The diner was dimly lit, the kind of place that felt stuck in time, with cracked leather booths and a flickering neon sign outside. I sat in the farthest booth, hood drawn low over my face.
My leg bounced anxiously under the table, and I kept glancing toward the door, waiting for the mysterious letter-writer. Every nerve in my body screamed that this was a bad idea.
But I needed answers.
The photo of Xavier standing behind my father haunted me. The locket. The packages. And now this meeting-if there was even the slightest chance I’d get some clarity, I had to take it.
The bell above the entrance jingled. My heart leapt into my throat as a man in his late fifties stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room.
He was average-looking-graying hair, glasses, plain clothes. But there was something wary in the way he moved, like a man carrying invisible scars.
He spotted me, hesitated for a beat, then slid into the booth across from me. “You’re Alyssa, right?”
I gave a curt nod, keeping my voice low. “Who are you?”
He exhaled, glancing around to ensure we weren’t being watched. “My name’s Lucas O’Neill. I used to work for your father.”
The air in my lungs tightened. “You knew my dad?”
Lucas leaned in, resting his elbows on the sticky table. “Yeah, I did. And I knew Xavier too-back when he was still learning the ropes.”
Hearing Xavier’s name sent a chill down my spine. I leaned closer, desperate for more. “What do you mean, ‘learning the ropes’? What was he to my father?”
Lucas’s expression darkened. “Xavier was your dad’s protege. He looked up to your father, wanted to follow in his footsteps. Your dad was a big player in some dangerous circles back then-organized crime, black-market deals, things you never knew about.”
I blinked, my heart hammering. My father had been involved in crime? How had I never known?
Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “He kept you away from it. Tried to protect you from that life. But Xavier-Xavier was different. He didn’t want out. He wanted control.”
I clenched my fists beneath the table, struggling to process it all. “Why did Xavier send me those packages? Why now?”
Lucas shifted uncomfortably. “When your father tried to leave the business, Xavier saw it as a betrayal. He thought your dad owed him everything. And now…” He hesitated, lowering his voice even further. “Now, he thinks you belong to him.”
I recoiled, a wave of nausea rolling through me. “He’s insane.”
Lucas gave a grim nod. “You’re right. And if he finds you… Alyssa, you’re not just some pawn in his game. You’re leverage-something personal. And in this world, that makes you dangerous.”
A knot twisted in my stomach, but before I could ask more, Lucas’s gaze flickered toward the door. His face paled. “We’ve got company.”
I followed his line of sight. Two men in dark suits had entered the diner, scanning the room with sharp, predatory eyes.
“Xavier’s men,” Lucas hissed. “We need to go. Now.”
Lucas grabbed my wrist, dragging me out of the booth and toward the back exit. My heart raced as we slipped into the narrow alley behind the diner, the cool night air hitting my face like a slap.
“This way,” Lucas whispered urgently, pulling me toward the far end of the alley. But we didn’t get far.
A black SUV screeched to a halt at the alley’s mouth, and two more men stepped out, blocking our path.
“We don’t want trouble,” Lucas said, raising his hands in surrender. “Let us walk away.”
The man closest to us smiled-a cold, cruel smile. “Trouble’s already here.”
Without warning, he pulled a gun from his jacket and aimed it at Lucas.
“No!” I screamed, but it was too late.
The shot echoed through the alley. Lucas staggered, blood blooming across his chest as he crumpled to the ground. I froze, the world narrowing to the sound of my ragged breath and Lucas’s pained gasps.
I wanted to help him, but the men were already closing in on me. One reached out to grab me, but I twisted away, adrenaline surging through my veins.
“Run, Alyssa,” Lucas rasped, his voice weak but insistent. “Find… find Adam.”
“Adam?” I whispered, my heart pounding in my ears. “Who-”
“Just go!” he choked out, blood bubbling at the corners of his mouth.
I didn’t hesitate. I turned and bolted down the alley, my feet pounding against the pavement. The men shouted behind me, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.
I ran until my lungs burned, ducking through side streets and cutting through parks, trying to put as much distance between me and Xavier’s men as possible. The city blurred around me, a chaotic swirl of streetlights and shadows.
Finally, I reached a deserted park and collapsed onto a bench, gasping for air. My hands were shaking, and my heart felt like it might burst from my chest.
I closed my eyes, Lucas’s final words echoing in my mind. Find Adam.
Who the hell was Adam? And how was he connected to all of this?
I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my contacts, but I had no clue where to start. I didn’t know anyone named Adam.
But Lucas had died to give me that name, and I wasn’t about to let his sacrifice be in vain.
I opened a new browser tab and typed in the name, hoping for a miracle.
The search results were vague-too many Adams, too many dead ends. Frustration gnawed at me, but I kept scrolling, determined to find something.
And then, buried at the bottom of the second page of results, I found a link that caught my eye.
“Adam Caldwell: Ex-Associate of Baltimore Crime Syndicate Disappears Without a Trace.”
My heart skipped a beat. I clicked the link, scanning the article as fast as I could.
Adam Caldwell had been involved with organized crime for years, working closely with several powerful figures-including Xavier Reed.
But a few years ago, he vanished, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions. No one had seen or heard from him since.
If anyone had answers about Xavier-or my father-it was Adam.
But finding him wouldn’t be easy. And if Xavier knew I was looking for him, things would only get worse.
I leaned back on the bench, the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. I was in way over my head, caught between two worlds I didn’t understand, with no one to trust and no clear way out.
But I couldn’t stop now.
I wouldn’t stop.
A text buzzed on my phone. I glanced down, and my blood ran cold.
“Looking for Adam? You won’t find him without my help.”
It was from Xavier.
And suddenly, I knew-this wasn’t over. It was just beginning.