The courtroom fell silent as Judge Harrison returned to the bench.The recess had been brief. Tense. Damon had sat in the hallway, his heart pounding, his mind racing. Tommy had stayed by his side. Cruz had stood guard. Elaine had paced, reviewing her notes, preparing her closing argument.Now it was time.Judge Harrison adjusted his robes. His gray eyes swept across the room. The Dravens sat at the defense table, their faces cold, their eyes hard. Alistair's hands were clasped in front of him. Seraphine's face was pale. Cassian's jaw was tight.Damon sat in his wheelchair at the plaintiff's table. Elaine beside him. Tommy behind him. Cruz near the door."The court will now hear closing arguments," Judge Harrison announced. "The plaintiff may proceed."Elaine stood up. Walked to the center of the courtroom. Her heels clicked on the wood floor. Her voice was steady. Clear."Your Honor, this case is not about money. It is not about power. It is not about connections. This case is about

The first week with Lucy home was everything Damon had dreamed of.He woke up every morning to her face. Her smile. Her voice shouting "Daddy!" from the other room. He made her breakfast. Walked her to school. Picked her up in the afternoon. Helped her with homework. Read her bedtime stories. Watched her fall asleep with her stuffed rabbit tucked under her arm.It was simple. It was ordinary. It was everything he had fought for. Everything he had bled for. Everything he had almost died for.But the victory felt incomplete.Because the Dravens were still free.Damon sat on the couch, staring at his phone. The threatening text from the unknown number was still there. "Enjoy your time with Lucy, Corso? It won't last." He had read it a hundred times. Each time, his blood boiled. Each time, his hands shook with rage.He had won custody. He had Lucy. But the Dravens were still out there. Still plotting. Still threatening. They had lost the court case, but they hadn't lost their power. Their

The bar was called The Rusty Nail. Dark. Dirty. Perfect.Tommy had been here before. With Damon. During the dark days. When everything felt hopeless. Now he was here with a beautiful woman who had found his phone and asked him for a drink.Life was strange.Riley sat across from him in the booth. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light. She was smiling. Confident. Relaxed."So," Riley said, "tell me about yourself, Tommy."Tommy shrugged. "Not much to tell. I work at a warehouse. I live in a small apartment. I have a friend named Damon and a goddaughter named Lucy.""That's not nothing. That's everything." Riley leaned forward. "Tell me about Damon. He sounds important to you."Tommy smiled. "He's my best friend. We've known each other for years. He's been through a lot. His wife died. His daughter was taken. He fought to get her back.""Sounds like a hero.""He is. He's the bravest man I know."Riley nodded. "And Lucy? She's his daughter?""His daugh

Damon woke to an empty apartment.The silence was crushing. No Tommy humming in the kitchen. No Lucy laughing in the living room. Just the hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of traffic.He sat up on the couch. His leg ached. His ribs throbbed. His mind was foggy with exhaustion and regret.He looked at his phone. No messages. No missed calls. Tommy had blocked him.He replayed the fight in his head. Tommy's words. His accusations. The door slamming.You're so scared of losing everyone that you're pushing everyone away.Damon closed his eyes. Tommy was right. He had pushed away his best friend. His only friend. The man who had stood by him through everything.And now he was alone.Lucy woke at 7am.She padded into the living room, her stuffed rabbit tucked under her arm. Her hair was messy. Her eyes were sleepy."Good morning, Daddy."Damon forced a smile. "Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"Lucy nodded. "Where's Uncle Tommy?"Damon's throat tightened. "He had to

Sleep didn't come. He lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling, Tommy's face burned into his mind. The text message he just received was still on his phone. "Tommy says hello." The Dravens had him. They had taken his best friend. His only friend. The man who had stood by him through everything. Who had brought him food when he couldn't eat. Who had driven him to the hospital. Who had watched Lucy when Damon couldn't.And they were using him as bait.Lucy was asleep in her room. Her breathing was soft. Steady. Peaceful. She didn't know. She couldn't know. She was just a child. Innocent. Trusting. She had already lost so much. Her mother. Her home. Her sense of safety. Damon couldn't let her lose more. Couldn't let her lose Uncle Tommy. The man who made her laugh. Who brought her gifts. Who taught her how to throw a proper punch.Damon sat up. His leg ached. His ribs throbbed and his head pounded with exhaustion. But his mind was sharp. Focused. He needed to make a plan. He needed to