Chapter 20 - The Light Ahead
The flashing lights of the uncorrupted federal police approached in the distance.
Vincent stood up and wrapped his jacket tightly around Leah's shivering shoulders.
He picked up a sleeping Maisie from a chair inside the library, holding her securely against his chest.
Leah had already sent the hard drive's contents to the federal authorities.
The evidence cleared Vincent's name of the recent violence and exposed the corrupt officers in the city.
Three months later, the cold streets of Philadelphia felt like a distant memory.
Vincent sat on the porch of a beautiful wooden cabin overlooking a quiet lake in Montana.
He wore a simple flannel shirt, having burned his expensive Italian suits the day they left the city.
The criminal empire he had inherited and despised was completely dismantled.
Leah walked out onto the porch, carrying two mugs of hot coffee.
She handed one to Vincent and leaned comfortably against his shoulder.
They watched as Maisie ran across the green grass, chasing a golden retriever puppy they had adopted.
The little girl laughed, a sound so pure it healed the darkest parts of Vincent's soul.
Maisie suddenly tripped over a small rock and scraped her knee on the grass.
She looked up, her lower lip trembling, and yelled out for her daddy.
Vincent smiled, setting his coffee down on the wooden railing.
He walked down the porch steps and scooped his daughter up into a warm, protective hug.
May you like
He knew that for the first time in his life, he had finally won.
The monster of Philadelphia was dead, and a father had been born in his place.
