Prologue
Xavier
Saturn’s Bay – Six and a Half Years Ago
The club’s grand opening was only a week away, but Xavier couldn’t find an ounce of excitement or motivation. It was a miracle he had been able to keep the project rolling while his thoughts were consumed with worry over the disappearance of Paul’s daughters, his nieces. If he could, he’d abandon everything and go in search of them.
He actually did go to Hawk City as soon as he heard the awful news that his brother and sister-in-law had been brutally murdered by Neo Gods agents. But at the time, Daisy and Rosie had been staying with a distant relative. He should have known the arrangement was temporary. He should have intervened. But fear his enemies would find out about his connection to Paul kept him from getting involved. And now the guilt ate at him.
A gorgeous Fringe was performing on the brand-new main stage, but Xavier saw nothing as he stared ahead with a closed fist covering his mouth. In his other hand, he nursed a glass of whiskey, neat.
His phone’s screen lit up a second before the device vibrated on the table, bringing Xavier back to the present. The call was from an unknown number, which prompted him to answer right away.
“Xavier speaking.”
“I’ve found them,” said a female voice he hadn’t heard in years.
Jodie Fallon was someone from Xavier’s past he wished he could forget. She had only brought misery to his family, and he was convinced Paul’s death was somehow linked to the woman. He hadn’t asked her for help, so the fact that she knew who he was looking for made his entire frame tense.
“I didn’t realize you were looking,” he replied.
“Of course I was searching for them. They’re Will’s nieces too.”
“Don’t you dare speak his name,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
“You’re never going to forgive me, are you?”
“No.”
Xavier heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the line, but that didn’t change how he felt. Jodie got his older brother Will killed, then married the Idol responsible for his death.
“Hate me all you want, but don’t let your feelings get in the way of saving your nieces.”
He stood suddenly and made a beeline to his office at the back of the club. This was not a conversation he should have out in the open.
“I’m not. Give me a second.” Once the door was safely locked, he continued. “Go on. Where are they?”
“Chatterton. A few days ago, they slept in a homeless shelter. But they haven’t returned. My contacts believe they’re living in an abandoned train station downtown.”
Xavier’s hand curled into a fist, and then his entire body seemed to freeze. The rage he had carried deep in his gut his entire life threatened to burst through.
“They’re living on the streets?” His voice was low, and it cracked at the end.
“I’m afraid so, Xavier,” Jodie replied.
He had mastered controlling his emotions a long time ago, but today he was having a hard time keeping them concealed. Daisy and Rosie were the only family he had left. He was born south of the border and forced to grow up fast when his parents ditched him at an orphanage at the age of five. He ran away from the nightmarish place as soon as he could, coming to the country by hiding in the trunk of John Rodale’s car.
When the Norm found him, instead of calling the police, he gave Xavier a place to stay, and then, much to Xavier’s surprise, the man adopted him later. And now Xavier was repaying that act of selfless love by letting his own nieces fend for themselves in a dangerous city.
“I know you don’t trust me, but I can get them to a safe location,” she continued.
“No! Absolutely not. You’re already too involved. I don’t want to sic your despicable husband on the girls.”
“I’ve been careful. Jonathan knows nothing,” she gritted out.
“Like he knew nothing about Paul?”
“Paul got killed because he had a big mouth. I tried to warn him, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Just stay away from them, Jodie. I mean it.”
“As you wish.”
She then told him the address, which Xavier jotted down in illegible scribbles on the first piece of paper he could find—the back of an envelope.
He was just about to fold the note and stick it into his breast pocket when a knock came at the door.
“Come in.”
“Sorry to interrupt, Mr. X, but you have a visitor,” one of Xavier’s bodyguards announced.
“I don’t have time for visits, Leonardo. I’m heading out.”
The burly bodyguard was shoved to the side and a tall blond man entered his office, commanding Xavier’s attention immediately. Apprehension took hold of Xavier, and at once, he projected his powers to the max. He was only a level six Fringe, but thanks to his ability as a Morph, he could pretend to be a level ten Idol. And Xavier needed to appear stronger than he was, for standing before him was not only a level fifteen Idol, but also one of the leaders of the Knights, a clandestine organization committed to protecting Fringes and Norms from the oppressive hand of the Idol race.
Leonardo made to remove Gunther Silverstone by force, but Xavier lifted his hand to halt him. “It’s fine, Leo. You can go now.”
Silently, he nodded before shutting the door. Silverstone remained where he stood, watching Xavier with dispassionate curiosity.
Xavier sat down, getting comfortable in his chair. It was all a show. Every nerve in his body was crackling with electricity, and all his muscles were stiff. “How can I help you?”
“Xavier Rodale. You’re a hard man to find.”
Xavier narrowed his gaze and clenched his jaw. Very few people knew his last name. “What do you want?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“I’ve seen your picture in the social pages of the newspapers.”
The man smiled tightly. “Let me rephrase. Do you know who I work for?”
Xavier leaned forward, keeping the glower in place while his brain scrambled to find a situation where he might have slipped up, where the likes of Silverstone would suspect the nature of his gift. When he couldn’t think of any, he replied, “You’re part of the Knights.”
The man finally walked forward and then pulled up a chair. When sat down, he seemed relaxed, which only made Xavier tenser.
“That’s right.”
“Why were you looking for me?”
“I have an offer for you.”
“I’m not interested. I have no desire to get embroiled in your illicit activities.” Xavier began to stand up, ready to escort the arrogant Idol out of his office.
“Really? I thought you would be more sympathetic to our cause after we prevented the Neo Gods from murdering your nieces in cold blood.”
At once, Xavier froze. He thought he had been careful, but apparently not, since Silverstone knew about Daisy and Rosie. He sat back down, feeling leery and on edge. He had to be careful about his next words.
“What do you know about them?”
“We know their current location. As a matter of fact, we have been keeping tabs on their movements for a while.”
Son of a bitch, Xavier thought.