Lacey couldn’t help but stare at Rafe and Molly whenever they were around. Every day, a text came from either Meghan or Tori asking for updates and details. She felt a little like an investigator working a case.

Knowing a full report was expected when the Justice caravan returned to Bendover, she planned out a series of questions and observations intended to spur conversation. Rafe was the friendly type, so it wasn’t exactly difficult to get him talking.

Their boisterous group managed to secure last-minute RV hookups at one of the Grand Canyon campgrounds and lucked out even more when two cancelled reservations made it possible for their eight rigs to park in a group.

Deval and Paddy O’Brien got the short straws for today’s meal prep. She and Cameron had been the camping chefs the day before. It was fun sharing the workload because all of them had different tastes and styles. Yesterday, their group had gone full south-of-the-border with huevos ranchero at breakfast, Lacey’s homemade quesadillas for lunch, and a tried-and-true kid favorite, build-your-own taco feast, for dinner.

Tonight was all about the great American cook-out with hot dogs, burgers, and Carmen’s famous Bendover Bandolero Baked Beans.

And because Justice excelled at being inappropriate at the oddest times, a belch and fart challenge was in play courtesy of the men. As a matter of fact, the overgrown boys were making the women nuts by teaching Bella, Matty, and Molly a fart ditty. She, Heather, and Kelly were getting in some valuable eye rolling practice each time it started up. “Bean, beans, they’re good for your heart …”

Cameron caressed the back of her neck. She turned her head to meet his gaze, and they shared a secret smile. Lacey felt a blush creeping up her neck. With a soft chuckle, she looked away and bit her lip. Damn the man! He was hands down the sexiest man alive and had proven his manly prowess last night. And the night before that and so on and so on.

Her wicked husband found RV and caravan life a challenge he simply could not turn down. There was something about the nighttime silence coupled with the less-than-soundproof vehicles parked in close proximity that brought out the devil in him.

Cameron’s wild streak appeared at the strangest times. He was a decorated veteran of the making love with kids around battle and managed to push her limits with his enthusiastic debauchery. She could barely think about him calmly fucking her from behind, in the kitchen, while Dylan ate breakfast across the room.

Their son couldn’t see anything courtesy of the huge kitchen island separating them and the fact that Daddy wisely turned his high chair so he could look out a window and watch the hummingbirds darting around Lacey’s hanging feeders.

The blush on her cheeks came from remembering last night and their giggling acrobatics in the RV’s queen-size bed. After Dylan and Lily were fast asleep, her oversexed husband produced a deck of cards – marked cards, she would later discover – and challenged her to play strip poker.

Thinking she’d acquired some basic poker skills due to Sophie Marquez and the world series of poker talents she was teaching the ladies, Lacey went for it. With glee.

He let her win a few hands and garment-by-garment performed a very sexy Jason Cameron strip tease. The man had some seriously dirty moves that got her wet and made her giggle. In other words, he seduced her with little effort.

Even after all the years they’d been together, she still reacted like a schoolgirl virgin when she had the pleasure of seeing her studly hubs naked. She remembered her initial reaction to his impressive physical form when the stranger who rescued her from a violent mugging had fallen ill. Really ill. She’d cooled his raging temperature with cool water and compresses and had gotten quite an eyeful.

She sighed. He was still one hell of a looker.

Lily wiggled in her arms. She was finished nursing, so Lacey quickly moved her beautiful daughter onto her shoulder while covering up. Cameron had learned to calm the heck down about her nursing the baby around people. She wasn’t flashing her ta-tas, she was feeding their daughter, and nobody even flinched when it was boob time. But he had a limit and some adorably old-fashioned ideas. It was one thing for him to get off on an outfit she wore, but something else altogether when the attention came from others.

He was possessive times a gazillion, and she loved every second of his caveman ways.

Squealing children’s laughter filled the warm summer night. While Dev and his kids did the after-dinner trash grab, Dylan, Bella, Molly, and Matty were making messy s’mores under Rafe and Roman’s watchful eyes. She groaned when she thought about the guaranteed chocolate stains.

“How many of those things can he eat?” Cameron asked with an amused, loving chuckle. “So much for our attempt to keep him away from sweets.”

The savvy remark made Lacey laugh. All those cracks and jokes people made about the difference between being an uptight parent for the first and a yeah, whatever parent for the second were true! Neither one of them knew what they were doing, so they’d obsessed over every little thing with Dylan. Looking back now, it was funny. But at the time, they were working off a how-to-parent script that had little to do with reality.

They were proving to be a thousand times more laid back with Lily. Easy to do because she was a dream baby who started sleeping through the night at six weeks. Now, if a binky hit the floor, Lacey would probably wipe it on her jeans and pop it right back in her mouth while with Dylan, a whole sterilization process went down.

“We were going to lose that battle anyway,” she told Cameron. “Once Aunt Toto broke out the Cocoa Puffs, we were doomed.”

He agreed with a sexy smirk and a husky chuckle.

Lily wobbled as she looked around and smacked her hands on Lacey’s shoulder. She gurgled and cooed at Cameron. He bent down and placed kisses on their happy daughter’s face.

“How’s Daddy’s princess?”

Was anything more precious than a baby cooing? Her heart filled with love as she watched daddy and daughter. Cameron was a devoted and engaged father. She knew he never envisioned a life that included a wife and children, so that made his reactions and how he handled his role as parent the sweetest of surprises.

Laughter from the group lounging around the fire ring caught their attention. She saw her husband’s jaw clench oh-so-slightly when Rafe laughed loudest.

Literally chomping down on her tongue to keep from snickering, Lacey considered for the hundredth time how downright funny it was that Cameron got all grumpy and sulked over some silly thing between them that was far in the past. She was just glad that his sour mood didn’t interfere with the obvious Team Justice bro-hood the guys had going on.

Whatever it was that touched a nerve in her husband, it wasn’t serious and was more good-natured than annoyed.

She’d moved closer to their rig when Lily nursed so they were ten yards or so away from everyone else – meaning nobody could hear them. She took advantage of the moment and asked some casual questions.

“So you really didn’t know till he showed up that Rafe had a daughter? How in the world did that happen?”

Cameron gave a harsh sigh and looked her in the eye when he answered. “Rafe has always been something of a closed book where personal stuff is concerned. He can talk your ear off about everything else under the goddamn sun, but he’s not big on sharing.”

She scoffed and made a face. “Please tell me some part of that statement felt familiar.”

He chuckled. “I know, right? Pot calling the kettle black, for sure.”

Well, she thought with some small satisfaction. At least he sees it.

An undercurrent of something else crowded around them. She was glad he brought it up before she did.

“And then, of course, Domineau was there when the team reassembled, so that likely took care of any news flashes.” He sounded half exasperated.

“Meghan believes he came to Arizona because of Domineau. Meeting the twins and reconnecting with you guys gave him a duck and cover. She’s not wrong, is she?”

Cameron exhaled sharply. “There’s a high likelihood she is correct. And there’s also Alex playing matchmaker. Again. That has a lot to do with the current situation.”

She asked the million-dollar question and watched for her husband’s reaction.

“Who and where is Molly’s mother?”

“Yet to be determined,” he muttered.

Lacey heard the concern in his delivery and did a double take on his face. He was studying Rafe and the girl.

“The kid is way cute. Fit right in with Bella and Matty. He’s obviously fully invested in being a parent.” He looked at her and added, “My money is on single parent.”

She murmured quietly, “I overheard Ashleigh ask what sign Molly is.”

Cameron’s snorted laugh made Lily coo. “She’s clever, that one. Pulled the same hippy dippy bullshit on Drae and me all those years ago when we met Alex’s parents for the first time. That’s her way of developing a profile. Poor Rafe.” He sniggered. “He’s outta his league if Ashleigh Marquez is on the case.”

“Well, if it helps any, she’s a Libra. Born in 2012.”

They both did the mental math.

“Hmm,” Cameron murmured. “Big gap between when we all left the service and 2012. Interesting.”

“I have to say,” she drawled, “that you boys are full of surprises. I kinda thought by now you, Brody, and Roman would’ve gotten every last detail out of him. What gives?”

