Page 15 of Sypher

“I trusted him. I trusted you. She was in your care when she disappeared. I should kill you where you stand!”

Reaching for the soft, cool pillow, I laid my head on the slightly lumpy mattress, pulling the covers over my head, trying to block out the incessant sounds around me. The stinging memory of my dad’s disappointed glare was joined by the jeering voices of my brothers and cousins, their laughter echoing in my ears as their fingers pointed accusingly. Shame and hurt washed over me. Their whispers were so fucking loud in my head, and their condemning glares and harsh words accusing me of my failures were inescapable.

I failed them.

They needed me, and I wasn’t there to help them.

They would never forgive me.

“Sypher, wake up,” a rough voice rasped, the sounds of metal scraping on stone and the rusty hinges of a door protesting its opening, jolting me back to reality. The sudden weight of a handon my shoulder made me jump as I scrambled back, hitting the wall with a thud, my eyes struggling to focus in the dim light.

“Whoa, kid.” Payne held up his hands. “It’s just me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Mr. Payne?” I muttered, rubbing my hands down my face.

“Yeah, kid. It’s me. You okay? You look like shit.”

“What day is it?”

“Uh, Friday, I think. Look, kid, I know time gets away from the best of us, but I need you to focus for a minute. Can you do that?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Good. We got an issue, and we need your help.”

“What issue?”

“Petrovitch took Illyria. Pippen gave Maxim a tracker, but the prospect is having problems tracking her.”

Sitting up, I muttered, “Internal or external?”

“What?”

“The tracker. Is it internal or external?”

“Internal.”

Taking a deep breath, I focused my mind on the problem. “Just have him change the parameters of his algorithm. That should fix the problem.”

“Yeah, I ain’t gonna remember that shit.” Payne groaned. “Come on, kid. Pippen needs your help before Maxim kills him.”

Blinking, I looked up, confused. “Ms. Illyria is missing?”

“Yeah. I already said that.” The big guy frowned, his brows furrowing. “You sure you’re alright?”

Getting to my feet, I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Yeah. Take me to Pippen.”

Chapter Seven

Pippen

July 9, 2023, Soulless Sinners’ clubhouse,

Rubbing my throat, I turned just as Payne walked up the stairs, Sypher right behind him. His demeanor—the hollow look in his eyes, the way he sagged—instantly told me he was deep in his mind. Dark shadows, like bruises, circled his eyes, and his exhausted shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world pressed down on him.

His gaunt features and the desperate tremor in his hands screamed he hadn’t slept since Montana’s inhumane treatment. I would stake my life on it. I knew he wouldn’t be helpful until he slept. His exhaustion was palpable, a heavy weight in the air around him.

---