Chapter 2 - The Swarm at the DoorBANG! BANG! BANG!
“POLICE DEPARTMENT! OPEN THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY!” a booming voice roared from the front porch.
The glass panels beside the front entrance vibrated from the force of the blows. Marcus froze, his hand instantly releasing my hair, his face draining of color as he looked toward the foyer.
Nolan dropped his whiskey glass onto the rug, the crystal shattering into a dozen pieces. “Marcus... did you call the cops?”
“No!” Marcus stammered, frantically wiping his hands on his jeans. “I didn't call anyone! Claire, did you—”
Before he could finish his sentence, the heavy front door was thrown wide open.
Four uniformed police officers barged into the foyer, their flashlights cutting through the warm ambient lighting of the living room. Leading the entry was a sharp, fiercely composed woman wearing a dark trench coat over her tailored suit—Deputy DA Elena Vance.
Elena took one look at the scene: me lying on the floor in a blood-stained nightgown beside a screaming newborn, and Marcus standing over me with his fists clenched.
Her eyes turned into pure, lethal ice.
“Secure the suspect!” Elena ordered, her voice echoing off the high ceilings like thunder.
Two officers moved with terrifying speed. Before Marcus could even raise his hands to speak, Officer Rodriguez grabbed Marcus’s arm, twisted it behind his back, and slammed his chest hard against the granite kitchen counter.
“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” Marcus shrieked, his face pressed against the stone. “I’m the homeowner! She fell down! She’s crazy! She’s suffering from postpartum psychosis!”
“Shut your mouth, Marcus,” Elena said, her heels clicking against the hardwood as she walked straight past him.
She dropped to her knees beside me, her hands trembling as she gently cradled my head, pulling me against her chest. “Claire... oh God, Claire... I’m here. I’ve got you, sweetie.”
“Elena...” I whimpered, tears finally spilling over my bruised cheeks as the shock began to take hold. “The baby... check Lily...”
An officer gently lifted the crying cradle, moving little Lily into Elena’s waiting arms. Elena held her niece tightly, inspecting her for any injuries while two female paramedics rushed through the front door with a medical gurney.
Nolan and Brooke tried to slip toward the front door, looking completely terrified.
“Nobody leaves this room!” Officer Rodriguez barked, pointing a finger at Marcus’s six friends. “You are all material witnesses to a felony domestic assault in progress. Sit on the couches and hand over your identification!”
Brooke began to weep, clutching her purse. “We didn't do anything! We were just guests!”
“You watched a man strike a woman four days out of major surgery and did nothing,” Elena said, turning her icy gaze onto the group as the paramedics lifted me onto the gurney. “That makes you accomplices to failure to render aid. Officers, take full statements from every single one of them.”
Marcus thrashed against the handcuffs, his face contorted in manic rage as the officers dragged him toward the front entrance. “Elena! You can’t do this! This is my house! You’re abusing your position! My lawyer will have your badge!”
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Elena stood tall, holding baby Lily securely against her shoulder, and looked at Marcus with total, unshakeable contempt.
“This isn't your house, Marcus,” Elena said softly. “And by tomorrow morning, you won't even have a bank account.”
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