He lunges forward and tears the camera from the man's hands, then hurls it against the brick wall behind us. The expensive device shatters into pieces of glass and metal.
"Get the hell out of here!"
The entire marketplace goes silent. Every conversation stops. Every transaction freezes. The only sound is Posey's sharp intake of breath against my shoulder.
"Police!" the photographer shouts, pointing at his destroyed camera scattered across the ground. "Look what he did to my camera! Police! Police!"
My heart beats into a frenzy. This is bad.This is very, very bad.
"Come on, Cameron. Let's go." I grab his hand—still trembling with adrenaline—and try to pull him through the stunned crowd.
He's much stronger than me, but somehow my touch seems to break through his fury. Posey clings to my other hand while Edison rushes ahead, parting the way as we push toward the parking area.
We're almost to the Rolls-Royce when I hear the sound that makes my blood turn to ice.Sirens.
A black-and-white police car rolls up just as we reach the vehicle. "Are you Cameron Crow?" one officer calls out. Cameron stops walking. His shoulders sag under the weight of inevitability.
"Yes."
"You're under arrest for assault and destruction of property."
"Daddy Cameron!"
Posey screams as they produce handcuffs. The photographer appears with his cell phone, recording every second of Cameron's humiliation. I want to grab that phone and smash it too, but I have Posey to think about. I can't say anything.
All I can do is hold his daughter while she sobs hysterically and restrain Edison from lunging at the officers by his collar.
"Daddy! Daddy Cameron!"
One officer pushes down Cameron's head as they guide him into the back seat.
The car drives away, taking Cameron to the police station. And leaving me with his terrified child and the realization that our perfect moment just shattered.
CHAPTER 35
TARA
Once I get Posey into the waiting Rolls-Royce, the questions begin. "But what happened to Daddy Cameron?" she says, her small voice trembling as she strokes Edison's soft fur.
"Why did the police take him? Why did that man buy me cotton candy and take pictures of me? What was so wrong about him doing that?"
Despite my shock at seeing Cameron taken away—almost literally in chains—I force myself to put on a bright demeanor for Posey. Even though my hands are still shaking and my heart feels like it might beat right out of my chest.
"Your daddy is famous, and famous people have fans. Sometimes fans get possessive about their favorite stars. They cross boundaries."
I smooth her hair back from her tear-stained face, my maternal instincts blazing stronger than I knew possible.
Posey looks at me with those wide, trusting eyes, waiting for me to make sense of this nightmare.
"Remember when you were at the library telling children the story about Salty and the whale?" I ask, keeping my voice steady despite the turmoil inside.
She nods, lower lip still quivering.
"Remember how popular you were afterward? How they flocked around you and kept asking more questions?"
She nods more vigorously, some of the fear fading.
"That day, you created a fan club. A group of kids who loved the way you tell stories. That man was just overstepping his bounds. He was trying to get too close. And your dad overreacted. But don't worry. Your father will be back home soon."
