I walk out of the office on the fifty-seventh floor and head toward the elevator bank. My heart is in my throat, but I feel good. This was the right thing to do. Two months ago, when my boyfriend admitted my father had molested him, I revealed to him everything that had happened at my dad’s house. John Ham pulling the gun. Roger Bowers holding me down as my father brutally whipped me. The way Roger groped and tried to kiss me. It shamed me to tell him, but I owed him those facts. Relationships are built on trust. Camden needed to know I was on his side.

It took some time to cool him off. He wanted to beat them to death, but I finally calmed him down. It was then I mentioned to him that I thought maybe they were doing other things that were bad. Like Project Good Boy. As soon as I mentioned the name, Camden exploded. He revealed everything his friend Cronk had discovered on their computers.

Hundreds and hundreds.

So many children.

Camden wasn’t the only one.

I’d thrown up that day and cried until I was tearless. Camden, strong as hell that man, held me through it all. My father is a monster. End of story. His friends are monsters too. Camden had been working tirelessly all these years to obtain evidence against them all—to see how far the evil roots were. Because it was a judge, police commissioner, senator, and mayor, he was tight lipped and careful. Bided his time. He was ready to go to the FBI with it all, but then this thing between us exploded.

The Camden who walked into Mateo’s that night months ago is not the same one I’m madly in love with now. The Camden I know and adore would do anything to protect me. Even from the onslaught of the media. Because the moment he goes forward, my career will be over.

But it’s not about me.

It’s about him and those other children.

His stubborn ass refused to give me what I needed. The proof. He said to just move on. I can’t move on. I know, and knowing means I have to proceed. With or without him. So, today, I decided to go forward and tell my story to the Tampa Times. Everything I know. Everything Camden has told me. It’ll be enough to push him to hand over the evidence to the FBI and bring that ring of sick fucks down—especially my father.

It hurts because he’s my dad.

But my dad has been gone for some time. He morphed into this monster after my mom died. A monster I don’t recognize. When he chose his friends over me and whipped me, I knew there was no getting him to step up and be a man about this. My dad is shady and sick. There is only one way out for him—prison.

Once the Tampa Times releases the story, Camden won’t hold back anymore. The only reason he’s held off is to protect me. To keep me from getting shamed along with my father. I’m a big girl, though. Tampa’s Golden Girl may be tarnished, yet again, but she’s with the future president of the United States. If anyone can dust her off and pick her up again, it’s him.

My phone buzzes, and I smile upon seeing a text from Camden.

Cam: Where are you?

I text out a reply.

Me: On my way.

I’m nervous about having dinner at his brother Nixon’s. I’ve gone over there a few times and really like his wife, Rowan. She’s an adorable pregnant woman, and her daughter, Erica, is a spitfire. They’re the cutest family ever and it gives me hope that maybe Cam and I can have something just as special.

What I’m nervous about is Mateo being there. Everyone will be there. I haven’t seen Mateo since that night. He knows I’m dating Camden. Hayden, Cam’s oldest brother, proudly blasted that fact out over dinner one night. But knowing and seeing are two different things.

I drive along the road toward Nixon’s admiring the view. Camden and I spend a lot of time on his boat. He’s having a house built near his brother, and I’ve been told that’s where I’ll live when it’s finished. I love it when he goes caveman on me.

Cars already line their driveway by the time I arrive, and another bout of nerves threatens to consume me. Camden will be pissed that I’ve gone around him and forced his hand. But then, like the beast he is, he’ll run forward to do damage control on our end. He’ll make my father pay. And Camden will come out great on the other side. His future is solid. His future with me is impenetrable.

I’m barely out of the car when he emerges from the house. He looks good in a black polo and cargo shorts. At ease and happy. Shit. What have I done?

I panic as I close the door and worry I’ve made the worst decision on the planet. His smile falls as he stalks over to me. I’m drawn into his muscular arms and let out a sigh when he squeezes me.

“What’s wrong?” he demands.

I tilt my head up and frown. “I did it.”

He blinks at me. “Did what?”

Desperately, I kiss his mouth, because it’s better than saying the words. He’s stiff at first, but then his palms are roaming my ass and squeezing. His teeth nip at my lip before he pulls away.

“What did you do?”

“The right thing,” I mutter.

His face transforms from worried to briefly angry. Then, he smiles. Beautiful and heartbreaking. God, I love him.

“Which newspaper?” he asks, knowing me better than I know myself.

“Tampa Times.”

He kisses my nose. “Good choice, baby. They’re honest and will make a big fucking stink over this. As it should be.”

“You’re not mad?”

He laughs. “You chose me over that filthy bastard. Of course I’m not mad. It means you love me.”

I hug him and sigh. “More than anything.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he vows. “If you want to—”

Shaking my head, I look back up at him. “I’m done. I want out. Maybe take some time off to travel or just relax. I don’t know. And maybe I can teach once the dust settles. This is the life he chose for me, and I don’t want it. I just want you.”

He pulls away and reaches into his pocket. “I got you a present.”

I gasp at the sparkly watch. “A Cartier Tank Anglaise!” His love affair with watches is catching. I’ve become quite obsessed with each one he’s now given me. “It’s beautiful.”

“Just like you,” he says sweetly, winking at me. He can be so charming when he wants to be. I let him put the watch on me and then we hold hands. “Ready to go meet that fucker?”

I groan. “Shouldn’t we be more worried about how they’ll respond once they realize I’ve sent your story to the press? Are your brothers going to kill me?”

He squeezes my hand and tugs me along behind him toward the house. “Nobody is going to kill you. They’ve been begging me to move forward with this. You did everyone a favor.”

