Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. Plagiarism is theft. No copying or reproduction of this one shot is permitted.
©2011 Bronzehyperion. All rights reserved worldwide.
This story is rated M for a reason.
Valentine's Day Countdown: My Bloody Valentine
ROOKIE MISTAKE
"So, Bell-za-bub, whatcha having?"
I rolled my eyes at my best friend, for he knew how I felt about ridiculous nicknames.
I hated them.
"Jasper," I grumbled. "My name is Bella. Isabella if you want to get formal. Officer Swan when we are on the job. It's not any kind of word play on the name Bella."
Jasper Whitlock. He was my best friend. He was like a brother.
He was my partner.
No, not like that.
He was my partner in crime, so to speak.
Jasper and I had graduated from the Seattle Police Academy a year ago. In the past year we'd had additional training in special duties, namely drug trafficking and gang violence.
Seattle had been suffering from gang violence for two of at least the last three decades but it had increased severely in the last five years, all because of a so called turf war between the Volturi brothers Aro, Marcus and Caius and their posse and Edward Cullen and his gang.
They were seedy businessmen; concealed drug dealers who used their business to provide a constant drug flow through the city while they lived a glamorous life sponsored by unglamorous means.
Oh, and a lifetime ago Edward Cullen had been my boyfriend.
And a lifetime it certainly was; ten years.
So much had changed since the night he had broken up with me.
Valentine's Day 2001.
Not that it mattered, because I was over it.
Or so I kept telling myself.
I would never admit it to anyone but when I had learned of Edward's involvement in this gang war it had made the burning hole he had left behind years prior even bigger because it was such a shame that he had chosen this path, instead of becoming a doctor like he had always wanted.
But time had changed everything and after the initial disappointment anger had won over.
If Edward Cullen was part of what made this city rotten it was my job to stop him.
Which was why Jasper and I were sitting in a pizzeria.
Seemingly having a normal dinner.
But really, we weren't.
"So, B?"
"What?"
"What are you having?"
He gestured towards the small framed girl with a punk look - pink and black hair in a Rihanna ala 2009 type do, black clothes and a nose ring - that stood at our table, tapping her foot impatiently. She looked bored and rolled her eyes in an obnoxious way.
"This is Heidi and she wants to take our order," Jasper teased.
Of course. Heidi Volturi. Marcus' youngest – well only - daughter. She was waitressing today in her dad's Italian restaurant.
"Oh," I say dumbly. "I'll have a Coke and the mushroom risotto."
Jasper nodded approvingly as Heidi wrote down our order. She then looked at Jasper who ordered a Coke too and a large pizza with cheese, salami and anchovies.
"Anything else?" she asked, her voice made of ice. She was definitely not interested in the concept of customer service.
"No, no thanks," Jasper smiled.
It seemed his southern charm thawed her a bit because a small smile was visibly tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"See, she likes me," he grinned at me once she had left our table.
I rolled my eyes.
"What?" he said innocently. "I am just being polite."
"You do realize she could be a potential witness if this thing goes to trial, right?" I muttered quietly. "Don't get too friendly."
"B, seriously? Assuming we'll get lucky at some point and actually manage to catch all these assholes, it will still take over a year before it makes it to court. If it makes it to court, with all the damn corruption in this city. Did you hear about Judge Malone? He was appointed to the Reznik case but received a butt load of cash and suddenly dropped out due to 'personal reasons'. Bam! Trial pushed back, defendant out on bail. A rapist, mind you. No one knows where the money came from but Reznik used to work for A-R-O," he spelled.
"I heard about that. And stop calling me B."
"The point, B…ella, is that I am not so sure if the Volturi won't manage to keep their asses out of jail. Same goes for Cullen."
Cullen. Edward. My ex. Jasper didn't know about this detail.
I wondered briefly if Edward would have the kind of influence that would keep him out of jail and more importantly, if he would use it.
He didn't used to do anything extremely illegal, apart from swearing a lot – which wasn't a crime – and letting his older brother Emmett buy him booze sometimes.
That was a long time ago Bella, I told myself.You were kids. He is not the same guy. He is nothing to you now.
"They have ways, Bella. Ways that are probably more efficient than any judge slapping them with a sentence."
"What are you saying?" I wondered. "You think this assignment is pointless?"
Jasper shrugged. "It pays my bills, so I do the job I am told to do."
"Things will change after the elections," I pointed out.
"Maybe. Maybe not."
Jasper enjoyed his pizza while I poked at my mushroom risotto, pondering his words.
This case was one of huge importance and Jasper and I were only playing a small part. All we had to do was shadow Heidi Volturi; follow her every move and hope to collect more valuable information on the Volturi.
Not an easy job because a sixteen year old was always on the phone, always on the move and always grumpy. Most of the time we didn't get anything useful. In fact, the only reason we were still following her was because she was always sneaking about.
Sneaking about to meet with Seth.
Cullen.
Seth Cullen. Edward's younger brother. He had only been six years old ten years ago and Edward and I had spent quite a few nights babysitting him.
I could understand why Heidi would like him. Even as a small boy he had been a charmer with the way he lisped and had called me "Izzybell."
He probably didn't remember me anymore.
"Bella…you not eating that?" Jasper asked while drooling on my risotto.
"Seriously?" I rolled my eyes. "You just ate a pizza in less than ten minutes."
"I was damn hungry."
I was about to offer him my barely touched risotto but then I noticed Heidi from the corner of my eye.
She was chatting on the phone with a huge smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.
I concluded it must be Seth she was talking to.
As she passed our table, I could hear her say "I'll see you soon" before she headed towards the exit.
"Jasper," I hissed, "target on the move."
"Hey, I am still eating!"