“Biding time, I expect,” he admitted. “Wendy Sullivan almost got something out of him when she went off on a grandma-to-be rhapsody about Angie being pregnant. But he clammed up all of a sudden.”

“Do you think he’s hiding something?”

“I think he’s being overly cautious, and though the reason isn’t clear, I’m guessing he doesn’t want to be the latest topic of gossip.”

“Domineau?” she asked.

“Not sure. If he’s smart, she’ll be the first to know, but somehow, I suspect that won’t be the case. She vanished like smoke when he and Molly arrived and has made quite the effort to stay off the radar. Plus, she’s been using Betty and Jace as shields.”

“Oh, by the way, something else Meghan said. Apparently, Alex found Domineau and Sawyer acting all chummy and whatnot on the Fourth.”

“Yeah, I know. The Major is not reacting favorably at the moment ... to anything. I hope he doesn’t blow. July is a sucky month for him.”

Lacey sighed. Calling July a sucky month for Alex was a bit of an understatement. They all remembered how the Major’s struggle with the past resulted in him acting like a complete jerk to Meghan. In front of the whole family her love.gathered round the dinner table.

It was a miracle that those two found their way at all. Meghan’s love for Alex was so huge that through his relationship with her, he found the redemption his soul needed.

In a way, their devotion to each other and the way they handled Alex’s lingering issues was an inspiration to the rest of the extended Justice family. Meghan wasn’t afraid of her husband’s dark times. His demons were no match for the love she held in her heart.

Cameron chuckled. “If I know Alex Marquez at all, I’d say Sawyer has some ’splaining to do.”

Dylan came running at them with s’mores in both hands and looking a head-to-toe chocolate mess.

“Look, Daddy!”

Cameron barely caught the gooey mess when Dyl tossed it to him. He winked at her and took a sloppy bite that left him covered with the same chocolate smeared on their son’s laughing face.

She turned Lily around and held her so she could watch their antics. Dyl rushed forward and gave his sister a loud, smacking kiss on her cheek. “Baby Lily!” With a gigantic smile, he said, “Uh-oh,” and pointed at the chocolate his kiss left on her face.

Lily waved her arms and gurgled at her brother.

The simple moment was nothing short of perfection. With her husband and children and surrounded by people with whom they shared an intense bond, this thrown-together adventure would become one in a long string of happy memories. She and Cameron were solid and their children happy and healthy.

This was, as the saying went, the best of times.

* * *

Drae was having an out-of-body experience. That was his story, and he was sticking to it because it was the only way to describe the overflow of happiness and love he had for the people gathered around the picnic table.

Tyler and Desi’s visit was such a success that he and Victoria were pressing for this to be the start of a family tradition. He’d always adored Wade and Shiloh, and Annie could expect the same. He wanted his children to know and be close with their cousins.

At the end of the day, Drae loved his sister. She was the only reason he survived his childhood. The two of them were forever bound by the experience of growing up in a cold, loveless environment.

It made his heart happy to see how freely and with such joy that she shared her love with Tyler and the kids. Somehow, and he had no idea how such a thing was possible, the two of them found incredible partners and created families that would in no way resemble the empty farce that marked their younger days.

“Let’s do it!” Alex enthusiastically boomed in that larger-than-life way that he had. “Tomorrow morning, okay? Has to be early, though ... before the heat blazes. What do you guys think?”

“Can I ride by myself?” Wade asked. The hopefulness in his voice had Drae chuckling, which in turn made Alex glance at him. They exchanged looks. Silent communication was something he and his Justice Brother had a lot of experience with. The amusement in Alex’s expression matched his, so they ended up shaking their heads and snickering at the same time.

Yeah. He agreed with the Major. How surreal was this that after everything they’d been through, somehow the universe saw fit to give all of them the most perfect Rockwell painting life imaginable.

Family – what life was all about.

Alex crossed his arms and gave Wade a serious ocular pat down. The little boy stood straight and held it together beneath the Major’s impressive display of scrutiny.

Drae gave Tyler a surreptitious thumbs-up. Raising a boy to be a good man was serious business and meant ya had to give credit when it was due.

“You want to ride by yourself,” Alex drawled.

Wade’s head nodded so sharply Drae thought he heard the kid’s teeth gnash.

“How old are you?”

“I’m nine, sir,” Wade proclaimed.

Tyler offered a high five when his kid went with calling Alex, sir. Drae gave him the respect along with a nodding smirk.

Alex nodded gravely. “Well, if you get permission from—”

“Can I ask my dad?” Wade asked.

He saw Alex shut down a laugh and had to hand it to the man when he came back with the perfect answer along with some well-earned shade.

“As I was saying before you interrupted.” Alex was doing a terrific commander-in-chief performance and even chopped up what he was saying into mini-zingers. The arched brow and smirk drove his point home, and Wade squirmed in the appropriate places. “You must get permission from both your parents. If they agree and say yes, then by all means, you may ride solo.”

Wade reacted like he was about to crap his pants. Alex let him feel elated for a few seconds and then brought him back to earth.

“There are serious rules when you ride, young man. Very serious. It’ll be a long time before you can ride again if you break the rules. Do you understand?”

“I got an outstanding on my report card for following the rules!”

Tyler covered up a blurted chuckle by coughing, so Drae helped him out by thumping him on the back. Nothing worse than getting caught out laughing when your kid was learning a valuable life lesson.

“Well, okay then,” Alex answered with a good deal of amusement. “Glad to know a report card still counts for something. Run along and ask your mom. Be polite about it.”

Wade shot off like a fired cannonball and made straight for the ladies gathered on the other side of the patio.

Calder joined their group and handed each of them an ice-cold beer. He tapped his bottleneck to Drae’s.

“Man, I don’t even know what to say about the chess set. That thing is mighty impressive.”

Tyler and Alex agreed wholeheartedly. They did everything except applaud.

Drae took a sip and acknowledged their praise with his usual smirk. Thank you, thank you,” he drawled. “I know, I’m awesome, right?”

Alex threw a pretzel at his head. When it bounced off his temple and landed at his feet, four dogs came scrambling toward in a race to see which one got to it first. Raven won – it was her house, after all, with Zeus a close second. Hanai and Meli went the long way instead of jumping over the yard furniture so they rolled up last.

The tiny pretzel was devoured in one crunch after which the pack of well-behaved canines dashed off to hover near the kids.

Tyler asked, “What made you think of giant chess pieces and a patio-sized game board?”

He laughed. “Actually, and don’t laugh, but I saw it on one of my wife’s Pinterest boards.”

“You saw it?” Alex said with appropriately applied air quotes. “Or Tori left a page open so you’d see it?”

“Hey,” Drae mock-sneered. “Don’t be making fun of me and my nerdy wife. You know damn well that’s exactly what she did.”

They all had a chuckle because what he said was true. Sometimes he forgot that his wife was something of a prodigy.

“Anyway,” he continued. “My first attempt at a three- to four-foot piece was too heavy to move. So I kept the height at two to three feet and drilled out the inside after each piece was carved. Boom,” he thundered with an exploding gesture. “Ended up with lighter pieces that are easily moved. Then just added small handles on the big pieces.”

Calder thumped him on the back. “Well done, son.”

Instead of growling like he usually did when Calder teased him about being his stepfather-in-law, he changed it up and blew Calder a kiss. “Thanks, Daddy!”

Alex found this particularly funny and barked a laugh.

Tyler wore a half frown. Mentions, even in jest, of Drae’s parents were not met with enthusiasm. He was about to say something when Alex’s phone pinged an alert. Two seconds later, his phone pinged too.

Drae reached into his pocket and checked the alert screen. At the same time that Alex reacted with an angry grunt, he grated out an angry, “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Is this a joke?”

They looked at each other. Drae read shock and fury in Alex’s expression.

He had no idea what kind of vibe he was putting off, but Tyler’s concerned drawl when he asked what was wrong suggested Drae’s reaction was unpleasantly clear.

Something hateful and menacing exploded inside Drae, putting him in immediate touch with the warrior savage he kept hidden away.

Springing into action, he started to move, but Alex stepped into his path with hands up and a warning in his expression.

“Step back, Sinjin,” he growled. Calder moved to Alex’s side and effectively blocked him from moving.

“What the fuck is going on?” Tyler demanded.

