Page 5

Dante

I heard shouting coming from Danny’s room and ran down the hallway, slamming his room door open to find his brothers glaring at him.

“This is not up for discussion, Danny. You are going home,” Ace firmly ordered.

“I’m not going fucking anywhere with you,” Danny seethed angrily. “You fucking left, remember? Why the fuck are you even here, anyway? I don’t want you here!”

“Danny,” Charlie sighed. “Come on, bro.”

“No, Charlie,” Danny snapped. “That fucker left. He fucking left all of us. He doesn’t get to tell me what to do anymore.”

Balling my fist, I growled, “Get out.”

The surrounding silence was deafening as Danny’s brothers all turned to look at me. Even Danny, who had no clue who I was, said nothing as I stood in the doorway, pissed. I was so fucking tired of Ace trying to browbeat Danny into doing what he wanted. He fucking knew the decision wasn’t his. It was mine, and Danny wasn’t going anywhere until he told me differently. Drawing a deep breath, I stepped fully into the room, feeling the eyes of Danny’s brothers boring into me. The air was thick with expectation and for a moment, I felt the weight of the responsibility on my shoulders.

Ace’s eyes flickered with a mixture of anger and defiance, but he remained silent. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel the weight of the unspoken words pressing down on all of us.

In the days that followed since he had woken from his coma, Dr. Robinette ran several tests, and while she was pretty damn sure Danny’s amnesia was only temporary, I wasn’t holding my breath. When it came to Danny, I never presumed to know anything, as he constantly surprised me. The only thing I knew for certain was that Danny wasn’t leaving this fucking hospital without my permission.

I stepped further into the room, my eyes never leaving Ace’s. “You heard me. Get. Out.” My voice was low, dangerous, and I could see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

Ace straightened, his jaw tightening as he took a step back. “Fine,” he spat. “But this isn’t over.”

With a sharp nod to Charlie, Ace turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, his anger palpable. Charlie hesitated, his eyes flicking between Danny and me before following Ace out with Bailey hot on his heels, leaving Danny and me alone in the room.

Danny’s shoulders slumped, and he sank back onto the bed with his face contorted in frustration and pain. His breaths came in ragged bursts, and I could almost feel the weight of his emotions pressing down on him.

I crossed the room to stand in front of him and reached out to place my hand on his shoulder. He flinched at my touch but didn’t pull away.

“We’ll figure this out,” I breathed. “But you need to focus on getting better. Forget about your brothers for now.”

Danny’s eyes met mine and for the first time since he woke up, there was a hint of vulnerability in his gaze and I saw the young man I first fell in love with. “What if I never remember?” he whispered, his voice cracking.

I squeezed his shoulder gently. “Then we start from scratch. Together.”

He nodded, and the tension in his body eased slightly. “I don’t even know you,” he murmured.

I gave him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Danny, I remember everything.”

Danny’s gaze held mine, searching for any flicker of dishonesty. After a moment, he sighed, the weight of his confusion settling over him. “I want to believe you,” he mumbled. “But everything feels so... empty.”

I sat beside him, letting the silence wash over us. “It’s going to take time,” I replied. “Memories aren’t always easy to reclaim, but they aren’t lost forever.”

He looked out the window, the evening light casting shadows across his face. “I just wish I could remember what it was like before all this,” he admitted, almost to himself.

“You will,” I promised, feeling the conviction in my words. “And when you do, you’ll realize how strong you are. This isn’t the end, Danny. It’s just the beginning of something new.”

Danny’s lips curved into a hesitant smile, a fragile glimmer of hope breaking through his sorrow. “I feel like I should know you, but I’ve never seen you before. How did we meet?”

Smiling, I replied, “We met at college when you attended MIT.”

“Yeah right,” Danny scoffed. “Ain’t no way the club would let me go there.”

Smirking, I added, “From my understanding, the club voted, giving you no choice. Most of the Tennessee Club showed up to help you move in. Even Reaper was there.”

Danny frowned. “Sounds like them, giving me no choice. So, we’re friends.”

I slowly nodded. “Yes. You are my best friend.”

Laying his head back on his pillow, I watched while he closed his eyes and sighed.

“I hate not remembering shit. I feel like I should be doing something important, but I can’t remember what it is. It’s like everything is all messed up in my head. Like I’m hungover or something. It’s all fuzzy.”

