Oliver reaches for me, but this time, he pulls me into his arms. Soap and a subtle musky cologne wrap around me along with his quiet strength. “Brad told me you were the daughter Lionel never had, and I believe it.”
“I want to make him proud. I want his sacrifice to mean something.”
Oliver raises a hand and sweeps the hair from my face. “I do, too. It’s why I’m leaving. We’re leaving.” Beckett makes a sound, but the look Oliver gives him stops his words. “We can’t sit on the sidelines anymore.”
Chills race up my spine. Not only are they leaving, but they’re going to fight. “Take me with you. I know I don’t know anything yet, but I can learn.”
He immediately places a finger on my lips. “No. It’s time for you to heal and find your future, not confront the enemy.”
Lifting my chin, I step away from him and shake my head several times. “You don’t understand. I don’t have a future.” Alone, I’ll have no chance. I have to make him understand. “Nowhere is safe. Hightower will hunt me to the ends of the earth.”
Oliver’s head tilts. “Why?”
Beckett lays a hand on my shoulder. “What makes you think that?”
Calm sweeps over me, and I jerk away from him. “Don’t. I’m not hysterical.” I bite my lip, knowing I’m going to have to reveal the rest of my secret. “Because I didn’t kill a random college student. I killed his son, Trent.”
Both men curse, and I flinch.
Wringing my hands together, I stand taller and look Oliver in the eye. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. To be honest, this place doesn’t inspire a lot of trust. You do, though.” I wave a hand at the prison-like walls. “Regardless, I can’t stay here, and I doubt I’ll be able to protect myself if I’m alone.”
Beckett moves to my side. “What about River? Won’t he leave with you?”
“He has other obligations,” I inform them.
Oliver scowls. “What obligations?”
I hesitate. It’s not my secret, but I know he’s too proud to ask them for help. Maybe Oliver can locate River’s family and bring them here. “He has a mother and sister. Both of them have powers. He needs to get back to them.”
The two men share a look.
“Where are they? We can bring them here,” Oliver assures me.
“I don’t know,” I reply, realizing I never asked River for their location. I assume he didn’t tell me because it wasn’t safe. “I’ll ask him. I guess that means you don’t want me to come with you.”
“We’re going to war,” Oliver patiently explains. “Everyone going is either a soldier or they’ve used their powers to fight the enemy. Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to assign someone to protect you.” He waves a hand. “To be frank, war is hell. With everything you’ve been through, it’s better if I find you a safe place to go.”
“Fine,” I tell him, watching his eyes narrow at the word. He knows I don’t mean it, but I’m betting he won’t call me on it.
“Do you want to practice your powers?” he asks after a minute, proving me right.
“I need a break,” I tell them, worn out from this session but also needing space to think, far away from them. “Is that okay?”
Beckett interjects before Oliver can answer. “It’s your decision. Locate one of us if you decide you want to try again today. If not, we’ll see you in the morning.”
Crushed by the thought of everyone leaving, depressive thoughts swirl in my head. Maybe Oliver can help River, but will he want me near his mom and sister with this massive threat hanging over my head? Probably not, and even if he did, where would we go? Neither River nor I want to remain here, but staying on the run isn’t an option, either.
Oliver’s right, too. Do I really think I can go to war? The last thing I want to do is put others in danger because they’re protecting me. Besides, I know absolutely nothing about fighting, only defending myself.
CHAPTER33
OLIVER
Beckett drops his head back on his shoulders and stares at the ceiling. “I sure as hell didn’t see that one coming.” His tone is full of disbelief at the bomb Greer dropped in our lap. “Hightower’s son. No wonder he’s on a rampage, rounding up record numbers for his prison camps. Damn.” He drops his head to look at me. “She’s right. She can’t stay here. It wouldn’t be safe for her or anyone else.”
Sliding a finger around the inside of my collar, I loosen the tie I put on this morning. “No, she can’t. Fuck!” I stalk over to the window to give myself a minute to think. My plate is full, but the thought of leaving her here without a plan isn’t an option. I need to find a solution.
“I’ll talk to River. See if I can get more information about his family’s whereabouts. And I’ll check with my father. Maybe he knows of another safe location,” I say, running a hand through my hair. There are few protected places in this world. My father went to a lot of trouble to make this base disappear from the records, but nothing is truly ever gone. Still, there are a few small off the grid places.