Anger and a shocking rage coalesced around Drae’s response. His words were dripping with scorn when he looked at Tyler and said, “My fucking parents are at the gate. You were right, man. The geo tags led them straight here.”

A side of his brother-in-law that Drae had never seen came to life right before his eyes. He guessed those dozen years of his sister’s white-hot anger toward her parents left quite a mark on her husband.

“Motherfuckers,” Tyler growled. “Let me at ‘em. I’ll take care of Arthur and Hillary.”

Drae put up his hands. “Fuck no, dude. Those two are mine. I’ve waited for this for a long time.”

Their voices were steadily rising, and Drae was pretty sure their combined body language screamed threat alert. From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Victoria, but he couldn’t turn and look because all of a sudden Alex and Calder reacted to Tyler’s increasing aggression by shoving both of them back.

No doubt about it, he thought through a red haze of anger. Shit was about to get real.

* * *

Tori smiled at her son as he sat like such a good boy on his cousin’s lap while she read him a story. Little Shiloh had the typical seven-year-old mothering instinct and was more than happy to lend a hand with the younglings. Danny would stop on a dime for two things. A ball or a storybook. If that wasn’t the perfect yin and yang example, she couldn’t imagine what else would possibly qualify.

Wolf Dane was having a go at making all the ladies fall in love with his adorableness. Meghan laughed and blew raspberries on his tummy while Stephanie held him and laughed along.

Looking down at the sweet baby girl she held in her arms, Tori marveled at Stevie’s enchanting smile and quietly sighed. The child got her gorgeous eyes from her mother, but she swore the baby’s expressions were more like Alex than Meghan.

Desi had Annie on her lap with a very animated Wade telling her an involved story.

She loved these times when her house was full of people. Draegyn enjoyed it as well and had an open invitation understanding with the whole family.

The backyard and terrace where they gathered was large enough for dozens. It was a beautiful balmy night, just after sundown, and the air was filled with her favorite summer scents. Bushes of rosemary and sage were scattered through the landscaping, and the dense, bushy bougainvillea draping the pergola lent a sweet, lush smell.

Peeking into one of the Pack ’n Plays they had set up, Tori checked to make sure Aiden was still asleep.

A sudden scowl crossed her face and a chill went up her spine. What the hell was that? she wondered.

Glancing at her mother and taking Danny into account, she found nothing amiss. Worry prickled her skin as she turned to look at Draegyn, and anxiety exploded in her gut when she saw what looked like a physical confrontation going down between the guys.

What the hell?

Quickly placing a sleepy Stevie next to her brother, Tori stood and stared at the building altercation.

“Uh, Meghan?” she called out.

Before she could do or say anything else, Desi yelped, “Oh good lord!”

Calder was physically restraining Tyler.

“Desi,” she yelled. “Meghan, take charge of the kids.” And off she ran as fast as her nine months’ pregnant body would allow with Desi following close behind.

“Let me at ‘em,” she heard Tyler holler.

Draegyn said something too, but in her anxious state, all that registered was the sound of his fury.

Alex and Calder gave identical grunts and gave Draegyn and Tyler a hard shove.

“What the hell is going on?” she screeched and came to a halt in the midst of the melee. Holding her belly with both hands, she was winded and ready to knock skulls together.

Desi yelled as she approached. “Explain yourself Tyler Morrison!”

Tyler and Draegyn turned to them at the same time and talked over each other. Actually, they yelled rather than talked.

She and Desi exchanged looks, and then Tori heard her husband say words that were so shocking she jumped on him to cover his mouth with her hand and hollered, “Shut up.”

Desirée St. John Morrison spoke in a tone that sent a chill through Tori. She used the multi-syllable exaggerated pronunciation of a pithy, “Excuse me?”

Everyone froze. Tori searched Draegyn’s angry expression.

“Is this a joke?” she asked.

He shook his head.

Alex explained in his calm, controlled Major voice that Arthur and Hillary St. John were being held at the guard shack after trying to enter the family zone. They presented unannounced and were duly outraged to discover that a stealth offensive on their unsuspecting children was met with a substantial and unmovable road block. Chief Winston even got involved, and it was with him that Alex communicated.

“Oh, I’m taking care of those two,” Tyler angrily scoffed.

“Me first,” Draegyn snarled.

What? Tori thought. Nah. That wasn’t how this was gonna go down.

She looked at her sister-in-law and arched her brow. Desi responded with a nod.

With no fanfare or discussion, Desirée stepped up to Tori’s shoulder and quipped, “Hold my purse.”

With that declaration, they clasped hands, walked out of the house, and went straight to Tori’s car. If the moment had a certain Thelma and Louise quality to it, oh well. Ignition engaged, they were ready to roll when she noted with satisfaction that the men were piling into Calder’s SUV.

They drove in silence. There was no need to talk. She maintained a slow, leisurely pace until the road curved and up ahead the security checkpoint came into sight. That was when she floored it and sped down the lane at such a fast pace that she pulled off a dust billowing, tire screeching, within a foot of the gate dead stop like a goddamn stunt driving pro.

Tori caught Duke’s amused smirk. In an hour, everyone and their brother’s next-door neighbor was going to hear about this.

Desi was out of the car and screaming like a lunatic before Tori could get her pregnant ass in gear.

“Absolutely not,” she hollered. “Get. Out.” Desi pointed at the road and scowled in the direction of the two people who brought her and Draegyn into the world but let them down after the socially expected deed was done.

The car blocked by the gate had a rental quality to it. When the driver door opened and Arthur St. John stepped into the Arizona night air, it was all she could do not to run over and rip his smirking face off.

“Desirée,” her father said in a voice devoid of emotion. “You’re looking well, my dear.”

Desi’s gruff, menacing growl spoke for both of them.

The SUV came to a screeching halt behind her and Desi. The vehicle’s headlights lit up the surreal scene unfolding before them. Angry sounds came from the SUV, and Tori heard the distinct sound of car doors opening and grumbling men.

Surprising the ever-loving shit out of Tori, Desi whirled around and put up her hand. “No! Stop. Not another step, do you understand?”

Tori’s mouth dropped open when she heard Desi’s menacing tone.

Draegyn stepped forward with Tyler at his shoulder. They both wore expressions of rage and fury.

“Draegyn,” Desi growled. “I swear to fucking god, you take one more step and it’s go time.”

Tori gulped. Draegyn froze in mid-step, and Tyler collided with his shoulder. Her husband’s face was a mask of savage anger. That was when she stepped up and made it clear she had Desi’s back.

“We’ve got this,” she told her husband. The sound of a car door opening had the effect of a match to a fuse. Cold, deadly rage at what Draegyn’s mother had done to her children filled Tori with righteous anger. She’d kill to protect her son. The baby inside her who had been so still and quiet chose this moment to give her a mighty kick. Now that baby St. John weighed in, she knew what had to be done.

With all the bravado her little body could muster, she walked toward the security gate to confront two people who had no right to pretend to be a family. There’d be no softening. No forgiveness. No keeping the peace bullshit. Not on her watch.

The family she and Draegyn made here in the Arizona desert was stronger than a blood tie. They were the motherfucking St. Johns of Family Justice, and Arthur and Hillary could go shit in their hats.

‘You go, shugah darlin’,’ she imagined her mother saying. ‘Put those nasty people in their goddamn place but do it like a lady. Make your mama proud!’

Desi grabbed her arm and whispered, “What are you doing?”

“Scorching their dumb asses. Come on, Desi, let’s do this for our kids. Fuck those two.”

“Damn right,” her sister-in-law growled.

They marched right up to the gate. Tori nodded at Duke and gave him a quick wink that put a tiny smile on his face. On either side of Duke stood two badass looking heavily armed guards with arms crossed and unfriendly expressions.

For a brief second, she felt at a disadvantage. Without a chance to do a dog and pony show in a swish outfit with some appropriate fuck you jewelry, she was nine months pregnant, wearing a calf-length gauzy dress that had baby spit up on the shoulder, and her hair was in a sloppy bun. This was how Family Justice rolled. The thought stiffened her resolve.

Without a hello or acknowledgment of any kind, she pinned Arthur with a look. “Why are you here?”

