Xavier's POV
New York smelled and felt different from Chicago... I didn't know how but it felt sharper and meaner like the city had teeth and wasn't afraid to bite with them.
I stepped out of the cab, adjusting the collar of my coat as my eyes swept over the massive NYPD building in front of me. The place buzzed with movement even this early in the morning... officers walking in and out, detectives carrying files, sirens echoing somewhere in the distance.
It should have been normal but something about today didn't feel normal and I hated that feeling.
I grabbed my duffel from the backseat, paid the driver, then headed toward the entrance.
This wasn't my first reassignment.
Hell, Chicago had sent me all over the damn country over the years for organized crime, serial operations, trafficking rings and even corrupt officials. I had literally seen it all, I had seen enough ugly shit to last a lifetime.
But this assignment? This one felt… different.
It felt like the moment I stepped into New York, something shifted around me, like I was walking straight into something that might change my life forever.
The scary part? I had no idea whether that change would be good or catastrophic and honestly? That irritated the hell out of me.
I flashed my badge at the front desk officer without slowing down.
"Detective Xavier Montgomery," I said.
The officer nodded immediately and waved me through, respectfully as expected.
I walked deeper into the building, heading straight toward Captain Graves' office based on the directions I got earlier. My boots echoed against the polished floor as people moved around me.
A few glances landed my way, staring like they recognized me or maybe it was just curiosity but whatever it was, I didn't care. I ignored all of them.
Then suddenly... "Oh goodness… I must be dreaming."
I stopped slowly... My brows pulled together slightly as I turned my head.
A female officer stood a few feet away staring directly at me with the kind of smile that instantly told me trouble was nearby.
I looked behind me automatically, wondering if she was looking and talking to the person behind me but there was nobody.
Then I looked back at her.
"…Hi?" I said carefully.
The officer blinked rapidly like she just realized how insane she sounded.
"Oh my God, I am sorry," she rushed out. "You are Detective Montgomery, right?"
Now that surprised me because today was my first day in NYPD... I mean, yeah, I was good at my job, very good but still, I wasn't expecting her or anyone else to actually know me by name.
"I am," I said slowly. "Have we met before?"
She laughed nervously and shook her head quickly. "No, no. But I have heard a lot about you."
I smirked slightly. "Yeah? How so?"
The officer straightened instantly like she had rehearsed this conversation in the mirror more than once.
"I am aiming to become a detective someday," she said. "And honestly? You are kind of my role model."
Interesting, very interesting.
I had barely been in New York for five damn minutes and already women were acting exactly like they did back in Chicago.
Well, maybe this assignment wouldn't be so bad after all.
"What exactly have you heard?" I asked, amused now.
Her eyes lit up immediately.
"Well from what I have gathered, you are highly respected," she said quickly. "Obsessive when it comes to your job. Field-active. Dangerous. A force to reckon with and insanely intelligent."
Damn... What a reputation.
Whoever did my PR deserved a raise. Fuck, I like.
I chuckled softly. "Dangerous, huh?"
"That's what everyone says."
I shook my head with a grin. "Well… thanks for the compliment."
She smiled wider. "It's not a compliment. It's a fact."
Cute.
"I can't believe I am actually seeing you in person," she added.
I slipped my hands into my pockets casually. "And you are?"
"Officer Peterson," she said quickly. "But you can call me Hailey."
"Okay, Hailey." I nodded toward the hallway ahead. "I need to see Captain Graves first. I will see you after that."
The blush on her face nearly made me laugh.
"Of course," she said quickly. "Last door on the left."
"Thanks."
I walked away before she could say anything else, a smirk tugging at my mouth.
Yeah... New York was already proving entertaining because she might have been talking about becoming a detective and all that crap but we both know there was more to that conversation.
"She will definitely end up in my bed," I muttered under my breath.
And honestly? I wasn't even trying to be arrogant, just realistic.
By the time I reached the office door, I knocked twice.
