Page 171 of Damián

Or more like my world stops because I have no idea what to do, how to react, or how much she knows.

What if this is a trap?… No… she would gain nothing by telling me.

But… What if Rafael sent her here for confirmation?

Fuck!

Okay, Ollie, look calm. Get a hold of yourself and look calm…

I lean against my desk and point at the chairs in front. “Harknett?”

“This isn’t the time for you to test how much I know. Just understand that Rafael knows about Damián and his team.”

And she is right… If Rafael knows Damián is a Harknett, then we are all in danger.

“Why are you telling me this instead of going to my father?”

“I am on your side, Ollie, not his.”

“You married the man.”

“…Please, Oliver, I promise.”

“And why am I supposed to trust you?”

“Because of Clara… I want out, Ollie. I want my daughter to be safe,” she pleads, tears filling her eyes, and my chest hurts.

Uggh…

Is it crazy that I’ve been so closed off from my own family that I failed to see this? Was I so busy helping others, finding ways to save as many as I could, that I couldn’t see my own people needed to run away from this hell too?

“Why do you think I sent her away to boarding school in the first place?” she cries, and I feel completely stupid.

Of course it makes sense. I mean, I did the exact same thing when I was fourteen. I just made the mistake of thinking she sent my sister away so she could party and maintain her carefree lifestyle, rather than trying to keep her safe.

Okay, Ollie… This is not the time to feel like shit.

We will fix that later.

“How do you know Rafael knows Damián is a Harknett? Did anyone tell you they heard something about Damián? Was it Malena?”

“No, I heard Rafael say it before sending a team to find him.”

A jolt of panic rushes through my chest, suffocating me. I grab my cell phone and dial Damián’s number, but it just rings.

No, no, no…

I try a second time, then a third…

Nothing.

“Fuck!” I slam the phone down, grab the secure landline Damián installed, and hit the speed-dial button.

“Yes?” Alexios answers immediately.

“Alexios, Rafael knows everything. Where is Damián?”

“Logan! Rafael knows! Locate Damián right now!” Alexios shouts away from the mic, his voice muffled in the background. Then, he’s back on the line. “How did he find out?”