Flashback

POV: Cameron

Jared was the only one giving me any damn information. I was always being called a child, yet Leah and Adrian were acting childish. Withholding this information from me.

My money made me powerful and allowed me to pay someone to track Leah’s phone. That’s how Jared and I caught her going to the Daybreak Downtown. She was mistaken if she was going to room up with Adrian.

I wasn’t having it, that was my baby and I wanted information. When we got to the hotel, I slipped the desk clerk a hundred-dollar bill and asked for information. We came up empty-handed when they had no recollection of Leah and said that Adrian wasn’t in this week.

We knew they were at the hotel, that’s where her phone was located. Jared had a good idea to check under her friend’s name. And sure enough, there was a meeting set up for Jenny.

I slid them another hundred and asked that they forget our conversation. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it sure does buy you information. And information is power in this city.

The meeting was taking place in Ballroom number 5, so we looked at a map and found that it was on the 8th floor. Ready or not, Leah we are coming for you. Jared and I took the elevator up.

It was odd that the floor with the Casino and Hotel Bar was completely empty. There wasn’t even mood music being played. It’s like the whole floor was cleared out.

Something was odd, but we kept going. There was a commotion in the Ballroom and before we could open the door, Jenny opened the door. Jared grabbed her as I jumped in front of an angry Monica.

“Whoa, babe. What’s going on here?”, I asked.

“Get the fuck out of my way Cameron, it’s none of your concern.”, she spat.

“Back off Monica. Where is Leah?”, I stood my ground.

“Why is everyone obsessed with her?”, she retorted.

“Because she’s carrying my baby.”, Jared spoke up and I turned my head and gave him a glare.

“No, it’s my baby.”, quickly looking back at Monica.

“It could be Adrian’s.”, Jenny chimed in.

That’s when she stormed off to the middle of the room and let off a shot in the air. It was a warning that she was about to have a mental breakdown, and no one was safe. I could feel tragedy linger in the air.

**********

POV: Adrian

We took the service entrance up the backside of the hotel to keep a low profile. It didn’t take long to get up to the 8th floor. We cleared each room in the back before heading to the Casino.

It was odd that on a busy day that there were no employees or guests in the Casino. It was the only inside smoking area, so that usually attracted most of the guests. Something wasn’t right.

We moved on to clear the Hotel Bar, but it too was empty. It was like this whole floor was dead. This floor made the most money, so it had to be that Monica closed the whole floor and cut the feed.

Headed back into the hall, we hear a gunshot. All eyes opened and we walked in formation toward the Ballroom. Quietly giving ques to the team as we prepared to storm into the room from the kitchen.

*Boom*

I kicked the door in and the four of us ran in and spread out to clear our designated sections of the room. It shocked us to see Monica in the middle of the room waving around a gun.

It wasn’t as it seemed. Everyone was there and it wasn’t a meeting to sell the ledger. My mind raced with scenarios that put us all in the room together, but none made sense.

Seeing us in gear only fueled her rage. The only thing on my mind was Leah, but she was safe. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

“Monica put the gun down and put your hands up!”, I ordered her.

“FBI? Are you fucking kidding me?”, she was pacing while casually holding the gun.

“Put the gun down.”, I ordered again.

“Do you really want to have a baby with little miss trash over here?”, she was on my last nerve disrespecting Leah like that.

“Where’s the ledger?”, I asked with my weapon pointed at her.

“You tell me, Agent Adrian, if that’s even your real name.”, she was reaching.

“You stole it from behind the painting!”, I yelled at her.


She laughed, “Are you serious? The only thing that old man hid behind that painting was a stupid rusty key.”.

After throwing an old key at me she asked, “Do you love her Adrian?”.

My mind tried to answer that question, but I could. I would take a bullet for this woman, but I could say those three little words to her. The moment I decided to drop my weapon and run to Leah, the lights were cut, and shots were fired.

**********

POV: Jared

I wasn’t sure what to do and I was so far away from her. She was carrying my baby and I couldn’t let this psychotic bitch shoot her. Graham looked at me and I nodded to the light switch.

Hoping we were on the same page, I ran toward the night and flipped off all of the lights in the room. That’s when I heard all of the gunshots. Out of instinct, I jumped to the floor to cover my head.

Cameron grabbed Jenny and they jumped to the ground. We were all taking cover in the darkness. The screaming and shots filled the air.

As much as I love Leah, I had Amelia to think about. I couldn’t make her an orphan. It was hard wanting to be a hero but accepting that I can’t be everyone’s hero at the end of the day.

After the shots had stopped, I heard someone yell “All clear.”.

I knew that Adrian was in the FBI, but he asked me to keep it a secret. We didn’t know we were walking into a setup. Cameron and I just followed Leah to confront her about the baby.

After all, we deserved answers.

**********

POV: Leah

There were multiple shots in the dark and they started with her. Instead of shooting back, Adrian rushed toward me, shielding me from her line of fire. He was shot three times in the back before falling to the ground.

There was screaming and crying, but I was pinned. When Adrian started falling to the floor, I went with him. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel a warm and wet substance flowing from his back.

I cried out, “Help! Please someone help me!”.

In the distance I could hear a woman’s voice, “Agent down, we need a bus stat to the Daybreak Downtown Hotel, Floor Eight, Ballroom Five.”.

It was still dark and there was no movement, I don’t know who cut the lights, but I wished they would cut them back on. The woman I hear speaking was now beside me. I don’t know how she could see, but she started working on Adrian.

A man from their group yelled, "All clear.".

I cried out, “Please, oh please someone cut the lights on.”.

Once the lights came back on everyone rushed to me, but Graham rushed to Monica. I was heartbroken that he had lost his big sister, but at the same time, I was happy to still be breathing. It took everything in me to hold myself together.

The woman had a patch on her shoulder that identified her as a medic. I still couldn’t wrap my head around Adrian being in the FBI. I would have never guessed with all of his tattoos and bad boy persona.

I held his bleeding body, “Oh Adrian please stay with me. The ambulance is on the way.”.

His words shaky, “I want… to hear you say it.”.

“What Adrian, what do you want me to say?”, I asked with tear-filled eyes.

“I know… what you… found out at… the doctors.”, he had trouble breathing.

I gasped and looked around the room. I wasn’t ready to share my news, but it was his bleeding wish to hear it. I needed to honor him.

“That she… she is mine.”, his words clear.

Sobbing uncontrollably at this point, “Yes Adrian, she is your daughter.”, then I kissed him softly.

He heard those last words before his body gave out.

Everyone was there as I confessed to the news from my doctor. My IUD had fallen out at some point, and I was farther along than they thought. I was actually pushing 20 weeks, so there was no way that it could be Cameron or Jared’s baby.

I had gotten pregnant from my night in the red room on vacation. He did say that he would ruin me and that I would only think of him after being with another man. He was right, but I wasn’t ruined… I was in love and didn’t know it until now.

Cameron and Jared both bowed their head in disappointment, but I was glad the news was out. It prevented them from tearing each other’s heads off. Jealousy was not a good look on them.

This tragic event brought us both together and unveiled a web of lies and deceit. The truth was out now and there was no way to go back. It would take time to heal from both physical and emotional wounds, but we had nothing but time now.

I watched as they carried Adrian off on a stretcher, hoping that he would make it because I knew our daughter would need him… that I would need him. It was at that moment; I felt my heart detach and roll away in the ambulance with him. This sick and twisted love triangle was exactly what I wanted and made me realize I had exactly what I needed.

-To be continued-