Chapter 3: The Secret Daniel Died For
The stranger’s smile disappeared the moment Hammer stepped forward.
“Don’t take another step.””
Victor stopped.
The afternoon wind moved through the trees.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Victor laughed softly.
“Still protecting him after all these years?””
Hammer’s eyes hardened.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.””
Victor looked at Noah.
“I know exactly who he is.””
Emily moved closer to her son.
“Who are you?””
Victor ignored her.
His eyes stayed on Hammer.
“You never told her, did you?””
Hammer didn’t respond.
“That Daniel wasn’t just your brother.””
Emily’s stomach tightened.
Victor smiled.
“He was the reason your club nearly destroyed itself.””
The bikers behind Hammer shifted uneasily.
Noah looked confused.
“My dad wasn’t like that.””
Victor looked down at him.
“Your father was a good man.””
Emily relaxed slightly.
Then Victor continued.
“That’s what made him dangerous.””
Hammer’s voice became low.
“Leave.””
Victor shook his head.
“Not until I get what Daniel took.””
Emily looked between them.
“What did Daniel take?””
Nobody answered.
That scared her.
Because it meant the truth was worse than she imagined.
Hammer finally spoke.
“Daniel found proof.””
Victor’s smile vanished.
“Careful.””
“Proof that people inside the club were selling information.””
The crowd went silent.
Emily stared at Hammer.
“Your club?””
Hammer nodded once.
“Years ago.””
Victor laughed.
“You make yourself sound like the hero.””
Hammer looked at him.
“I’m not.””
That answer surprised everyone.
Hammer continued.
“I made mistakes.””
He looked at Noah.
“But Daniel tried to fix them.””
Victor stepped forward.
“And now his son has the key.””
Emily felt a chill.
“What key?””
Victor looked at Noah.
“The thing your father hid before he died.””
Noah shook his head.
“I don’t know anything.””
Victor studied him.
“Yes, you do.””
“No.””
Victor smiled.
“You drew the symbol.””
Noah looked down.
“I just saw it.””
Emily grabbed his shoulder.
“He’s a child.””
Victor’s expression changed.
For the first time, his calm mask cracked.
“He’s Daniel’s child.””
Hammer moved between them.
“That’s enough.””
Victor looked at Hammer.
“You always were weak when it came to family.””
Hammer’s fist tightened.
But he didn’t move.
Emily noticed.
Hammer wasn’t afraid of Victor.
He was afraid of what Victor knew.
That was worse.
A phone rang.
Everyone looked around.
It was Emily’s phone.
Unknown number.
She almost ignored it.
Then she saw the message preview.
Her blood went cold.
The message contained a picture.
A picture of Daniel.
Taken after the accident.
But Daniel wasn’t alone.
Someone was standing beside him.
Someone alive.
Someone who should have been impossible.
Emily opened the message.
Below the picture were five words.
*Your husband never died alone.*
She looked at Hammer.
He saw her face change.
“What is it?””
Emily slowly handed him the phone.
Hammer looked at the image.
And for the first time since she met him, Emily saw true fear.
Not anger.
Not sadness.
Fear.
Because the person standing beside Daniel in the photograph was the last person Hammer expected to see.
His own brother.
May you like
Daniel Carter.
Alive.
