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O ctavia’s heart beat so fast and loud in her chest it rattled her teeth. She set her coffee mug on the counter in fear she might drop it when she heard the front door slam shut.

“I believe that’s my cue to leave.” Nova squeezed her shoulder. “I’m going to head outside.” She scurried through the kitchen, leaving Octavia alone.

A deep, familiar voice echoed through the hallway.

Her father.

God, how she’d missed him over the years.

His warm embrace. His kind words. His wisdom. Even when he’d made her crazy with his judgments about her life, he’d always been her rock. Her biggest supporter.

She knew without a shadow of a doubt that her father loved her with all that he was. He’d been a great dad, especially after the loss of her mother. He’d stepped up to the plate, making sure she had more than she needed. He might not have understood her need to change the world her way, but early on in her career, he certainly tried.

However, Eric had changed all that.

Changed her father.

He’d tried to change her.

Her dad strolled into the kitchen. He stood tall and he hadn’t aged a single bit. He paused about ten feet away. His smile faded as his gaze glanced over her scars. The sparkle in his eyes that he’d always graced her with dimmed. His eyes narrowed.

“Hi, Daddy,” she managed with a thick lump in her throat.

“Oh, sweetheart.” He opened his arms and charged at her, scooping her up like he used to do when she’d been a small girl. He hugged her so tight she could barely breathe. “My darling Octavia,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

She rested her head on his strong shoulder, doing her best to hold back the tears. She’d cried so much in the last week. More than she had in the last two years. Right after the attack, she could barely manage to think about anything, much less revenge. But these last couple of years, rage had been her fuel. It had been the one thing that had kept her going .

However, she, Tate, and Nova could never find the missing pieces to put the necessary nails in Eric’s coffin.

“I’m sorry too, Dad.”

He cupped her face. “You, my dear, have nothing to apologize for.” He took a step back, holding on to her forearms. “I’m going to kill that little prick for what he’s done to you and for making you believe that the only way to deal with this was for you to think you needed to be dead to the only people who ever really loved you.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know.” He smiled. “I just handed Bellamy some documents that should help him figure all this out.” He sighed, climbing up on one of the stools. “Tate and Nova never should have tried to do this alone, but I do get why they did and I don’t want to discuss all the reasons why you, or anyone, didn’t trust me. Or even Bellamy. That’s all water under the bridge.”

“I believe Eric is part of—if not running—a human trafficking ring. Bellamy agrees.”

“That would honestly explain some of the missions that Eric has used his K9 program for,” her dad said. “Or some of the trips he’s taken. While some were necessary, many were not. How he got the oversight committee to sign off on some are beyond me.”

Her father used to never talk to her about his job. Nor did Eric. There was always the matter of national security, and she understood that, so she never questioned it. She grew up with a certain level of secrecy. There was a lot of can’t talk about that around the dinner table.

Even Bellamy used that language, but he had a different way of handling it. He never brushed it under the rug, treating her as though she were an interloper in his life. No. He’d be more apologetic about it, wishing he could share more of what happened while he was away. It often bothered him that he couldn’t.

But not Eric. He treated her as though she was the little woman who shouldn’t worry her pretty little head.

Her father hadn’t taken that attitude. It was more like Bellamy, until Eric had taken a larger role in her life.

There had been a slight shift after she told her father she wasn’t sure about marrying Eric. However, there had been a distance between them that she didn’t understand.

“Can I ask you something without you getting mad?” she asked, sitting next to her dad. She’d dreamed about this day for years. It wasn’t how she thought it would go. When she played it out in her head, her father was always filled with frustration and anger at her for her deception.

“I’m not sure I could possibly be angry with you right now. I’m just so damned happy to see you.” He took her hand and squeezed.

“When I called off my engagement, you asked me to come home. You begged me not to stay in Colombia. I thought that was because you were upset over the breakup. Were you?”

Her dad lowered his chin. “No, and why would I be upset over that question?”

“Because Eric was your golden boy. He was your pet project for so long. It felt like I had disappointed you even more so when Bellamy never pulled the trigger in asking me to marry him.”

