. Something you shouldn’t be involved in.”

“Well, too late now.” Cora beams, completely missing my point. “We should celebrate! There’s this amazing little bar two blocks over that makes the most divine dirty martinis.”

“Are you even listening to me?” I can’t believe her nonchalance. “In three days, we’ll be in the Hallows Hunt, and from what I understand, we will be trapped in the Hunt for seventy-two hours. This isn’t something to celebrate.”

“Seventy-two hours? That sounds like a good party to me.” She pulls out her phone, already scrolling through messages. “Come on, just one drink. We can talk about outfits! ”

I stare at her in disbelief, wondering how I can make her understand the gravity of what she’s gotten herself into—what I’ve now inadvertently dragged her into.

My phone dings, cutting through the tension between us. I pull it out and nearly drop it when I see the notification – an email from Xavier with a PDF attachment labeled “NDA_C.Pike.”

“That was fast,” I mutter. There it is, the same legal nightmare I signed, now with Cora’s name inserted in the appropriate places.

“What is it?” Cora leans over, trying to see my screen.

“Your NDA.” I turn the phone to show her. “Xavier works quickly when he wants to.”

Cora’s eyes light up. “Perfect! I’ll just sign it now, and then we can?—”

I pull my phone back. “No. Absolutely not. You need to read it first. Every single word.”

“It’s just standard confidentiality stuff,” she dismisses with a wave of her hand. “I’ve signed a million NDAs for Dad’s political events.”

“This isn’t a political event, Cora, something you don’t seem to understand.” My voice hardens. “We will grab one drink, but only if you promise to read this entire document before signing it.”

Her brow furrows at my insistence. “You’re being weird about this.”

“Cora, do you have any idea what you just got yourself into? What you just made me help you get into?” I lower my voice, aware of the other staff moving around us. “This isn’t a normal party. The document spells it out clearly. Read it.”

She sighs dramatically. “Fine, I’ll read your precious NDA. Now, can we please go get that drink? I need something strong after that little confrontation.”

I forward the email to her phone, watching as she checks the notification. “You read that before signing. Promise me.”

“Yes, yes, I promise.” She rolls her eyes again, but her expression softens slightly when she sees my genuine concern. “It really means that much to you?”

“More than you know.” I grab my purse tighter. “Let’s go. I could use a drink, too.”

The cab ride to Twisted Spirits is mercifully quiet. Cora spends most of it texting someone—probably updating her socialite friends about her latest conquest: an invitation to the mysterious Hallows Hunt. I stare out the window, trying to process how spectacularly sideways this day has gone.