Hillary answered, but Tori didn’t look away from Arthur’s ashen face.

“We came to meet you, of course, Vicky. And the children.”

Duke chuckled and made no attempt to disguise his disdain for the woman speaking.

Tori scowled at Arthur. What a pussy he was for letting that evil woman speak for him.

Desi nudged her slightly.

“Oh,” Desi sniped in a decidedly mocking tone, “the children brought you all the way out here. How lovely. It is lovely, isn’t it, sis?”

Tori nodded but said nothing because Desi was on a roll.

“These children you came to meet, what are their names?”

Hillary’s voice when she answered scraped Tori’s nerves like coarse sandpaper.

“Don’t be snippy, Desirée.”

She turned her full attention to the woman who’d emotionally abandoned her children before they were even born. A sudden urge to fall down laughing struck her when she got her first good look, courtesy of the headlights, at Hillary St. John.

This was a joke, right? Whatever she expected, nothing prepared her for the sight this woman made. If you tilted your head just so and imagined a costume change, she bore a strong, striking, and ironically amusing resemblance to the character Glenn Close played in the Dalmatian movies.

Tori grew up around stage makeup, so she knew what she was looking at and it cracked her up. Hillary’s face was carefully applied. Bright red lipstick did nothing to soften the effect. She had Joan Crawford eyebrows and an elaborate looking helmet head of jet black hair.

“Their names, Mother,” Desi demanded in a harsh voice. “You tell us their names, and oh, I don’t know, maybe how old they are, and we’ll consider not having you arrested for attempted trespassing.”

Hillary threw a nasty look at her daughter before ignoring her completely to focus on Tori. She must imagine I’m the weak link in the chain. Ha!

“Vicky,” she purred in a robotic, insincere voice. “We’ve been dying to meet you, dear.”

Okay, really? This was ridiculous. She sighed heavily and patted her belly. “Finish it,” she quietly murmured to Desi. These two morons didn’t deserve even five minutes of their time.

“Names. Ages. Now.”

Arthur cleared his throat. “Daniel is the youngest. That’s right, isn’t it, dear?”

Desi muttered, “Jesus Christ.”

Yep, that was all they needed to hear. These two were insane for coming anywhere near them.

“Chief,” Tori called out. Duke quickly materialized at her side. “You know what to do.”

He nodded, and in the blink of an eye, one of the shit-kicking guards whipped out a camera and took a picture of their unwelcome visitors. Arthur reacted with some choice swear words.

Tori had enough. “You are not welcome here. Leave immediately and do not ever return.” She motioned to Duke and the impressive security protecting the property. “My husband will not react favorably if you try to communicate with us or our children again. And just so you understand who you are dealing with, when Desirée and her family leave here, Justice will continue to provide professional security. Have I made things clear to both of you, or would you like the chief and his men to spell it out?”

“All we’re asking is for a conversation,” Arthur persisted. “There are family things to discuss.”

“No,” Desi spat at them. “Enough with the inheritance crap. I don’t want your filthy money. Spend it all with the time you have left. Leave nothing and it’ll seem normal because nothing is all you ever gave.”

“Desirée,” her mother snapped.

“Oh, fuck off, Hillary,” Desi sneered. “You sucked as a parent. Stay away from my family.” She took a step forward and taunted her mother with something that made Tori do a double take.

“How’s Uncle John? He still in the picture? You guys did the threesome thing, right?”

Arthur groaned. Hillary gasped and clutched her goddamn pearls – for real.

“I have that correct, right?” Desi shrugged as if what she threw in their faces was no big deal. “He told me once he was waiting for me. Something about growing up just like my mother.”

An angry outburst over her shoulder let Tori know this whole thing might blow at any second. She glanced back at her husband and found Alex physically restraining him while Calder had Tyler in an armlock. The fury in Draegyn’s eyes scared her a little.

“You’re trespassing,” she calmly pointed out. “Get out while you’re still in one piece. Chief,” she murmured to Duke. “Do your thing.”

She blinked, and in that split second, the guards held up weapons that looked scary enough to make an army run away. There was nothing for the two to do except leave. It wasn’t in any way improper or out-of-bounds to brandish a weapon on one’s property. The St. Johns might not realize it, but the guard gate was a good mile inside the perimeter of the Valleja land holdings. Even the sheriff wouldn’t tell them to stand down – not on private property.

Knowing they had run out of options, Hillary and Arthur got back in their car, turned around, and headed down the lane. They were maybe fifty yards away when a security vehicle pulled behind them as an escort.

The second she could, Tori wrapped Desi in a fierce hug. “Oh, sweetie,” she murmured as a surge of emotion swept through her. “I’m so sorry for what you went through. Your brother didn’t know, did he?”

Desi shook her head. “No. I was afraid he’d go off on them and end up in jail. Don’t feel bad, Tori. I got back at the guy and kneed him in the nuts next time he came around. Guess he didn’t bother to share that little fact with those two.”

“You are a badass,” she said with a laugh.

“I’m a St. John, and I don’t care for bullies and snotbags.”

“Well said, sis.”

“Thanks, Vicky,” she drolly quipped.

Draegyn was suddenly all over her, and Tyler swept Desi into a shadow.

“Oh, baby,” she cried as her arms went around him. “I’m so sorry. They’re horrible people. We can’t ever let them anywhere near our family.”

“Victoria St. John.” Her husband chuckled. She heard the amused affection and smiled. “You, my dear, are one hell of a mean girl when you put your mind to it. Thank you.”

She reacted with surprise. “For what? I just did what any mother would do.”

“No,” he murmured in his sexy 007 voice. “That performance was my woman having my back. Nobody’s ever done that for me before. You’re amazing.”

“You’re not mad?”

“God, no,” he quickly assured her. “You were right to keep me and Tyler away from them. It would have broken down into a physical altercation. I liked the verbal smackdown better. It’ll hold up well when we tell the story.”

He was smiling, and that was all she cared about.

“Your sister is a badass.”

Draegyn grunted and stroked her arms. He put his forehead against hers.

“What?” she asked. “Say whatever it is, Draegyn.”

He looked her in the eye and winced. “I know who Desi’s referring to. John Ferno. He’s a business partner of Arthur’s. If they were a threesome, I seriously hope old Arthur was taking it in the ass. Same for Hillary.”

She bit her lip, considered what she wanted to say, and then went for it. “You want me to fuck with him? You know,” she said with a shrug when he looked at her funny. “Just for shits and giggles. Give me enough leeway, and I can convince him he’s about to be under indictment for bank fraud.”

Her comment got a laugh, but Tori was sure he understood that she was serious.

“All right you.” Draegyn snickered. “Enough excitement for one night.” He caressed her belly and smiled into her eyes. “How’s he-she doing in there?”

Laughing, she gave him a playful nudge. “He-she has been quiet the past few days, but right before I had my say, he-she gave me a kick in the ribs. I took that as a unanimous sign and went for it.”

Draegyn peered into the shadows where Desi and Tyler stood. They could hear Desi crying. Tori stroked her husband’s arm. “Don’t worry. She’ll be okay. Tyler is a good man. He’ll make sure she’s all right.”

Tori looked around and saw Alex conferring with Duke. She was relatively sure the mug shots of Arthur and Hillary would be posted at every checkpoint and used to quiz personnel on who did and didn’t have access.

Draegyn murmured quietly. “Let’s get back to the house. Your mom is probably worried sick, and Meghan looked ready to breathe fire when Alex shouted to her about what was happening.”

“I need my boy,” she admitted. “Let’s go give Daniel some love.”

He looked at her knowingly. Draegyn always understood where she was coming from. She knew what it felt like to lose a parent and never understood how Draegyn’s parents could be so cold, uninterested, and detached.

Their hands clasped tight, they walked slowly to the car where she asked her husband to do the driving. She was exhausted after the emotional altercation and just wanted to feel Danny’s little boy arms around her neck.

Before he got in the car, Draegyn called out to Alex. The Major waved them on, indicating that he’d take care of making sure Desi and Tyler got back to the house.

Sighing, she rubbed her belly and tried to relax. The rest of the Family Justice crew would return from their caravan RV adventure in the next day or three. The way she was feeling right now made her wonder if everyone would be back before her baby came.

