“Nora, I know you’re upset about this morning—”
“I don’t want to do this over the phone. When will you be home?”
He was quiet for a moment, then, “Late. We’re waiting for the warrants to come through, then we’re arresting Shaw and Maggie tonight. I might not be home until midnight.”
Of course. Because even now, even when the case was essentially solved, there was always one more thing. One more hour. One more reason he couldn’t come home.
“Okay,” Nora said. “I’ll be awake.”
“Nora—”
“I’m not fighting with you right now. Just come home when you can. We’ll talk then.”
She ended the call and sat in the quiet apartment, trying to figure out what she wanted.
To stay with a man who would always put the job first? To build a life around someone else’s schedule and priorities?
Or to walk away from the only person who’d ever made her feel truly safe and loved…when he was present enough to actually show it?
Neither option felt right. Neither option felt like winning.
But staying in this limbo—hoping he’d change, being disappointed when he didn’t—felt like losing herself piece by piece.
And Nora had lost enough in her life. She wasn’t willing to lose herself too.
Not even for love.
***
The arrests went down at ten PM.
Shaw was still at The Brew & View, waiting for one more client. Maggie was closing up the shop.
Tactical teams moved in simultaneously. Shaw in the back room. Maggie at the counter.
Carson watched through the window as realization dawned on Shaw’s face. The moment he understood he’d been caught. That his corruption had finally caught up with him.
“Captain Raymond Shaw, you’re under arrest for corruption, evidence tampering, obstruction of justice, and racketeering,” Carson said, walking into the back room as uniformed officers cuffed Shaw. “You have the right to remain silent...”
Shaw’s eyes locked on Carson. “You’re making a mistake. I have friends. Powerful friends.”
“Your friends can’t help you now. We have everything. Photos. Video. Financial records. Testimony.” Carson leaned in. “You’re done, Shaw. And every case you sabotaged is being reopened. Every victim you failed is getting another chance at justice.”
“You self-righteous little—” Shaw bit off whatever he’d been about to say. “I want my lawyer.”
“Of course you do.”
They processed both arrests. Shaw went into one interrogation room, Maggie into another. Both lawyered up immediately. Both refused to talk.
But it didn’t matter. The evidence spoke for itself.
“We did it,” Finn said as they watched Shaw being transported to county jail. “Twenty years of corruption. Finally exposed.”
“Yeah.” Carson should have felt triumphant. Should have felt satisfied.
But all he felt was tired. And worried about what was waiting for him at home.
“Go,” Captain said, appearing at his shoulder. “We can handle the paperwork. Go home to your girlfriend. Fix what you almost broke today.”
