The black armored car rolled to a slow stop outside the gates of Ed Blackwood's empire.
It was a mansion, but not the kind that whispered wealth...it roared power. The kind of place that made men straighten their ties and question their loyalty. Two massive golden lion statues flanked the entrance, and guards in dark suits stood stiff like statues themselves, armed and stone-eyed. A sharp wind howled past them, as if even the weather held its breath.
Xavier didn't move.
He sat behind the wheel, both hands gripping it, knuckles pale. His jaw clenched. Silence throbbed in the car, thick and pressing.
Cody glanced at him. "You gonna keep doing that or are we getting out?"
Xavier didn't answer.
Cody exhaled, shifting in his seat. "You faced worse, man. What is it now? You've walked into
