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“What? You can’t do this here,” Pastor Green whispers, his voice echoing through the microphone attached to his face.
“You have the right to remain silent,” Miles says, shoving Steven to the ground. “Anything you say can and will be used against you,” he continues, and I move to place my cuffs on Steven’s wrists.
“I didn’t do anything!” Steven cries, trying to wiggle out from under Miles’s knee.
“This can’t be happening. He hasn’t done anything,” Pastor Green hisses, looking around frantically as Miles finishes reading Steven his rights.
Once we know he’s secure, we haul him to his feet, and he looks around at the congregation. The room is silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop even with the thousands of people watching us.
“Lauren, call my lawyer,” Pastor Green says as we walk Steven down the long aisle that leads to the doors at the back of the sanctuary.
“I didn’t do anything!” Steven shouts, trying to pull free, and I tighten my hold on him. When we exit the room, I hear commotion behind us, and I turn to find Chief Stedman step out into the hall behind us with three other officers I recognize.
“What do you think you two are doing?” he shouts, storming toward us.
“If you’ve got a problem with us doing our job, take it up with Chief Marshall,” I clip, and his face turns a concerning shade of red.
“I told you that I wanted you to present any evidence you have directly to me.”
“Marshall was back from vacation by the time the call came in,” Miles says easily, and I can tell Stedman wants to say more, but he thinks better of it. Which is smart, considering the FBI has already began building a case on him. And with any luck, he, and the men at his side along with a few others will be visiting Steven in jail.
Though I doubt they’ll get the same treatment he will from their fellow inmates.
With Miles right behind me, I push open the door to my place four hours later, and the moment we step inside, I see Miranda didn’t feel like being alone. Not only is Emma here, but so are Willow and Clay.
“You’re finally back!” Kingston runs up to give me a hug, and I lift him off his feet as Winter rushes toward her dad.
“Sorry about that, bud. I had some work to do.” I carry him down the step to the living room, and Miranda’s eyes meet mine and soften before she stops whatever she’s doing at the stove and walks toward me. When she’s close enough to touch, I wrap my hand around her hip and drop my mouth to hers for a quick kiss.
“Did you get him?” she asks quietly as I put Kingston on his feet.
“Yeah,” I say softly, and she melts against me, dropping her temple to my chest.
“Carrie will be relieved.”
“A whole bunch of people are going to be sleeping a little easier tonight.” Even without Steven confessing too raping Livy and Murdering Kristen the case we have against him is strong, and I have faith that he will pay for his crime. Now it’s going to be up to a jury to do the right thing and put him away. I kiss the top of her head, and she looks up at me.
“Are you hungry? I’m making spaghetti.”
“You’re cooking?”
“Hey, I can cook. You’re just better at it.”
“I’m starving.”
“Then I need to get back to cooking.” She leans up, touching her lips to the underside of my jaw before she lets me go and walks back to the stove.
I look around and see Kingston and Winter have run off to play a game on the TV. Clay and Willow stand attached at the hip at the counter, and Miles sits with a beer in hand, laughing with Emma. And even if Dalton and Hazel aren’t here, seeing everyone who is, together, is just what I needed tonight.
There will always be another monster, another victim, and another family searching for answers, and as much as I dread the next call I’ll get, I’m fucking thankful for the moments that remind me this world isn’t all bad. That even when things are dark, there’s always a light if you keep on going.
epilogue
MIRANDA
A little over 6 months later
With the sky dark and the stars bright above us, I lean back against Tucker as his arms wrap around me.
Somehow, he pulled off the impossible, getting everyone together for a weekend of barbecuing, swimming, boating, and lots of laughter. Looking out into the yard, I watch my parents and Carrie with Kingston and Winter, the three of them helping both kids with the sparklers we picked up on the way to the cabin.
Since my parents arrived three days ago, they have been soaking up every second they can with the kids, and Winter and Kingston have loved having two more people to spoil them rotten.
