Page 96 of Sypher

Shaking my head, I looked at Dante and said, “I won’t risk you or Danika. This shit has gone on long enough. I’m tired of being the keeper of secrets. It serves no purpose, and if I can prevent a bloody fucking war, I will. Montana and Reaper are just going to have to learn to get along. It’s time for them to grow the fuck up.”

“You do this and there is no going back.”

“I know.”

“Want to let us in on the secret?” Storm clipped.

Turning to face the four men, I clearly said, “Reaper’s daughter, Emma is…”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Sypher

December 11, 2024.

The moon hung heavy in the inky sky as I knocked on the door, the lateness of the hour pressing down on me. I peered around the dark alley cautiously, the chill of the evening air raising goose bumps on my arms, and waited for her to open the door as I listened for the sounds of small town life beyond the back entrance of the bookstore. Diamond Creek’s small-town charm included an early night; by ten, the only sounds were the crickets chirping and the occasional distant dog barking. I grew up in a small town, where the only sounds were birds chirping and crickets at night. Apart from the boisterous laughter spilling out from the local bar, the town square would be deserted by dinnertime, a stark contrast to the daytime bustle. Despite everything, the combination of Ellie’s pregnancy and the likelihood of her sleeping deeply was already problematic enough; my presence here tonight wasn’t likely to improve my relationship with her husband.

Despite everything, she was the only one whose judgment I implicitly trusted.

My second knock was answered by the sudden click of the light over the door, followed by a violent throw of the door open and the chilling presence of a gun pointed directly at me. “Fuck, I should kill you for waking me up. Do you know what fucking time it is?”

“I need to speak with Ellie.”

“She’s sleeping.”

“Go wake her.”

“You do realize she is my wife, right?”

“Please, Ryder. This is important.”

“Ryder?” Ellie’s soft voice, barely audible, reached me from the background, where she was pulling the soft fabric of her robe more tightly around her to shield herself from the chill. “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Ellery,” I said loud enough for her to hear.

“Danny?” she muttered, snaking herself under Ryder’s arm. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in Oklahoma City?”

“I was, but I have to head back to New York. Ellie, I need a favor,” I whispered, noticing Ryder stiffen behind her. Reaching deep into the cut I had made in my clothing, I carefully extracted and then handed to my closest friend a slender MicroDrive; this small device contained all the information I possessed about every individual and every group operating within the shadowy underworld. It was a calculated risk, but the potential for my client list falling into the wrong hands was too great to ignore. The weight of that possibility pressed down on me. “If anything should happen to me. I need you to give this to King and tell him I said, time’s up. He will know what that means.”

“Danny, you’re scaring me,” Ellie whispered, her bottom lip quivering. I held her close, the warmth of her body comforting against the icy grip of dread that tightened around my heart, knowing this hug was our final goodbye. As I let her go, the glistening tears in her eyes and the quiet firmness of her retreating back spoke volumes, a silent farewell echoing in the empty space she left.

“Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work.”

“I know.” I sighed. “Promise me something, Ryder. Love her for me. Love her as much as you can and never let her go.”

“Already do, brother.”

Looking at the man, I nodded, not knowing what else to say.

Hell, there was so much I wanted to say, but couldn’t.

“Go. Go do what you need to do, then come home, brother,” Ryder said earnestly as he looked at me, extending his hand. Taking it, he pulled me into a hug and added, “Just remember. You have people here that care for you.”

With a final, silent release, he disappeared into the house, the faint click of the door followed by the light switching off engulfing me in deepening twilight. Walking down the cold, wooden steps, I disappeared into the absolute darkness, the silence heavy around me.

“I’m getting on the plane now. I will be back in the city in a few hours.”

“That’s not what I fucking asked, and you goddammed well know it,” Ace sneered, his voice low, threatening. Yeah, I knew what he wanted me to say, but I wasn’t going to tell him shit because I fucking knew he would stop me and order me to return home to Tennessee. I waited as long as I could before calling him. I knew he was busy with the other teams and helping Law find a new home base. As it was, it looked as if they were all heading to the state of Montana. “Goddammit, Danny! What the fuck are you planning?”

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