CHAPTER 13 #3
“If I… if I turn my phone on, will I have any texts from you from the last few days?” he asks, still refusing to let me go.
“Tons,” I assure him. “Borderline stalker levels of texts.”
He bursts out laughing, presses one last kiss to my lips, and finally releases me.
“Text me as soon as your phone is back on. And good luck.”
And with that, I turn and head for the exit, knowing it’s time I open up to Logan about what’s been going on.
— ¤—
Thirty minutes after leaving Oliver, I am back at Harknett’s HQ, heading toward Logan’s office. Like all of our offices, the walls facing the hallway are made of clear, bulletproof glass that, with the press of a button, can frost pitch-black for complete privacy.
…At Law’s request, of course.
I reach the office and see Logan and Law checking a mountain of papers, probably from the list Oliver finished.
I knock on the glass door, and they both look up. “We need to talk.”
Law places his Montblanc pen on top of his stack of papers and stands up. “I’ll come back later.”
“No, you can stay,” I say, lifting a hand to stop him.
Logan gestures at the empty chair in front of his desk. “What can I help you with?”
“I think I need to be removed from this mission.”
“Why?”
“I’m not working as I should. I’m making stupid, dangerous decisions, I feel stressed, lost, and for the first time in my career, I don’t understand the profile. I can’t trust my own senses on this one.”
“What is wrong with the profile?”
“Everything. I think all of our intel about Oliver West is wrong… Or at least most of it, and I can’t pinpoint what is real and what is not.”
“Why would you think that?” Law asks, playing with his beard.
“Because there are so many things Oliver was supposed to be, but he isn’t. I keep expecting the worst, only to find my assessment was completely wrong. I am basically useless to you on this mission. I can’t read Oliver’s intentions.”
Law and Logan look at each other, as if they knew something I didn’t.
“What?” I ask, getting a bit concerned.
“There’s nothing wrong with your senses, Damián. You are still the best profiler I’ve ever known,” says Logan, and I can tell by the look in his face that he means it. “Your problem is the exact same reason why doctors don’t operate on their families and loved ones.”
I stay completely quiet, my brain stalling out as I just stare at both of them.
“You can’t read him as a profile because you are in love with him,” Logan says, and I swear my heart stops.
“How did you know… that I am falling for him?”
“Are you seriously asking us that, mate?” Law bursts out laughing, his blue eyes crinkling like they always do when he laughs. “We are your brothers, and co-directors of an agency that’s paid to uncover secrets.”
“Yeah… that was a stupid question.” I rub the nape of my neck, releasing some of the tension that built up. “And well… since you know about how I feel about Oliver… What are your thoughts on this matter?”
“As a Harknett, and as the attorney for this agency, I think what you’re doing is utterly dangerous.”
“I know… I’ll stop. I can pull back and—”
“However,” Law interjects, “speaking purely as your brother… I am rather delighted.”
I blink at him, completely floored. “You are?”
“Very much so… Although you are disregarding, and breaking every conceivable rule of undercover—”
“—We are all just happy to see that you’re finally letting someone get close to you,” Logan cuts in, glaring at Law.
And it’s hilarious, but my brain gets stuck on a single word… ALL
“Wait… All?” I tense on the chair. “Who exactly is all? Who else knows?”
“Mmm…” Logan laughs. “Everyone.”
“Everyone, everyone?”
“Even Miss Evelyn knows, mate.”
“She knows?!”
I turn around and see the entire Harknett team lined up behind the glass, just smiling at me.
“Please, she’s been knitting you guys his and his sweaters for three weeks now,” Knox smiles as he walks into the office and pulls me into a hug.
Bjorn throws his hands up in surrender. “I said nothing, I swear!”
“Me neither,” Leif adds, leaning against the glass doorframe.
“As if the clones had to say anything for us to know.” Tae laughs, sitting on the empty chair next to mine. “You almost shot Alexios’s hard drive after hearing Oliver’s name.”
Law glares at me. “You did what?”
I wince, rubbing the back of my neck. “Remember five minutes ago when I said I was being impulsive and doing dumb, dangerous things?”
“You didn’t say a thing about shooting hard drives.”
“I didn’t actually shoot it. I just threatened to,” I explain, as if the distinction actually matters.
“The point here,” Logan cuts in, “is that we all already know. And we support you, Dami.”
“Nej.” Bjorn shakes his head. “The point is… when are we meeting the mini drug lord?”
“Maybe when you stop calling him a mini drug lord?” Leif suggests.
“But he is one.”
And I just sit there and stare at my brothers as they argue about Oliver and me. Somehow, against all logic and reason, my crazy, fiercely overprotective team is completely okay with it.
And I don’t feel trapped… I feel free.