"Why the hell is it so far away? And why the fuck are we walking?!"

"You were the one who insisted on walking to get some exercise. And you're the only one walking– we've been following you on this golf cart for the last five minutes. We would've been there by now if your stubborn ass got in." Marco muttered the last part under his breath.

Maria stopped, panting, as she rubbed her swollen belly.

"Why didn't anyone stop me? Rosie, am I being unreasonable?"

I looked at John and Marco, who had both suddenly found something interesting on the pathway. I desperately tried to think of the words that wouldn't cause Maria to start another pregnant-lady throwdown.

Maria loved her unborn child, but she was over being pregnant. She was tired and sore all the time, while her hormone levels were through the roof.

We were all walking on eggshells around her, which I thought she both appreciated and despised. While she complained a lot, I constantly saw her fawning over baby items and smiling whenever the baby moved.

"I think you've had plenty of exercise already, Maria. Why don't we use the cart the rest of the way? Come on, let me help you."

I got down and helped Maria get in. Maria sighed in relief as she sat down.

"Thanks, Rosie. I was being a bit crazy. Pregnancy brain and all of that."

Marco snorted, only rewarded with John smacking him on the back of the head.

"Don't anger it!" John hissed as we drove down the trail.

"This it has a name, John, and she is about to kick your big ass–"

"All right! How about we take a few deep breaths and calm ourselves down. It's been a long day and will probably be a long night. Let's try to make it as smooth as possible," I said, giving them smiles of encouragement.

I grabbed Maria's hand. "Let's just relax, okay? Here, have a rose charm."

I went in my jean pocket and placed one of my charms in Maria's hand. I looked at it sadly. I was disappointed that my mother's bracelet had broken. I knew that it could easily be fixed with a new chain, but I didn't like to see it damaged in any form. The bracelet was a symbol of my parents and reminded me of the happier times.

I zipped up my jacket. While it was a lot warmer now as we made it into spring, it was still cold during the night. The trees were blooming and the property was filled with life as bugs and animals appeared. It was absolutely beautiful when I went out for walks with Maria or Damon.

This place had become my safe haven and home, something I would never forget or take for granted.

After a few minutes, we arrived at a small cabin.

"And we have arrived," Marco stated and got out to help Maria. "Come on. Apparently, you're scheduled to have a protein shake."

"Like you don't drink stuff like that. I bet you eat raw eggs or some nonsense like that." Maria sniffed, but let out a goofy grin.

"I would never eat that shit."

"Language! The baby has ears now. The last thing I need is for my baby to recognize those words at such a young age." Maria scolded him.

None of us bothered to correct her that she's the one who'd been cursing up a storm. She'd just deny it and it wasn't worth arguing over.

"Let's get inside. Everything is set up and we can keep watch on the dinner." John ordered, and herded us inside.

The cabin was spacious, with furniture and decor that reminded me of a place out in the woods. The only difference between this place and a real cabin was that we were only miles from the city and there were screens covering one side of the room.

Maria waddled her way to a loveseat, resting her feet and sinking into the furniture. John and Marco made sure the room was secure before setting up the monitors. I sat down next to Maria, placing her feet on my lap.

"When will this rollercoaster end? I'm ready to hug my little bunny," Maria said softly. "And for them to stop kicking my ribs or making me pee every ten seconds."

I giggled at her. "Well, you are supposedly due in a little over a month. You got this, and I can't wait to meet the little boy or girl."

"You know, for all my nagging on wanting to wait, I kind of regret the decision not to find out. But I made it this far and argued with Xavier over it. My motherly instinct says it's a girl, though. I think my husband would have a heart attack if it was a girl. He wouldn't know what to do with himself."

"I think he'll be protective no matter what." I said with a smile.

"Yeah...but if he goes too far, I'll kill him." Maria said with a smile, and I let out a loud laugh.

"All right, cameras are on. We can see and hear everything. They got comms, so they can hear us but can't respond." Marco said as John started pressing buttons.

"Are you okay to stay here while I watch?" I asked Maria.

"If you can get me my protein shake, I'll be good to go." Maria sighed, trying to get herself comfortable.

I quickly got it ready for her in the small kitchen. Luckily, Xavier went overboard and made sure Maria had supplies wherever she went on the property in case of emergencies.

"Oh, strawberry!" Maria sighed happily as I handed it to her. Once I made sure she was settled, I walked over to John. Before I could look at the screen, Marco blocked my way.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I saw Marco's tense features.

