“It is over, Nora,” he said, breathing heavily.

“Elaine?” I asked.

“She was trying to coordinate a pickup from a local smuggler,” Damon said. “We tapped her lawyer’s line. We knew she would try to reach you first.”

He reached out to touch my shoulder, but I stepped back.

His hand hovered in the air for a second, then dropped to his side.

“My security team has the last of them,” he said. “The federal prosecutor is filing new charges tonight. Elaine will not see the outside of a cell again.”

I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding for five years.

Marlene came down the stairs, holding Leo close to her chest.

Leo rubbed his eyes, his dark hair messy from sleep.

“Daddy?” he mumbled.

Damon’s expression softened instantly.

He knelt on the floor, his knees dampening from the melted snow on his trousers.

“Hey, buddy,” Damon said softly. “I’m here.”

Leo reached out, and Damon lifted him into his arms, holding him tight.

I watched them, the relief washing over me, followed immediately by a cold clarity.