“Okay girl, spill it," I hedge while sitting on the sofa next to Leyna. She stopped by earlier for a visit and said she would stay with me until Reid got here. She has been glued to her phone for the better part of an hour. Every time she reads an incoming text she gets a huge smile on her face. And there is no hiding the blush that has taken over her cheeks this very moment.

"What?" She feigns innocent and quickly slides her cell back into her pocket.

"Don’t what me, I’m not blind. Now tell me who he is. And before you try denying it again, I know it has to be a guy. Only a man could put a smile like that on your face. Not to mention you’re blushing."

Rolling her eyes, she confesses, "It’s nothing really. It can never be anything because my brother would hate me and kill him."

I scrunch my brows, "What does Gabriel have to do with anything? He just wants you to be happy. As long as this guy is good to you that’s all that matters."

She shakes her head, "No, I know my brother wouldn’t approve. It would never work Alba," she insists. Now she really has my attention.

"Who is it, Leyna?"

Throwing her body against the couch, she rests her head on the back and closes her eyes tightly. I see the strain in her face. Whoever this guy is, she cares for him but for whatever reason is afraid for anyone to know. Reaching over, I grab a hold of her hand and give it a little squeeze. Turning her head, Leyna looks at me. Letting out a deep groan she drops the bomb.

"Lex."

Tilting my head to the side I rack my brain. Lex?

At my confused expression she continues, "Alexander Taylor. As in Agent Alexander Taylor."

Suddenly recognition dawns on me and my mouth falls open.

"You mean the FBI Agent who rescued you?"

She nods her head in confirmation, "Sí, the one and only."

"Holy shit," I say staring at her.

Groaning again, Leyna throws her arm over her face and lays her head on the back of the couch.

"You see why I can’t tell my brother. The club and Feds do not mix. I mean you should have seen them the day Lex rescued me and brought me to Gabriel. If looks could kill, they both would have dropped dead on the spot," She waves her hand in dismissal, "It doesn’t matter anyway. We’re just friends."

I narrow my eyes at her with suspicion, "Just friends?"

When Leyna refuses to look at me I know she’s not only lying to me, she’s lying to herself. It’s written all over her face. It has been all day.

"Friends don’t make you smile the way you have been smiling all day every time you pick up your phone."

Scooting myself closer to her I place my hand on her shoulder and when she looks at me with a pained expression, I know her feelings are torn.

"I don’t want to overstep, but may I give you some advice?" I ask.

"Yes. I think I could use all the advice I can get."

Not sugar coating my words, I tell it to her straight, "I say go for it with this Lex guy. Life is too short to worry about what other people think, Leyna. The most important thing I have learned over the past eight months is if you spend all your time worried about what others think and trying to please everyone around you, then you are wasting the precious life YOU have been given. Will Gabriel be upset? Probably. And you know I love your brother more than anything, but who cares what he thinks. As long as you are happy, and Lex is good to you then Gabriel will eventually have to come to terms and except that. Please, Leyna, never be afraid to go after what is going to make you happy. I will stand behind you when it comes to your brother." Leyna’s shoulders slump forward. I hope she lets my words sink in. Everyone deserves happiness, and she is no exception. I have faith Gabriel will one day understand.

After a few moments, Leyna finally speaks, "I know you’re right, Alba, but I also know it’s going to be easier said than done."

"No," I say, "Giving up is easier. Standing up for what you want is going to be hard, but worth it in the end."

Leyna lets out an unsure laugh and gives me a bright smile, "You’re very smart in the ways of the world for someone so young."

"Trust me, I’m not that smart." I chuckle, "I just had to live and learn the hard way and suffer some consequences along the way. I don’t want to see you do the same."

Leyna is about to open her mouth to respond when her phone chimes with an incoming text causing me to smile and Leyna to roll her eyes, "He’s relentless," She smirks.

"I like him already," I tell her. Staring down at the phone in her hand, Leyna blurts out, "He wants me to come to Seattle."

"Are you going to go?"

"I don’t know yet," She shrugs, "We text constantly and sometimes talk on the phone for hours. I remember the first time he contacted me. It was a couple of months after the rescue. He said he had been thinking about me and wanted to see how I was doing. And then, I don’t know. One phone call turned into another, and now it’s just so intense. I feel like I’ve known Lex my entire life. He’s become my best friend."

"Only a friend?" I hedge.

"Honestly, I don’t know. I want there to be more, but I’m not sure about him. Lex hasn’t given me any signs that he sees me as anything more."

I raise my eyebrow, "You sure about that? Because the way he makes you blush says different."

