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THE PROTECTOR

One Month Later…

I stare out over the hills of Maplewood for the last time. The house that Ruslan and Noah were living in has been sold. Within a week, everything inside will be packed up,. It was Noah’s idea to take out the hidden door, and to put in a proper entryway to convert it into a movie and game room. The first family that saw it made an offer above the asking price because of it. The house is in excellent condition, so it made it an easy sale. My brother was an expert with a hammer—that part is for sure.

Noah's out of the hospital, back on his feet but still a little unsteady. His body is healing, and so is his mind, now Ruslan has been laid down to rest and the sheriff is dead, the man who killed Ruslan.

He wasn’t just the first man on the scene; both he and his son set out to kill Penelope and frame me for the death of my boss. They wanted my boss to call me from the bathroom, he refused and the Deputy killed him in the bathroom. The detail and logistics of the whole thing doesn’t make sense to me, but they confessed to it the night they were in the motel room with Penelope. And they found evidence to put him at the scene of the crime.

The sheriff blamed Ruslan for the death of his brother, and the deputy had been rejected by Penelope and wanted revenge for having his heart broken.

She’d claimed that he used to hang around the diner, and the waitresses found he creepy.

Penelope’s soft laugh is coming from the kitchen, as she talks to Molly. When I enter the living room, I find Molly sitting next to Noah on the couch. She's clutching his hand, her fingers intertwined with his.

“Noah, you’ve gotta stop doing this,” Molly brushes her fingers over his cheek. “You can’t keep pushing me away.”

Noah opens his mouth to speak, but his words catch in his throat.

“Molly…” he pauses, his voice hoarse, and it takes him a second to steady it. “I’m not who I was before. I can’t be. I can’t go back to that life.”

“What are you talking about, Noah?” she whispers.

“I’m done, Molly. Done with all of it. I quit. When I was in hospital, I thought if something had happened to you, then I would never forgive myself. Staying in this line of work could put you in danger, I’m not willing to risk that.”

They’re ignoring me as I stay by the doorway in the living room, as I observe them both. It’s as if they don’t care, as I watch this touching moment. Ever since I’ve come to Maplewood, I’ve started being more respectful of what I say and how it affects people, something I never used to give a damn about before.

Noah has always been the brains behind the whole operation. Without him, I’m not sure how we’ll keep moving forward. He’s the hacker, the mastermind.

Molly’s eyes fill with tears as she leans into him, her voice small, barely above a whisper. “You’re really done?”

Noah nods slowly, his expression unreadable. “Yeah. For good. I’m not going back to that life. Not after everything which has happened. I need to be here. For you. For the baby.”

I glance over at Penelope, who’s standing near the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, watching the exchange. She already knows. It’s written all over her face. She’s not surprised, jumping up and down, if anything she just looks toward me. As if she’s waiting for a reaction from me.

“You’re going to be a father?” I ask. Then Noah nods his head, and I realize this exchange, the conversation they’re having isn’t by chance, but they are telling me I won’t be the new Ruslan, taking over his role and Noah won’t be Ruslan’s sidekick anymore. This episode of their lives died the moment Ruslan did.

“Noah…that’s incredible ,” I say, unable to get the words out properly.

Noah’s lips quirk, and I can see the relief in his eyes. I watch as he wraps his arms around Molly, pulling her in close. I walk up to Molly, and she stands up, not hesitating to give me a hug. It's something she does, which I'm not used to, but I'm trying to act like it's normal. People don't see me and think of giving me a hug, but she does—constantly. At first, I thought it was because she's friendly, but then I realized it's because she thinks I need it. She doesn't do it to anyone else as much as she does it to me.

Penelope steps forward, “I’m happy Dr. Julia’s behind bars, and the deputy too.”

For the first time in weeks, she looks at peace as if a burden has been lifted. I know how much Dr. Julia’s betrayal hurt her. And I know Penelope will never forget what they did, but maybe, just maybe, she can let go of the anger that has been eating at her since we found out what Dr. Julia, the sheriff and the deputy had been plotting against us.

“Yeah,” I say, my voice steady, as I take a step toward her. “It feels good knowing the people who were behind all of this are locked up, where they can’t hurt anyone else. It’s over.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Penelope says with a hint of excitement. “About what you said, Noah. About what I can do. I want to take over your role as a hacker. If you can show me the ropes, I’ll be ready, because I’m a quick learner.”

Noah raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised. He’s spent years perfecting his craft, keeping a low profile, doing things the right way when the system didn’t. He’s the best of the best.

“I’ve got a friend,” Noah says. “Logan. He’s a good teacher. If you’re serious about it, I’ll have him show you the ropes. You can work with him. It’ll take time, but if you’ve got the head for it, we can make it work.”

Penelope nods, her expression determined. “I’m serious. This is what I want.”

It dawns on me how this is supposed to play out. If she’s hacking then there needs to be someone to take over Ruslan’s role. I take a breath, then turn to face them all. “I’ll take over Ruslan’s role. I’m gonna take down predators. The sick fucks who think they can hurt innocent people without consequences.”

“One thing for sure, you’re sounding more and more like him every day,” Noah chuckles.

Really? I don’t know if that’s a compliment or a criticism, but I’ll take it.

Penelope takes a step toward me, her hand brushing mine. “We make a good team,” she says, her voice quiet but firm. “We’ve already taken down the worst of them. Let’s finish what we started.”

“Well, it’s too bad we never got them for the organ trafficking. I have a feeling that it is a lot bigger than Maplewood, and powerful people are involved. But with you two on the case, then maybe you can find the missing links we couldn’t,” Noah says.

I nod in agreement, then Noah lets out a slow exhale and then lifts his glass, holding it up in front of him. “To new beginnings,” he says. “Hunter can Rest In Peace now that his job is still being carried on, and even better by his brother.”

Molly follows suit, her smile bright, eyes glowing with the promise of the future. “To our family,” she says, her voice filled with hope.

I raise my glass, my eyes meeting Penelope’s across the room.

“To happy endings,” I say, my voice thick with emotion, “and to being happy in our new lives.”

We all clink glasses, and for the first time in a long time, I feel the weight of the world lift. It’s not over, not yet. But we’ve made it through the worst of it. And now, together, we’re ready for whatever comes next.