"No time," I grumbled before throwing money on the table and pulling him along.
"Just so you know, I do not appreciate getting dragged away from a fantastic slice of pizza and an unfinished plate of risotto."
I rolled my eyes. "We have been friends for years, Jasper. I know you have an obsession with food. But I don't care," I shrugged as we tried to discretely follow young Heidi, who was chatting animatedly into her phone.
"Pff," Jasper huffed. "You owe me dinner, Swan."
"What's with the annoying nicknames? You don't see me calling you 'Jazz'," I teased as I made exaggerated jazz hands.
"I wish you would. Jasper is too formal," Jasper muttered as we found ourselves following Heidi to what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse.
"Oh yeah, she is definitely meetin' her boyfriend," Jasper said excitedly.
"How do you figure?"
"Abandoned space? Not a place for a teenage girl to meet some girlfriends, if you know what I mean," he winked.
"They are so going for a good make out slash have sex spot," Jasper added with a grin.
Heidi Volturi and Seth Cullen. Both sixteen. From different families; rivaling ones. Their story couldn't be more Romeo and Juliet-esque.
Her dad would kill him and his brother would kill her family if they knew. They had been sneaking around for months and they were our key to settling this war and putting the right men behind bars once and for all.
I tried not to think about how my life had once been frighteningly similar. I had once been a teenage girl who would sneak out to meet her boyfriend.
All until that fateful day almost ten years ago. Tomorrow would be the ironic and unwanted anniversary of the night someone had stomped on my heart to break it into a million pieces, leaving me figuratively bleeding as he had told me I was no good for him and he didn't want me.
Edward Cullen.
He probably didn't even remember me anymore. He probably didn't even remember that night anymore.
I wanted to go back to forgetting as well. We had been young and stupid anyway. Like Romeo and Juliet ourselves, without the poison that would kill us both.
Or maybe it had. It had taken me years to wake up in the morning and deal with the day without needing anti-depressants. And even now, ten years later there was still a part of me that would always be broken.
"Crap, I am still hungry," Jasper complained, pulling me from my thoughts. I welcomed the simplicity of the way his mind sometimes worked because it always pulled me away from more serious thoughts.
"You need to walk off that pizza, J-man," I teased. "Alice Brandon won't want you if you start to develop a pizza gut."
Jasper halted me for a second as he searched my eyes, his reflecting a hopeful glimmer.
"Alice said she likes me?"
"I may have seen her cast you a few glances," I winked before I started walking again.
Trust me when I say, following around a bunch of horny teenagers is no picnic.
Jasper and I had been shadowing Heidi for a few months now and she had led us to quite a few "adventurous" places, including the rooftop of the MacDonald's Seth worked at and tons of abandoned sites like empty parking lots and warehouses.
I had no idea how they knew of these places. Maybe Facebook kept a list of "Seedy Places To Make Out with Your Boyfriend."
We didn't shadow them all the time; that would be impossible and far too obvious. Also, in the three months we had been doing this, these kids – kids yeah, I am ten years older – hadn't brought us closer to the source of all the problems.
Heidi didn't seem to interact much with her family and from what Jasper and I had gathered so far, they were oblivious to the fact she was dating a Cullen.
This was actually quite surprising because from what I had observed and what I had read in files, all the Volturi brothers kept tabs on their next of kin.
I supposed that if there was a leader in the Volturi family, it was Aro. He was the only one without children and he definitely lived the fast life; cars, women, penthouses. He owned a casino slash bowling alley on Renton Avenue that was very successful – and completely illegal because he didn't have a license for the casino but never had the city forced him to close it.
He was definitely a smart businessman and his main income came from selling drugs.
Where: His brother's club Vulture.
Caius Volturi was the youngest brother. He owned a successful nightclub on Pioneer Square.
Pioneer Square was Cullen territory. Edward's brother Emmett Cullen and his wife Rosalie owned two restaurants there. Edward himself had invested in a nightclub owned by his friend Jacob Black a few blocks from Vulture.
Edward was rich, though I had no way of knowing how he made his money. I suspected – and it pained me as much as it gave me a reason to put him away – that he was dabbling in as much illegality as the Volturi.
Now Black's club Rabbit Hole had always done very well – I guess Edward's income was partially legal because he made money from the club too - until Caius Volturi had opened Vulture just around the corner five years ago.
A grand opening that night had turned some "friendly" competition between the two entertainment venues into a gang war that would make West Side Story look like a rom-com.
Jacob Black's fiancée Vanessa had been accidentally shot that night by Demetri, a Volturi cousin after an altercation between Edward, Jacob, Caius and said Demetri.
She had died in Jacob's arms and while Demetri had been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and had been behind bars for three years, Edward and Jacob still played executioner. One of Edward's "associates" had assaulted Maria, Marcus' wife. Caius and Aro had been shot at a couple of times, by Riley, a supposed friend of Jacob's. Plus, there were fights between both sides in both clubs, almost every weekend.
Not to mention all the corrupt deals that went down away from prying eyes.
I didn't know all this because I still kept in touch. I had read all of it in the cold harsh printed reality that was a police file.
Most people kept track of their exes on Facebook.
The problem with a gang war is that there is something going on every day. That you are never really safe from it if you have a link to one of the two parties.
Not to mention what it did to the entire town. Over the years several innocent bystanders had ether got hurt or murdered and criminal violence rates were sky rocketing.
It was one of the primary campaign points for the election for a new mayor in three months.
One of the candidates was Charles Swan.
My father.
I would certainly do him a huge favor by assisting in the ending of this war.
"What the fuck is this place?" Jasper wondered as he carefully climbed the stairs that led up to a door.
"Storage space, I think," I said. "A warehouse."
"More like a whorehouse," Jasper said, which earned him a reproaching slap on the wrist.