I sat with him until he dozed off.

“Dante?”

Looking over toward the door, I saw Dr. Robinette standing there. Getting up, I double checked on Danny to make sure he was sleeping before stepping out into the hallway to find Torment and Malice waiting.

“What’s up?” I cautiously asked as Dr. Robinette took the lead.

“Dante, I’ve finished running all Danny’s tests. There is no easy way to say this, so I’m just gonna say it. Danny has dissociative amnesia.”

“Is that bad?”

Dr. Robinette looked over at Malice, who cursed as Torment spoke up. “It’s about as bad as it can get, Intern. Dissociative amnesia is not like forgetting where you left your keys or forgetting someone you met once or twice. Symptoms can range from forgetting personal information, like your own name and address, to blocking out specific traumatic e vents or even the events of one’s entire life. A person with dissociative amnesia may not remember friends, family members or coworkers. When a person with generalized dissociative amnesia forgets everything about themselves and their life, they generally move to a new location and establish a newidentitybut, when they remember, they don’t know how they got there or why they have no identification. Most cases of dissociative amnesia are temporary, but memory gaps can last anywhere from a few minutes to an entire lifetime. Those with dissociative amnesia are also at a greater risk ofself-injuryand suicide.”

“So, how do we help Danny?”

“That’s just it, Dante, we can’t until we know what caused it,” Malice stated.

“He was in a building when it exploded. We know what caused it.”

Malice shook his head as Dr. Robinette explained, “No, the explosion was secondary, a mask if you will. Dissociative amnesia is caused by extreme stress due to trauma and or abuse.”

“What are you saying?”

“We’re saying that something happened in the fucking building to cause Sypher’s amnesia and until we figure out what that bitch did to him, we can’t help him.”

“Well, I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but Danny doesn’t remember shit. There has to be someone who can help him.”

“There is, but he’s gone off the radar.”

“Who?”

“There’s a brother in Disturbed. A Dr. Stephen Thomas—Logic. He generally works with patients that suffer from traumatic disorders. He’s the best in his field and board-certified in three specialties, but we can’t get ahold of him.”

“What about you two?”

Malice shook his head. “My specialty deals with children.”

“And I’m a general psychologist,” Torment stated. “Sypher needs someone trained in dissociative disorders, and that’s Logic.”

“There has to be someone else?”

“There may be someone,” Dr. Robinette said. “There is a woman, a Dr. Haizley Walker. She got her BA and MA at the University of Oklahoma and graduated at the top of her class. Now while she’s a general psychologist like you, Torment, Dr. Walker is also board-certified in dissociative disorders. In fact, she did her dissertation online through Johns Hopkins University during the lockdown, and Dr. Thomas was her advisor. She is PhD-certified in both specialties.”

“And where is she now?” Malice asked.

“No clue,” Dr. Robinette admitted. “She could be anywhere.”

“It doesn’t matter who we bring in,” Torment groaned. “Until we learn what happened to Sypher before the explosion, none of us will be able to help him.”

Dr. Robinette sighed heavily. “I’ll see if I can locate her. I’ll start making some calls and checking databases. Maybe I’ll get lucky.”

As soon as she left, I turned to Malice and Torment.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“We have a way to find out what happened to Sypher before the building blew, but we’ve run into a slight problem. Sypher was wearing some eye camera before the explosion. It’s how we found him,” Malice informed.

“You’re talking about the ocular camera lens that Ace and Danny designed. Danny was wearing it when the FBI arrested us.”

“Yeah, that thing,” Torment groaned. “Anyway, Ace said there were days of data he downloaded. If anyone knows what happened to Sypher in the building, it’s Ace.”

“And let me guess.” I sighed. “He’s being a dick and is refusing to let anyone see what his brother went through leading up to the explosion.”

“Always knew you were smart, Intern.” Malice grinned.

“Shit,” I cursed, looking down the hallway. “And the only person who can hack into Ace’s computer is currently sleeping in the room behind me.”

“Unless you want to give it a try?” Torment asked.

Shaking my head, I said, “It wouldn’t matter. The second Ace saw someone breach his system, he would erase everything. No, the only one who can get in and out before Ace realizes what’s happening is Danny.”

It was late by the time I made it back to our home across from Central Park. As I stood in the middle of the living room, I couldn’t help but stare at all of Danny’s computer equipment. What should have been our dining room, Danny converted into his office. When I told him to take the actual office, he refused, saying I needed a place to tinker with my shit in privacy.