"I don't think you want to see this, Rosaline," Marco said softly. "We can watch some movies and let John monitor."

"What's wrong?" I asked in a panic as I tried to move around him, only for him to follow me. "Marco, you are freaking me out!"

Maria poked her head up from the couch, looking concerned as Marco refused to move.

"Everything's fine, but I don't think–"

"Marco, let her see. She deserves to know." John cut in. Marco looked ready to argue but I placed my hand on his arm.

"Thank you. I...I appreciate that you're trying to help. I'm guessing I am not going to like it?" I tried to joke, but my nerves were starting to get the better of me.

Worst-case scenarios started playing in my head as I twisted the ends of my hair.

Marco gave me a pat on the head, looking a bit unnerved. Marco wasn't the affectionate type, so I took it as an attempt to be comforting.

I took a deep breath before going around Marco and to John, not looking at the screens just yet. John's body was tense as I got closer.

"Remember, we won't let anything happen to you and you're safe. It's okay to look." John spoke softly.

I looked at the monitor, my eyes instantly finding the man who was constantly in my nightmares. My heart stopped.

Lorenzo looked the same as he had all those months ago, seemingly unaffected as he smiled at the guys.

But I knew better. Now that Xavier was me teaching body language, I could read Lorenzo a little. While his facial features showed sincerity and warmth, his eyes showed nothing. It seemed like an empty void that didn't express anything.

"That's him. It's Lorenzo. This is the man that killed Angelo." I shakily uttered, pointing at him angrily.

While I was terrified, a wave of boiling anger started to rise. It's been simmering for months, but now that he was here, rage was threatening to overtake me.

Maybe it was because he was on my property or he didn't know I was there, but I wanted to punch him in the gut, something I'd never really felt before.

I wanted to help in any way I could in taking this guy down. The man who murdered and hurt so many innocent people. The man who made my life a living hell before I found Damon and the others. The long nights of pain and fear that I would be caught.

It was time for him to feel the exact same way.

John must have seen the emotions play across my face before he offered me a chair. I sat down next to him before he started pressing buttons again.

"What can I do to help?" I asked softly.

"You don't have to do anything. I'm only observing. If I see anything, I tell Xavier or Damon."

"Okay, I'll watch, too. Maybe I'll see something." I put my hair up in a messy bun, determined to help.

John watched me with a soft smile.

"I have a feeling I won't be able to stop you. But anytime it gets too much, let me know." John warned.

I nodded before facing the screens.

We watched as the guys and guests moved down the hall toward the main dining hall. Everyone sat down, Xavier at the head and Damon to his right.

Campbell and his wife sat on Xavier's left while Lorenzo sat next to Damon. I noted how relaxed Damon's posture was, but I didn't believe it for one second.

His jaw had the slightest tic, showing me how much he was trying to contain his anger. Xavier seemed unfazed, talking happily to Campbell. Campbell's wife was on her phone, blocking out the entire conversation.

John pressed another button and I was able to hear their voices.

"All right– Xavier and Damon, you know the protocol. One foot tap for yes, two taps for no– can you hear us?" John asked into a microphone before pointing at a screen that was directly a view of their feet underneath the table.

Both of them tapped their foot.

"Rosaline is on. She's fine but wants to help."

Damon tapped his foot twice, disagreeing with that statement. I leaned toward the microphone, letting out a huff of frustration.

"Damon, I want to help. Maybe I can help observe and see something. Besides, I am with John and Marco. I'm perfectly safe, okay?"

After a moment of hesitation, Damon tapped his foot.

I sighed in relief that he let it go.

"Perfect. We're standing by." John said as the food was being served.

John and I sat, listening to the interaction.

"Mr. Monroe, I just want to say how happy I am that we are finally meeting," Campbell said. "While I enjoyed our phone calls, I feel it's important to have potential partners meet face to face."

"I agree. However, I've been busy and the business has been blossoming as more people are needing our services." Xavier explained.

That made Campbell's smile even wider. John gave me a quick run-down on Campbell.

Apparently, he was a well-known CEO of a weapons company, also known as Arms and Protection. Being partnered with Monroe Protective Services would make him a lot of profit. MPS was one of the biggest security companies in the world, where there was a lot of money and resources. While Campbell had resources with the US Army, Campell wanted more.

Typical greedy bad guy.

"Yes, which is why I think this partnership would be beneficial for us. We can both benefit from each other's resources to get rid of unwanted enemies."

