He lunged at me, swinging a heavy right hook. He was larger than me, fueled by desperation and adrenaline, but he was untrained. I stepped inside his guard, deflecting his arm with my left forearm, and delivered a swift, precise palm strike to his solar plexus. He gasped, dropping to his knees as the air left his lungs.

I didn’t hit him again. I didn’t need to. I pinned him to the floor, using a standard restraint hold that utilized his own body weight against him. With my free hand, I pulled out my phone and dialed the detective I had contacted from the hospital.

“Detective Harris,” I said clearly, keeping my knee pressed firmly into Derrick’s shoulder blade. “I have the suspect in custody at the campus dormitory. I also have the physical evidence, the financial records, and the motive for the assault on my daughter. Send a unit.”

Within twenty minutes, the room was filled with flashing blue lights. Derrick was led away in handcuffs, his arrogance completely shattered. Naomi was arrested an hour later at her hotel room, caught packing her bags with a one-way ticket to a country without an extradition treaty.

Two days later, I sat by Lisa’s bedside as the doctors confirmed she was out of danger. The swelling had begun to go down, and though her jaw was wired shut, the fear in her eyes had been replaced by peace.

She took my hand, and this time, she didn’t draw a safe. She simply squeezed it tightly.

“It’s over, sweetheart,” I whispered, pulling the hospital blanket up to her shoulders. “The perimeter is secure. You’re safe now.”