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I could spend forever here in the Bahamas.

In fact, I took a look at real estate. It doesn’t hurt to look, right?

But the next few days pass in a total blur of excursions and waterslides—yes, we even get Harper to enjoy the water park, believe it or not, since Bella wanted to go—and nights filled with hot, writhing bodies and sweaty moans as everyone seems to invite Harper to stay the night with them to give the newlyweds a chance at a little bit of a honeymoon.

Owen took off on Monday, so the threat of having him around has been absent since then, thankfully. Or maybe not thankfully. It gives him time back home to talk to the cops and set everything in motion.

As we board the plane taking us out of the Bahamas, the nerves I’ve buried down deep since we arrived here start to prickle.

I’m on edge, and the closer we get to our destination, the more on edge I feel. I can’t concentrate on a movie. Even listening to music doesn’t have the usual calming effect it has on me. I’m seated between Harper and Victoria, and the only thing providing me any sort of comfort at all is having my girls on either side of me.

I just have a feeling this is going to be ugly.

And as it turns out, it’s even worse than I thought.

The plane touches down, and my heart beats wildly. I glance at Victoria, and her eyes seem to alleviate everything.

She squeezes my hand. “Hey, whatever happens…it’ll be okay. He’s not going to do it at the airport. At the very least, he’ll wait until you get home.”

I nod. I hope she’s right.

But she isn’t.

As we make our way down the jetway toward the terminal, my heartrate picks up speed. I get a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach, and I freeze as I turn toward Victoria. Harper is a few paces ahead of us, but she stops when she sees I’ve stopped, too.

I hand Victoria my car keys. “If this happens here, get Harper out of here and home safely, okay? You’re the only one I trust with her. I’ll be home as soon as I can be.”

She nods, and tears spring to her eyes. “I’ll take care of her. I promise.”

I nod. “I know you will.”

And when we get to the end of the jetway and the terminal comes into view, my heart sinks.

He didn’t just call the police.

He also called the fucking paparazzi.

He did what he could to make this as complicated and as public as possible, and he did it in front of my daughter.

I’ll fucking kill him for this. Metaphorically, of course. I’m already being arrested for vandalizing his house and punching him in the face—something I don’t regret despite the gravity of this moment.

Six or seven cameras are aimed at the jetway, and it’s a clear invasion of privacy but these assholes don’t care. They snap pictures and they take video as I step into the terminal, and standing beside the group of them is none other than Owen Fucking Platt.

“Travis Woods, you have the right to remain silent…” the officer begins as he cuffs me in front of Harper.

She bursts into tears, and I ignore the cop as Victoria throws an arm around my daughter to try to shield her from all of this.

As the son of a lawyer, I know my rights, and I know not to speak a fucking word to the officers until I get my lawyer on the phone.

But my daughter? She needs me now. She needs to hear my words.

“Hey, baby, it’ll be okay,” I croon softly to her as the officer tightens the handcuffs. It’s not like I wasn’t going to go willingly. He must be a Raiders fan with the way he’s manhandling me. “Victoria will get you home safely, and I’ll be there soon. Don’t worry, okay?”

“I love you, Daddy!” Harper screeches, and goddammit, there’s nothing I want more than to pull her into my arms and tell her how much I love her, too. To tell her that hearing her call me that means everything in the world to me. To tell her how important she’s become to me over the last few months. To tell her she has a permanent place in my heart. To tell her not to worry because I’m not leaving her.

She’s hiding behind Victoria, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. I wish I could explain this to her, but I feel like I’m failing her, like I’m letting her down.

And that feels worse than actually being arrested.

My chest tightens painfully as she watches another of her parents being stolen from her, and my heart breaks.

“I love you, too, baby, and I’ll be right home,” I yell to her, and I glance at Victoria, who looks a little terrified herself. But she’s got this. She’s a strong woman, and she knows what to do. Love you , I mouth to her.

She mouths it back, and then I’m led away by the officers out of the airport, where they push me into the back of their squad car and haul me down to the station.

To be continued in Book 4, FORWARD PROGRESS