"Be nice. I know you'd rather eat your weight in Italian right about now, but this is our actual job."
"Fine…"
We reached the top of the stairs and in a comical move Jasper laid his ear against the door to listen for noises.
Admittedly, Jasper and I were rookies in every sense of the word and while we both had our clever moments, I had to admit I wasn't certain if either of us were in the right place.
Jasper loved food, not just eating but cooking it as well. His dad had been a lieutenant and since Jasper didn't want to disappoint him, he had followed in his footsteps by becoming a cop himself.
I had become a cop because I believed in justice. But the more I saw of justice, the less I actually believed in it.
Jasper looked over his shoulder. "What do we do?"
I shrugged and suggested for him to open the door. Worst case scenario, we'd have to cover up our stalking because we'd get busted by two teenagers. But maybe they were so busy they wouldn't even notice.
Allowing Jasper to open that door without proper back up was a typical rookie mistake.
Looking back, as I found myself tied to a chair, I shouldn't have allowed Jasper to leave me alone because he wanted me to keep an eye on things while he called in for back up.
When he had opened the door and allowed me to walk in first – because he was so darn "southern and polite" it had been evident Heidi and Seth had walked straight into a trap themselves.
Busted had gotten a whole new meaning when Jasper and I had looked down on a furious Edward Cullen smacking around his own brother because he was simply in love, while Jacob Black kept a frightened and sobbing Heidi in a bear lock, preventing her from either running or jumping on Edward to get him off Seth.
Jasper, not willing to break up the fight himself and blow our cover had backed away outside again, pulling me with him.
"You stay here," he had said. "I am calling in back-up."
I knew it would have been a weak thing to say, "Let's leave it and go" after Jasper had pointed out that "this would be the closest we'd ever get to getting Cullen."
And getting Cullen could lead to getting the Volturi brothers.
"Just stay put and shoot the guy if you have to," he had warned before sprinting off to…find a pay phone.
Another rookie mistake: no cell-phones.
Maybe we wouldn't be suspended for stupidity if we'd manage to catch Edward Cullen and Jacob Black.
Of course, we would never find out.
Because I should have stayed put like Jasper had told me
Or maybe I should have run off.
But little did Jasper know about my history. About the heartbreak I had suffered.
About the pain that was throbbing deep inside me as the hollowness that Edward Cullen had left behind had started burning fiercely the moment I had seen him inside.
As I had stood there, the hole aching and ripping, knowing what was going on behind that door, I'd had no choice but to go back inside.
Rookie mistake or not.
Of course Heidi Volturi had recognized me and while she'd been sobbing in a corner while her boyfriend was being punished for being in love, she had verbalized her recognition.
Like it had mattered, everyone knew my face.
One pre-election party shot in the newspaper and rookie cop Isabella Swan had a face.
Edward Cullen had recognized me too, I had seen it in his eyes.
For different reasons, of course.
Yeah, I really should've run.
But the look in Heidi's eyes had been too pleading.
The look in a pair of shimmering emerald eyes had nailed me to the ground.
Just like then years ago.
(Flashback)
Edward was walking me home after what had been the most perfect of dates. He may be sixteen and I may be sixteen and while people always commented we were young, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.
"What time does your dad get back?" he wondered with a devious smirk.
I knew that look. It did funny things to my insides and my lady parts.
"We have time," I told him as he took my hand to kiss the back of it.
"Back to your place then?"
(End Flashback)
(Edward POV)
"Forgive me for saying this," I grinned, "but you may be the worst cop I have ever encountered."
Really, how stupid could a cop get by coming into a warehouse alone, managing to catch attention by dropping her weapon and not running for her life after being found out?
Of course since that cop was Isabella Swan, it kind of made sense.
She had never been the most graceful of creatures, despite her last name.
To me, however, she had always been an ethereal beauty; an angel who kept me grounded.
A furious angel now; she didn't appreciate my words judging from the way she was scowling at me.
Which made me fucking grin even more. She had always been so darn beautiful when she was pissed. Her chocolate eyes would burn me, her plump lips would pout and man if I didn't want to kiss her when she would do it.
But that was ten years ago and I wasn't an enamored boy anymore.
I was a man who had made choices that had consequences.
Bella had made choices as well.
And our choices brought us here today.
She was a cop and I was the one she was hoping to catch.
Two sides of a different spectrum that could never meet in the middle again.
Only once had that happened.
But that was a fucking lifetime ago.
(Flashback)
"Happy Valentine's Day, baby."
Bella traced my shoulder blades with her warm fingers as I unclasped her bra.
Fuck, she was beautiful. Her tits were not even a handful but I had large hands and I hated chicks with those fake blown up chests.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked her.
Bella nodded with a smile.
"I want you," she told me and she put emphasis in her words by stroking my cock through my black dress pants.
I was coming fucking undone easily with the way she was being all coy but predatory at the same time.
The evening had been perfect. It had been my first Valentine's Day with Bella and I had wanted it to be a special one. I had taken her to a fancy Italian restaurant. I had even dressed up for the occasion with black dress pants, a white shirt and a nice jacket.
Bella had looked equally fantastic in a so called little black dress that had left very little to the imagination. The heels she had worn with them – quite the accomplishment because Bella even had trouble walking on flat surfaces – were typical "fuck me" heels even though I had no experience with the said expression. I had never fucked anyone, nor would I.
Maybe I was a pussy but the only one I wanted to make love to was Bella and that's why it was perfect that Charlie Swan was going to be home late.
"I want you too," I groaned as I leaned in to take one of Bella's hardened nipples in my mouth.
"Oh God, Edward," she gasped.
I smiled against her naked flushed skin, which was warm and inviting. Cream and pink.
