Xavier

by Miranda P. Charles

  Xavier: The Contract

  (Indie Rebels, Book 1)

  Miranda P. Charles

  MPC Romance Publishing

  Copyright © 2018 by Miranda P. Charles

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, locations, organisations and events described in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination, fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any event, locale or person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cover art by Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Jaxon: The Assignment Extract

  Also by Miranda P. Charles

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  “Keep going,” Xavier Stirling grunted, adjusting his arms’ and legs’ grips around the thick horizontal logs he was dangling from, his muscles straining. He stopped to crane his neck and look at the other man who was groaning in agony.

  “Argh!” Jaxon Caine, the millionaire owner of a tax agency franchise, pushed the bar past the next barrier on the pull-up ladder segment of Obstacle X, his biceps taut. He tried to advance further, but he lost his grip and dropped to the heavily cushioned floor.

  Xavier climbed down and clapped. “Excellent work. That’s the farthest you’ve gone, and your time’s improved too.”

  Jaxon reached for his water bottle, his breathing laboured. “Thanks. But seriously, bro, don’t slow down for me next time. I need to know how I’m keeping up with you when you’re full steam ahead.”

  Xavier chuckled. “I didn’t slow down that much. You’ve done well. But we should keep concentrating first on your upper body strength before we work on improving your speed.”

  “Well, my new girlfriend’s impressed with speed,” Jaxon said with a grin. “But I couldn’t have continued anyway. I have to run for an important meeting.”

  “Excuses, excuses,” Xavier teased. “I won’t let you get off as lightly next time.”

  Jaxon laughed, heading to the men’s shower room. “I don’t expect you to. See you Monday. Enjoy your weekend.”

  “You too, bro.”

  Xavier wiped his face with a towel and glanced at the people congregated by the entrance to the Obstacle X room. There were still five minutes left of Jaxon’s one-on-one session, but several members of A to X Fitness— Xavier’s gym in Sydney’s central business district—were already waiting to use the room’s facilities. He was heartened that the three hour-long blocks each day when the Obstacle X room was available to regular members were very popular.

  “You can go in, guys,” he said to them.

  He was proud of his newly refurbished gym. He’d hesitated to lay out a large sum to create this obstacle course, especially since it took up a lot of space where he could have put more exercise machines or group classrooms. But he’d taken the risk. He wouldn’t have gotten some of his personal training clients if it wasn’t for this obstacle course. Now, he even employed two fitness trainers who used to be his competitors, and they’d brought their own loyal clients who were eager to be trained on Obstacle X.

  It would still take several more months to break even with his investment, though, with rent here in the city being so expensive. Thankfully, with A to X Fitness being right on the ground level of a forty-five-floor commercial building on busy George Street, a number of executives who worked long hours—including Jaxon—found the location very convenient.

  Xavier grinned, remembering Jaxon’s comment about his new girlfriend. The man appeared totally smitten with the Olympic gold-medal-winning triathlete he’d met a few months ago.

  Speaking of smitten…

  He snorted. He wasn’t at all smitten, but he hurried out towards the main gym floor, scanning each person using the elliptical machines in search of the stunning brunette who’d caught the attention of every single cell of his body the first time he’d seen her.

  To his disappointment, his mystery woman wasn’t there again.

  She’d stepped onto an elliptical last Monday at one in the afternoon. He knew because he’d happened to check the time right before she’d come into his view. He’d been immediately bowled over. And to his delight, she’d returned on Tuesday and Wednesday around the same time.

  But he hadn’t seen her at all yesterday, and there was no sign of her again today.

  He should have approached her earlier, but he’d baulked at picking up a woman in his place of business. The last thing he’d wanted was to set an example to his staff that would encourage them to flirt with the customers. But now, he wanted to smack himself for missing the opportunity.

  He turned around to do some paperwork in his small office, but stopped in his tracks. He gaped at the woman coming out of a dance-exercise class. This time, her chestnut-brown hair, which was usually in a bun, was in a ponytail.

  She was here after all, and he let out a sigh of relief.

  Or several sighs of relief.

  Or whatever, because his breathing had shallowed and his heart was suddenly beating like crazy, as if he’d jumped on one of the ellipticals and pushed himself hard from the get-go.

  Damn. He just had to meet her.

  Without another thought, he walked towards her. “Excuse me.”

  “Yes?”

  His breath hitched again when her beautiful chocolate-coloured eyes met his gaze. “My name is Xavier, and I’m one of the personal trainers here. I noticed that you’re a new customer. I was wondering what you think of A to X Fitness?”

  Ugh, lame. But he had nothing else prepared.

  She cocked her head, regarding him curiously. “How do you know I’m a new client? I bet there are many casual customers coming here all the time.”