“I certainly backed the wrong pony.” Her dad shook his head, leaning back and folding his massive arms across his impressive chest.

She and Bellamy had been friends long before they had become a couple. But she’d had a crush on him from the moment they’d met and her father knew that. He enjoyed teasing her about it. She remembered their first date and how her father stood at the front door, flexing his muscles. Bellamy had been terrified. He’d been so scared he even suggested they go back to being friends.

“We both did,” she admitted. “But that really doesn’t answer my question.”

“To be honest, I never thought you and Eric would get together at first. And when you did, I believed it would be exactly what Bellamy needed to get that boy to propose. ”

A vision of the engagement ring that Bellamy had shown her flashed before her eyes.

“But that didn’t happen and at the time, Eric was coming up the ranks. He was respected. He was being groomed to take over my position.” Her dad ran his hand over his mouth. “I started seeing things in Eric I didn’t like just before he proposed and it got worse when you took that assignment.”

“But you were pushing me to set a date.”

“That’s what you thought I was doing?” He sighed. “Perhaps my delivery wasn’t the best. All I wanted you to do was think about your decision to marry him. Maybe I said the wrong things. I’m sorry. When you called it off, I thought you should come home because you had nothing to run from anymore.” He tapped his fingers on the counter. “And Bellamy was Stateside at the time.” He shrugged.

“Jesus, Dad. Why didn’t you come out and say that?”

“Because you would have told me that ship had sailed and I couldn’t come out and tell you that I thought something hinky was going on with Eric. You hate it when I meddle. You dig your heels into the ground and do the opposite.”

“That’s true. I do.”

“When that raid happened on your village, I’m the one who put together that rescue team.” He pounded his chest. “Eric was pissed. He didn’t want Bellamy and his team anywhere near it. He tried to go over my head, but I demanded it. I will never forgive myself for blaming that boy for not finding you. It wasn’t his fault.”

“I was there. It was hard not to blame Bellamy,” she said softly. “It’s why I wouldn’t let Tate go to him for help.”

“Bellamy would never let his own personal feelings get in the way of any job. Never. He’s not that man. Besides, he still loves you. That’s obvious.”

Love was a strong word. Bellamy held on to the past. She wouldn’t deny that. But he thought she had died. He allowed himself to believe that. And he blamed himself for it. His love for her was stapled in his soul from years ago.

It had nothing to do with today.

“That was a long time ago.”

Her father ran his finger over the counter until it touched the side of her arm. “No, sweetheart. And don’t tell me you don’t still love him. You never stopped. It’s one of the reasons Eric hates him so much. I watched that play out. It worried me. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy and I didn’t see that happening with Eric. When I asked you to set a wedding date, I was hoping you’d see that he wasn’t the man for you. I made a huge mistake and should have just said that.”

“Now all we have to do is figure out why Eric needed to kill me,” she muttered .

“We might have a better picture into why Eric attacked the village and why he’s unraveling now.” Bellamy came strolling into the kitchen carrying a laptop. He set it on the counter, tapping the screen. “Sorry to interrupt, but I have a couple of things that connect some dots.”

“What are they, son?” her dad asked.

“First, I got a message from Darius Ford at our Colorado office. He was able to hack into Eric’s personal email.” Bellamy handed his cell to her dad. “He’s been pulling off emails from Eric and Lemin Basker for over fifteen years.”

“That’s not surprising. Eric invested in Lemin’s tech company when it was a startup and made a killing with it,” Octavia said.

“Eric tried to get me to invest, but I did some research and also met Lemin,” her father said. “He’s a sketchy kind of dude.”

“I agree,” Octavia said. “He’s an arrogant asshole and he’s not well-liked. But he’s brilliant when it comes to technology.”

“His company has been fined a dozen times.” Bellamy pointed to his phone. “But his shady business dealings aren’t the issue. Read that summary that my buddy sent over.”

Octavia leaned over her father’s shoulder.

