Page 5 of Sypher

I was always the different one.

The oddball of the family. Which was kind of ironic since Ace never really fit in with the club life either. He marched straight from high school into the military, never once regretting his decision. The last time I saw him was when we buried Dad. He didn’t even show up for Mom’s funeral because we couldn’t reach him. Then shit hit the fan with the club. I knew he kept in contact with Trout, but that was about it.

The biggest issue I had with Ace was that he firmly believed in right and wrong. He hated the gray part of life. Give Ace a direction and he was good to go. He liked things structured and orderly. He hated that Dad and the club straddled the line between right and wrong. He never understood club life either. When he left for the military, he seemed happier. Dad always hoped that someday Ace would come home and take over the club. But I think deep down, Dad knew it would never happen. When Dad died, Ace blamed the club.

Blamed Reaper and Bullseye too.

After leaving the military, Ace stayed with his military buddies and created Harbor Security Systems, a job that took him all over the world. They were currently looking for a place to set up shop here in the United States, and if my information was correct, they were looking around the New York City area. Far enough away from me to give me the illusion of freedom, but close enough to show up on my doorstep unannounced to ruin my weekend plans.

Grumbling, I stepped out of the shower and yelled back, “I just need five minutes!”

“You’ve got two.”

Closing my eyes, I gripped the bathroom counter and counted to ten, because if I didn’t, I would lose my shit.

When I woke up this morning, I planned on doing absolutely nothing today. It was the weekend. I had no classes, no assignments and for once, no one was calling me out of the blue, needing my help. I was free to do whatever I wanted, and I planned on vegging out in my room, playingCall of Dutywhile gorging myself on pizza and beer. Plus, it was football season, and I had the NFL season ticket. All the games I could watch for one low price. But all that evaporated the second I opened my door and saw my big brother staring right at me.

No hello. No how ya been. Nothing. Just a curt‘Get dressed. We’re going out.’

That was Ace.

Gruff, to the point and refused to take no for an answer.

Still damp from my shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and quietly exited the bathroom, only to discover Ace already at my desk, his eyes darting between the multiple screens filled with my various internet searches. A low keyboard click punctuated the stillness of the room. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t give it a second thought, but this was Ace, and hisactions always carried a certain weight. Ace was the only family member I had that wanted nothing to do with the family.

“Club still got you doing shit?”

“Someone has to.”

He let out a sigh and swiveled in the chair to meet my gaze while I hastily zipped up my pants. “You are in college, Danny. You shouldn’t be messing around with club shit. Dad wouldn’t want that.”

“How would you know?” I snarked, throwing on a shirt. “You left.”

“I had my reasons for leaving, Danny.”

Yeah, he sure did. It was too bad he didn’t tell us what those mysterious reasons were, leaving me to wonder about their nature. One minute, my big brother was laughing with me, the next, he was gone, leaving behind a silence that echoed all around me. He didn’t even say goodbye.

He just walked away without an explanation.

I sat on my bed, the cotton sheets cool against my skin, shaking my head in frustration before pulling on a pair of socks and slipping my feet into my favorite sneakers, their familiar worn leather molding to my feet.

“Why are you here, Ace? I know it’s not to check up on me, because you absolved yourself from that responsibility the second you left home and never came back.”

“Not going to explain myself to you. Mom and Dad knew and accepted my reason for leaving. Besides, you’re in school. The club shouldn’t be asking you to do anything but get an education.”

“That’s the difference between us, Ace. I can do my job and still be a part of something bigger.”

With a grunt, my brother narrowed his eyes in suspicion, slowly rising to his feet, his hands clenching into fists. “Not gonna fight with you, Danny. But if you keep pushing thisattitude, I won’t think twice before calling Reaper and telling him you’re out. You think I’m playing around, keep talking shit you know nothing about.”

“I’m not a child anymore, Ace.”

“Then stop acting like one. Now, grab your coat and let’s go,” he firmly ordered before marching out of my room.

A groan escaped my lips as I hauled my leather coat over my shoulders and followed.

“So, how are classes going?” Ace asked, the booth creaking slightly beneath him while he settled back, the silence punctuated only by the gentle hum of the pub. After leaving campus, Ace drove us through Boston’s busy streets, finally arriving at a small, dimly lit pub in the downtown area where the aroma of good food filled the air. It was a decent, quiet place, the kind of place where you could hear the gentle tick of a clock and feel utterly at ease. “Have you considered what your plans might be when you graduate?”

“Not joining the military.”

---