If It Was Meant to Be

21

Barron POV
We make it to my brothers regular casino. It is a pretty run down place but I know for a fact that they have really exclusive poker games downstairs. I mean, the starting price to get in 200,000 dollars, and it just keeps going up from there. Let me tell, you they do some pretty shady shit down there. How do I know? DJT took me to a similar place in New York when I was seven. I didn't know why at the time, but it turned out my parents had briefly cut him off and he wanted to see if I had any cash on me. I did and that guy still owes me 50,000. I let it go though. The whole family did. DJT is a loose cannon and everyone is just glad that he keeps his endeavors on the down low. We are about to get in front of the bouncer when I realize something.
"Give me your bracelets, oh,s oh and that ring too." I say to Brooke still out of earshot of the bouncer.
"What? no!"
"Brooke, if you keep that on you're your basically begging to get mugged. Not to mention what you're wearing."
"Fine." She says as she starts to take off the jewelry. I also took off my pin. Anything to official might scare these low life's off before we even have a chance to get to Donald. Brooke and I start to walk to the bouncer. He is a really big guy. But I know since we look the part for a secret underground poker game he might let us in... and forget the fact we're underage.
"Hello" I say trying to look unbothered
"Password." He says stone faced.
"Come on man."
"Password and no ladiesdy's alowedoud."
"What?!" Brooke says obviously offended. I can understand why. I mean people like me and Brooke have never been denied... well anything. But she needs to let me handle this if we are going to get in. I was about to open my mouth and say something when Brooke pulled out a stack of hundreds from her dress. Which apparently had pockets. She hands the man about half the stack. And we are alowedud in. It is a dark and dingy place. It is cold and kind of like a dimly lit bar. People are still playing up here but I'm assuming the stakes are pretty low. Everyone is staring at us. And with good reason we look like we got lost on the way to the Met. Out of the corner of my eye I see an elevator. Which I'm pretty sure leads downstairs. We go inside and press the lowest button. The elevator opens and we are in a really nice club of some sort. It was modern and had strobe lights and of course girls with drinks. It's as if misogyny had a human form. There were multiple tables but the one in the middle looked the most menacing. And of course that's where DTJ was. We walk over there and I pull up a chair for Brooke. There are a few men at the table. Most of them look like they have been playing for awhile, with their dapper clothes and long cigars they could have been the cover of 'Mafia Weekly.' When we sit down they look at us like we're aliens. We are out of place but they don't even try to make us feel comfortable. As we sit down some unknown dancer (yes that kind of dancer) starts to deal us in. I don't plan on playing. I don't even know how to but maybe I'll talk to that dancer later... I snap out of my rather 'R' rated thoughts when I see Donald at the dinner of the table he is not playing but it looks like there holding him hostage. Not that he's wearing handcuffs or anything he just looks terrified to move or even breath. The guy sitting closest to him starts to speak.
"We know what you want. But this guy over here has been playing here for months and not settled his debts so we freezed his assets when that didn't work we decided that our best plan was to keep him here until he figured out how to pay us." He said with a slick voice
"There has to be another way!" Brooke practically shouts.
"A game winner all." By all do they mean DTJ and wipe his debts?
"No way! This is crazy?! I am only sixteen so you better be out of your damn mind to think I'm going to play freaking poker with men who don't have anything better to do than sit on their ass." I say. Brooke stands up and pulls me to the corner of the room.
"Are you insane? Everyone knows you don't mess with the mafia!"
"Are you telling me you're considering the option?"
"Of course I'm not! But I do have an idea that's crazy enough it just might work."
"Please don't use that extreme language you're basically begging for karma" I say
Walk back over to the table. The men look ready for a fight. I really hope that what Brookes about to give them is damn near close.
"We can pay you somewhat of a down payment and get the rest later." She says as she lays down all of her jewelry and guesstures me to the same with my watch. I mean I really like my Rolex but I have a few more at home and an unhealthy amount at school. I take it off and put it in the pile. I think they are going to be slightly shocked or even a little surprised I mean we did just put upwards of seven hundred thousand dollars on the table but they start to laugh. And not slightly giggle like a full on deep stomach filling double downing tear inducing laugh.
"You think that a few stray pieces of jewelry will cover his debt?" He say in between laughs.
"Well what do you want. Cuz that's all we have!" I say violently. In such a tone that no one is laughing now.
"The girl." He says in a cold voice
"What?!" Brooke says but they completely ignore her, as if it isn't her decision.
"I'm going to give you a chance to rethink your price?!"
"One night one girl." He say. I can tell Brooke wants to speak but this guy wouldn't even acknowledge her. She is smart and probably won't waste her breath so this is up to me.
"This is crazy she is only fifteen. What your asking for is illegal and considered rape." I say with conviction.
"Take him" Brooke says "He is the equivalent of Rob Kardashian, nobody cares if he lives or dies." She says
"Don't worry Bose she's a liar"one of the people at the table say
"And you're a rapist." She says as she grabs my hand and we start to walk out. I can still hear Donald's muffled screams when we're outside.
"What were you thinking?!" I say as we hastily cross the street
"My jewelry has a tracker on it. We will tell your parents what happened and they can take it from there." Of course! Why didn't I think of that.
"You are an evil genius" I say as we turn a corner
"What do you mean evil?" She says as we start to pick up the pace
"Every genius is some form of evil. Some are just better at hiding it than others." I say. We are right outside the White House right now.
"That is a pessimistic way to look at it." She says as we slip in the back door
"Doesn't make it any less true." I say as we walk up the stairs
"Do you know what time it is?" I pull out my phone.
"It's 2:04pm. You do realize our parents are going to kill us" I say as Brooke opens the door to the residency
"Once we tell them about your brother they won't have time to get mad." We walk inside the living room. To see Hunter and Ivanka on the couch sitting and talking. They have always been close, mostly because they are full siblings a contrast to Tiffany who is standing in the corner calling someone. I'm assuming it's Fredrick. On the other side my mom is fussing over my dad. And not too far away Brookes parents are doing the same, they also have a portrait today. No one seems to notice us. So I start to walk up to my parents, with Brooke not far behind. Finally Jake and Olivia notice us and gravity towards the conversation.
"Mom Dad Mrs and Mr Ballard. We found Donald." I say
"What? I was not allertetred that you left the building. Did you not take the secret service?" My mom says disappointedly.
"And it was all for nothing because he's not even missing." My dad comments
"Except he is. Barron and I went to look for him so that he could be a part of your family portrait and unearthed that he has been playing illegal underground poker and is now being held for not paying his debts." Brooke says
"Well what did you do about it." My dad says
"Tell you and not die." I chime in
"We left my jewelry inside so that someone could find it and take it with them." Brooke starts
"It should lead you straight to Donald since it has a tracker." I finish
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention." Jake says he turns around to my siblings and speaks louder "Due to unforeseen circumstances we will be postponing the portraits for an hour. Please go stand by as we tackle this situation." And with that all of the parents walk off into the distance. I turn to Brooke
"Want to hang out in my room while we wait?" I say
"Why not." She replies. We walk to my room which is not very far and I open the door.
"Here it is." I say