Bella was only in her panties now, while I was still wearing dress pants. The throbbing erection made it hard to think properly and I desperately wanted to pull my cock from its fabric confines but I knew I needed to let Bella lead on this.
"Edward," she breathed as I made my way down to her stomach, licking her belly button which made her giggle.
"Yes?" I moaned. "Tell me what you want..."
"I want you to touch me. And then I want you inside me."
The words were soft, no more than a whisper. But there was an urgency in the way she said them.
An urgency that made me want to rip her panties off.
I looked up at Bella, my chin resting on her pelvic bone. "Can I take off your panties?"
Bella nodded but then frowned.
"Only if you take of your pants," she challenged shyly.
She didn't have to tell me twice.
I gently moved away to pull off my pants.
Bella watched me the entire time, her chest going up and down with a cadence that evoked passion and sexuality. She really did have an amazing rack.
Also, her red panties were fucking soaked.
"You're going commando?" she grinned as she pointed at my cock saluting her.
What can I say: no boxers or briefs for his guy.
"Baby," I whispered as I crawled back onto her bed. "You are so wet."
"Take them off and make me yours," Bella whispered as I fingered her through the fabric.
As she writhed by my touch, I could do nothing but oblige. It would be rude not to.
Peeling them off while stroking my fingers against her bare thighs made Bella moan so loud, my cock was about to explode.
"Baby, if you keep making those noises, I wouldn't last very long," I growled as I leaned in to capture her mouth with mine.
"Neither will I," Bella admitted against my lips as she reached between us to touch the tip of my aching member.
"Fuuuck," I hissed. "You drive me crazy."
Bella explored my cock with her trembling fingers, precum lubricating my shaft as she moved up and down. While she made me even harder than I already was – as if that was possible – I plunged one finger into her heated core which made her cry out.
"Edward, oooooh….that feels so good…"
I grinned and added another finger, rubbing her nub while she speeded up her movements to make my cock desperate for release.
"Edward," she moaned, "please…."
She was soaking and ready and while I knew it wouldn't be all that pleasant for her the first time, it was better for her to be moist down there.
I stilled her hand and aligned my cock with her sex.
"This might hurt a little, baby," I whispered. "I'll go slow."
I pushed in a little, which felt fucking amazing. But Bella's eyes widened and she grimaced as I pushed a little more.
"Baby, are you okay?"
She nodded after taking a few steadying breaths.
"Just push," she encouraged me. "I know it'll hurt but I want to get it over with."
"Are you sure?"
Bella nodded and lifted her hips a little to give me better access.
Taking one deep breath to revel in the heat that was surrounding my cock, I pushed hard until I was all the way inside her.
Bella's shocked cry told me she was in pain. The fact my cock felt like it was tearing her walls, almost made me pull out.
"Baby…" I pleaded as tears spilled on her cheeks. "I am sorry…I know it hurts…"
But fuck if I wasn't about to cum because I was a sixteen year old boy who had his cock inside a fantastic pussy for the first time.
"It's okay," Bella whispered. "The pain is fading."
I tried to keep still, partially because I wasn't ready to cum but also because I didn't want to hurt Bella even more.
"I am going to move a little, okay?"
Bella nodded but kept her eyes closed.
I pulled out a little before thrusting back in again slowly, causing Bella's eyes to fly open after the fucking sexiest moan ever had escaped her lips.
"Edward…"
"Yes baby," I hissed, as Bella started matching a rhythm that I was trying to create.
"It doesn't really hurt now…"
That was all I needed to hear. That was all my cock needed to hear.
I grabbed her legs and wrapped them around my waist while I tried to keep a steady pace.
My cock felt like it was swelling to epic proportions as Bella's core milked it for all it was worth.
"Shit, baby, you feel so good…I am not going to last…fuck!"
"Edward," Bella gasped, "Ooooh, Edward!"
My name on her lips and the walls of her sex clamping down around me was the thing that sent me over the edge as I spilled inside her. I tried to find her nub and rubbed it frantically, sending Bella over the edge right after me. Once she did, I gently collapsed on top of her, resting my head on her chest, while she stroked my hair.
"Happy Valentine's Day, baby," I whispered in my post orgasmic haze. "I love you."
"I love you too."
(End Flashback)
Seeing her standing there at the top of stairs had brought back so many memories and for a moment it had felt like I had been trapped in a twilight zone that was sucking me back to 2001.
But the girl standing there wasn't a teenager anymore. Not physically and certainly not emotionally.
And I was impressed with the way she had pointed her gun…
Until she had dropped it.
Dashing up the stairs had been easy as she had stood there, her eyes glued to the fucking girl that had been giving my baby brother a fucking blow job before Jake and I had interrupted.
Trust me when I say; it's weird seeing your brother get pleasure from your arch nemesis.
And sure, little Heidi was not the actual enemy but she was part of the family that had caused mine so many problems.
So much fucking grief.
Jacob and I had found out about Seth's little sexcapades a while back and stupidly we had hoped that he was leading the bitch on.
But he wasn't. After I had ripped her from his cock and Jacob had grabbed her before she could run, Seth had told me he would rather die than let anyone hurt Heidi because he loved her.
I had told him that could be arranged.
Of course, I would never kill my own flesh and blood but he needed to be taught a lesson.
There would be no way I would allow my brother to be involved with a Volturi.
I would rather die myself.
Bella didn't say a word as she shifted back and forth on her chair. She was shooting the occasional dagger at me and while her fury was kind of a turn on, I tried to ignore the effect her doe-eyes had on me.
Jake and I were standing a few feet away, watching as Seth had scooted closer to Heidi and had grabbed her hand, even though we had them both tied up.
Young fucked up love.
