Chapter 13 - A Mother’s Impossible Choice
The investigation lasted months.
New names emerged every week.
Some surprised Damen.
Some did not.
Several politicians resigned.
Port executives were arrested.
A judge recused himself before federal agents arrived at his house.
Three shipping companies collapsed.
Pharaoh Maritime lost contracts.
News networks camped outside the estate.
Damen could have fought the story.
Instead he gave investigators everything.
Yolanda worried about him.
“You’re losing half your company.”
“Probably.”
“You say that like somebody canceled dinner.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“React.”
“I am reacting.”
“You reorganized fourteen subsidiaries before breakfast.”
“That was necessary.”
She smiled.
“You’re impossible.”
Talia entered carrying schoolwork.
“Mommy says you’re impossible.”
“I heard.”
“Are you?”
“Frequently.”
She climbed into the chair beside him.
Life had become strangely domestic.
That frightened Damen in ways gunmen never had.
Yolanda had been offered witness protection.
A new city.
New names.
A clean beginning.
She had not answered.
One evening she told Damen.
“I should take it.”
He looked up.
“Do you want to?”
“That isn’t the question.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Talia would be safer.”
“Maybe.”
“She could have a normal life.”
Damen closed his folder.
“What does she want?”
Yolanda’s eyes flashed.
“She’s eight.”
“She still gets to have feelings.”
“I’m her mother.”
“I know.”
“You don’t understand.”
Damen became quiet.
“No. I don’t.”
That stopped the argument.
He continued.
“I don’t know what it’s like to be responsible for a child every second of every day.”
Yolanda softened.
“But I know what my mother did.”
“What?”
“She decided what I needed without ever asking.”
Yolanda looked away.
“Talia loves it here.”
“Yes.”
“She loves you.”
Damen did not respond.
“And that makes this harder.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know what you are to us.”
The words hung between them.
Employer?
Protector?
Friend?
Something more?
Damen answered carefully.
“I don’t either.”
Yolanda nodded.
“That’s the problem.”
She decided to accept witness protection.
The departure was scheduled for Friday.
Talia cried all Thursday night.
Damen did not try to change Yolanda’s mind.
Friday morning, he carried Talia’s suitcase to the car.
She stood on the steps.
“You’re not coming?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because this is your mom’s decision.”
Talia looked furious.
“I hate decisions.”
“Most people do.”
She hugged him.
Damen knelt.
She whispered, “I don’t want another name.”
His heart broke quietly.
“What name do you want?”
“Talia Reyes.”
“Then tell your mother.”
“I did.”
“What did she say?”
“She cried.”
The federal vehicle arrived.
Yolanda came outside.
She looked at Damen.
“Thank you.”
He nodded.
“For everything.”
Another nod.
She stepped closer.
“I thought you would try to stop us.”
“I wanted to.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because wanting someone to stay isn’t enough reason to make them stay.”
Yolanda stared at him.
Then Talia suddenly shouted.
“I’m not going!”
Everyone froze.
She grabbed her suitcase and sat on the stone steps.
“Talia.”
“No.”
Yolanda crouched.
“We talked about this.”
“You talked.”
The child’s words landed.
Damen looked away to hide a smile.
Talia continued.
“You said we need a home.”
“Yes.”
“This is home.”
Yolanda closed her eyes.
“Sweetheart…”
“My school is here. My room is here. Mr. Jacoby lets me feed the fish. Grandma Evelyn teaches me cards. And Damen keeps my boat in his office.”
Yolanda looked at Damen.
He did not interfere.
Talia said the final thing softly.
“Daddy wanted us safe. He didn’t say we had to disappear.”
Yolanda cried.
So did Talia.
Damen remained silent until Yolanda looked at him.
“What would staying look like?”
He answered carefully.
“You wouldn’t work for me.”
She frowned.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re not cleaning this house again.”
“Damen.”
“You’re trained in bookkeeping.”
“How do you know?”
“Your employment file.”
“You read my employment file?”
“I read everything.”
She laughed through tears.
He continued.
“Pharaoh Maritime needs a compliance department independent of me.”
Her expression changed.
“You want me to work there?”
“I want you to run it eventually.”
“I exposed your family.”
“Exactly.”
Talia grinned.
“So we stay?”
Yolanda looked at her daughter.
Then at Damen.
Then at the estate that had become both the most dangerous and safest place they had ever known.
Finally—
“Yes.”
Talia launched herself at Damen.
He caught her.
May you like
And when Yolanda joined them, the three stood on the steps together while the federal vehicle quietly drove away empty.
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