Camryn

"And I want to go to the zoo... And the park with the gigantic trees... and mama, can we take Derek to the ice cream shop by my dance teacher?" Riley rattled off about a hundred things she wanted to do while we were in New York. She had no clue we weren't going to be leaving the house the entire time we were here, and we would be gone as soon as we possibly could.

I didn't want to come to begin with, but the alternative was Riley and I staying behind while Derek came, and I didn't feel any better about that. All I had to do was get through the next few days and everything would be fine. At least that was what I kept telling myself. Derek's testimony would help put Robby away and we'd never have to worry about it again.

Being in the same state as Robby, even though he was behind bars, was suffocating. I used to love New York. It was one of my favorite places in the entire world, and now I hated it. All it did was hold bad memories for me and I would be happy if we never had to return.

"I'm not sure we'll have time for all of that, Ry." Derek said, setting his hand on my knee and giving it a tight squeeze. He knew how anxious I was feeling and was doing his best to help me combat it. "It's going to be a quick trip."

"Well, what are mommy and I going to do while you're working?" She frowned, grabbing on to his hand as we walked inside of the building. We'd flown right here in the helicopter and landed on the roof. The plan was for Riley and me to stay inside, and no one would have a chance to see us or know we were here. Derek would testify as quick as he could and then we'd be gone.

"Play games and bake things and watch all the movies you want!" I smiled, trying to make it sound more exciting than it was. The poor kid had been cooped up so much recently and I hated not being able to take her to all the places she wanted to see. This had been her home, too.

"That's so boring."

"When we leave, I promise mommy and I will make it up to you." Derek smiled. "We'll go on a really fun trip. Maybe go to the beach somewhere. How does that sound?"

"Fine." A smile tugged at her lips even though she was trying to still pout.

Derek led us through the building and into his penthouse instead of the one Riley and I had stayed in before. If I thought that one was nice, this one was incredible. It was sleek and dark and the ultimate bachelor pad. Everything was put in its place and there were hardly any personal effects here. He had said it was his part-time place, but I couldn't imagine anyone staying here at all. It was going to be hard to do with a five-year-old for the next few days.

As if reading my thoughts, Derek led us down the hallway to where Riley's room would be. He opened the door and it chock full of all kinds of toys and books and decorations. Right in the center of the bed was a bright pink MacBook. "I enlisted Cole for some help here." He smiled. "He's the only one besides Will who knows you're here."

"A laptop!" Riley cheered, racing to the bed.

"That should buy us at least an hour." Derek kissed my cheek, wrapping his arms around my waist. "How many times do you think I can make you orgasm in that amount of time?"

A fiery blush blanketed my cheeks. "Derek..."

"I know." He whispered. "But the second she goes to bed..."

I smiled, nodding.

"Riley, can you look up on that thing how to make spaghetti?" Derek asked.

"I know how to make spaghetti." I laughed.

"I know you do." He rolled his eyes. "But you're going to go relax in the bathtub while Riley and I make it."

I sat with Riley for a few minutes and Derek got a bath ready for me and handed me a glass of wine. He really was doing everything he could to help me relax, even though he was the one testifying in the morning.

The hot water felt nice, and I tried to get my mind on something else. It was all-consuming, and I just needed to move on.

After a little while, I got out and headed into the kitchen.

Derek and Riley were hard at work on their spaghetti, and I watched them together for a few minutes. He was so good with her that it brought tears to my eyes. He had already been more of a father to her than Robby ever was, and I couldn't even describe how happy I was for that. She deserved it, and seeing everything that I had ever wanted for her in action was more than I could have imagined. Derek was so good to us, and the fact that he was already putting Riley and me above anything was so new to me. We were an afterthought to Robby, unless he needed me for something, but with Derek, we were at the forefront of every decision.

"Alright, mademoiselle." Derek grinned, faking a French accent. "Dinner is served."

"You sound like the guy in Beauty and the Beast." Riley giggled, climbing up into the seat next to me.

"Never seen it." Derek shrugged, handing us both a plate. It wasn't pretty, but it smelled amazing.

"You've never seen Beauty and the Beast?" I arched my eyebrow at him.

"Can we watch it tonight, mommy? Please! Please! Please!"

"Not tonight, kiddo." Derek jumped in. "You need to get to bed."

I almost laughed out loud. Derek's mind was on me, and not even Riley in all of her adorableness could stop him.

"Why?" She frowned, whining.

"Because we had a long day today." I said. "We can watch it tomorrow night when Derek gets home from work."

Riley huffed, pushing her plate away. Derek and I ignored her pouting as we ate dinner, and eventually she loosened up and we had some ice cream. Despite her protesting, she really was exhausted and fell asleep almost right way.

Derek didn't waste a second before leading me down the hallway to his room. His bed was like a giant cloud and the second I laid down, Derek was slipping my shirt over my head and then his own.

"Would you slow down?" I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

He pressed his lips against mine and kissed me gently. "I just want you to relax."

"Shouldn't I be helping you to relax? You're the one going on the stand tomorrow. Are you nervous?" I asked, laying back on the pillow.

Derek pushed me over so I was lying on my stomach and I felt him straddle me. He unhooked my bra and tossed it to the side as his strong hands started rubbing my shoulders and down my spine. "The only thing making me nervous is you being so nervous."

"I'm sorry. I can't help it. I just keep thinking about all the things that could happen." I sucked in a sharp breath.

"Cam, 99.9% of those things are made up in your head. I am a very small part of this case. The physical evidence they have is huge. Anything I have to say is just icing on the cake. The jury has already seen all the blood evidence, the witness statements, the abuse allegations, his history of force on the job—they've seen it all." He continued to massage my back. "They are going to convict him. Robby is going to spend the rest of his life in prison."

"But we still don't know why he's pulling you into this. He knows you helped us escape. Why would he call you to testify for him if he knows that?"

"I'm not going to pretend I have any idea what goes on in that bastard's brain. I don't know what he's playing at. But even if he tells people he thinks you're alive, he's got no proof. No one is going to fall for his last ditch effort to get out of it."

"But if you're under oath and they ask you about it..."

Derek laughed sharply. "Cam, people lie under oath all the time. And it's a completely absurd thing for them to ask, so I doubt the judge would even allow that."

"How can you be so confident about all of this?"

"I just don't let things that are probably never going to happen worry me. If it happens, I'll deal with it then. But we've laid the groundwork for this already and I am confident in my work." His fingers dipped underneath the band of my shorts and he rubbed my hips. "I wish you would be too."

"It's not that I doubt you, it's that I know what he's capable of." I sighed. His hands on my body felt so incredible.

"Camryn, I mean this in the most respectful way possible." He chuckled, slapping my ass sharply. "Just shut up and enjoy this massage. Focus on this moment right here, and let me worry about what's coming tomorrow."

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***If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence of any kind, please reach out to someone in your community. In the US, that number is 1-800-799-7233**