Chapter 52

The car took the corner too fast, and in my detached, out-of-body state, I witnessed Xavier's struggle to keep control. The back end of the car fishtailed, and I was thrown against the door. Steve gripped the 'oh shit' handles above his seat, while Xavier's swift steering got the vehicle back on track. Though he slowed a bit, the world still whizzed past in a blur. As we sped through an intersection, Steve suddenly straightened up in his seat.

"Look," he directed Xavier's attention.

"I see him," Xavier acknowledged.

I turned to see who they were talking about. There, just passed us, stood one of my father's closest allies.

"He already knows," Steve asserted.

"Yeah. I'm sure he does."

I mentally compartmentalized the pain, pushing it aside to cope. This detachment was a fragile shield, one I knew wouldn't last long. Today had been utterly overwhelming. Emotionally drained, I had nothing left to give.

We raced through another traffic light, an