Page 45 of Sypher

“Jesus Christ,” Ace groaned, hanging his head. “That’s why you wanted into the Trick Pony’s mainframe. You wanted to find the person who hurt him.”

“Yeah.”

“Just give him time, Danny. I’m sure he will come to his senses.”

I shook my head, a gesture of frustration or perhaps resignation, before rising and carrying my plate to the sink to wash it. “No, he won’t. Dante is a very private person. You should have seen him the night he told me about his past. It took him days to recover. I knew he didn’t want me looking into the Trick Pony, but I brought it to Reaper, who gave me the okay. With everything pointing to the Trick Pony, I couldn’t stop myself. Mainly, I wanted to find the bitch who hurt him.”

“Getting into the mainframe won’t be easy, Danny. You have to physically be there to access it.”

“I know.”

“The only one with access is Devlin Scott and that fucker doesn’t trust anyone.”

“I know.”

Leaning against the counter, Ace said nothing more as I washed my dish and his before putting them in the dishwasher. Reaching for the hand towel, I dried my hands when Ace spoke up.

“How far are you willing to go to get Dante back, Danny?”

“It doesn’t matter. The only way to do that is to get into the mainframe and last I looked, there is no way into that club.”

“What if the front doors were wide open and you could walk right in?”

Looking at my brother, I asked, “What the hell are you talking about? Devlin Scott won’t let me walk into his server room.”

“You can’t,” Ace said slowly, turning his head toward me, then smiled. “But I can.”

“You want us to do what?” Matthew Law glared at the both of us as the rest of the Harbor Security team looked on in disbelief.

“I want access to your files to compile everything you have on Devlin Scott and the Trick Pony and send it anonymously to the FBI.”

“Are you fucking crazy?!” Jonathan Savage roared while I stared at the man. When I learned Ace left the military along with his team and started a security firm, I did my due diligence and learned everything I could about the men who started Harbor Security.

I knew every op the government assigned them.

Every kill. More importantly, I knew who they were—their histories—and the burning ambitions that drove them.

Jonathan Savage wasn’t merely a military man. His steely gaze and the faint scent of gunpowder clinging to his clothes hinted at a life lived on the edge. He was a Soulless Sinner by blood, a fact chillingly evident in his cold eyes. Brother to Grudge, the imposing president of the Alabama Chapter, and also brother to Matrix, my brother in the Golden Skulls. Although Jonathan’s primary loyalty remained with his team, his extensive underworld connections proved instrumental in propelling Harbor Security to a position of international prominence and influence within the global security landscape.

So, it didn’t shock me when he added, “That will destroy everything we’ve worked to build. If word got out that we betrayed a client, no one would ever work with us again. We’d be blacklisted.”

“Jon’s right, Ace,” Zach piped up. Zach Walsh, known for his quiet demeanor, possessed surprisingly powerful physical capabilities, a fact he showed off regularly. Standing nearly seven feet tall, Zach possessed a devastatingly powerful strike. I’ve heard accounts describing the impact as akin to being hit by a two-by-four. Though lacking intellectual prowess, the manpossessed considerable physical strength and proved to be quite adept in a brawl. He was the only brother who didn’t date, preferring the solitude of his own company. “Hate to agree, considering what we know about the fucker, but Jon’s telling the truth.”

“What I want to know is, why?” Shane asked. The brains of every operation, Shane West, was responsible for the creative planning and execution of each scheme, displaying exceptional intelligence and strategic thinking. With his wickedly clever mind, the man had a knack for navigating any problematic situation and always seemed to find a way out. With four college degrees and a mastery of several languages, Shane was clearly better suited to the rigorous world of academia than to the demands of a military career. Moreover, the man’s appearance was far more evocative of a high-fashion model featured in GQ magazine than of a hardened soldier.

Ace looked over at me and I admitted my truth. “Because my boyfriend was there.”

“Well, I didn’t see that one coming.” Jon whistled as he leaned back against the sofa.

“But does it change anything?” Matthew asked, the silence punctuated only by the rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping across the room. Matthew Law, the team leader and Alpha, commanded attention with his sharp gaze and unwavering confidence; he was a force to be reckoned with. His seriousness and unwavering resolve meant he never played games. His word was absolute, unquestionable law. A single father, Matthew was a serious man who avoided games and focused on his responsibilities. He ruled his team with an iron fist, brooking no dissent and demanded absolute respect.

With a mastery of hand-to-hand combat techniques and the ability to effectively wield any weapon they found, each memberof the team was a highly skilled and dangerous fighter. Through cohesive teamwork, marked by dignity and honor, they achieved their shared objective, successfully completing every job they took on.

“Depends,” Zach clearly said, looking directly at me. “You love this boy? I’m not talking about a one-night stand or summer fling, kid. I’m talking about thetill death do you partkind of love. ‘Cause if it’s the former, then I’m sorry. I won’t sign off on this crap. So, you better be damn sure he’s the one.”

“I love him,” I admitted. “I never gave much thought to where my life would take me. Hell, I’ve been on every agency’s radar since I was ten years old when I broke into the DMV because they failed Ace on his third driving test.”

Ace groaned. “I didn’t fail. The instructor hated me.”

---