Chapter 4 - The Public FallExposed to the WorldBy 1:00 AM, the quiet cul-de-sac was lined with news vans, neighborhood onlookers, and flashing blue and red lights.
Neighbors who had spent six years smiling at Dean and his parents across manicured lawns stood on their porches in pajamas, recording everything on their phones.
Linda was led out first, her face buried in her hands to hide from the flashing cameras of local news crews who had picked up the federal raid on police scanners. Her pristine reputation, her country club status, and her arrogant pride were shattered in front of the entire community.
"Get those cameras out of my face!" she screamed at a reporter. "We are victims here! My son is an innocent man!"
"Ma'am, is it true your son is tied to a federal racketeering ring?" the reporter shouted back, holding out a microphone.
Arthur followed, stooped and silent, avoiding eye contact with the neighbors he had boasted to for years.
Finally, Dean was brought out in full leg irons and handcuffs. As the light hit his face, exposing the bloody nose and ruined clothes, a murmur went through the crowd.
I stood on the front porch, wrapped in a black blanket provided by the paramedics, watching them load Dean into the back of a black SUV.
Just before they closed the door, Dean caught my eye. The arrogant smirk was completely gone, replaced by pure, unadulterated fear.
"Elena!" he yelled, struggling against the agent holding him. "Don't do this! Tell them it's a mistake!"
I didn't answer. I simply raised my right hand—the same hand he had tried to break—and gave him a slow, final wave as the doors slammed shut, cutting off his cries.
May you like
Marcus walked up beside me, placing a warm arm around my shoulders. "You're safe now, El. It’s over."
"No," I said softly, looking back at the house that had been my prison for six long years. "It’s not over until I tear down everything he built."