A muffled voice answered almost immediately.
"Come in."
I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Captain Graves sat behind a large desk buried in paperwork and files, reading glasses low on his nose while he scribbled something down.
He looked up the moment I entered.
"Detective Montgomery," he said, standing up for a handshake. "Welcome."
I shook his hand and gave a polite nod. "Thanks for having me."
Graves gestured toward the chair across from him. "Take a seat."
I did.
His office smelled like old coffee and stress.
"We are glad Chicago agreed to temporarily assign you here," he said. "Especially with what's happening in New York right now."
I leaned back slightly. "That bad?"
Graves let out a humorless laugh. "You have no idea."
That got my attention. Normally, I love a challenge. A toxic case that gets others worked up, something that will keep me busy and put me on my toes every damn time.
He folded his hands together and stared at me seriously.
"We have got a growing mafia syndicate moving weapons through the city," he said. "Illegal trafficking, disappearances, money laundering, bribery… the works."
Standard organized crime stuff but then his tone shifted slightly.
"The main reason I requested you personally," he continued, "is because of one person."
I already knew the name before he said it.
"Lucifer."
Honestly, the room kind of felt heavier the moment the name was mentioned... This was going to be interesting because even from Chicago, I had heard stories, whispers and rumors.
Tales about a ghost nobody had seen, about a criminal empire nobody could fully trace. Bodies dropping, operations disappearing, cops bought, witnesses terrified and behind all of it was only one name... Lucifer.
Nobody knew who he was, nobody knew where he came from and nobody even knew his real age. They have no idea if he is old or young.
Just stories, fear and somehow, that mystery fascinated the hell out of me because men like that usually slipped eventually but Lucifer? He never did.
Which either meant he was insanely lucky… Or terrifyingly smart but either way, when he eventually slips, I will be right there to catch him.
I rested my arm against the chair, studying Graves carefully.
"So this Lucifer guy is really that dangerous?"
Graves' expression hardened instantly. "Yes."
No hesitation, just certainty.
"He's been terrorizing New York for years," Graves continued. "And every time we get close to something we can hold on to, something falls apart."
Usually, things happen like that due to corrupt cops, leaked raids, missing evidence and dead informants. I am sure that's the case over here, I could already see the pattern.
A man like Lucifer will definitely have people everywhere, which honestly made the case even more interesting and challenging.
Despite myself, I felt curiosity stirring harder inside me... Who the hell was this guy? How does someone build that kind of empire without ever showing his face? And why did the thought of chasing him suddenly feel personal?
I exhaled slowly.
"Well," I said, "I am at your service."
The words sounded professional enough, even if internally I was being sarcastic as hell.
Graves nodded once. "Good. We'll assign officers to assist you while you're here."
"Perfect."
Because even if I was a fucking magician, there was no way in hell I was chasing Lucifer all by myself.
"Everything we currently have on Lucifer will be on your desk before end of day."
Now that? That finally sounded useful.
"Happy to be here," I replied.
Another lie but a convincing one.
Graves reached for his phone and dialed a number quickly. "Come in."
Barely three seconds later, the office door opened again and an officer stepped inside immediately.
"Detective," Graves said, gesturing toward him. "This is Officer Hale. He'll show you to your office and he will be available for anything you need."
I stood, offering a small nod. "Appreciate it."
Officer Hale extended his hand quickly. "Big fan of your work, sir."
Jesus Christ.
Was everybody in New York obsessed with me already?
I shook his hand anyway. "Thanks."
Then I glanced back at Graves. "I'll review the case file and get back to you."
"Perfect," Graves replied.
And with that, officer Hale and I stepped out of the office and headed straight into the madness waiting outside.
As we walked down the hallway, somewhere deep in my gut… That strange feeling returned again, that warning, that pull that indicates that New York was about to ruin me in ways I couldn't even imagine yet.
And somehow… I was already looking forward to it.