Chapter 1 - The Lockdown of Bradley HouseThe wail of the police sirens pierced the afternoon air of Nashville, instantly killing the upbeat music and turning my mother’s lavish backyard barbecue into a scene of absolute chaos.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Teresa shrieked, her face turning a violent shade of crimson as two police officers stepped past the patio table overflowing with expensive seafood and blocked her path. “This is my house! Arrest these ungrateful tenants instead!”
The twenty relatives who had been happily devouring grilled meats and expensive liquor a moment before now scattered like startled mice, trying to sneak toward their cars. But the police had already secured the perimeter.
Inside the ambulance parked at the curb, paramedics were gently placing an oxygen mask over little Frederick's face while checking his spiking temperature. Amy sat beside him, clutching my hand so tightly her knuckles were stark white. Tears streamed down her hollow cheeks, carving paths through the sweat and grime.
“Connor,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “The house... your mother... she made me sign papers last month. She said it was just paperwork for household insurance, but...”
“Don't worry about a thing,” I interrupted, kissing her forehead. “The nightmare ends right here.”
Through the rear window of the cruiser, I watched as Officer Vance patted down my cousin Mason. From beneath Mason's oversized designer jacket, the officer pulled out a thick manila folder. He opened it, flipped through the crisp pages, and his expression hardened. He pulled out handcuffs.
May you like
Teresa tried to lunge forward to block them, screaming obscenities, but a second set of cuffs snapped shut around her wrists.
And that was only the beginning.