"I think we scared her enough," he muttered quietly. "I am sure we can keep her quiet."
I frowned.
"We should just let them go."
"She is going to run straight to her family," I pointed out.
"You think Seth won't?" Jake countered. "If he tells your mom you are in trouble."
"I don't fucking care," I grumbled, "he should have known better."
"Edward, you've got something bigger to deal with," Jacob said, pointing at the girl in the chair, whose furious chocolate eyes were looking at me accusingly.
She made me kind of hard.
Isabella Swan still knew how to push my buttons. She was beautiful. Gorgeous.
I would still be with her if she wasn't a part of a fucked up system that had gotten all of us in this rotten mess to begin with. If only her dad hadn't signed off on the permit that had allowed Caius Volturi to open up his club because he'd been paid to do so.
If only her dad hadn't been the one tearing us apart.
(Flashback)
Imagine having sex with your incredible girlfriend on Valentine's Day, telling her you love her and then get busted by her dad.
Who hated your fucking guts.
That would suck.
And fuck, it did.
Especially because Charlie Swan had forced me to do what I was about to do.
I had no fucking choice.
"Edward?"
Bella shouldn't be that surprised to see me – I had climbed through her window before – but since her dad had all but kicked me out a few hours earlier and it was the middle of the night, it made sense she was at the very least surprised to see me now.
"What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk," I muttered.
"It's the middle of the night," Bella protested. "If my dad catches you again…"
Like that would fucking matter now.
After what I was about to do, he would never have a problem with me again.
"He won't," I said icily.
"What's wrong?" Bella frowned, as I stood at the open window, not moving to get closer to her.
I had to do this quick, like ripping off a band aid.
"We made a mistake," I said coolly, while my heart was breaking inside.
Bella narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Tonight was a mistake."
Bella's eyes widened at my harsh words but then she shook her head.
"You don't mean that. You told me you love me."
She saw right through me, because she knew me well. I had to be more convincing.
More relentless.
"Any guy getting pussy will say that, trust me."
"Edward, don't!" Bella pleaded, her eyes starting to fill with tears.
It took me every ounce of restrain to remain by the window. I wanted nothing more but to comfort her, tell her it was all a lie.
Tell her she was the only one and that tonight had been the best fucking night ever.
"Look, Bella. I am sorry I let this go on for so long. I am sorry we had sex. We shouldn't have."
Bella was starting to shake; I knew I was crushing her and breaking her heart the way her father had demanded me to.
"You….you regret it? Was it not….was I not good?"
Everything inside me told me to rush to her side, crush my lips to hers and tell her she had been fucking amazing.
But there was a small part, a menacing voice that warned me he could make my life hell if I didn't do what he had demanded me to.
Finish it, I told myself.
Like a band aid.
"Honestly," I said steadily. "I have had better" – a lie….I had never been with anyone.
Bella's audible gasp made sense; I had always told her I was a virgin. Which I had been, before tonight.
"I….am not good enough?" Bella asked again, tears streaming down her face.
"You're not."
"So…you don't want me?" she sobbed.
I nodded. "I don't."
I turned to climb back out the widow, knowing that I couldn't hold it together if I saw one more tear escape her eyes. She shouldn't cry for a fucking asshole like me.
"Edward, please," she whispered through her tears. "Don't do this."
"Goodbye Bella," I murmured, before closing the window behind me.
I climbed down the tree, wetness leaking on my hand. Fucking tears.
Once I was on the ground, I noticed a silhouette watching me from the kitchen window.
Charlie Swan.
I flipped him off before I glanced up to Bella's window one more time.
There was no silhouette there. She wasn't watching me.
As I ran home, blinded by my tears, I knew I would never be the same.
I was dead.
(End Flashback)
"Let her go!"
"Not gonna happen!"
"Motherfucker."
"Is that any way to speak to your brother?"
"Edward, maybe…"
"Jake, shut up!"
A snort.
I glanced into the direction of the girl tied to a chair and wondered why she was snorting now. It was the first sound she had made since she had been tied to that chair.
"Anything funny?" I muttered.
"You call me the worst cop in the world but here you are with three hostages and it seems to me you don't have a clue what to do with us."
She spoke calmly and almost bored, which was surprising.
I supposed I had expected her to be more afraid.
But she wasn't.
Then again, Bella had never really been afraid of anything.
"Also, what guy beats his own brother? I think you need anger management classes for sure once you are in jail."
I snorted at her words because there was no fucking way I would go to jail.
"What makes you think I'll end up in jail?"
"That's where thugs like you belong."
It only hurt a little that she called me a thug.
"Also, my partner went to get back-up," she smirked.
Crap. The last thing I fucking needed right now was a police intervention. Getting arrested for assault and kidnapping would be fucking bad.
My face must have betrayed something because Bella's smile grew wider.
"I guess you are what one would call 'fucked'.
"Of course, you only like getting fucked by the right person," Bella added snidely.
Damn…
Hearing the word fuck escape her lips was a massive turn on and my cock was straining against the zipper of my jeans.
Typical Cullen, I chided myself. Get a boner, why don't you.
But then, I deflated quite quickly as I realized the meaning behind her words.
Of course she remembered that night.
Jake came up next to me, his hand clamping down on my shoulder.
"We don't need the cops involved, Edward," he warned me. "We've got enough shit as it is."
"With all due respect," Isabella intervened, "your crap pile has just increased a lot by keeping me here.
"Don't you think so, Edward?"
Jake looked surprised as he gave me a questioning look. "How does she know your name?"
"Ah, I am hurt," Bella said. "You never mentioned me to your good buddy here."
"I can't hold it against you though, you were not that memorable either," she added, bitterness lacing her voice.