"Mr. Campbell, we are known as Monroe Protective Services. We do not use violence unless the situation calls for it. We send our people in to defend and to retrieve." Xavier said calmly as he drank from his glass.

Campbell shook his head, giving Xavier a look of pity.

"We live in a dark and dangerous world. Why do people need to be defended if we can simply get rid of the threat entirely? We need to be willing to get our hands dirty. Kindness doesn't win wars, Mr. Monroe. With my weaponry, I can help you and your clients win."

Xavier looked thoughtful at the statement, but I saw the way he was trying to remain cool. Xavier did not like this man at all, but he had a part to play in his elaborate plan.

"I see your point. What do you propose?" Xavier asked, putting on a hopeful and curious expression.

"Lorenzo is an investor in my company. I think all three of us can benefit from this partnership. I can supply both you and Lorenzo, while the two of you can work on clients. Lorenzo works with a lot of people who could use your services. You have some of the best security people in the world. With your reputation, Mr. Monroe, the public will see all of us in a better light. Unfortunately, my business was hit with protests and new laws regulating my work. It's been especially bad since the shooting in Los Angeles last year," Campbell said with disgust. "I make weapons to defend and use against our enemies. It is not my fault on how people use them, I just sell it to them. Why should I be punished for their actions when I am running a business?"

I closed my eyes, sickened by the man's words. I opened them again when I could regain my composure.

John gave my hand a pat, showing his support.

"Yes, people can be unreasonable. Can't see other people's point of view." Damon said, looking at Campbell with disgust. Fortunately, Campbell thought the face Damon was making was in support of him.

"Exactly!" Campbell explained before putting food in his mouth. "But anyway, Mr. Monroe, back to Lorenzo. He plays a very important piece in our partnership."

Xavier nodded. "Yes, Mr. Diablo has a reputation of being involved with politicians and leaders."

Lorenzo nodded slowly, taking a long sip of wine as he studied Xavier. "Yes, I work closely with a lot of influential people. My main job is to make sure that everything is in order and balanced. There have been a few discrepancies, but it's something that can't be easily solved. With Mr. Campbell's and your help, we can make sure everything is... as it should be."

Lorenzo seemed to be examining Xavier's face, but Xavier gave nothing away.

"Yes? What is it that you are specifically looking for with this deal?"

"I was hoping that you would be willing to share information when it is needed, if you hear any rumors or can reach access to other resources."

"Hmm. We should talk more about this in my office once we are done with our meal. For now, why don't you tell me more about yourself–"

I jumped as the cabin door flew open. Marco and John instantly pulled out their weapons and aimed it at the entrance.

"Damn it, boys! You scared the shit out of me! And I spilled my shake." Maria cursed as Josh and Julian dragged something into the cabin, Jasmine trailing behind them.

"Sorry, Maria. We heard that you and ma'am were staying here. We also didn't want our guests to see this guy," Julian panted as they both dropped their delivery with a thud. "Don't worry, he's out cold and won't be awake for another few hours."

"Why the hell did you bring him here? Put him in the storage area." Marco said with annoyance.

I stood up to see that it was a person on the floor with a bag covering his head.

"Do I even want to know?" I asked tentatively.

"Probably not, ma'am," Josh sang happily. "But I had a lot of fun!"

"I'm sure you two idiots did," John rolled his eyes. John gestured to the screens and looked at Jasmine. "We have a few complications and a crappy business deal. We need our lawyer."

"On it. Let me get changed. And don't worry, the guy didn't even know what was coming. Drugged his ass at the bar. It was Julian's idea. It was kind of fun." Jasmine admitted. Julian looked at her with adoration at the compliment.

Nothing quite romantic like drugging a man and dragging him to a storage area.

"When you two idiots are done dropping off whoever this man is," Maria pointed at the unconscious person. "get me a new shirt. I haven't stooped low enough to wear a wet shirt all night."

"But you don't change when you pee yourself–"

"Out!" Maria screamed, throwing a pillow at Josh. The twins giggled before taking away their new hostage and Jasmine rushed to get to the dinner.

Maria went back to sulking on the couch while Marco tried to cheer her up.

"Wow. I should be horrified with what I witnessed, but I've become desensitized to this. Is that bad?" I asked John.

John shrugged.

"None of us are normal or innocent. We aren't heroes. Our job is to fight for others who can't. We've accomplished this through illegal processes. Drugging a man who is involved in criminal activity isn't the worst thing we've ever done."

"I'm not much of a fighter though. I'm more of a runner." I admitted, a bit of bitterness settling in.