“Lemin Baskin has taken ten trips to South America in the past year. Some of those trips coincide with trips that Eric has taken. All match when Georgia Adams and my wife, Fenmore, have reports of missing young persons. Attached are email exchanges between Eric and Lemin regarding product bought and sold to various clients in the United States and other countries. Everything in the emails is in code, but I’ve been studying that code and so far, it appears that the products are human and they are being sold to slimy rich people. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. I still have more deciphering to do.” Octavia lifted her gaze. “I don’t know much about this stuff, but I’m sure they could explain this away.”

“Not necessarily,” Bellamy said, turning the computer. “But what your father brought me was Eric’s work travels. Right now, I can put him in the vicinity of nine missing youths while he was using his K9 Pilot Program on other missions.” He lifted his gaze. “On those missions, something happened where one of the handlers went dark for period of time. They are all explained away. Nothing too out of the ordinary. All minor red flags for a new program. And all fixed early on in that first year. But I’d bet if we dig through all a little more thoroughly, we’ll find years of human trafficking, all covered up between official joint missions, personal trips taken, and whatever Lemin has been up to with his tech company holdings in other countries.”

“Jesus.” Octavia let out a long breath. “When Tate first mentioned human trafficking, I didn’t think it could be this extensive.”

“Oh, it appears to be massive and it’s being funded by Lemin. Hell, based on what I’ve read so far, I think he started it,” Bellamy said. “I can’t tell if he brought it to Eric or if Eric found out and wanted in on the action.”

“All right under my damn nose,” her father said under his breath.

“You’re not the only one.” Bellamy nodded.

“But that still doesn’t explain why he tried to kill my little girl.”

“The drug lords.” Octavia leaned back.

“What are you getting at?” Bellamy held her stare.

“They run the country. If he was snatching young boys and girls, he’d have to pay a price to the cartels. Using those youths as mules would be one way to do that.” She sighed. “But when I didn’t accept Eric’s answer and took things to Tate and threatened to bring in my dad, or even Bellamy in, I’m sure that didn’t go over well.”

“I’m sure it didn’t.” Her dad nodded. “He always thought of Bellamy as a threat.”

“I can see why he might view me that way when it came to Octavia, but not for anything else. I wasn’t after his job.” Bellamy leaned against the counter. “I was happy as a Marine Raider. I wanted nothing to do with National Clandestine Services, even when you tried to recruit me.”

“Doesn’t matter, son,” her dad said. “You were always the measuring stick and Eric didn’t measure up. Add in Tate bringing the missing persons case to the Feds, well, that put a damper on the cartel’s drug imports to the United States. I’m sure that had to piss them off. Tate was right keeping a tight lid on this. Drew things out and made it harder on him and Nova, but if he’d brought us in, I hate to think what Eric might have done.”

Octavia hugged herself and shivered but this wasn’t the time to be that scared victim anymore. “What’s the plan?”

Bellamy closed the laptop and inched closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist. “For starters, we’re all going to the ranch. I need to sit down with my team and I don’t want to be worried about you, your dad, or Nova back here. Plus, I promised you that I’d keep you informed.”

“Thank you.” She rested her arms on his shoulders.

“There’s a lot more information we need to comb through. I need to call Fenmore and her FBI friend. I also want both of your blessings to bring my parents in on this,” Bellamy said.

“You’ve got mine,” her father said.

“I won’t argue with you on that point.” She held Bellamy’s gaze, ignoring her father’s stare as she leaned into Bellamy’s strong embrace.

“Good.” Bellamy pressed his lips against her temple. “There’s a lot of coordinating. A lot of information and research left to be done. And then I’m going to want you to do something that isn’t going to be easy.”

“I don’t think I’m going to like this,” her father said with a terse tone.

“Trust me. I hate it, but it’s the only way to end it.” Bellamy cupped her face and gazed into her eyes with such love and admiration. “Are you going to be up for it?”

“This is what the last five years have been all about and I’m tired of hiding.” She nodded. “I’m ready.”

Bellamy ran his thumb across her cheek. It was soft and tender.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father crack a smile.

