Chapter 10 - The Aftermath
The front door burst open downstairs, and heavily armed police officers swarmed the house.
They rushed up the stairs, their flashlights cutting through the dust from the ceiling.
Derek kept his hands raised as the officers quickly handcuffed Lena and dragged her away.
Paramedics followed right behind them, rushing over to check on Noah.
They treated the nasty bruise on his little arm from where Travis had struck him.
The police arrested the unconscious hitman and the injured Travis in the kitchen.
Lena screamed curses at me as she was shoved into the back of a police cruiser.
The nightmare was finally over.
I sat on the bumper of an ambulance, holding my son wrapped tightly in a warm blanket.
Derek sat next to us, getting an ice pack applied to his bruised ribs.
I looked at my brother and thanked him for saving our lives.
The police assured me that Lena would be going to federal prison for a very long time.
I had full custody of Noah, and we were finally safe from her toxic chaos.
A few hours later, we arrived back at my quiet apartment across town.
I tucked a sleepy Noah into his bed and kissed his forehead.
I went out to the living room to unpack his little Paw Patrol backpack.
Inside, hidden beneath his coloring books, I found a thick, vacuum-sealed envelope.
May you like
I cut it open and found it stuffed with bearer bonds and a handwritten note.
The note said, "Good luck, you'll need it when the rest of us come for this."
