Page 77 of Retribution

Throwing the bottled water from my pocket and my shirt onto the cabana, I take off after Willow, kicking the sand behind me as I run.

“Willow!” I taunt, seeing her twist her head behind to see the distance between us.

She screams and begins to giggle, her legs buckling slightly causing her to slow down a little.

I gain on her and she tries even harder to push her legs to their limits as she keeps turning back to see how close I am.

Just as I come up behind her, I stretch my arms out and grab her under her arms, lifting her into the air as I continue to run.

“Daddy! Daddy! Put me down!” She shrieks, flailing her legs in front of me as we near the water.

“I don’t think so! You’re coming in with me!” I gush, bringing her in to me so her back is flat against my chest.

My feet enter the water and my pace slows down, but still fast enough to be splashing through the water and sinking us in until we’re up to my hips, deep.

She screams and thrashes against me, her adorable giggles spill out of her uncontrollably.

Letting her go, she stands on her tiptoes and uses her hands to throw a wave of water towards me.

“Oh, is that how it’s going to be?” I raise my eyebrow with a huge smile on my face and she opens her eyes wide, trying to dart away from me, but the water resistance proves to be too much.

“Hold your breath!” I shout, before grabbing her and flipping myself so that she is on top of me as we sink under the crystal blue water together.

Bringing us straight back up to the surface, she coughs and splutters, throwing her hair back and out of her face.

“That’s it!” She screams and dives forward, gripping onto my back like a koala bear and trying to pull me back under the surface.

“Oh no! She’s got me, ahh!” I pretend to fall under the water and I’m internally laughing as we go under the water again as it’s backfired on her, taking her down with me.

Bopping us back up, she lets out exasperated breaths and fans her arms out across the water to steady herself.

“You’re so annoying!” She whines, rolling her eyes as she spits out some of the sea water.

“But, unbelievably cool,” I counteract, tipping my head to the side to let some water out of my ears. I sink into the water so that I’m down to her level and she swims forward towards me.

“Daddy?” She says, and draws in until she’s face to face with me.

“Yeah, Lo?” I respond, waiting for her to continue.

“I love you,” She grins, the water runs down her face and into her eyes, so she keeps blinking harshly.

“I love you too, my baby girl,” I beam, maintaining eye contact with her.

Within a split second, my eyes are burning and my mouth is slammed shut from the wave of water that’s just hit my face.

“I knew that’d be your weakness,” she grins, then turns to swim away as fast as her little legs can go.

Shaking my head, I dive after her, “oh, now it’s on!”

Chapter 20

Indie

2 Weeks Later

Things have progressed pretty quickly between us, but there is no time like the present. That, and the fact we have a deadline.

We have a preliminary hearing at court in two weeks which determines the temporary custody of Willow until the official verdict has been granted.

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