It hurt a little to hear Bella dismiss me so fucking easily but her eyes betrayed that she still lived with the pain that night had left behind.
I knew exactly how she felt, even if she would never believe me. And I couldn't blame her for wanting to forget about me after I had treated her so badly.
"Edward?" Jake asked.
"I'll explain some other time."
"My dad never liked you, Edward. If he finds out, he is going to do everything in his power to get you behind bars."
"Your father won't change a thing. He doesn't want to."
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing."
Bella looked at me speculatively before she spoke again. Her voice was soft, pleading. She reminded me of the girl I had fallen in love with in middle school.
"Look, you don't have to do this. You could still change things."
Jake seemed to lean towards Bella's pleas as he looked at my brother and the scared young girl he was holding hands with.
"Maybe we should end this right now. Like I said before, I am sure if we talk to Heidi she won't tell her dad. Right Heidi?"
Heidi lifted her head and nodded. "Just let us go," she pleaded. "I won't tell anybody. I just want to be with Seth."
Seth didn't say a word but gave me an icy look that screamed distaste.
A pair of brown doe eyes gave me the same expression.
I wanted to give in. Suddenly I felt this great desire to fucking prove to Bella I wasn't a total jerk.
To set right what I had wronged ten years ago. It was no longer about a kidnapping or settling a family feud.
I simply couldn't let her go now.
"Edward?" Jake said. "What do you want to do?"
"Get the car," I told him. "We are going to take a ride."
(Bella POV)
I knew I should be scared but strangely enough I wasn't. Sure, I was blindfolded and tied up in Edward Cullen's car going Lord knows where and I was certainly uncomfortable but I wasn't afraid.
I was too pissed to be scared. Too hurt to dwell on the fact I was being kidnapped and taken to a place where Jasper wouldn't be able to find me.
I had realized, as I had observed Edward that all the hurt, all the pain of that night ten years ago was about to erupt from a volcano of emotions that I had kept bottled up for so long.
The one thing that had surprised me was Edward. I had expected him to be indifferent but I had caught him staring at me a few times. The look in his eyes had been pleading. Loving. Like the old Edward I'd known before that horrible night.
Of course, it was foolish to think I still had any kind of effect on him, he had made sure years before that I didn't, but I couldn't help but wonder.
I had spotted his hard on. Maybe he was more affected by me than he would ever admit. Or maybe he was just a pervert who got a kick out of abusing people physically now.
After what seemed like hours the car stopped. I could feel a small gust of wind as someone – either Jake or Edward – opened the door.
I felt two strong arms form around me, picking me quite gently as I allowed the darkness to carry me. It was the most ridiculous thing to feel safe and even a bit aroused but I couldn't deny that whoever was carrying me – oh who was I kidding, I knew it was Edward – didn't make me feel uncomfortable.
"Sorry about all of this," a voice murmured.
Edward.
And the words held so much more than a simple apology for kidnapping me.
The whispers held a ten year old pain that echoed my own.
Yeah, I was sorry too.
(Edward POV)
You know you have made a huge fucking mistake when you are carrying the woman you once loved into the back of a night club owned by your best friend, then tie her up to another chair, knowing you have really fucking kidnapped her.
I was screwed and not in the "pelvic action" way.
I looked at Bella but her face wasn't giving anything away and her voice was neutral when she spoke.
"Where are Seth and Heidi?"
I frowned as I remembered giving Jake the okay to release them both.
"They are not here."
"I hope that means they are somewhere safe."
I simply nodded which earned me the first genuine smile in years.
(Bella POV)
It was almost a déjà vu being alone with Edward. So long ago we had been like Seth and Heidi. Including the fact we came from rivaling families.
Sort of.
I had never really understood why my dad disliked Edward so much. I knew he had a potty mouth – it didn't seem like that had changed – but surely that couldn't have been the only reason.
My dad had always been overprotective because it had been him and me after my mother had left us when I was four years old.
But there had to be more. A bigger reason why my dad hated Edward.
Unfortunately, not even after that horrible break up, he had wanted to tell me why.
(Edward POV)
"You don't have to do this," Bella pointed out once again.
It had been hours since we had been here and because it was a Sunday and the club was closed tonight, no one was looking for us so far.
The clock read 11:30 PM; 30 minutes until midnight.
Valentine's Day.
Jake had texted me once to tell me that he had cleaned Seth up at his place before allowing Heidi to go home.
I wasn't certain if she could be trusted but I had to risk it.
For Bella I had to prove I was better. Though really…how much of a good person was I if I was still keeping her here?
As if she could read my mind, Bella caught my attention by breaking the silence.
"This isn't you," she whispered softly. "The Edward Cullen I knew was tough but not unreasonable. You always abided by the law."
"And look what good it fucking did me."
Bella frowned. "You wanted to be a doctor, like your dad. You had dreams. How the hell did you end up here?"
"Your dad ruined everything," I muttered.
"What does that mean?" Bella wondered. "I mean, I know he wasn't a fan of yours but it's not fair to blame him for the choices you made yourself."
"Did you know he allowed Caius fucking Volturi to open his club? He personally signed off on the permit."
Bella nodded. "I am aware of that. But you can't take that personally. That's what his job entails. If it had been you asking for a permit, he would have followed the same procedure."
I snorted. "He sure as fucking hell wouldn't have."
"Why do you think that?"
"Look, Bella…your dad hates my fucking guts. He did then, he probably still does. Like you said…he can't wait to get me behind bars."
"What did you mean before, when you said that my father didn't want things to change? Were you talking about us or something else?"
"Does it matter?"
Bella groaned, giving away that my vague answers were annoying her. "Of course it does!" she spat. "He is running for mayor because he wants to change things. That's a key point in his campaign.