“No matter what happens or how this goes down, I won’t let him lay a finger on you ever again,” Bellamy said.

“You’ve got two days to put this in motion,” her father said. “When he asked for time off, I was able to push him into joint task force mission planning. I used my failing health as an excuse. He thinks I went to see a specialist, but I’m sure he is scrambling and working on his own plan.” Her father tapped his fingers over the computer. “Once he figures out I came here, he’s going to know she’s here too.”

“Perhaps we should leak that intel.” Bellamy brushed his lips across her mouth. It wasn’t a long kiss or a passionate one, but it packed a punch.

“I’ll leave you two alone for a moment and go tell Nova we’re headed to the ranch.” Her father stood, squeezed her shoulder, kissed her forehead, and strolled out of the kitchen.

Bellamy pulled her close. “If I can keep you away from Eric, I will,” he whispered. “But you might have to face him.”

She glanced up. “I want to be a part of it. I want to be there and watch him go down. Can you understand how important that is to me?”

“Yes.” He sighed. “I don’t like it. But I’m not going to try to talk you out of it or take that away from you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “Why couldn’t you have been like this when we were together? Why did it take me dying for you to change?”

He jerked his head back. His eyes grew wide and were filled with hurt, misunderstanding, and confusion. He let out a long breath, tucking a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear. “I don’t know what to say to that. I’ve always tried to give you what you wanted. What you needed. I don’t think this is any different.”

“But it is.” She palmed his cheek. It wasn’t that she resented his words or his actions. She didn’t. She valued everything he’d ever done for her, including giving her space when she needed it most. Except he’d misread that during the worst time in her life and she struggled to move past it. The ring in his nightstand, while it did show how much he loved her, it also proved he hadn’t understood what she needed from him in the moment. Not back then. “I’m sorry if it feels like I’m dwelling on the past. It’s just that it’s hard to accept how in tune you are with me right now, but you weren’t when I found out I was pregnant or when I lost the baby. And it’s not just those two instances. There were things that happened before that. We would talk about our future and you’d always leave me hanging.”

He wiped her tears away with a kiss. “I don’t have many regrets in life, but that is one that has haunted me for years. I’m sorry, O. I know it’s just words and I can’t go back and change how I reacted. I wish I could.” He dropped his forehead to hers. “I loved you so much. All I ever wanted was for you to have everything you desired. I watched how my dad treated my mom and her career. How he always encouraged her. Supported her. I wanted to have a relationship like they have. But you were right. I didn’t know how to express myself to people back then. This will sound like an excuse, but you knew what things were like for me as a kid. How I struggled to have interpersonal relationships. Even my psych eval for the military had something to say about that.”

“I know. And you used it to keep people at a distance because you were always afraid of being ostracized. But I never did that to you and you still allowed it to affect our relationship.” She swallowed a sob. “You’ve changed and I can’t help but be hurt by the fact that I had to die for that to happen.”

“It wasn’t you dying that changed me.” He held her gaze so intently it took her breath away. “Seeing you charge out of that hut in Colombia is what did that. I was given a second chance. I know I behaved like an ass and it took me a few days to get my head on straight. But I knew if I didn’t start doing things differently, I’d lose you again and I can’t let that happen.” He lifted her off the stool and planted her butt on the counter, easing between her legs. Tilting her chin with his thumb and forefinger, he kissed her tenderly. It was so soft and gentle that she could barely feel his lips glide across her mouth. “I love you, O. I’ve never stopped. It’s always been you. Ever since you strolled into my homeroom in sixth grade, I’ve been in love with you.”

She smiled at the memory. He’d been sitting next to Cooper. Those two were like two peas in a pod. They did everything together. They were glued at the hip. “You made Cooper move so I could sit next to you.”

“He was pissed.” Bellamy laughed, arching a brow. “Are you going to continue to deflect, or are you going to respond to what I just told you?”

She glanced toward the hallway. “My father and Nova are standing at the front door, trying not to stare at us.”

“Do you really think I give a crap?” He cupped the back of her neck and kissed her. Hard. It was the kind of kiss that belonged in private.