"Lex can be a flirt sometimes, but honestly I think that’s just how he is. I’m not going to read anything into it. A man like him can have any woman he wants. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m unattractive or anything. I’m not one of those kind of women, but I do know there is no way I can hold a man like Lex’s attention. I’ve always been the kind of girl that guys see as ‘the friend’. I’ve been friend zoned more times than I can count. And I’m okay with that. I’m used to it. That is why, I will not get my hopes up when it comes to Alexander."

I can tell Leyna is trying to play the situation off as if it’s no big deal. Her words don’t match her body language or the catch in her voice. I have a sneaky suspicion her radar is way off. I have no doubt things will play out in her favor in the end. Not wanting to push the issue, I decide to change the subject, "I’m starving, how about I order some pizza? Or do you want something else?"

"No, pizza sounds great, I’m surprised they still deliver in this weather, the snow is really coming down out there." Standing up from couch, I make my way into the kitchen, "Well, fingers crossed they will, and I’ll order two since Reid should be here any minute." Glancing at my watch I see it’s getting a little late. I figured he would have been here by now.

Making my way back into the living room, I grab the remote control for the TV off the end table, "Want to watch a movie?" I ask Leyna.

"Yeah, something funny though," She adds.

I’m scrolling through movie choices when the doorbell rings. "No way is that our pizza. I just ordered five minutes ago," I say out loud.

"Maybe it’s Reid. Wasn’t he supposed to be here?" Leyna asks.

"Yeah, but he has a key. Maybe he forgot it," I mumble to myself as I walk over to the front door to let him in. Punching in the code disarming the alarm, I flip the locks and open the door, "Did you forget your key?" I ask expecting to see Reid. Only that’s not who greets me.

"Hello, Alba."

I’m stunned, and it takes me a moment to respond, "Professor Green? What in the world are you doing here?" I ask, still confused by his presence. "And how did you know where I live? This is a little inappropriate, don’t you think?"

I begin to feel very uneasy when he just stands there looking at me with a scowl not answering any of my questions. Something is telling me I need to get away from him. He looks almost wild with his clothes looking a bit disheveled and unshaven face. Nothing like his usual polished self.

When I go to slam the door in his face, he quickly counters my move by forcibly shoving his way into my house. This move causes the door to slam into my face and knocking me to the floor.

Thankfully, I land on my butt. Feeling a sharp radiating pain in my nose and wetness seeping down my face, I bring my hand up to cup my face and I use the sleeve of my sweater trying to control the bleeding.

"Alba, what’s going on?" I hear Leyna asked as she walks in the room. "Oh my god," she gasps running over to help me off the floor.

Once I am back on my feet we both turn our attention back to my former teacher, who has already closed the front door. I notice through my blurry vision he is holding a gun and has it pointed straight at us.

Leyna is the first to speak, "Who the hell are you?" She takes it upon herself to step in front of me, knowing she is doing it to protect me and my baby.

Training his gun directly at Leyna, Professor Green finally opens his mouth, "Shut the fuck up bitch," he seethes, "What I want is what was supposed to have been mine. I want what I was promised." This guy is crazy. I have no idea what the hell he is talking about.

"You need to leave," I demand, finally finding my voice, "My boyfriend will be home any minute."

Barking out a menacing laugh, Professor Green delivers a gut wrenching blow, "Your biker trash of a boyfriend is miles away, and that other one is lying on the side of the road dead. I took care of him on my way here."

I realize he’s talking about Reid. That’s why he never showed up. The professor’s confession has me doubling over. I feel like I can’t breathe. Reid is out there somewhere dying or already dead because of me. Feeling rage build up inside me, I let my anger take over. Standing up to my full height, I dart around Leyna and charge. Momentarily, he is stunned when I rush him and land a solid punch to his cheek.

"Alba, no!" Leyna shouts, but it’s too late. The professor quickly regains his composure and then swiftly backhands me across my face. Luckily, Leyna is there to catch me this time before I fall.

"You stupid, fucking whore!" Walking over to us, Leyna once again places herself between me and the Professor. Giving her a shove, he orders us into the kitchen. "Move! Both of you get in there and sit."

Leyna and I make our way into the kitchen with our hands clasped together. Glancing back, we both keep our weary eyes on the ticking time bomb walking behind us. I keep thinking back to what he said moments ago, something about him wanting what was supposed to be his.

"Sit!" He shouts from behind us, and we both scramble to the kitchen table choosing to sit at the end furthest away from the man who is currently pacing back and forth in front of us. I can hear him mumbling to himself, but I’m unable to make out his words. It’s like he’s in his own little world right now.

