Page 23 of Haunted

“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.