  Whoa, he hadn’t expected that. He looked around, ensuring none of his staff could hear him, and let out an embarrassed chuckle. “I’m sorry. That was actually my way of asking your name.”

  To his relief, she laughed.

  “I see. That still doesn’t explain how you knew I’m a new customer.”

  Okay, this hadn’t started the way he wanted. He wasn’t usually a bumbling idiot when it came to women. He sent her an apologetic smile that he hoped conveyed he wasn’t being a creep. “I first noticed you on Monday, and I know you haven’t been here before then. I would have remembered you otherwise. And, no, I don’t notice everybody new who comes in here.”

  She stared at him for a long moment before her face broke into a smile. “Okay, I’ll buy that.”

  “Phew.” He brushed off imaginary sweat from his forehead and grinned.

  “So do you really work here, or was that just a line?”

  “I really work here,” he said with a laugh. “And apart from wanting to meet you, I do want to know how you’re liking this gym.” If she enjoyed it here, then she’d keep coming back, wouldn’t she?

  “I like it a lot. The facilities are great, the classes on offer are excellent, and the s
taff are fantastic. Unfortunately, you don’t have a branch in Adelaide.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m only here in Sydney for a week. I’m from Adelaide, and I go back on Sunday.”

  His spirits crashed. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really.” She sounded equally disappointed.

  “Shame. So you’re only just visiting?”

  “Yeah. Actually, I came for a job interview and decided to enjoy a week’s break here also.”

  He perked up. “So you could be moving to Sydney?”

  She shrugged. “I won’t know for another week or two. But I’ve been having fun playing tourist.”

  “Need a guide for the weekend?” he asked teasingly.

  She chuckled. “Thanks, but I already have things planned. Anyway, I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Xavier.” She gave him a small wave before walking towards the ladies’ change room.

  “So your name is…?” he called out.

  She turned around. “Eve.”

  “So, Eve,” he said, approaching her. “If you get the job you applied for, will you come back here and take me up on my offer to be your tour guide?”

  She laughed. “Okay.”

  “Well, then, I wish you the very best of luck in getting the job.” He put his right palm against his chest to further convey his sincerity.

  “Thank you,” she said with a chuckle.

  “You know, I have half an hour for a coffee…”

  Eve gave him a pretty smile. “Next time.”

  He watched her walk away. What a real damned shame that she lived in another state. He’d just have to forget about her until she came back. If she ever came back.

  “Xavier.”

  He turned around in surprise at the sound of his father’s voice. “Hey, Dad. What are you doing here?”

  “Thought I’d pop by,” Gerald answered. “Place looks packed.”

  “Obstacle X is waiting for you,” he teased. “Where’s your exercise gear?”

  Gerald simply laughed. “Hey, I want to talk to you about something. Can we talk in private?”

  “Sure.” Xavier led his father to his small office, which overlooked the main gym floor on one side, and the Obstacle X room on the other.

  “What’s up, Dad?”

  “Anything weird happening lately?”

  He frowned. “Weird? What do you mean?”

  Gerald pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “I don’t want you to be alarmed, because I’ve already gone to the police with this.”

  Xavier took the paper and unfolded it. The hairs on his arms and neck stood as he read the three sentences in the middle of the sheet.

  YOU STIRLINGS ARE ROSS ANTON’S PARTNERS. STIRLING MORTGAGE BROKERS IS A COVER FOR ALL YOUR CRIMES. WATCH OUT, BECAUSE WHY SHOULDN’T YOU PAY TOO?

  “Where’d you get this?”

  “In the mail. That’s a copy. The police took the original when I first told them about it.”

  “When?”

  “Last month.”

  Xavier scowled. “You got this a month ago and you didn’t tell me?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry. Anyway, the police said it most likely came from an angry client who feels betrayed by our company. As you know, there are some who were downright appalled that someone like Ross could have had access to their private information.”

  “What makes them think that?”

  “Well, they found fingerprints on the original letter and envelope, but they didn’t match anything in their database. Apparently, that’s a very good thing, because if the writer is in any way connected to Ross’s crimes, either they would have been more careful not to leave their fingerprints everywhere on it, or they would already have a police record. That’s why the detectives believe it’s just a disgruntled client who’s still scared that their details might have been stolen by Ross. And that it came to our PO Box was positive too.”

  “So what else are the police doing about this?”

  Gerald shrugged. “They’re still investigating. They did also ask me to remind you and your sister to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, although that will always be difficult in Holly’s case,” he added with a sigh.

  Xavier himself took a deep breath. With his sister being a superstar pop singer with a few overzealous fans, how would she be able to tell the difference between star-struck admirers and possibly dangerous individuals?

