Page 96 of Six of Hearts
"He'd be stupid not to. The evidence is overwhelming." I rubbed my eyes, suddenly exhausted. "But yeah, I think he will. He's not a bad man, just a broken one who couldn't let go."
"Broken men can still do damage."
"True." I looked at Gabriel. "Thank you. For working this with me. For not letting it go."
"Are you kidding? Someone threatened our family. Of course I wasn't going to let it go." He smiled slightly. "Besides, cop and lawyer? We make a good team."
"We do."
My phone buzzed. A text from Noah: *Where are you? Aria's asking.*
I showed it to Gabriel. "We should tell them. They deserve to know it's over."
"Your place or Noah's?"
"Noah's. Everyone's probably there anyway."
They were all in Noah's living room when we arrived—Noah, Ronan, Ethan, Julian, and Aria. The kids were asleep upstairs. It was late, past eleven, but no one looked tired.
They looked worried.
"What's going on?" Aria asked immediately, standing up. "You both disappeared, and then you wouldn't answer your phones—"
"It's over," I said. "The person who sent you those photos. We found him. He's in FBI custody."
The room went silent.
"What?" Ronan's voice was barely a whisper.
Gabriel and I explained everything—the investigation, Nathan's discovery, Detective Holloway's obsession. When we finished, Aria was crying, and Ronan looked like he might break something.
"He was watching her?" Ronan said. "Taking pictures of her?"
"Not anymore," I said firmly. "He's facing federal charges. He'll never get near any of us again."
Aria crossed the room and wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you," she said into my chest. "Thank you for not letting it go."
I held her close, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. "I'll always protect you. All of you. That's a promise."
"We all will," Gabriel added. "That's what family does."
Noah stood and pulled us all into a group embrace—awkward and crowded and perfect. This strange, beautiful family we'd built.
"It's really over?" Aria asked.
"It's really over," I confirmed. "You're safe. We're all safe."
She let out a shaky breath. "Okay. Okay."
***
Later, after everyone had gone home and Aria had fallen asleep in Noah's guest room, I sat in my car outside my own house, staring at the dark windows.
Mila was inside, asleep in her bed, safe and unaware of the danger that had been circling our family. That's how it should be. Children should feel safe, should trust that the adults in their lives will protect them.
I'd spent my career in courtrooms, arguing cases, seeking justice through the system. But tonight had reminded me that sometimes justice required more than legal briefs and closing arguments. Sometimes it required action, risk, the willingness to step outside the comfortable boundaries of procedure.
I'd do it again in a heartbeat. For Aria. For Mila. For all of them.
