Page 44 of Sypher

“By who?” he sneered. “Because I fucking know it wasn’t Montana!”

“I don’t work for Montana.”

“Who, Danny?”

Slowly shaking my head, I said, “I can’t tell you that.”

“FUCK!” he roared, walking away from me. “After all these months, you’ve been investigating me!”

“Not you. The Trick Pony.”

“To what end, Danny? I told you that place was vile. Nothing good can come of this.”

With caution in my voice, I uttered his name, “Dante,” and moved closer to him, unsure of his reaction. “There are things going on that you know nothing about. If I could tell you, I would, but I can’t. I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but I can’t stop investigating the place. Not even for you.”

“Get out.”

“What?”

“I said get out. We’re done. I can’t be with someone I don’t trust.”

“You don’t mean that,” I uttered, my heart pounding in my chest.

“The fuck I don’t. Now get the fuck out of my apartment.”

He said nothing else as I packed my belongings, only to realize I really didn’t have much here, except for my computers. After securing all of them, I packed them in the only suitcase I had before wheeling the heavy case to the front door. Laying my personal laptop bag on top, I turned to him and said, “I’m sorry, Dante. I really am.”

“Goodbye, Sypher.”

Chapter Seventeen

Sypher

February 17, 2024, in an apartment at the Harbor on 5th.

“Danny, talk to me. What happened?”

When I walked away from Dante’s apartment, lost and without a plan, I had no choice but to seek assistance from the only family I had living in this city.

So, I paid a visit to my older brother, Ace, whom I hadn’t seen since we had our big blowout. As soon as I entered the Harbor on 5th, carrying my bags, Ace immediately and wordlessly took the bags from me, leading me directly to his apartment. He forwent any questions, understanding my need for solitude, and instead generously afforded me the quiet space I needed to collect my thoughts and work independently. The silence between us spoke volumes, and the understanding in his gaze confirmed he knew what happened without my needing to speak. Even when Bailey and Stella called, frantic and upset after receiving the dean’s letter about my expulsion, Ace reassured them calmly, promising to handle the situation.

He stayed by my side, his hand firm and warm against mine as I cried uncontrollably. The agony tore at my soul like a thousand shards of glass. The silence between us was shattered by the ragged, heartbreaking sound of my sobs. Despite everything, his silence offered a profound comfort, a quiet strength that I desperately craved. Although Ace possessed considerable patience, even he, a man known for his remarkable tolerance, finally reached his breaking point by the third day,his frustration mounting as the desperate need for answers overwhelmed him.

“If that fucking punk did something, you need to tell me. I can have him taken out before dinnertime. Just give me the word, Danny.”

With a dramatic roll of my eyes, I looked across the table at him, the silence punctuated only by the clinking of silverware. “No. You will leave him alone. He didn’t do anything. It’s my fault.”

“Bullshit,” Ace scoffed. “You are the nicest fucking person on this goddamned planet. What the fuck could you have done to deserve this kind of treatment?”

“I lied to him.”

Confused, Ace put down his fork. “Danny, you don’t lie. Like ever.”

I sighed, a sound of utter frustration and disgust, as I pushed my plate away and groaned at the food in front of me. “I didn’t actually lie. More like I didn’t tell him what I was doing. He asked me not to look into his past, and I technically did. He found out and kicked me out.”

“I don’t understand. Why does his past matter?”

Looking at my brother, I clearly said, “Because he was there. I told you he was at the Trick Pony. For several weeks, he was beaten, whipped, tortured, and sexually abused, and I found evidence of it on Valentine’s night when the shit kicked off with Satan’s Angels. I was so engrossed with helping everyone else, I failed to protect the man I loved, and it cost me everything.”

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