* * *

Alex was on lap nine before his fucking brain slowed down.

Pulling his arms through the water in big arcs, he propelled forward aided by ferocious, water-churning kicks.

He’d made it through another restless night by sheer strength of will. It wasn’t until he saw the smiling faces of his wife and children that he began to get his shit together.

He was annoyed with and getting really tired of his suspicion that something was up. And the feeling did not have anything to do with his usual July funk. Unfortunately, the funk only complicated his take on things. So did the fearsome drive to keep everybody safe and everything lovely and calm that drove him day and night.

He slowed his pace and downshifted to an easy crawl.

Things on the home front could not be any better. He and Meghan were reconnecting the scattered pieces of their intimate life. The sexy slow courtship dance after bringing their babies to life was proving to be as sweet as the kids themselves. He was blissfully in love with his wild Irish Fuck Goddess.

They were surviving these first months of twin parenthood with a lot of humor and a good deal of help. Until Meghan’s mom drove off in an RV with her dad a week ago, they’d had her round-the-clock support and guidance to show them the way.

Same with Carmen. It was clear that with the arrival of Aiden and Stevie, the beloved housekeeper would be adding nanny to her workload.

Justice was clicking along at a steady rate. Jace and Domineau tackled their new positions as a team. Smart move. As a result, the compound was booked and hopping.

Betty’s quarterly report had been damn impressive too. They had contracts and personnel spread across the globe. The agency’s projected revenue in 2018 was staggering.

He focused on Justice, searching for some little sliver of something, anything, to justify his worrisome feelings, but there was nothing.

Alex kept such a close eye on things that he couldn’t imagine anything getting past him. There was always the possibility of some fucked-up situation falling out of the sky, but that wouldn’t account for the weeks of uneasiness he’d experienced.

No, this thing was gaining strength. He lost track of the lap count as his mind dug deep, trying to find some clue.

On and on he swam. Back and forth. His arms were on fire. All of a sudden, a thought came out of nowhere and exploded in his brain. He abruptly stopped and moved to a spot where he could stand. Swiping water off his face, Alex shoved his hair back with both hands.

What if the agency had nothing to do with it?

What if the imbalance had something to do with the extended reach of Family Justice?

His stomach knotted at the thought.

“Fuck.”

There were too many possibilities when the whole family was part of the equation.

Making his way slowly to the shallow water, he thought long and hard about the blip and dip. What if the anomaly was a canary intended to distract?

Hauling himself from the pool, he stood dripping on the deck and reflected on what little he knew. Feelings and weird vibes didn’t translate to fact. Only the unusual technical activity was hard data.

Running scenarios in his mind as he toweled off, Alex couldn’t find a single thread to pull.

Should he bring Drae in and run everything past him?

No. He quickly abandoned that option. Tori was going to give birth any day. They had enough to deal with.

Same for Calder and Cam. Even Parker was up to his chin with stuff. This was something he had to figure out.

Slinging the towel around his neck, he held each end, slipped on his deck shoes, and resigned to doing this on his own. He’d taken a dozen or steps along the path when it hit him.

He should talk to Meghan. She had unusual intuition and could read people.

Hmph. Alex slowed his roll and examined this new wrinkle from every angle.

They were a good team. Her faith in him and absolute trust put her in a unique position. She’d understand what he meant by working off instinct. Plus, she might have pieces to this puzzle and not realize it. The girls talked about everything. What if there were clues in their idle conversations?

Yeah, he was gonna talk to his wife instead of trying to shoulder everything that’d been battering him all by his lonesome. In so many ways, Meghan was the answer. Asking her, opening up, sharing his fears, and talking about the things that still haunted him before he went off the deep end seemed a thousand times more reasonable than waiting for the shit to hit the fan. And along the way, he’d seek her input on the unsettling feeling growing in his gut.

* * *

Rafe watched Molly as she slept. It was sunrise. Unable to sleep and exhausted from worrying over past regrets, he’d stumbled from his bed an hour ago in search of caffeine.

Taking a careful sip of the scalding hot microwaved beverage, he leaned against the small piece of counter in the thirty-foot rental motorhome and contemplated life.

What the hell was he doing?

Shaking his head at his own folly, Rafe took another sip and admitted some hard truths.

He’d never loved anyone the way he loved Domineau. She was the hidden cost of something he still did not understand.

The minute he saw her at the barbecue, his whole being shifted. Rafe had fought the feeling when they were on a mission because the distraction could be deadly. But here and now, on the other side of a Team Justice situation, he’d thrown caution into the crapper and stepped into the line of fire with her one more time.

His eyes drifted to Molly, and he sighed. This time, the line of fire involved his daughter. It wasn’t just about him.

Domineau avoided them like the plague, so when this opportunity came up to do some sightseeing, he’d jumped at the chance. They both knew damn fucking well that he wasn’t going anywhere until they had it out, so all he did was buy some breathing room.

The punch in the gut he felt after seeing that she’d lightened her hair was an example of the pressure he was under. He knew why she did it. At least, he thought he did. She was making a new start. That was what taking Alex up on a job offer was all about.

Right on cue, his groin turned heavy as old familiar lusty feelings came rushing back.

If she was willing to try her hand at joining the human race – finally – he sure as shit wasn’t going anyplace. Not without giving his all to bridging the enormous empty wasteland between them.

She was his and always had been.

Maybe this time she’d give them a chance.

* * *

Enough hair worked free from the elastic band of her hasty ponytail that Remy could feel the wet tendrils clinging to her neck.

The sun was being a brutal bitch this morning, and she was wringing wet in no time as her legs thundered out a rhythm. She tried counting steps as she ran, but her mind wasn’t having it.

Picking up speed, she ran down the back road behind the Villa as if escaping the hounds of hell.

Wishing she could have a run without a lot of thought interference was useless. No matter what she did or how hard she tried, Finn was always right there.

When doing laundry, she wondered what detergent he liked.

In the shower, she fantasized about her bath stuff sharing space with the spicy body wash he used.

Even at work, she couldn’t escape thoughts of him. It was starting to be a problem.

She whizzed past the casita and the Dane cabin. Her feet pounded the ground.

Finn.

Dammit.

As the renovated chapel came into view up ahead, she slowed to a walk and started catching her breath. Her thoughts had their own agenda and kept pummeling her conscious mind.

They spent a lot of time together. Pretty much every night. He either came to her place with dinner from the bar or she went to Pete’s. Their non-relationship relationship was stronger and more in your face than some of the serious hookups she’d witnessed in her time.

At first, she allowed the bullshit charade of them being a thing in order to protect her ego after doing a stupid and needing a rescue. For all of about a day, she lied to herself and insisted it was simply a case of her using him. She had loads of experience in that area. There was a time when she took out a lot of things on unsuspecting strangers. Men.

Men she could use sometimes, humiliate, and always walk away from without a second glance.

But she didn’t walk away from Finn, and almost a year later, they were still playacting their strange pantomime.

Why did he stay? He could have ditched her at any time.

It wasn’t like there was much in the way of benefit to him. Not sexually. Yeah, they kissed like crazy, but that was it.

Remy sat on a stone bench set in the shade beneath a blue palo verde tree. Was it odd that she knew what kind of tree it was?

She snickered. Not really. She was an artist, and research was her thing. It wasn’t unusual for her to learn everything she could about stuff before adding to a painting. There was also the fact that the shade tree was the state tree of Arizona.

Sipping from the water camel strapped to her back, she returned to thinking about Finn.

And sex.

The man knew how to kiss. Not only that, he knew how to tailor the kiss to the moment.

Around other people, his standard move was either a sweet lip smack or a peck on the cheek.

When they were alone, he tempted her in different ways. Sometimes the kissing would be slow and yummy. She always tingled when he took his time.

And then there were the rapacious kisses. The ones that left her limp. She liked those kisses too.

A need so deep and hungry that she growled out loud made Remy stop the speeding train of her thoughts.

This wasn’t getting her anywhere – fantasizing about Finn. She had to break it off with him before things got any more out of hand.

She wasn’t who or what he thought. Period. Wishing things were different was a waste of time.