But I couldn't argue with John's logic. He worked in an organization that did exactly that– finding ways to help people that others couldn't. I bit my lip in contemplation as John reported to Xavier and Damon.

"Jasmine is on her way. We'll also get Erik to finally join you guys."

While we watched the dinner conversation, I paid closer attention to the wife. While she focused on her phone, she kept glancing at Lorenzo and completely ignored her husband.

Xavier stood up and walked over to the bar not too far away from the table.

"Have Erik look at Rebecca's phone," Xavier murmured, pouring his drink before walking back to the table.

John whipped out his phone and typed a message to Erik. A few minutes later, his phone rang, with Erik's name on the screen.

"What'd you find?" John asked, putting the phone on speaker and toward the microphone.

"Looks like Rebecca is trying to enter our security system. She made it through some of our firewalls. She has access to minor files on the business, but nothing on the Organization. A lot of the fake files we set up have been sent to another server. Should I send a virus to her phone, boss?" Erik asked urgently, ready to prevent Rebecca from finding things for Campbell and Lorenzo.

Xavier tapped his foot twice, indicating that he was saying no. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Xavier says no. Do you want us to prevent her from getting anywhere else?" John asked, playing messager between Xavier and Erik.

One tap. Xavier also ran his finger around the rim of his glass, which seemed to be another signal.

"All right, Erik, make sure she can't access anything else. Get someone to look into her background." John ordered.

"On it. Damn if this woman thinks she can hack into my software. I'll be on comms with Jasmine soon." Erik stated before hanging up.

I watched the screen as Rebecca all of the sudden started typing frantically, only to drop her phone in annoyance.

"Someone sent my shipments of clothing to the wrong place." Rebecca wailed in exasperation, making her seem like a materialistic woman.

Damon let out a small smirk as Xavier redirected the conversation.

"Well, why don't we go into my office?" Xavier said and stood up. The others stood as well. Just then, Jasmine and Erik entered the dining room.

"Ah, there you are. Mr. Campbell and Mr. Diablo, this is one of my advisors, Erik Coda, and my lawyer, Jasmine Amari. They help me make things more manageable– like you, Lorenzo. They can help guide us through the paperwork."

Erik and Jasmine shook Campbell and Lorenzo's hands. Campbell lingered a bit too long on Jasmine's hand, something his wife didn't care or notice as she eyed Erik. Erik also examined her, but with anger rather than lust.

Jasmine pulled away with a smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. This could be a wonderful opportunity, but we must discuss a few obstacles we must discuss first. I would like to hear the full deal in detail first since I wasn't at tonight's dinner."

Campbell's eye twitched at the mention of the deal failing, while Lorenzo showed no emotion.

"I am sure I can persuade you all about the positives of this deal," Lorenzo stated calmly. "It may be that you need us more than we need you."

With those chilling words, Xavier and Damon guided them to the office. The three guests stayed a few feet behind, talking amongst themselves, while Jasmine and Erik were behind the party.

"This is not what I expected." Damon said, finally speaking. He had been quiet and scowling throughout the entire dinner, which wasn't surprising.

There was a select group of people Damon bothered to speak to. Unless you were family or in his close circle, then the best you would get out of him was a grunt. I found it hilarious.

"Yep. Wouldn't surprise me if Lorenzo has his own comm. Even though they work together, Campbell knows nothing. I don't think he's that high up like he wants us to believe. Only reason he is useful to the Diablos is his resources." Xavier mumbled, not wanting them to overhear but letting the rest of us know.

That's when a lightbulb lit for me.

"I think Lorenzo has his suspicions. If he knows Angelo is connected with you, he wants to see how much you know. He wants to see if you can be an ally or a threat. Campbell was just an opportunity to come in-person."

Damon grunted in agreement as I continued.

"Xavier, I have an idea. Don't settle on an agreement yet. Campbell is so concerned with the profits, that he's blinded from the issues surrounding him. Make him impatient and eager to do anything in order for you to become a partner. Let them continue to convince you, but make it seem like you agree with them. It gives you more time to figure out Lorenzo's game. It's no coincidence that he is here." I spoke softly, but I was confident in my answer.

Xavier smiled.

"I knew I taught you something, Ro. I was thinking on the same wavelength. You all heard Rosaline, let's make it happen. Good plan."

I beamed at Xavier's praise before focusing on Damon, who also looked proud.

"Good job, kid." John said fondly. "And you said you weren't a fighter."

I gave him a small hug, unable to help myself. I just hoped there were no more complications.