Chapter 78
AVA - BETTER BE READY
There was something poetic about standing here again. Same steps in front of the police station. Same chipped cement. The same rising sun was filtering through the trees as if it were trying to burn away everything we’d survived.
Only this time, Remi wasn't walking out with chains on her wrists or rage in her eyes.
This time, we stood on our own terms.
We stood in unity... together.
Harlan adjusted the mic, his suit pressed and collar sharp, but his face was all emotion. Earnest, grounded. He’d spent the past month rebuilding this department from ash and ruin, and now he was about to face the same press that had once tried to dismantle him.
Beside him, I stood in navy slacks and a cream blouse that made me feel more like a politician than a therapist. Remi wore black, but her jacket had a subtle gold pin at the collar. A phoenix. She hadn’t said where it came from, but I had a feeling.
She looked strong. Steady. Like someone you’d follow into a storm.
“My name is Chief Harlan Gray,” Harlan began, his voice calm and clear, carrying over the hushed crowd. “And I’m standing here today not to erase what happened on these steps, in this town... this county, but to own it.”
There were no jeers. No interruptions. Just a sea of people, cameras, press badges, town locals, even a few familiar faces from the clinic, MCs and businesses. A mixed, imperfect tapestry of this county, all standing in the same space.
Harlan continued. “This department failed. We allowed corruption to fester. We allowed fear to silence good people. And for that, I take full responsibility. But accountability is not where this ends. It’s where it begins.”
A cheer went up from the back. A man with a “Survivors Deserve Better” sign raised it high above his head.
“We’ve made arrests. Implemented oversight. And more importantly, we’ve rebuilt this department with officers who lead with integrity. Men and women who showed up when it mattered most. I stand beside them, and I stand beside these two women...”
He turned, gesturing toward me and Remi. “...who never stopped fighting for this town, for you. Even when we didn’t deserve them.”
My throat tightened.
He wasn’t saying this for show. He meant it.
He stepped aside. “Ava, Remi… I’d like you to join me.”
We moved forward together. The sun caught Remi’s pin, and I caught her eye, the tiniest smile tugging at her lips. This wasn’t just about justice. This was about reclamation. Visibility. Healing.
The crowd quieted again.
Harlan leaned into the mic once more. “Before I close this out, I want to offer them a chance to speak. Ava?”
I hesitated for a second, then stepped up.
“My name is Ava Sinclair,” I said, clearing my throat.
“Some of you know me from the clinic. Some of you know me from… other chapters in this story. I won’t stand here and pretend this was easy.
Or that the fight is over. But I believe in the power of community.
I believe in the power of people who choose to do the right thing. .. especially when it’s hard.”
I glanced at Remi.
“And I believe in survivors. I believe in the strength it takes to rebuild, to keep showing up. To choose love, again and again, even when the world tells you not to.”
I stepped back. My voice had cracked near the end, but I didn’t care. Harlan squeezed my hand once.
Remi stepped up, her gaze sweeping the crowd like she was memorizing every face.
“It's hard to put how I feel into words. We didn’t come here to be part of anything... not in this way,” she said.
“We came to do a job we desperately believed needed to be done. I have a story... too many of us do. My history is my north star, my purpose and that has been my guide. My why. But somehow… I ended up part of something bigger. Something I never expected.”
She paused, searching for the words. She looked behind us at the wall of police officers, slowing when she got the Reid and Gray, then looked back at the crowd.
“There’s a lot I still don’t trust about this system. But I trust these two people standing next to me and the ones standing behind me. And if they’re going to keep fighting for this place, then so will I. Because one thing I do trust is that we are stronger when we stand together.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd.
We stepped back together as Harlan returned to the mic, wrapping up the speech. But I didn’t hear much of the closing remarks.
Because something had caught my eye.
A man stood near the far edge of the crowd. Sharp jaw. Dark suit. His hands were tucked into his pockets like he wasn’t really here to be seen. Watching us.
No…
Watching her.
I didn’t recognize him. But something about the way he stood sent a chill up my spine.
And then, just as quickly, he turned and vanished into the crowd.
I blinked, heart skipping.
When I looked back, he was gone.
Had I imagined him?
Beside me, Remi’s fingers brushed mine. Harlan was saying something to the press, promising more reforms, promising transparency.
But all I could think was:
Something didn't feel right.
Something’s coming.
And I hoped that this time, we would be ready.