I didn’t fight him.

I knew the real reason he didn’t want to be closed off in a room. Contrary to popular belief, Danny wasn’t as private as everyone thought him to be. In fact, Danny hated being alone. He hated being confined with walls surrounding him, and the living room afforded him a panoramic view of Central Park and anyone else who came to visit.

I set my bag down gently on the floor, trying not to disturb the quiet hum of the equipment. The labyrinth of meticulously hidden cables and blinking lights was a testament to Danny’s dedication and brilliance. My fingers itched to touch the keys, to dive into the digital world he had crafted and lived within with such precision and care. But I knew better than to meddle with his setup.

As I wandered over to the window, the city lights twinkled like a sea of stars beneath the darkened sky. Central Park lay sprawled before me, an oasis of serenity amidst the chaos. It was a view that never failed to calm my racing thoughts, and tonight was no exception. I needed to think, to strategize, to find a way to get into Ace’s files without raising alarms.

Danny would know what to do, but waking him was out of the question. He needed his rest after everything he had been through. He was still healing, and even I knew, sooner or later, he would leave the safety of the hospital and then his real test would begin.

I leaned my forehead against the cool glass, letting the memories of the day wash over me. I was so tired of everyone thinking they knew what was best for Danny. Didn’t they know he had his own mind and was more than capable of making his own decisions? He’d been doing it since he was sixteen and started working for the club. The fact was, Danny was fucking smart, smarter than all of us, and though he couldn’t remember the last few years of his life, he was still capable of making his own decisions. Ace didn’t understand that. All he saw was his wounded baby brother and his need to protect him. Danny didn’t need to be protected. Everything Danny learned, everything Danny knew was still there, somewhere deep within the recesses of his mind just waiting to come out, and it would, with time.

But that wasn’t good enough. Right now, everyone had their own reasons for protecting Danny, but not a single one of them had a fucking valid reason. Ace fucking hated that Danny worked for the underground and wanted to get his brother away from the club life. Reaper and Montana wanted what was inside his head. Some wanted to ensure their secrets were safe, and the few others, well, they didn’t give a shit and wanted him dead. Not a single one of those people actually gave a damn long enough to ask Danny what he wanted. Instead, they all demanded he capitulate to their demands.

Not on my watch.

There was a reason Danny married me the day I got branded. As much as I wanted to believe he did it solely out of love, I knew Danny had other reasons, like ensuring that if anything happened, I would be the buffer between him and the outside world.

Drawing a deep breath, I turned away from the window, my mind churning with thoughts of the day’s events. The complexity of what lay ahead was daunting, but failure was not an option. With a silent resolve, I moved towards the kitchen, intent on making myself a cup of tea to calm my nerves. The soothing aroma of chamomile soon filled the air, a small comfort in the midst of turmoil.

As I waited for the water to boil, I found myself reflecting on the journey that led Danny and me to this moment. The unexpected bond we forged, not just through love but through shared challenges and triumphs, had become our greatest strength. Despite the uncertainty and danger that surrounded us, there was an unspoken understanding that we would face it together.

The whistling of the kettle brought me back to the present. Pouring the hot water over the tea leaves, I realized that this quiet moment might be the last for a while. My gaze drifted back to Danny’s elaborate setup, wondering once more what secrets his digital fortress held. But I knew better than to meddle in his domain. Danny’s brilliance was both a shield and a beacon for us; it would guide us through the murky waters ahead.

I carried the steaming mug to the living room, before settling into the armchair that offered a perfect view of both the park and Danny’s workspace. The familiar hum of his machines was oddly comforting, a reminder of his presence even in his absence. As I sipped the tea, the warmth spread through me, easing the tension in my muscles and allowing a semblance of peace to wash over me.

In that moment, I made a silent vow: I would protect Danny, not by sheltering him, but by standing by his side, supporting his choices and trusting his judgments. Together, we would navigate the treacherous path laid before us, drawing strength from our shared determination and unwavering loyalty. Danny’s mind was a fortress of knowledge and resilience, and with time, he would reclaim his past and shape our future.

For now, I would rest, recharging my own spirit for the battles yet to come. Because in this volatile world, we were each other’s greatest allies, and together, we were unstoppable.