But she didn’t stop him. Being in his arms again was something she’d dreamed about. It was like coming home. She pulled back. “Yes. I do still love you,” she whispered. “However, I need time. We can’t just pick up where we left off and we do need to deal with Eric.”

Bellamy groaned. Or maybe it was a growl. “We will have all the time in the world once we deal with that asshole,” he mumbled. “However, the one thing I won’t give you this time is space. I will not make the same mistake twice. I love you and I want you in my life. Permanently. That ring upstairs belongs to you. Put it on your finger when you’re ready.”

“What the heck?” She glared. “You can’t be serious right now. Besides that being the worst proposal on the planet, there’s too much going on right now and we don’t even know?—”

“Don’t finish that statement because we do know each other and if you want a better proposal, I’ll give you one when this over. I can do that.” He smiled like a little kid on Christmas morning. “But I’m serious. I’m not letting you walk out of my life again. Not without a fight.”

Her heart dropped to her toes. He wasn’t messing around. Of course, Bellamy would never joke about getting married. She opened and shut her mouth three times but couldn’t form any words.

“We love each other and we belong together. I know it. And deep down, so do you,” he said. “We’ll talk about this again after we put Eric behind bars.”

She pressed her hand against his chest. “We need time.” She kissed his cheek. “But not space. That’s all I can say to that right now.”

“That’s enough for me in this moment.”

“I hate to break up the party, but we’ve got to get going,” her father called from the foyer.

Bellamy lifted her off the counter, took her hand, and guided her through the house. “I need to collect the dogs.” He jogged down the steps and headed toward the side of the house.

“I’ll wait in the car,” Nova said. “I need to check in with the office.”

Her father looped his arm around her shoulders. “So, you and Bellamy?”

“I’m not having this conversation with you, Daddy.”

“And why not?” Her dad chuckled. “He’s a good man and I’m sorry that I was eavesdropping, but it was kind of hard not to hear that conversation. Although some of it was muffled. But I got the important parts,” he said as they strolled down the path toward Bellamy’s truck.

“That’s rude,” she muttered. Heat rose to her cheeks. Thank God Bellamy didn’t bring up the possibility of her being pregnant. “It’s hard to think about a future with Bellamy when I don’t even know what my life will look like after we deal with this mess.” She stared at the bright-blue sky. “I have no clue what to do with my life now.”

“Let me ask you a question.” Her father leaned against the truck. “If you had never gotten involved with Eric and gone to Colombia, if you had stayed with Bellamy, what do you think your life would be like now?”

“That’s an unfair question and you know it.” She rested her hand on her midsection.

“Not really,” her father said. “Because if you had married Bellamy, this is where you would have landed.”

“No, Daddy. It’s not.” She shook her head. “You’re not taking into account all the ripple effects of taking out the events that happened. Bellamy and his team could have landed in that military K9 Pilot Program instead of the team that Eric picked. So many things could have been different.”

“You’re missing my point, baby girl.” He rested a firm hand on her shoulder. “You would have followed his career wherever it took him. I understand that you still would have done your volunteer work, but that wouldn’t have changed the fact that you would have been with a man in the military. A man who had to go wherever the Marines sent him and you were on board with that.” He cupped her chin. “What do you want?”

“To see Eric pay for his crimes.”

Her dad lifted his index finger and traced her scar. He scowled. A combination of sorrow and rage filled his gaze. “We all want that, sweetheart. And he will pay. Both Bellamy and I will make sure of that. But when this is over, you have to have some thoughts on what happens next.”

“To be honest, I’ve never allowed myself to think about it. I’ve been living alone with little to no contact with the outside world for so long that I’ve even stopped dreaming about coming back to the States. It was too painful. Now that I’m here and it’s real, it’s overwhelming. I’m scared. I don’t know how to function anymore.”

“From where I stand, you’re functioning just fine.” He lowered his chin. “You’ve survived under the worst of conditions. I couldn’t be prouder of you. I only wish I could have helped you.”