Sometimes, the damage fought back, and she did not want to end up taking it out on him. He was a good guy despite her sharp-tongued putdowns and snide comments to the contrary. If nothing else, Beantown earned his stripes as a gentleman. Though she knew he’d suffered many a case of frustrated blue balls, he never pushed. Never stepped over the line.

Stretching to get her muscles back online, she made up her mind. Yep. He was a great guy, but she had to let him go. It was only fair.

Just as she readied to start back with a slow jog, her damn phone vibrated.

Exasperated, she reached into her pocket. Who in their right mind bothered someone before seven in the morning?

She didn’t need to see the notification to know it was Finn.

Good morning, Girlfriend! Don’t forget we have dinner plans with Sophie and Jace tonight. I’ll pick you up at five.

Aw, shit. She forgot about the dinner invitation.

“Fuck,” she growled. But I really need to break it off with him.

Squinting into the distance, she gave a heavy sigh when no viable options surfaced.

She texted back.

Morning, Boyfriend. I’ll be ready.

Sliding the phone back into her pocket, she silenced that catcalls of hisses and boos ringing in her head.

Coward!

Fool!

Whatever.

She started to run. By the time she was passing the Dane cabin again, she’d planned what to wear to dinner and was mentally checking her alcohol inventory. It was polite to show up with a bottle of wine for the hostess when accepting an invitation.

Her legs began pumping as she went hard.

Maybe she’d break up with Finn tomorrow. Or perhaps after the family center variety show because she really wanted to get involved with the stage crew. Painting flats and scenery for the production was right up her alley.

Yeah. That was what she’d do. Think about it again in September.

* * *

“And every summer like clockwork, we’d be shipped off to camp in America. Willow Grove was huge. One side for the girls and the other for the boys so we wouldn’t really see each other unless there was joint camp activity.”

Sophie laughed at Jace’s description. She was having a wonderful time. He was a fantastic dinner companion and co-host.

Finn asked Remy what her favorite camp activity had been and shocked Sophie when she indicated the arts. For so many reasons, she’d assumed Remington Bissett was a hardcore tomboy.

Jace winked and kept the conversation flowing. “I find the Justice predilection for jumping on every stage they stumble upon to be something of a treat. It’s not every day you find others so willing to embarrass themselves and do it with such enjoyment.”

“Right?” Finn chuckled. His face broke into a wide smile. “Finding a fellow performer in my sister’s intended is what got the O’Brien men to take a step back. Poor Zorro. He came this close to a Boston beat down.”

Indicating a hair’s width of leeway, he smirked at everyone and shrugged.

She had an inner snigger. The young bar owner had an irresistibly devastating grin. Sophie understood why Remy couldn’t say no.

“Music is in my family’s blood,” she explained. “My mom is part piano. When she sees a keyboard, her whole being comes online.”

Jace took her hand and kissed it with a laugh. She liked the way his breath and energy vibrated on her skin. “Alex and Calder would be so proud to hear you reduce your mom’s piano skills to a technical equation.”

Feeling light as a gust of wind, Sophie smiled in contentment. This dinner party was supposed to be about Finn and Remy, but she was engaged with Jace on a new level that intrigued, titillated, and called to her.

She and Jace had easily found a couple’s groove. That place where two people were so in tune that finishing each other’s sentences was but a small part of it. It was exhilarating to experience the vibe of unspoken communication. He made it so easy to enjoy all the new sensations she was experiencing.

Remy was checking them out. Sophie felt the woman’s eyes on her and Jace, and it didn’t bother her at all. She understood the protective impulse and was glad he had someone like her in his corner.

“I can’t wait to see how the wandering tribe reacts to the news of the variety show. It’s not like half of them can say no, right, Sophia?” Remy’s playfully teased.

Jace’s amused chuckle brought her smile alive. When she answered Remy’s remark, Finn laughed too.

“Correct, Remy.” She gently laughed. “And I was counting on my family’s compliance when I made the plan! Build a stage, add a spotlight, and they will come,” she drawled with love. “Ingrid told me you signed on for sets and scenery. That’s fantastic! When Charlize Wilde gets here, she plans to jump in with both feet. A fellow artist,” she said with emphasis for Remy’s benefit.

“I’m trying to talk her into being Cher to my Sonny,” Finn quipped.

“For real?” Sophie exclaimed. “Oh my god, that’s awesome. Remy! With your hair down and a shit ton of makeup, you could totally be Cher.”

Jace exploded with laughter when his cousin hauled off and punched Finn in the arm so hard he complained.

“I keep telling him no way, but will he listen?”

Finn made a sad puppy face and begged. “Please, babe. You know you want to.”

Remy glared at him, but Sophie saw the glint of amusement in her eyes. These two were a total mystery. One minute, she would swear they were hot and heavy into each other and then bam! Stone cold resistance with a side of bitchy snark.

And Finn? He just grinned through it all. Sophie had no doubt whatsoever that he was deeply in love with the prickly outsider whose act Sophie saw right through.

All the votes were in and counted. It was unanimous. Remington Bissett is a certified badass.

But her badass outer shell was hiding something entirely different. Something Sophie recognized.

Finn indulged the badass and stood guard while the fierceness of her outer shell cracked. He would be there when she stopped just existing and took her first steps back to living.

Remy was incredibly lucky, and if she got the chance, Sophie intended to say just that. To have the attention and support of a rock-steady man like Finn was a gift that should not be taken for granted.

Sophie’s personal transformation was the result of a slowly evolving series of efforts. Her trip to Greece being one of the efforts. Long after they’d gone their separate ways, Jace played a huge part in her evolution. She’d made decisions and changed her life from top to bottom. Finding him again, on the other side of the world, at the exact time she was in bloom was nothing short of a gift from heaven. Like her sweet Teo, Jace changed everything.

Touched by Remy’s personal battle, she poured good wishes and happy thoughts into the hope that the woman broke the grip of whatever drove her and found her happy ever after with Finn.

* * *

Looking at Remy in profile against the passing lights as he drove her home, Finn said, “I like your cousin. He’s funny as shit.”

She chuckled softly. “He’s a pain in the ass, but I’d trust him with my car, so there’s that.”

They’d been smiling and pleasant all evening; however, now that they were alone, he shifted gears.

“He seems worried. About you. Did I pick up that vibe, or are you going to deny it?”

“Finn, can we please cancel the debrief? I’m not up for it tonight.”

He’d agree with the debrief postponement, but that didn’t mean he was backing off.

“Fine by me. No play-by-play commentary. So you wanna tell me what’s bothering you, or is it the usual? I wouldn’t understand, and you don’t want to discuss it.”

She flinched and groaned. “Is that what I do? Really?”

“Remy,” he said at the start of a heavy exhale. “At some point, you’re just going to have to trust me.”

She reacted with anger so swift that he jerked at the sound of fury in her voice.

“Why? Because you said so? Trust is given far too easily these days,” she scoffed. The bitterness of her words shocked him. “I let you be my friend, Beantown. Isn’t that enough?”

He sincerely hoped she was kidding with the snotty attitude.

“You LET me? Uh, what?” he scowled at her in the darkness. “Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot. And stop trying to make me pay for the unpardonable sin of loving you.”

“What the fuck did you just say?” she screeched with haughty outrage.

Finn couldn’t believe she was picking a fight with him but so be it. She’d been edging closer and closer to a blowup for quite some time. If she were testing to find out how he’d react to a fight, he’d gladly show her his hand.

Why the fucking fuck did she find it so hard to believe she was worthy of love?

“You heard me. Who the fuck died and gave you veto power over someone else’s feelings? I love you, Remy, and you’re just going to have to get used to it. Not only that, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not going anywhere.”

She sputtered and grew more and more agitated with every second. Starting a fight was the easy part, but she was not much of counterpuncher when shit got real.

“Goddammit, Finn.” She dropped her face into her hands and growled. “Why’s it gotta be this way? Huh? Why can’t you just hurry up and get sick of my bullshit? I don’t wanna do this anymore.”

Ah. Finally, a moment of truth. Only not the way she imagined.

In a gentle, soothing voice, he murmured, “And you won’t have to once you stop fighting it and trust me.”

That pretty much shut her up, so they continued on in silence. He could feel her conflict as it came at him in waves. Should he tell her that he could hear her heart crying out? To him?

