“What’s the use keeping it a secret now,” Harold said putting his hands down. “We are not getting out of this.”
You got that right, asshole.
“We were going to be shut down,” Harold started. “I couldn’t let that happen, I couldn’t lose what I’d worked so hard for.”
“So you decide to kill vulnerable young men who came to you and depended on you for help!” Stephen yelled.
“It’s not like that!” Harold argued back.
“No? then tell me how it is!”
“I know what I did was wrong, but I had my reasons. No one would miss them. Or so I thought.”
Fucking asshole.“So you saw them as something easy to get rid of because they didn’t have a family?” He didn’t believe what he was hearing. “Where are the babies?” Stephen asked.
“Don’t answer that, Harold,” the assistant said, and from Stephen’s perception, it seemed he was the one in charge.
“Shut up!” Stephen snapped at the assistant. He was glad his flak jacket was large and covered his midsection because he didn’t like the way the assistant was looking at him. “Where are the babies?” he asked again.
“We sold them,” Harold answered. “We sold them on the black market for more money than I thought possible. It’s how we’ve been able to keep this place open.”
Stephen didn’t want to believe it. But hearing the director confirmed his suspicions. “You people are evil.”
“You do not understand how hard it was for me to do what I did.”
“No, I don’t think it was hard for you, at all, Harold. If you’re looking for sympathy, you have the wrong person.”
Just as Stephen finished speaking, the assistant lunged after him, on reflex Stephen fired his pistol shooting him in the chest. Instantly killing him. He was distracted for a split second, but it gave the director a chance to get his own weapon and shoot in his direction. Stephen was glad the man was a terrible shooter, he quickly got out of the way, hiding behind the cabinet he’d spotted earlier waiting for the man to finish his clip. When he heard the clicking, Stephen stepped out and fired his gun, hitting the man in both his legs, crippling the man. Just then he heard footsteps heading his way. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was Mayson and another one of their team members.
“Are you all right?” Mayson asked.
“Yeah, but what took you so fucking long?” he asked in anger.
“And what the hell is wrong with waiting for backup?” Mayson argued back.
“I...” Stephen started, and for a second his world tilted. He looked up at Mayson and opened his lips to respond, but the words couldn’t leave his mouth. In a second he heard Mayson yelling to the others to get a fucking doctor before his world went black.
** ** ** ** **
Brenden was sitting on his desk going over details of his new case when his desk phone rang. “Smith.”
“Brenden, it’s Mayson.”
Instantly, Brenden stopped what he was doing. Mayson was the lead agent working on the case with Stephen. “What happened?”
“He’s in the hospital.”
Everything inside Brenden stopped working. His vision blurred and there was a sudden ringing in his ears. He felt completely sick to his stomach. He knew Mayson was saying more, but nothing registered—the only thing was that his lover and their child were hurt.Oh God, I can’t lose him, not now. I need to get to the hospital.He hung up the phone getting up from his desk in a daze and headed straight to the elevator. He paced, waiting for the doors to open. Jaxson must have noticed that something was wrong and came to him.
“What’s up?” Jaxson asked.
Brenden stopped mid-pace and looked at his best friend. “I… I need to get to the hospital. Stephen…” he stuttered.
Jaxson nodded and stood beside him waiting for the doors to open. They stepped into the elevator together. Brenden was moving on autopilot. The drive to the hospital was maddening. His mind reeling with thoughts that he might have lost the man he loved. He hopped out of the car the minute Jaxson pulled up to the hospital. He ran inside not sure who to talk to or what to ask, all he knew was that he needed to see Stephen. Before he stepped up to the nurse's station, his name was called. He looked up, and Julian was hurrying toward him
“Stephen,” was all he got out.
“Is fine,” Julian told him. “And so is the baby.”