She smiled. “Knowing you never gave up means the world to me.” She let out a long breath. “It hurts that Bellamy did.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” her dad said. “He tried to accept that you were gone. He tried to live his life.” Her father waved his hand toward the house. “But look at what he’s done. It’s like he built himself a shrine for you. He’s surrounded himself with everything you’ve ever wanted. This house? It’s what you always dreamed of living in. Even the animals.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “You used to beg me every birthday and Christmas to bring you home a kitten. When your mother was alive, I couldn’t, because she was allergic. After she passed, you stopped asking for a couple of years, and then you went away to college. I didn’t want to deal with a cat when you were gone.”

She had to admit that her father could be right.

“What you need to remember is that we didn’t know what happened. For five years we had no answers. You knew you were alive, but we didn’t. That’s a hard place to be.”

“I’m sorry I put you through that.”

“I know.” Her father nodded. “And we understand why. No one is blaming you for what happened or for the decisions you made. Not under the circumstances you were put in. However, I want you to put yourself in Bellamy’s shoes for five minutes. Think about how you might feel if the tables were turned and it was he who was missing for five years.” He arched a brow. “You love him. He loves you. I don’t see the problem here.”

“I’m scared history will repeat itself.”

Dogs barked in the background.

She glanced over her shoulder. “I can see how he’s changed. I’ve changed too. I worry that maybe our love is steepled too deep in the past and has nothing to do with the present or the future. ”

“There’s only one way to find that out, baby girl, and that’s to take a chance. When this is over, stay in Hawaii for a few months. Take the time to get to know him again and figure out what’s next for you. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”

“I know you’re right,” she whispered. “I do love him. I always have. I don’t know why I’m holding on to this.”

“I do,” her father said. “But you’re not going to like it if I tell you why.”

She cocked her head. “I’m listening.”

“You don’t like admitting when you make mistakes. It’s easier for you to blame Bellamy.” Her father held up his hand. “And he did screw up. He knows it. We’ve talked at length about his failure when it comes to how he let you slip away. But you played a part in that too.” Her dad arched a brow. “You played a dangerous game with Bellamy.”

“I did not.” She glared.

“When Eric started giving you attention, you enjoyed it. Perhaps a little too much. Your expectations of Bellamy changed. You knew what his shortcomings were because you’d known him since middle school. You accepted that about him. But somewhere along the way, you decided that what endeared you about Bellamy was all of a sudden a bad thing. He was ready to marry you, and you knew that. But because he wasn’t big on grand gestures, and Eric was, you decided that you wanted that. But you never told Bellamy. You left him in the dark. He took that as you needed space, but again, you never corrected him until it was too late.”

She opened her mouth but slammed it shut.

Her father was right. Eric swooped in and showered her with gifts. He constantly told her that if he were her man, he’d be doing all the things that Bellamy wasn’t.

And when they first started dating, that’s exactly what he did.

Eric found her weak spot and exploited it.

“The worst part about all of this is Bellamy and I weren’t kids. We were thirty years old when we broke up.”

“I know.” Her father nodded. “Bellamy once told me that the last two years you were together, you spent more time apart because of his deployments and your volunteer work that it was hard to communicate and that you fell into this weird universe where you didn’t discuss the big things.”

“He brings them up now,” she said just as Roxy came barreling around the corner. She plopped at Octavia’s feet.

Tucker was on a leash, walking close to Bellamy’s side, in work mode.

“I’ve missed you, Daddy.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I want to spend time with you too.”

“After we deal with Eric, I’ll take some time off work.” He kissed her temple like he used to do when she’d been a little girl. “I’ll come back to Hawaii. We’ll spend time here.”

“I think you want me and Bellamy back together more than anyone.”

Her dad laughed. “I’ve always wanted him to be part of the family.”

Octavia had no idea what her future held. Going back to the Peace Corps wasn’t something she even contemplated anymore. She knew that part of her life was over. But what was next? Could she settle into a life with Bellamy in Hawaii? Could she be happy here?

Did she even know what happiness felt and looked like anymore?

Once again, her father was right. The only way to find out was to take a chance.