Chapter 2 - THE ARREST
"You can't be serious!" Julian yelled, backing away from the officers. "I'm her father! It was discipline! You have no right!"
"Actually, we have every right," the female officer said, grabbing Julian’s arm and spinning him around. The sound of the cuffs ratcheting shut echoed beautifully through the apartment. "You are under arrest for felony child endangerment and criminal negligence."
"Maya, tell them to stop!" Julian demanded, looking at me as if I were a disobedient dog. "Tell them it was a misunderstanding!"
I walked up to him, stopping inches from his face. I didn't yell. I didn't cry.
"When Mr. Henderson unlocked that door, Lily’s lips were blue, Julian. She was shivering so hard she couldn't speak. She told him that you said naughty girls freeze."
Julian scoffed, even in handcuffs. "She's dramatic, just like you. She was perfectly fine! The door was unlocked!"
"The door was deadbolted from the inside," Detective Rayburn corrected him. "We have it in the police report. Mr. Henderson had to use the superintendent’s master key to get in. You locked her out."
Julian’s face flushed red. He realized his lies weren't going to work here.
May you like
As they marched him out the front door, he turned back to look at me, his eyes full of pure venom. "You're going to regret this, Maya. My mother will destroy you."
I closed the door behind him, locked it, and walked into my bedroom. Lily was fast asleep in my bed, wrapped in three heated blankets, clutching a brand-new teddy bear Mr. Henderson had given her. I laid down next to her, kissed her warm forehead, and prepared for war.
