Page 43 of The Silencer

He didn’t approach me.Didn’t say my name.He could have.But he didn’t.

Jacob Dellinger would’ve followed me.He would’ve smiled and tried to talk.He would’ve made it feel wrong.

But Emmanuel?

He stood there.Quiet.Still.Like I was something worth protecting, not something to claim.

And just like that, I don’t see his father's face anymore.

I see his.

And I don’t know what to do with that.

SIXTEEN

emmanuel

“Tell me,”Jer urges the moment I step into his office.

“The transfer was denied yet again.Whoever the fuck he’s working with is making sure that he stays put.It’s almost as if they know what we have planned.”I run a hand down my face, running across the jagged scar above my eyebrow.

“It’s healing,” he tells me.

“Yep,” I grit out, still pissed that I was taken off guard and they managed to get a knife to my face.“Has he spoken?”The man is unknown.He came at me hard and fast, intent on killing me.Thankfully, I’ve learned a lot since I became the Silencer, including being able to take care of myself if the occasion ever arises, and it sure fucking did.Thankfully, I came out of the ordeal with just a fucking scar.

"He hasn't said a word," Jer replies grimly."Whoever sent him trained him well.He's resisting all our usual methods of persuasion."

My jaw clenches."We need answers, Jer.If someone's protecting my father, if they know what we're planning..."

"I know," Jer says, his voice heavy."We're running out of time and options."

“What if it’s not my father?”I say thickly.“We still have the Boston Elite Syndicate to think about.They went to ground when Henry Gallagher started sniffing around.It’s not crazy to think they could be behind this.”

Jer nods grimly."You're right, we can't rule out the Syndicate's involvement.They've been eerily quiet since we warned Gallagher, which could mean they're regrouping or planning something big."

I pace the office, my mind racing."We need to approach this from a different angle.If we can't get to my father directly, maybe we can smoke out whoever's protecting him."

"What did you have in mind?"Jer asks, leaning forward in his chair.

"We leak information," I say slowly, the plan forming as I speak."Not the whole truth, but enough to make his protectors nervous.Make them think we know more than we do."

Jer considers this for a moment."It's risky.If we're not careful, we could expose ourselves in the process."

"I know," I acknowledge."But at this point, I think it's a risk we need to take.We're running out of options, and my father's threats are still hanging over our heads."

Jer nods slowly."Alright.We'll do it.But we need to be smart about this.I'll have our tech team set up some untraceable channels to disseminate the information."

"Good.What about Clodagh?"I ask."Have you checked on her like I asked?"

Jer nods, his expression softening slightly."She's doing okay, all things considered.Still living with Tammy, still in therapy.The night at the party really fucked her up.Thankfully, Lisa was there to stop those fucking assholes from going any further."

I nod, glad that he did check up on her.As for those fucking assholes, they’re dead.They weren’t when Jer had two of his boys beat the shit out of them and let them leave.I couldn’t let them be.There’s no chance in hell that I’d ever let them anywhere near her again.If they did that to Clodagh, who else have they done it to?

Jer studies me for a moment."You care about her," he observes.It's not a question.

I shrug uncomfortably."I feel responsible for her.After what my father did..."

"It wasn't your fault," Jer reminds me.

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