Leyna and I continue to watch him for several moments when without warning I feel a gush of wetness between my legs. Feeling my heart rate pick up, I look down and notice the puddle under my seat. This can’t be happening right now. I give Leyna’s hand a tight squeeze gaining her attention. When she cuts her eyes to me, I motion my gaze to the floor beneath me. Not wanting to alert Professor Green we stay silent.

Suddenly, my first contraction hits. It’s not bad, but a bit more uncomfortable than one of those Braxton Hicks contractions. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and breathe through it. When I open my eyes, I realize the professor is quiet and his attention is on me. The way he is staring at me and not saying a word unnerves me and causes my skin to crawl. His eyes are boring into me. It’s as if he’s trying to figure me out.

"What do you want?" I ask, refusing to break eye contact. I’m scared out of my mind, but I don’t want him to know that. I don’t want him to feel like he has that kind of power over me. Maybe if I can get him talking it will buy us some time. I only pray Gabriel figures out something is up sooner rather than later. He calls me pretty frequently, and when I don’t answer he might send someone out. Time is not on my side though. It’s been about ten minutes since my water broke. I don’t know how much time I have.

"I want what I was promised. Those bikers gave me their word. I paid for you. I want what’s mine," he declares.

"What do you mean you paid for her?" This coming from Leyna.

"Los Demonios. As soon as I saw your picture and they told me you were pure, I knew I had to have you. But then your filthy bikers ruined everything. And you gave yourself to one of them. You gave away what was mine you fucking whore," he seethes. At the mention of Los Demonios everything starts clicking. My professor is the man who had bought me?

"The flowers, the notes…all that…was you?" I ask already knowing his answer.

"Yes, it was me. I got a teaching job at your school, so I could be close to you. Waiting for the right time to make you mine. That’s until I learned you were having a biker’s baby. You were a bad girl, Alba, giving away what was mine. But don’t worry, as soon as we get rid of that little problem," he swings the gun towards my swollen belly and points, "you will be mine."

I place my arms around my belly at the mention of getting rid of the problem. He’s talking about my baby. He’s the one who wrote those vile words on the wall of my old apartment. I’ll die before I let him hurt my baby.

With bloodshot eyes and an evil grin, Professor Green begins striding in my direction. Standing abruptly from my chair, I backup a few feet, "What are you doing?" I ask, this time there is no hiding the tremble in my voice. Not answering my question, he continues forward.

With his back turned away from Leyna and his full attention trained on me, I notice her taking advantage of his distraction. Leyna quickly stands up from the table and runs to the kitchen counter. She goes straight for the drawer with the knives. Professor Green is so fixated on me he doesn’t notice.

I take two more steps back until my back is pressed against the wall. With my arms still clutched around my belly protectively, I am now face to face with the very man who wants to take my baby from me. He’s so close I can smell the stench of sour coffee on his breath. Leaning closer into me, he picks up a lock of my hair, bringing it to his nose and inhales, "Mmm," he hums.

Without warning a roar rips through his mouth and he stumbles backwards, away from me. Behind him is Leyna holding a bloody knife, and I realize she has stabbed him.

Not missing a beat, Leyna grabs my hand and we both start to make a run for it. Just as we are about to round the corner of the kitchen, a shot rings out, and I feel my arm being jerked.

I stumble a bit as Leyna falls to the floor and I see blood seeping from her stomach. Falling to my knees beside her, I scream out her name. Seeing blood gushing from the wound in her stomach, I place my hand over it in an attempt to stop the bleeding. It only takes seconds before I am covered in her blood.

Noticing the knife lying beside her body, I go to reach for it, but I’m violently jerked back. I let out a yelp at the pain radiating through my shoulder as Professor Green wraps his hand around my arm and proceeds to drag me across the floor back into the kitchen.

Letting me go, he goes to step over me, and when he does I use all the strength I have and kick. This causes him to lose his balance and tumble to the floor knocking his gun from his hands. Scrambling to my hands and knees, I shuffle towards the weapon ignoring the pain in my wrist and the tightening in my belly as another contraction hits.

Just as I grab the gun, I feel a hand wrap around my ankle. When I am tugged backwards I fall from my hands and knees and onto my belly and the pain causes a blood curdling scream to rip from my body. Flipping me on my back, the professor straddles my legs and begins wrestling me for the weapon.

Rearing back with a closed fist, I prepare myself for the blow. Seconds later his fist slams down on the side of my head and I instantly see little black spots. He uses my dazed state to wrap his hand around the gun still in my grasp. I continue to put up a fight even as I feel myself slipping away.

The last thing I remember before darkness takes me is the sounds of another gunshot echoing in my ears.