Josiah Talbert was one such person. He and his brother, Gideon, were the worst of the worst. Josiah had been the one to take Juliette, but it had been Gideon who kept her. Had taken her child – Ryker’s child – and given Mac to someone else to raise. Gideon was responsible for Elijah being taken away from Mac, all because one of Gideon’s guards wanted Mac for himself. Ryker had to find Josiah and get Elijah back, if the boy was still alive. Until Lucy – War’s daughter and family computer expert – located Josiah, Ryker had to focus on the other part of the family business, and that was their mercenary work.
Sutton’s friend and former army buddy, Trenton Shepherd, started his own vigilante organization years ago, and now Ryker was headed to meet with the man. Feel him out to see if they were a good fit. When Sutton contacted Shepherd, the man invited Ryker to his office so Ryker could see for himself how things were run. That was Ryker’s first clue the organization was completely different than Nexus. Ryker had no idea where Nexus’s headquarters was located. He didn’t know the person in charge. Secrecy had been their first rule. Handlers had code names. If he hadn’t worked with Cassandra on a job, he’d never have known the former operative-turned-handler’s identity.
It was almost three when Ryker arrived at the address given. He’d expected to meet Shepherd at a business location. Somewhere the building doubled as a front for something legitimate. Instead, the address was a large house sitting back off the road behind a tall, iron fence. Ryker rolled up to the gate and put his bike in neutral. There was no guard shack, but there were cameras watching his every move. Ryker removed his helmet, turning his face up so whoever was watching the security feed could see him clearly. A few seconds later, the gate swung open, and Ryker replaced his helmet before easing his bike down the long concrete drive. Before he could shut the bike off, the front door opened, and Shepherd stepped out onto the porch. The man was in his sixties, but he was as fit as anyone thirty years his junior. Gray hair was cropped close; steel-blue eyes smiled while still looking intense. He was dressed in dark jeans and an untucked, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled back showing off corded forearms. The man hadn’t let himself go, and Ryker appreciated that.
When Ryker removed his helmet and climbed off his bike, Shepherd grinned. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was looking at your father.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Ryker ran his hand over his head, doing his best to get rid of the helmet hair.
“As you should.” Shepherd was one of the humans who was aware of Gryphons. The fact that Sutton trusted the male with their secret said a lot about what kind of man he was.
Ryker held out his hand. “It’s good to meet you, Shepherd.”
“Likewise. Come on in. I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Quinn to join us.”
“Not at all.” Ryker didn’t mind. He wanted to meet the handler he’d be working with.
As Shepherd led Ryker into his home, he said, “Your father is one of the best males I know, and I expect the apples didn’t fall far from the tree, if you’ll pardon the saying.”
Ryker smiled, appreciating the sentiment. “We like to think so. The five of us, while all different in personalities, do our best to emulate our father. He is the best man we know, and we live to make him proud.” Ryker followed Shepherd, taking in the home. When they reached the office, a pretty woman looked up from where she was working at the desk. The female was early thirties, dressed in jeans and a fitted sweater. Her long, brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She stood and held out her hand.
“Ryker Lazlo, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Quinn. She’s in charge of our organization. I passed the mantle to her six years ago, much like Sutton turned over the MC to you.” Shepherd stood aside while the two of them shook hands. Her grip was firm, like her countenance.
“It’s a pleasure.” Quinn gestured to the chairs across from her. “Please, have a seat.”
Ryker took the one closest and set his ankle on the opposite knee.
“Shepherd shared a little about what happened with Nexus, but I’d appreciate it if you told me everything,” Quinn said as she returned to the leather chair behind the desk. Ryker filled both father and daughter in on everything except the fact that he and Cassandra had been lovers.
“This isn’t the first we’ve heard of Nexus being less than aboveboard. I’m glad you came to us. We can always use people with your particular skill sets. And the thing that sets us apart from them is I am the only handler. You won’t be dealing with an unknown using an alias. I personally vet every request that comes through. Of course, you’ll conduct your own due diligence once you accept the contract, and if you find something you believe I’ve missed, I not only welcome you discussing issues with me, I expect it. I’m not infallible or perfect. I would rather you share concerns if I miss something than for an innocent to be taken out. Having said that, it’s rare I make that costly a mistake.” Quinn pushed a piece of paper across the desk. “These are the terms of our contracts. I think you’ll find the payout is generous.” Ryker did a double take when he read the percentage. When he glanced at Shepherd, he was smirking.
“With Quinn being the only handler, we don’t require as much on our end as an organization paying ten or more handlers. Our overhead is low, and we feel if we pay top dollar, we get top results in return.”
“Do you have any questions?” Quinn leaned back in her chair, confidence clear on her face.
“Yes, when can we start?” Ryker was excited about working for the father-daughter team. The fact that Shepherd and Sutton were still friends after all these years was a bonus.
“Immediately.” Quinn opened her desk and pulled out a phone. She handed it over and said, “All contracts will be sent to you through this phone. The messages are encrypted, so you’ll need to give me a sequence you wish to use to unlock them. Only you, Shepherd, and I will have the code, plus anyone you wish to share it with, say your second-in-command. All communication will come through this device. Should you wish to speak with me at any time, just send me a message. Normally, we don’t invite operatives into our home, but our fathers go way back. You are the only associate who knows where we are. We’d like to keep it that way, so unless we invite you back, I’d prefer any future meetings be done elsewhere.”
“That’s understandable and not a problem. Until the last few assignments went astray, we never met anyone from Nexus. I don’t foresee needing to meet back up.”
“Excellent. If you’ll choose your code, I’ll make note of it in your file. Other than that, welcome aboard.” Quinn stood and held out her hand. Ryker shook it, and the weight of the last months lifted from his shoulders.
With his new phone in his pocket, Ryker said goodbye and headed home. The ride back to New Troy was much more enjoyable until he ran into a storm. Ryker didn’t mind a little rain, but the sky let loose with a downpour. The roads were slickest when they first got wet. He was used to it, but he didn’t trust other drivers, so Ryker took the next exit. The town wasn’t large, but it had more than just a truck stop. The strip of road boasted a few convenience stores, several hotels, and plenty of restaurants to choose from. Ryker was used to eating alone, and it had never bothered him. Until lately. Sure, he had his daughter to share meals with, and Mac was getting a little more comfortable going out the more she spent time with Lucy, Kerrigan, and Natalia. All three females were different, but they each gave Mac something Ryker couldn’t. Something she’d never had, and that was friendship.