"You can't tell me that is not what he wants and not explain yourself."
I sighed deeply before turning to look at her. Her eyes were wide with curiosity and there was a flushed pink staining her ivory cheeks.
Could I crush her again? Tell her about the way her dad ran his campaign?
Was it mine to tell?
"Edward," Bella urged me.
"Your dad has a nice campaign going. A campaign that requires money. Investors."
"He has a few anonymous donors," Bella said.
"Maybe you should look into these anonymous donors."
Bella frowned. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Let's just say Caius didn't get his permit for free…"
Bella gasped. "You think my father allowed himself to be bribed? That's outrageous!"
"Money makes the world go round, Bella. So yeah, maybe he wants this gang war to be over. Fuck, I am sure Volturi and his brothers want it to end too. They want the same thing, therefore they play on the same team."
"And you?" Bella wondered. "If what you say is true, that would mean the Volturi will stop picking fights if my dad is elected."
"He will buy them off. Whatever they want, they get. Like Aro and his 'bowling alley'. He is allowed to keep it open because…"
"…my dad approved a permit."
I nodded.
"I don't even know….I…."
"Look, it doesn't make a fucking difference," I grumbled. "This war won't stop. Not for Jacob, not for me. The Volturi will simply rule this town because they have political back up and Jacob and I will fight that."
"Welcome to a new day mafia," I muttered.
Bella reached out her tied up fists. There was no way for her to touch me but I knew that's what she meant to do.
"I could talk to my father. It doesn't have to be this way. It's dangerous. You could get hurt...I…I don't want that."
I smiled sadly at her words. I knew the risks, I lived with them every goddamn day. Of course it had to be this way. There was no other way.
A life time had passed.
"You don't know me anymore. I am not the teenage boy from ten years ago. I made choices and now I live with the consequences."
"I never expected the boy I knew ten years ago to break my heart," Bella said sadly, "but he did."
"Another thing your dad made me do."
(Bella POV)
What did he say?
My dad made him break up with me?
Again, I was very much aware that my dad had never liked Edward but blaming him for our break up – one Edward had so cruelly initiated - was strange.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped.
I was uncomfortable because of a cramp in my butt and exhaustion was rapidly taking over. And everything Edward had revealed about my dad and how he was in deep with Volturi made me feel quite sick.
Charlie Swan had always been a semi-politician. As I had grown older, I had grown quite aware that not everything in politics was fair. The system was simply unfair. And the people who implemented the law – my father being one of them as an alderman – were always a target for criticism.
That sometimes circumstances made them do desperate things. Like accepting bribes. Several colleagues of my father had succumbed to monetary pressure, so to speak.
But could my father really be this cruel? Even more so, could he have forced Edward to break up with me? I didn't want to believe that.
"Answer me!"
Edward took a deep breath before crouching down in front of me.
"Bella," he said, his voice low and far too seductive.
"Do you ever think about that night?"
My face must have betrayed that I did and that it crippled me to actually think of that night because Edward reached out hesitantly to cup my cheek.
"Ssh…"
I would have kicked him in the nuts if my ankles hadn't been tied up. How dare he touch me.
But then, his touch was feather light and familiar and a part of me wanted to lean in and bask in the warmth of it.
"Bella," he whispered. "I didn't mean it.
"That night was amazing. You were amazing."
I must have stared at him dumbfounded because before I could get a word in, before I could truly comprehend what he was saying, he started talking rapidly.
"After your father kicked me out that night he warned me to stay away. I told him to fuck of. I even told him I loved you. Which I did.
"I still do."
"Don't," I muttered. "Don't blame ten years of goddamn heartache on my dad," I warned him.
Edward smiled sadly. "I don't. I was the douche who allowed him to come between us. But you have to understand, he threatened my family. He said he could take away my father's medical license, that he could make sure no decent college would ever accept me. He threatened to make my entire family's life hell and that he would get away with it. He also threatened to have me arrested for sexual assault."
I gasped at Edward's admissions. "I consented. I wanted to."
Edward shook his head. "I know, baby. We both did.
"But you know what he was like. How much influence he had back then. Still has."
I knew Edward had a point. As a young girl I had been proud of the way my father had been respected by the community because he had such charisma. As an adult and a cop I knew deep down inside that my father's influence had little to do with charisma alone and had everything to do with knowing the right people.
Knowing the right power and money.
My father had once called them underground activities and we'd had several discussions on corruption. The way my dad saw it was that sometimes you needed to circumvent the law to get things done.
Cruel to be kind, he had called it.
"Why did he hate you so much?"
Edward's thumb traced my cheekbone.
"Because he loved you."
(Edward POV)
"If I untie you, will you promise not to run?"
Bella snorted. "I am not very good at running."
"That hasn't changed, has it?"
She shook her head.
I pulled a pocket knife from my pocket and cut the ropes that bound her to the chair. Once she was loose she rubbed her wrists and stood up carefully to stretch.
"I guess that makes me even worse than the worst cop, huh." She teased.
"Actually, you looked quite hot with that gun."
"Really?" Bella grinned. "Is that why you were sporting a massive boner back there at that warehouse?"
Fuck, she had seen that.
"You always did know how to fucking turn me on," I admitted with a groan.
I expected more teasing but all traces of humor had left Bella's face.
Of course, I had told her that she wasn't very good at turning me on and getting me off the night I had broken her heart.
"Bella," I said as I moved closer to her. "I lied. I know it makes me an asshole and that I can never take it back, but that night…I lied. You were the best I ever had."
Bella rolled her eyes. "We were kids, nothing but insecure amateurs. Surely you must have had sex since then that was a little more experienced?"
"Yes," I admitted sheepishly.
"But never with someone I loved."
