Chapter 17 - The Handcuffs of Justice
Within minutes, three police cruisers screeched to a halt along the curb of the park, their blue and red lights flashing.
Officers rushed onto the grass, immediately taking over from the bystanders and pulling Evelyn to her feet.
They snapped heavy steel handcuffs around her wrists, her arms forced behind her back as she continued to scream insults.
Detective Vance stepped out of the lead car, his expression grim as he walked over to where Mark was standing.
"Are you alright, Mr. Miller?" Vance asked, looking at Mark's bruised shoulder and torn jacket.
"I'm fine," Mark gasped, his breathing heavy as the adrenaline began to fade, leaving a throbbing ache behind.
"She ignored the restraining order. She came after my daughter, detective."
"She was at her apartment when the arrest team arrived, but she managed to slip out the back before they breached the door," Vance explained.
"We tracked her phone here, but we were a few minutes too late to stop her from approaching you."
"She's not going anywhere now," Vance assured him, watching as officers forced Evelyn into the back of a police car.
"With the fraud, extortion, violation of a protective order, and now felony assault, she won't be seeing the outside of a cell for a long time."
Evelyn's face was pressed against the glass of the police car window, her eyes still burning with malice as the vehicle pulled away.
Mark watched her leave, a profound sense of finality washing over him as the red and blue lights disappeared down the street.
The monster was finally caged; the threat that had loomed over their lives for months was officially gone.
He turned around and walked back toward the playground, his steps slow but lighter than they had been in a year.
Claire and Emma were standing near the benches, Emma's small face filled with a mixture of fear and awe.
As Mark approached, Emma broke away from her aunt and ran to him, throwing her arms around his waist.
He dropped to his knees, ignoring the sharp pain in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"She's gone, Emma," he whispered into her hair, his tears finally falling freely without shame or fear.
"She can never hurt us again. The police took her away, and she is never coming back."
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Emma looked up, her eyes bright and clear. "You protected me, Daddy. Just like you promised."
"Always," he said, kissing her forehead. "Always."