He sighed. No. She had to get there on her own. Finn didn’t want to face whatever was locked up inside her any more than she did. He wasn’t quite the idiot some imagined. He knew without having any facts that what lurked inside her was not going to give up without a fight and that he wasn’t going to like whatever it was.

Anything that hurt her, hurt him. Once he realized that was simply the way it was, he’d stopped questioning what the hell he was doing. She could push him away as hard as she could, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

Remington Bissett was the missing link. Without her, the chain would be broken, unfinished. They each had the answer for the other. She needed him, and he needed her.

Cracking a couple of dumb jokes with the guys at the security gate, Finn kept things light as he and Remy neared the end of their evening. Once again, they’d ended up at the same spot. She gave a half-hearted push, and he refused to budge.

He parked and did the gentlemanly thing by running to the passenger door to help her from his truck. She avoided his eyes while destroying her lips with repeated bites.

Taking her hand, he moved them along and walked slowly up the stairs to her apartment. He could sense her disquiet. She was regretting her sharp words. She always did. Remy didn’t really want to be a badass. Not with him. But breaking down that wall was the toughest thing he’d ever done.

Without saying a word, he asked for the key to unlock her door. He reached inside when the door opened and flipped the switch to flood the small living room with light. Every time he took her home and felt that surge of protectiveness even though she lived in a secure compound, Finn was surer and surer that they belonged together.

She swept past him and dropped her bag on a table. When she turned with a goodbye on her tongue, he calmly shut the apartment door, took her in his arms, pinned her to the wall, and kissed her into quivering submission.

When her sultry kisses pushed him past the point of control, and he tried to break off, she wouldn’t have it. Her hands were everywhere at once. In his hair, holding his head, kneading his chest.

Their tongues dueled with increasing intensity. His breathing got heavier with each passing second. Her need invaded Finn’s senses. She was on fire. For him. His body read the signals while his brain cracked the whip and stayed firmly in control.

Kissing Remington Bissett was exquisite torture. He wanted to make love to her and prove to her once and for all that they were destined to be together. She egged him on, but Finn never fully lost control.

Somehow, she climbed on him and wrapped her legs around his hips. He grunted his pleasure into her mouth, held her tight as he whirled around with her writhing in his embrace, and walked them to the sofa. When he lowered her onto her back and settled between her open thighs, Finn had a glimpse of the heaven they’d discover in each other’s arms. Someday.

They fit together with ease. He liked how she felt underneath him. One day soon, he wanted to make love to her on every surface in her apartment and then take her to his place for more of the same.

His brain exploded with erotic images. When he pictured them naked with Finn spreading her thighs so he could enter her lush body; lust of a kind he’d never experienced before skittered along his spine and nerve endings.

He imagined stroking slowly at first until her passionate cries demanded he take all that she offered.

Their desperate kisses began to get out of hand. He shut down the sexy fantasies and tried to take control.

When he finally drew back slightly after segueing from greedy desire to something less dangerous, she whimpered so sweetly that he nearly threw caution out the window.

Her eyes were filled with embarrassment. She always reacted this way when they made out like horny kids. It was as if she was pushing his buttons to see where he’d break, and since he never did, she was left with nothing but confusion.

If she thought her behavior didn’t provide a glimpse into her inner hell, she was completely wrong. What he suspected was shit that made him uncomfortable.

He’d never cross the line with her – ever. Sooner or later, she’d believe in him.

Softly kissing her face, he was shocked to find a tear escaping her eye and licked it up with his tongue.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Shh. Don’t cry.”

“Why do you put up with me?” she asked on a harsh sob.

He answered the only way he could – honestly.

“Why are you still waiting for me to get mad?” It was a damn good question, and even though he was more than a little afraid of the answer, it was a question that lay at the heart of their situation.

She surprised him with an admission that he suspected cost her dearly. Remy hated admitting weakness.

“Sometimes, I can’t catch my breath, and there are all these crazy thoughts in my head.”

He touched his forehead to hers for a few seconds, then pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

“I know. And when you’re ready to trust me, Remy, I’ll be there for you.”

Her voice was oddly small and breathy when she asked, “You know I’m damaged goods, right?”

“We’re all damaged to some degree. Trying to change that fact is a waste of time. Your dents and dings don’t scare me, babe, and like I said, when you’re ready, I’ll be there.”

“To catch me if I fall?” she asked.

Her fear was so palpable it nearly broke his heart.

“Listen to me, Remy. You won’t fall. You can’t. You’re the phoenix, remember? Your moment is coming ... I know you feel it. And when it does, your spirit will finally soar. I’ll be there for you. Don’t worry about that.”

She softened, and he took the opportunity to tease her a little bit. Because it was so damn funny when she got salty with him.

“Okay then,” he drawled with a grimace as he carefully rose from her body. “This would be the blue balls portion of our program. Please don’t make any sudden moves. With all the blood in my head rushing to my dick, it gets a little dicey.”

Expecting a pithy comeback, he did a rapid double take when she laughed and turned bright pink. Shocking him further, she bit her lip, lowered her eyes for the briefest second, and then asked, “You’re gonna make me pay someday, aren’t you?”

He gasped loudly. “Remington Bissett,” he laughingly scolded. “Are you flirting with me? You wench!”

Upright on his feet, he offered a hand to help her up. She was adjusting her clothes after their sofa make-out sesh when he made a production of elbowing her to say, “And yes. You will pay. Someday. Orgasm denial can be shitloads of fun if done right.”

She went from bright pink to a very pretty dark red, and he couldn’t have been more thrilled.

At the door, he turned and made an awkward, jerking movement. “Sorry, m’lady but that’s the best princely bow I can pull off with a wedge of wood in my pants.”

He made sure there was an overload of smirky mockery on his face when she met his gaze after first lowering her eyes to check out the bulge in his jeans.

She was turning scarlet now, and he had to admit it was a good color for her.

“Busted?” she drawled.

“Totally,” he replied.

With a jaunty wave and a peck on her cheek, he took off. It didn’t even bother him anymore that she consistently sent him on his way with a raging hard-on. That was what the Stroke 29 was for.

Finn gladly accepted the challenge because Remy was worth it. He wasn’t interested in fucking her. Well, okay, that was a stretch. Of course, he wanted to fuck her senseless in every dirty, filthy way he could think of. He was a guy. The difference was in the underlying emotion. He couldn’t regret expressing his love because sometimes it needed to happen that way. When he imagined their first intimacy, he saw slow-moving passion that grew and expanded until they were enveloped in it. The give and take of their lovemaking would leave them spent and in awe.

Whatever hoops he had to jump through would be worth it in the end. He just needed to be patient and, above all, remain true to himself. She needed to see him for the man he was, and only then would she feel safe enough to open her heart and let him in.

* * *

Cam walked along the line of motorhomes and RVs with his flashlight, making sure they’d policed their areas and were ready to head for home first thing in the morning.

He could hear different sounds coming from each of their vehicles.

Dev’s massive home on wheels was hopping as usual. His kids were great, and Cam could tell they had a close relationship. He admired Deval for how he’d handled the changes and challenges facing his family. Making sure the kids weren’t permanently fucked up because their mother turned out to be a worthless bitch was what drove the man’s decisions. Starting over completely was a ballsy move that Cam could get behind. They’d be all right in their new home – he was sure of it.

The O’Brien’s were good people. All of them. Even that shit-for-brains asshole, Finn.

He stopped to pick up a crushed paper cup they’d missed and tossed it with a perfect arc into the trash barrel.

The sound of Maggie O’Brien’s wicked laughter rang out. He swung his flashlight at the O’Brien’s RV, found it dark, and swung next to the Sullivan’s rig. Looked like a party was going on.

“How’s it going, Jason?” a booming voice asked as a hand smacked him on the back.

Almost jumping out of his skin because he hadn’t heard anyone approaching, Cam swallowed the annoying heartbeat in his throat and offered Cristián Marquez a weak and not very convincing smile.

Ashleigh swished on by with a wave and headed to the party rig. As usual, she was decked out in a gypsy tablecloth with all sorts of bangles and shit on her wrists and around her neck. Sometimes, he swore when they were around, some sort of strange time warp thing happened, and it was the summer of love in hippie heaven.

