“Your wife betrayed you while you were deployed,” my mother sneered. My brother laughed as I stormed into the bedroom and ripped back the blanket. But instead of another man, I found my wife trembling, her body covered in bruises. “They took everything,” she whispered. “They threatened me into silence.” My blood turned to ice. I quietly made one phone call. By sunrise, my mother and brother would discover exactly who they had underestimated... / Chapter 7 / 10

Chapter 7 - Desperate MeasuresBy late afternoon, the news of Detective Miller's arrest was rippling through the local news channels like a tidal wave.

My mother and brother were trapped inside Eleanor’s suburban house, panic fully taking hold. Outside their gated driveway, process servers and news vans were already beginning to gather like vultures.

Inside the living room, papers were scattered everywhere.

"He's going to ruin us!" Ryan screamed, pacing back and forth while kicking a footstool. "The FBI, Mom! The freaking FBI! They took Miller! Do you know what Miller knows? He has text messages from me!"

Eleanor sat on the velvet sofa, her hair messy, her makeup smeared. She looked ten years older than she had that morning.

"We need a lawyer," she muttered foolishly, staring at her phone. "A real lawyer. Someone who can talk to Daniel."

"Daniel isn't talking to anyone!" Ryan yelled. "Did you see his face this morning? He isn't our brother/son anymore! He's a psychopath! He planned this whole thing! He set a trap for us!"

The front doorbell rang violently.

Both of them jumped out of their skins.

"Don't answer it!" Eleanor whimpered. "It's the police!"

Ryan slowly crept toward the window and pulled back the curtain. Standing on the front porch wasn't the police. It was two large, intimidating men in dark suits—not military, but the kind of heavy enforcement muscle Ryan had foolishly hired six months ago to secure his illegal illegal operations.

It was Victor—a local loan shark Ryan had borrowed two hundred thousand dollars from, using his expected "inheritance windfall" as collateral.

Ryan opened the door a crack, shaking like a leaf. "V-Victor. Hey, man. What are you doing here?"

Victor pushed the door open effortlessly, stepping inside, followed by his massive lieutenant.

"Where’s my money, Ryan?" Victor asked, his voice low and dangerous. "I heard your bank accounts got frozen by the federal government today."

"It's... it's a temporary glitch!" Ryan pleaded, backing away. "My brother, he—"

"I don't give a damn about your brother," Victor growled, taking out a heavy silver pocket knife and flipping it open. "You borrowed two hundred grand at twenty percent interest per month. You promised me the title to the Beacon Hill estate by Friday. Now I hear the estate is locked in a military trust."

Eleanor rushed into the room. "Please! We have money! We have house deeds!"

"Your house has a federal tax lien on it as of two hours ago, lady," Victor sneered, looking around the living room with utter disdain. "Your son is a broke, lying scammer. And in my business, broke scammers don't get second chances."