I brushed away the hair from her face as I leaned in.
"I still love you."
Before she could answer or turn me down, I crushed my lips to hers.
Bella seemed taken aback as my lips familiarized themselves with the ones they had missed for so long. The hole in my chest and hers seemed like it was closing slowly. After a few seconds – in which Bella could have pushed me away or kick me in the balls – her plump soft lips started to respond and the most delicious moan escaped her. That sound allowed for an opening that gave me room to tackle her tongue with my own. Her hands found my hair, while my arms encircled her waist, holding her as close as humanly possible.
Years of anger, frustration, loss, desire and love were poured into the kiss until we both had to break away to catch our breath.
"Wow," was all Bella said.
I gave Bella a wide smile as I noticed the clock behind her.
Five minutes after midnight.
It was February 14, 2011.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Bella."
"What happens now?" Bella sighed, looking at me.
It was 7:00 AM and I knew that our time together was coming to an end. We had spent hours talking and kissing. Holding each other while making up for ten years of loss.
Over and over I had told her I loved her because I had no fucking way of knowing when I would get the chance again.
"You tell me…"
She gave me a pointed look.
"I can't just leave you here," I said.
Bella smiled sadly. "You should if you don't want to get caught."
"Your partner saw me beat my brother to a pulp. He knows you are missing."
"If Seth doesn't press charges there is no reason to arrest you."
"I kidnapped you. That's what your partner will think."
Another sad smile.
"Probably."
"That's why you have to tie me back up and run," Bella added softly.
"Fuck, this is so ironic," I muttered. "It's Valentine's Day and I feel like I am stuck in a Shakespearean play."
"This isn't some Romeo and Juliet tearjerker," Bella said. "I just hope you realize what this war is doing to you. To your family. To their family. And now, apparently, to me."
I nodded sadly. "So much has happened."
"And how long will people have to pay?"
"Someone will always have to pay."
Bella sighed. "Jacob seems more forgiving than you."
"I know."
"I am sorry," I whispered against her hair. "I feel like I am breaking up with you all over again."
"Don't feel that way. This is a new beginning." Bella said as she fingered the leather bracelet on my wrist. "I can't believe you kept this."
Bella had given me the bracelet ten years ago. I had teased her for making me wear accessories but secretly I had been thrilled to be marked by her that way.
"It was the only piece of you I could keep with me."
"They will be here soon."
"I could stay. Turn myself in."
"Don't. Just go."
"They will know it was me."
"Yes. That's why you have to go."
Bella sat back down on the chair, holding up the rope that had bound her before.
"You need to tie me back up…"
(Bella POV)
My head was pounding from the pile of paperwork on my desk.
Being on desk duty sucked.
It had been three months since Edward had kidnapped me. Three months in which I hadn't heard from him. I knew he was on the run and that he would probably never come back to Seattle.
It made me sad but the words I had told him were true. It had been a new beginning for us and somehow someway we would be together.
After he had tied me back up that night, he had given me one more deep soaring kiss before his beautiful face had faded to black as he had blindfolded me.
The cops had busted through the doors while he had escaped out the back. Apparently the station had received an anonymous tip – one that had been called in by Edward.
They had never found him because I had pretended the details were too fuzzy to remember who it was that had brought me to Jacob Black's Rabbit Hole.
Jacob Black had been arrested but released shortly after because there was a lack of evidence.
It had taken a lot of effort to explain everything to Jasper – I had to retell my entire history with Edward and everything my father had done to keep us apart – before he had agreed to keep mum on seeing Edward there at the storage space.
Because the official investigation on my kidnapping was still pending, I was not allowed to get back on the streets until the investigation was closed. Which was why I was on desk duty now.
Jasper had a new partner: a guy named Garrett. A nice enough guy who had tried to flirt with me.
It had never worked. Edward Cullen had ruined me for other men.
I had only spoken to my father once in the past three months. Once to let him know how disappointed I was in him and that I didn't want to be associated anymore with his campaign.
"You have a delivery," Alice pulled me out of my reverie as she handed me a small package.
Alice was the station's front receptionist and she had a major crush on Jasper.
She eyed the package with curiosity. "Open it…"
While I truly liked Alice, I didn't want to open the package in front of her.
"I think Jasper just went into the lounge to get some coffee," I hinted with a smile.
"Hmm, coffee…I think I need some," Alice mused with a knowing smile before walking away.
I waited until I was alone before returning my attention to the lightweight package which was actually a bubble wrap envelop.
I opened it carefully and took a peek inside.
There was a card and what seemed to be a piece of leather.
I pulled both out.
The leather object was actually a bracelet; two straps of leather woven into a delicate pattern.
It was simple and beautiful.
It was similar to the bracelet I had given Edward ten years earlier. On Valentine's Day.
I smiled as I opened the card.
Isabella,
I know it's been three months since Valentine's Day but I still wanted to give you this. I don't ever want to tie you up again – well…unless it means we are both fucking naked ;) but this seemed sort of appropriate.
Happy belated Valentine, I love you.
E.C.
I was stunned and stared at the card for a few moments before picking up the bracelet to give it a closer look, realizing it wasn't entirely the same as the one Edward had.
On one side it was nothing but woven red and black leather- the way I had always remembered it - but on the other there was a smoother surface which left room to have something carved in.
And Edward had.
It was a small heart with our initials.
E x B
I smiled.
I was about to put the card and bracelet back into the bubble wrap envelop to keep it safe, when I noticed there was something else inside.
I pulled it out, revealing a light green paper napkin.
Turning it over, it read in bold red letters:
La Bella's Pizzeria
2635 Sandy Plains Road
Marietta, GA 30066
Underneath someone had scribbled down a message.
Will you have dinner with me sometime?
~the End