“Wanna stop in for a drink?” Cristián asked. “Matt is making margaritas again, and Paddy whips up an Irish whiskey sour that’ll put hair on your chest!”

Cam laughed. He was never surprised anymore by what this crew of elders got up to. As long as it was partially legal and halfway sane, he was going to mind his own business.

“Thanks, Cris, but I’m on daddy duty tonight.”

“That little girl of yours is a sweetheart, and don’t get me started on Dylan. Reminds me so much of Alex when he was a lad.” He smacked his back again. “You did okay, Jason. Ash and I are really happy for you. Lacey is an extraordinary woman. You know it was a comfort when we were so far away, knowing that you were keeping an eye on my son. My wife and I are grateful for everything you and Draegyn have done for Alex over the years.”

“He’s the finest man I know, sir,” he answered without hesitation. “I’d follow him into hell if he asked.”

Cristián smiled. “My boy, I hope someday you hear the same words spoken about your son. Thank you.”

He extended his hand and shook Cam’s with enthusiasm.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I believe we’re playing drunk Twister. Didn’t have time to pregame, so I need to catch up.”

Cam snickered. “Sounds like they started without you.”

“Fuckers,” Alex’s awesomely cool dad muttered. “Think I’ve met my drinking match in Paddy O’Brien. Jesus, but I swear the Irishman has a hollow leg.”

Cracking up, he patted Cristián’s shoulder. “Didn’t you know, sir? Your son’s Irish wife can drink his sorry ass under the table.”

Laughing as he jogged off, Cris left him to continue his perimeter walk. Some habits never died.

Music came from the Jensen RV rental and made Cam smile. The family that sang together stayed together.

Bella’s joyful laughter rang out. Aptly nicknamed the lil Cap’n by the fearless leader of Family Justice, Miss Bella Mia Jensen swept into the family and turned everything on its head. She was part kid, part soothsayer, and part police negotiator. She had the ability to make a grown man reconsider how much he knew about life. Finding her and reuniting a desperate father with the child he searched for was one of Cam’s finest moments.

Roman and Kelly’s rig was quiet, but the lights were on. Cam didn’t need to peek in the windows to guess what they were doing. The House of Bishop, as Matty informed everyone they wanted to be called, were readers. Books were Roman’s crack with Kelly right on par with him. Plus, give Matthew a book, and he was perfectly happy.

Rafe’s motorhome was next. Flickering light from the windows indicated that Rafe and his daughter were watching TV.

Lacey liked the guy. Of course, she did. His wife liked everyone. Cam reacted like a meathead and sulked when she shamed him for blowing an old imaginary physical rivalry into a present day drama.

She was right. He knew it. She knew it. But he sulked just a little bit more because he found his Ponytail so adorable when she tried to be a hard-ass. Especially when she did it while sitting on his lap.

The rivalry was more Justice legend than anything else. They were all a lot older now. Old grudges had little weight in present day.

Rafe was okay. Cam thought him a big, dumb jock all those years ago. Their recent reunion when Team Justice reconvened had been strained and uncomfortable, but they were all veterans and professionals. Personal shit was pushed aside.

When the guy showed up at Alex’s prodding and had a daughter in tow, Cam wasn’t as shocked as everyone else. It kind of made sense. Rafe was the official Justice feminist. His mom or his aunt or whoever was a sixties activist with the women’s movement. He went out of his way to level the playing field when females were around. Cam admired his attitude.

Molly was cute as shit. She fit right in with Bella and Matty. It was clear that she was Rafe’s whole life. The man wasn’t exactly a well of information and pinning him down was nearly impossible, but he did divulge that he paid the bills as a personal trainer. Beyond that, what he gave up amounted to an accounting of Molly’s schedule.

He was snack mom for Molly’s preschool class. Every Wednesday, they went to Master Shin Young’s dojo for karate classes. Thursdays were reserved for a girl guides outdoor program. For fun, they hiked the extensive trails in the Hollywood Hills and took selfies. The guy’s phone was overflowing with pictures of him and Molly in all sorts of situations.

At the end of the day, the thing that mattered most about Rafael D’Alessandro was that he was a dad.

Cam’s rental rig was at the end of the row. He approached it with a happy heart. Throwing his family into an RV for an unplanned, totally spontaneous road adventure was exactly the way he wanted life to be. It was just like when they went to Calder’s cabin before Lily was born. This was the stuff memories were made of.

Dylan’s playful giggle lured him into the RV. He loved the sounds his family made. Sometimes, he listened from another room for the fun of it. It was a wonderful thing to have so much love and laughter present in his daily life.

Ponytail was holding Lily and singing. Dylan stood on a bench seat, clapping his hands and doing a cute toddler wiggle dance.

His family.

An instant grin took hold on his face.

“Daddy!”

Lacey turned and smiled. She looked relaxed and happy. His life was blessed.

“Why aren’t you in your jammies?” he asked Dyl.

“Mommy sing. Lily Rose.”

“Sorry,” Lacey sang. “I felt a song come on, and you know how that goes.”

Cam swore on everything holy that his heart gave a little pulse of pure joy. His wife singing to their kids was too perfect for words.

He took Lily and fell in love with his baby girl all over again. Every time she looked at him and reacted with a smile, he was sure it was God’s way of saying ‘sorry’ for the shitty childhood.

Ponytail showed him how to love. Dylan renewed his faith in life and Lily gave Cam a sense of forever – he didn’t know how else to explain it.

Dylan executed one of his gasp-inducing acrobat moves and somehow managed not to crack his skull open before landing on both feet like a pro. He grabbed Cam’s leg and hugged.

Lacey put and arm around Cam’s shoulder and put her hand on Dylan’s head. She leaned in to kiss Lily. He inhaled her scent and in that teeny tiny second experienced a profound peace. He wasn’t broken anymore, and his life overflowed with joyful possibility.

He kissed his wife’s nose and smiled into her eyes.

“This has been fun,” she murmured, “but I’m ready to go home.”

Dylan perked up. He clapped and stomped his feet. “Home! Danny! An’ Toto! Waven!”

“Ah, the roll call.” Cam chuckled.

He and Lacey blinked a few times, gaped at their son when he changed the subject, and like the big boy he was becoming, he looked at them with all the seriousness a toddler had and said – clear as a bell – “A puppy, Daddy.”

Lily gurgled and cooed her agreement.

After a moment of startled silence, Ponytail had a good laugh.

“Looks like we’ll be adding to the family.” She snickered.

He chuckled too. “Makes what to get him for his second birthday an easy decision.”

She stroked his arm. “I’ll talk to Brody when we get home and start the ball rolling.”

Putting her hand out, she got Dylan’s attention. “Come on, big guy; let’s do jammies and tooth brushing while Daddy changes Lily.”

“Story?” the precocious toddler asked. He was nodding his head with focused determination.

“Of course.” Lacey laughed.

“Yay!” Dylan cheered and took off running to the small bathroom.

“I love you so much,” he told his wife when she laughed at their son’s antics.

He quivered when she softly stroked his face and whispered, “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

He hoped she was kidding, but Cam knew she wasn’t. Somewhere deep inside her lived a microscopic sliver of the discarded, lost girl he rescued. Just like somewhere inside him lived the memory of the thrown away kid he’d once been. It was their love for each other that vanquished the past and gave them a future. The same love that made two beautiful children.

Cam answered what hadn’t really been a question. “You saved my life.”

She smiled. “And you saved mine.”

“Mommy,” Dylan grumbled with his head peeking out of the small bathroom. “Come on.”

Lacey’s smirk got him grinning. “Do you hear Alex when our son gets all bossy? ’Cause I do.”

Her amused laugh and Lily’s soft coos wrapped around his heart.

“Better get a move on. He’s too impatient for words,” Cam drawled. “I’ve got the little princess in hand. Meet you on our bed in a few.”

They kissed and off she ran.

“Okay, sweet pea, let’s find something soft and pink for you to wear. How’s that sound, hmm? And don’t worry, sweetheart. Daddy will be stepping up his little girl game. If there’s a daddy and me ballet class, we’ll take it together. Promise!”

Lily Rose Cameron smiled and gurgled. He kissed her tiny face and went about being the dad.