  At least Holly now had a bodyguard. The whole family had forced her to hire one after Ross’s arrest.

  “And they also asked again if I remember Ross mentioning Eugene Barker to me,” Gerald said. “Frankly, I don’t believe Ross ever had dealings with Barker. I don’t think he’s that big of a criminal. But you know what? It still makes my skin crawl every time I think we were even close friends with that Ross, not to mention had him as our marketing director. Thank God we were able to buy back his shares.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Anyway, that’s all. I better leave you to it. I gotta get back to work myself.”

  Xavier walked his father to the exit. “See you in a day or two—when you come back for a private training session with me.”

  “I’ll let you know when I’m ready,” Gerald said with a chuckle, stopping at the foyer to give him a back slap. “See you on Tuesday at home for dinner. Don’t forget that Holly’s leaving for her big North American tour, so we won’t see her for months.”

  “As if I’ll miss that. Anyway, let me know if you get any more anonymous messages, ’kay?”

  “Okay, but I really think it’s all harmless. Like the police said, it’s probably just a former client venting a little.”

  “Let’s hope—”

  “Bye, Xavier,” Eve said as she walked past them towards the exit.

  His heartbeat instantly spiked. “See you later,” he enunciated.

  She laughed. “I hope so.”

  “Who was that?” Gerald asked in a low voice.

  “A customer,” he answered, busy watching his mystery woman walk out the glass door.

  “I mean, what’s her name?”

  He filled his lungs with air. “Eve.”

  “You seem… enamoured.”

  He scoffed. “Enamoured? Not at all, Dad.”

  “Well, you’re still gawking at her,” Gerald teased.

  Xavier forced himself to peel his gaze off Eve to look at his father. “I want a date or two with her, that’s all. I’m hardly enamoured. Besides, she lives in Adelaide, so there’s not much point pursuing anything.”

  Gerald wrinkled his nose in disappointment. “Yeah, long-distance relationships don’t often work. But you should really think about finding a partner you can settle down with. You’re thirty now.”

  “Thirty-two,” he said with an eye roll. His father could never get his and Holly’s ages right these days.

  “See? I already had two kids at that age.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to go back to work?”

  “Fine,” Gerald said. “See you Tuesday.”

  “See you, Dad.”

  He walked out the door with Gerald, waving goodbye. But his eyes scanned for Eve.

  No luck. He couldn’t spot her amongst the lunchtime crowd milling around George Street.

  Shaking his head, he walked back to his office. He gazed out the window to watch people use the machines and smiled. At least Eve liked his gym.

  Actually, he’d been thinking of expanding. Perhaps Adelaide could be a good location for his first branch outside of Sydney.

  He snorted. It intrigued him just how attracted he was to a complete stranger. The pull to want to have some fun with her was strong.

  That was all, though, nothing more. He wasn’t the long-term-relationship kind of guy. Not anymore. His desire for anything permanent with a woman had died with Gail. He had enough happening in his life not to want to work on something that could be taken away without warning.

  A dull, distant sadness instantly clouded over him at the
memory of his last girlfriend. Sadly, Gail hadn’t survived a middle-of-the-night attack five years ago, when her drug-crazed neighbour had driven a knife into her stomach after she’d refused to hand him money.

  Xavier crossed his arms. He still laid some blame on the police for Gail’s passing. They’d taken over half an hour to get to Gail’s place after her neighbours had reported hearing loud arguments from her apartment. Gail might not have bled to death if they’d prioritised the call. Worse, they still had no idea where her neighbour had disappeared to. Now, Gail’s case was considered as cold.

  He rubbed his face, remembering the dark despair he’d fallen into following her death.

  Then the murder of his client-turned-friend, Richard McCarthy, a mere five months after Gail’s had threatened to drag him down further. But looking for evidence against Richard’s killer had pulled him out of the abyss. He hadn’t wanted another person close to him be denied the justice they deserved.

  Unfortunately, Richard’s killer was still at large too.

  He’d always suspected Ross Anton to be the murderer, but his parents’ former business partner had staunchly denied it during his arrest ten months ago. Subsequent police investigations pointed to Ross telling the truth about being a thief only, not a killer.

  He frowned, remembering the note his dad had shown him.

  After several stressful months of putting out fires created by Ross’s arrest, Xavier hoped his parents weren’t about to face worse times with their clients.

  He had a bad feeling about it, though, especially when Ross had warned him something like this could happen.

  Unbidden, the day of Ross’s arrest played back in his head.

  Xavier glared at Richard’s murderer. Finally, the bastard was being arrested, and Xavier was more than glad he was present to see it.