“I did it for you,” I tell him. “And for them.”

We both grow serious. The nameless children. Just faces in a catalogue. Disgusting horrors. All of that will be ripped apart and exposed. Cronk says they’re just pictures and there isn’t any proof of any illegal sex trafficking or anything, but we’ll leave the FBI to uncover the truth. What I do know is they’re all guilty of having that sick shit on their computers and my father is guilty of molesting Camden when he was a boy. Hopefully, this will end now. Those four bastards won’t go through life as though they’re untouchable. They are all going down.

Camden guides me inside to the flurry of activity. People are laughing and drinking. Kids are shrieking. The house smells like barbeque. I love it. It’s chaos and happiness. Uncontrolled and wonderful.

“What do you want to drink?” Camden asks, kissing my forehead.

“I’ll have what you’re having.” I wink at him.

Water. We’re having water.

My guy abides by the rules and keeps his reputation squeaky clean. And drinking underage is a risk to his future. A presidential hopeful can never be too careful. He saunters off to grab something to drink, and I find the girls.

“Isn’t she the cutest?” Lucy chirps when I walk over to them. She’s squeezing Brock’s girlfriend’s cheeks and gushing over her.

“Adorable,” I say, laughing. “Where are the boys?”

Camila grins. “Trying to teach Erica how to surf. Brock is great at surfing, but not a good teacher. Lucky for him, Ethan is. They’re figuring it out. How have you been?”

We chatter and catch up. I want to keep this moment frozen in time. Where everyone is happy. I don’t want to tell them by the time they go home tonight, one of the Pearsons they know and love will be the center of every tabloid from here to California. Camden is confident we’ll be fine, and I trust him.

He sidles up behind me and offers me a bottle of water. I lean my back against his chest and sigh.

“I love you,” he murmurs against my ear. “You were always mine. I was always coming for you. He may have had you for a bit, but it wasn’t ever going to stop me.”

I follow where he gestures to Mateo across the room. Mateo has his son on his hip and is grinning widely. His girlfriend is fussing over the boy’s collar. Their family dynamic seems natural and right. Nothing about Mateo right now is stiff and mundane. We were a pretend, wannabe family. We could have never been that. I wouldn’t want that because I have this. Turning, I stand on my toes and kiss Camden.

“I love you too. Thank you for coming for me,” I say, smiling.

His grin is devilish as he stares at my lips. “And you’ll be coming for me tonight. You know Lady Vindicta loves to hear you scream.”

* * *

“Is it bad?” I ask, groaning from where my face is buried under the pillow.

“I imagine the shit is hitting the fan right about now.”

I tug off the pillow and smile at him. “But…”

“But we’re miles from land with no cell service. They can interview us when we get back,” Camden says as he walks through the cabin, his swim trunks low on his hips. His smile is wicked when he notices me checking out his defined muscles in the perfect shape of a V.

“How long have you been up?”

“Right along with the sun. It’s near noon, baby. Time to get up.”

So cheerful considering his life is getting cut open as we speak. Somewhere away from here, the news is blowing up. We’ll get hit eventually, but for now, we’re safe.

He plants a kiss on my forehead before disappearing into the kitchen. I shower and dress before joining him for breakfast. It’s funny to watch him with his brothers’ women. They like to fuss and baby him. He just soaks it up and pretends he doesn’t even know how to use the microwave. Then, when it’s just us, he cooks and is far from the baby they see him as. I like that he shows a different side to me. A side that doesn’t always smile. A side that broods and gets lost in his anger. The real side. And because of this, I show him the real me. The me who doesn’t want to be a lawyer or get into politics. The me who would rather live with her toes in the sand and her nose in a book. The one who would rather spin a globe with children and dream of places we’ll one day travel rather than go toe-to-toe with suits in a courtroom.

Camden frees me.

After breakfast, he stops the boat and dives in. I watch him swim for a while before joining him. He always looks like a predator in the sea, swimming like a shark. And I willingly offer myself up to him every time—his victim ready to be bitten.

I hold my nose and jump off the side. The water is cold today—too cold to be swimming—but I know we won’t stay out long. Just as I start treading water and bob at the surface, he attacks. His strong arms wrap around me and he hauls me over to the ladder. Once I’m secured and safe from sinking, his lips attack mine. He yanks off my bottoms, and for a moment, I fear I’ve lost yet another pretty swimsuit in the ocean. But then he tosses them into the boat as I wrap my legs around his waist.

“Poppy,” he growls as the crown of his cock pokes at my opening.

I wriggle and attempt to slide down his shaft, but his strong hand at my hip stops me. “What?” I whine.

He chuckles, his hips barely flexing, teasing me even more. “I love you.”

“And I will love you if you just fuck me already.”

A laugh erupts from him as he throws his head back. I admire the way the water runs down his neck corded with delicious muscle. Even his Adam’s apple is hot. I want to lick it. I love everything about him. Even when he teases me. When his amused eyes meet mine again, they glimmer with desire. Fire and fury. A look he reserves only for me right before he devours me.

“You already love me,” he says smugly, inching his way into me.

I dig my heels into his ass and use all my strength to bring him all the way in. Once he’s seated deep inside me, I let out a breath of relief. “I love you more now.”

He palms my breast roughly and bites my jaw. His hot breath tickling me has my pussy clenching around him. “You’ll love me even more in just a few minutes.”

With those words, Camden fucks me hard enough against the ladder, I’ll be sporting bruises for days. His palm abandons my breast to finger my clit. A few expert strokes and then he’s sending me into oblivion.

Intense pleasure explodes within me, obliterating everything but him.

He’s right.

I love him even more.

And that love just keeps on growing.