Page 90 of Twice Missing
"Yeah. Criminals always do. And when you do, I'll be right there to put the cuffs on you."
"Sounds exciting," Luther replied with a cold smile, closing the trunk with a decisive thud.
Noah stepped closer, his voice low and intense. "Let me make something crystal clear. You come near anyone I work with, or anyone in my family — or if the cartel touches my kids — I will personally hunt you down. And no lawyer will get you out of that situation."
Luther's eyes glittered. "My, my. That sounds like a threat, Mr. Sutherland."
"It's not a threat," Noah growled. "It's a guarantee."
"Everything okay out here?" Hugh's voice cut through the tension as he approached.
Luther's mask of civility slipped back into place. "Oh, perfectly fine, Hugh. Your son and I were just discussing the excitement a new year could bring to both our lives. Isn't that right, Noah?"
Noah met Luther's gaze, his eyes burning with barely contained fury.
Hugh placed a gentle hand on Noah's arm. "Son, you should take those presents inside before they get soaked."
Reluctantly, Noah backed away, his eyes never leaving Luther until he turned to enter the house. As he crossed the threshold, Noah's mind raced. The battle lines had been drawn, and he knew the coming year would bring a reckoning — for Luther, for himself, and for everyone caught in between.
The warmth of the home did little to thaw the chill that had settled in Noah's bones following his conversationwith Luther. The man's taunting words echoed in his mind, a reminder that Luther was always two moves ahead. Now, it seemed he would once again evade any involvement in the human trafficking case.
Noah entered the kitchen, his hand reaching for a bourbon bottle. He poured two fingers into a glass, ready to slam it back when Maddie's hand intercepted, gently but firmly removing the drink from his grasp.
"Steady," Maddie cautioned, her eyes filled with concern. "Remember how long it took you to get off this. Don't make that mistake again." She set the glass down on the counter, out of reach.
Through the kitchen window, Noah watched as Hugh and Luther exchanged a few final words. Luther's face was unreadable, but Hugh's shoulders were tense. As Luther's car pulled away, Hugh hurried back inside, shaking snow from his coat. His eyes met Noah's for a brief, loaded moment before he turned away, greeting Mia and Ethan with an exuberant hug.
"Happy Christmas, everyone!" Hugh's voice boomed, filled with forced cheer.
As they gathered around the table that evening, the air was filled with the clinking of cutlery and bursts of laughter. Noah did his best to honor his promise to Maddie, engaging in conversation and mustering smiles that didn't quite reach his eyes. The weight of unspoken truths hung heavy between him and his father.
Later, as wrapping paper littered the floor and the fire crackled in the hearth, Hugh approached Noah with anenvelope. "I don't expect you to keep this," he said, his voice low, "but I said I would give it to you."
"Who’s it from, Grandpa?" Mia asked, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"Luther Ashford," Hugh replied, his tone carefully neutral. "It's a gift for the family."
Noah's jaw clenched as he slid his finger along the envelope's seal. Inside was a Christmas card displaying a nativity scene. The message, scrawled in elegant handwriting, read: "To the Sutherland family, may this bring yousafelytogether and warm your hearts this year. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year."
"What is it, Dad?" Ethan inquired, leaning in.
Noah's hand trembled slightly as he lifted the gift card nestled inside — a weekend stay at The Cove.
"Oh wow, I love that place!" Ethan exclaimed, snatching the card from Noah's hand to show the others. "Look at what the Ashfords gave us!"
The irony of the gesture was not lost on Noah. He lifted his eyes to meet his father's gaze, a silent understanding passing between them. The gift was more than a generous offer; it was a taunt, a reminder of Luther's reach and influence.
Noah closed the card and gazed into the dancing flames of the fireplace, reflecting on the events that had led him to this moment.
In the days ahead, the FBI would raid Sunrise Systems. They would arrest Abel, several workers, Marcus Rivers, and Detective David Oates in one of the largest human and drug trafficking takedowns in upstate New York history.
However, despite the satisfaction of seeing justice served, Noah knew that Luther Ashford would elude him once again. The man was a phantom always out of reach. Still, as the new year approached, he found solace in the thought that the truth, like Emily's long-buried case, would eventually surface. The evidence needed to bring Luther down was out there, waiting to be discovered.