A decorated Seal Lieutenant Commander, Ralph Tager, loses a team he used to lead in an ambush. Worse yet, his wife is killed defending his 9-year-old daughter who is sexually abused and murdered. Ralph takes out his revenge, which is consuming him, on the violent pedophile Ted and in doing so saves a 10-year-old girl Cindy being tortured by him. Ralph wants to adopt this young girl whose parents were murdered by Ted but the FBI who suspects Ralph killed Ted prevents the adoption from happening for a time. A billionaire Sydney, whose daughter was also murdered by a pedophile offers Ralph a job as the head of a security firm he owns if he will lead a team to kill all the violent pedophiles they can find.

Sydney also promises to make Cindy's adoption a reality for Ralph. While this takes place, the involvement of the government in what has happened to Ralph becomes clearer by the day. Leaving the Seals, Ralph becomes Pay Back for Sydney while he tries to dodge a number of assassins sent to kill him. Ralph and Cindy become close but she also becomes a target. Ralph unravels the government conspiracies against both him and Cindy and dodge assassins sent by threatened pedophiles and governments.

Pay Back must also avoid the police who want Pay Back sent to jail for sending pedophiles to their graves. This action-packed story is complex and relentless as Pay Back tries to protect his daughter and himself from the fate others have determined for them.